"--of intrigues and crets of state," tinued d''Artagnan, plying with the reendation. "There bsp;be no doubt we would all be broken on the wheel; but for God''s sake, do not fet, as you yourlf said, Athos, that we only write to him ing a family affair; that we only write to him to e that as soon as Milady arrives in London he will put it out of her power to injure us. I will write to him, then, nearly ierms."
"Let us e," said Athos, assuming in advanbsp;a critibsp;look.
"Monsieur and dear friend--"
"Ah, yes! Dear friend to an Englishman," interrupted Athos; "well enced! Bravo, d''Artagnan! Only with that word you would be quartered instead of being broken on the wheel."
"Well, perhaps. I will say, then, Monsieur, quite short."
"You may even say, My Lord," replied Athos, who stickled for propriety.
"My Lord, do you remember the little goat pasture of the Luxemb?"
"Good, the Luxemb! One might believe this is an allusion to the queen-mother! That''s ingenious," said Athos.
"Well, then, we will put simply, My Lord, do you remember a certain little enclosure where your life ared?"
"My dear d''Artagnan, you will never make anything but a very bad cretary. Where your life was spared! For shame! that''s unworthy. A man of spirit is not to be reminded of subsp;rvices. A be reproached is an offen itted."
"The devil!" said d''Artagnan, "you are insupportable. If the letter must be written under your sure, my faith, I renounbsp;the task."
"And you will do right. Handle the musket and the sword, my dear fellow. You will e off splendidly at tho two exercis; but pass the pen over to Monsieur Abbe. That''s his province."
"Ay, ay!" said Porthos; "pass the pen to Aramis, who writes thes in Latin."
"Well, so be it," said d''Artagnan. "Draw up this note for us, Aramis; but by our Holy Father the Pope, bsp;it short, for I shall prune you in my turn, I warn you."
"I ask no better," said Aramis, with that ingenious air of fidenbsp;whibsp;every poet has in himlf; "but let me be properly acquainted with the subjebsp;I have heard here and there that this sister-in-law was a hussy. I have obtained proof of it by listening to her versation with the cardinal."