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〃One of these two men said； ‘He must certainly be at Noisy；
or be coming there this evening； for I have seen his
servant。'
〃‘Art thou sure？ ' said the man in the cloak。
〃‘Yes； my prince。'〃
〃My prince！〃 interrupted D'Artagnan。
〃Yes； ‘my prince；' but listen。 ‘If he is here' this is
what the other man said ‘let's see decidedly what to do
with him。'
〃‘What to do with him？' answered the prince。
〃‘Yes； he's not a man to allow himself to be taken anyhow；
he'll defend himself。'
〃‘Well； we must try to take him alive。 Have you cords to
bind him with and a gag to stop his mouth？'
〃‘We have。'
〃‘Remember that he will most likely be disguised as a
horseman。'
〃‘Yes； yes； my lord； don't be uneasy。'
〃‘Besides； I shall be there。'
〃‘You will assure us that justice '
〃‘Yes； yes！ I answer for all that；' the prince said。
〃‘Well； then； we'll do our best。' Having said that； they
went out of the stable。〃
〃Well； what matters all that to us？〃 said D'Artagnan。 〃This
is one of those attempts that happen every day。〃
〃Are you sure that we are not its objects？〃
〃We？ Why？〃
〃Just remember what they said。 ‘I have seen his servant；'
said one； and that applies very well to me。〃
〃Well？〃
〃‘He must certainly be at Noisy； or be coming there this
evening；' said the other； and that applies very well to
you。〃
〃What else？〃
〃Then the prince said： ‘Take notice that in all probability
he will be disguised as a cavalier；' which seems to me to
leave no room for doubt； since you are dressed as a cavalier
and not as an officer of musketeers。 Now then； what do you
say to that？〃
〃Alas！ my dear Planchet；〃 said D'Artagnan； sighing； 〃we are
unfortunately no longer in those times in which princes
would care to assassinate me。 Those were good old days；
never fear these people owe us no grudge。〃
〃Is your honor sure？〃
〃I can answer for it they do not。〃
〃Well； we won't speak of it any more； then；〃 and Planchet
took his place in D'Artagnan's suite with that sublime
confidence he had always had in his master； which even
fifteen years of separation had not destroyed。
They had traveled onward about half a mile when Planchet
came close up to D'Artagnan。
〃Stop； sir； look yonder；〃 he whispered； 〃don't you see in
the darkness something pass by； like shadows？ I fancy I hear
horses' feet。〃
〃Impossible！〃 returned D'Artagnan。 〃The ground is soaking
wet； yet I fancy； as thou sayest； that I see something。〃
At this moment the neighing of a horse struck his ear；
coming through darkness and space。
〃There are men somewhere about； but that's of no consequence
to us；〃 said D'Artagnan； 〃let us ride onward。〃
At about half…past eight o'clock they reached the first
houses in Noisy； every one was in bed and not a light was to
be seen in the village。 The obscurity was broken only now
and then by the still darker lines of the roofs of houses。
Here and there a dog barked behind a door or an affrighted
cat fled precipitately from the midst of the pavement to
take refuge behind a pile of faggots； from which retreat her
eyes would shine like peridores。 These were the only living
creatures that seemed to inhabit the village。
Toward the middle of the town； commanding the principal open
space； rose a dark mass； separated from the rest of the
world by two lanes and overshadowed in the front by enormous
lime…trees。 D'Artagnan looked attentively at the building。
〃This；〃 he said to Planchet； 〃must be the archbishop's
chateau； the abode of the fair Madame de Longueville； but
the convent； where is that？〃
〃The convent； your honor； is at the other end of the
village； I know it well。〃
〃Well； then； Planchet； gallop up to it whilst I tighten my
horse's girth； and come back and tell me if there is a light
in any of the Jesuits' windows。〃
In about five minutes Planchet returned。
〃Sir；〃 he said； 〃there is one window of the convent lighted
up。〃
〃Hem！ If I were a ‘Frondeur；'〃 said D'Artagnan； 〃I should
knock here and should be sure of a good supper。 If I were a
monk I should knock yonder and should have a good supper
there； too； whereas； 'tis very possible that between the
castle and the convent we shall sleep on hard beds； dying
with hunger and thirst。〃
〃Yes；〃 added Planchet； 〃like the famous ass of Buridan。
Shall I knock？〃
〃Hush！〃 replied D'Artagnan； 〃the light no longer burns in
yonder window。〃
〃Do you hear nothing？〃 whispered Planchet。
〃What is that noise？〃
There came a sound like a whirlwind； at the same time two
troops of horsemen； each composed of ten men； sallied forth
from each of the lanes which encompassed the house and
surrounded D'Artagnan and Planchet。
〃Heyday！〃 cried D'Artagnan； drawing his sword and taking
refuge behind his horse； 〃are you not mistaken？ is it really
for us that you mean your attack？〃
〃Here he is！ we have him！〃 cried the horsemen； rushing on
D'Artagnan with naked swords。
〃Don't let him escape！〃 said a loud voice。
〃No； my lord； be assured we shall not。〃
D'Artagnan thought it was now time for him to join in the
conversation。
〃Halloo； gentlemen！〃 he called out in his Gascon accent；
〃what do you want？ what do you demand？〃
〃That thou shalt soon know；〃 shouted a chorus of horsemen。
〃Stop； stop！〃 cried he whom they had addressed as 〃my lord；〃
〃'tis not his voice。〃
〃Ah！ just so； gentlemen！ pray； do people get into a passion
at random at Noisy？ Take care； for I warn you that the first
man that comes within the length of my sword and my sword
is long I rip him up。〃
The chieftain of the party drew near。
〃What are you doing here？〃 he asked in a lofty tone； as that
of one accustomed to command。
〃And you what are you doing here？〃 replied D'Artagnan。
〃Be civil； or I shall beat you； for although one may not
choose to proclaim oneself； one insists on respect suitable
to one's rank。〃
〃You don't choose to discover yourself； because you are the
leader of an ambuscade；〃 returned D'Artagnan； 〃but with
regard to myself； who am traveling quietly with my own
servant； I have not the same reasons as you have to conceal
my name。〃
〃Enough！ enough！ what is your name？〃
〃I shall tell you my name in order that you may know where
to find me； my lord； or my prince； as it may suit you best
to be called；〃 said our Gascon； who did not choose to seem
to yield to a threat。 〃Do you know Monsieur d'Artagnan？〃
〃Lieutenant in the king's musketeers？〃 said the voice； 〃you
are Monsieur d'Artagnan？〃
〃I am。〃
〃Then you came here to defend him？〃
〃Him？ whom？〃
〃The man we are seeking。〃
〃It seems；〃 said D'Artagnan； 〃that whilst I thought I was
coming to Noisy I have entered； without suspecting it； into
the kingdom of mysteries。〃
〃Come；〃 replied the same lofty tone； 〃answer！ Are you
waiting for him underneath these windows？ Did you come to
Noisy to defend him？〃
〃I am waiting for no one；〃 replied D'Artagnan； who was
beginning to be angry。 〃I propose to defend no one but
myself； and I shall defend myself vigorously； I give you
warning。〃
〃Very well；〃 said the voice； 〃go away from here and leave
the place to us。〃
〃Go away from here！〃 said D'Artagnan； whose purposes were in
conflict with that order； 〃that is not so easy； since I am
on the point of falling； and my horse； too； through fatigue；
unless； indeed；