“That the Place Royale is the termination to the main road to Vendomois, and nothing else.”
“What! our friends?”
“Are become our most dangerous enemies, Athos. Let us be on our guard.”
“Oh! my dear D’Herblay!”
“Who can say whether D’Artagnan may not have betrayed us to the cardinal? who can tell whether Mazarin may not take advantage of this rendezvous to seize us?”
“What! Aramis, you think that D’Artagnan, that Porthos, would lend their hands to such an infamy?”
“Among friends, my dear Athos, no, you are right; but among enemies it would be only a stratagem.”
Athos crossed his arms and bowed his noble head.
“What can you expect, Athos? Men are so made; and we are not always twenty years old. We have cruelly wounded, as you know, that personal pride by which D’Artagnan is blindly governed. He has been beaten. Did you not observe his despair on the journey? As to Porthos, his barony was perhaps dependent on that affair. Well, he found us on his road and will not be baron this time. Perhaps that famous barony will have something to do with our interview this evening. Let us take our precautions, Athos.”
“But suppose they come unarmed? What a disgrace to us.”