“The same as I used to do,” replied D’Artagnan, without compromising himself too much by this reply.
“In that case, thanks; and now, for the most perfect frankness,” said Aramis; “you visited Belle-Isle on behalf of the king?”
“Pardieu!”
“You wished to deprive us of the pleasure of offering Bell-Isle completely fortified to the king.”
“But before I could deprive you of that pleasure, I ought to have been made acquainted with your intention of doing so.”
“You came to Belle-Isle without knowing anything?”
“Of you! yes. How the devil could I imagine that Aramis had become so clever an engineer as to be able to fortify like Polybius, or Archimedes?”
“True. And yet you smelt me out over yonder?”
“Oh! yes.”
“And Porthos, too?”