"Come," said Aramis, "we ought to deal truthfully with each other; do you still love me, D'Artagnan?"
"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 came to Belle-Isle for the king."
"Pardieu!"
"You wished to deprive us of the pleasure of offering Belle-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 divined me yonder?"
"Oh! yes.