had been taken out of a coffin, and examined each other
complacently. After this examination they turned their eyes
towards their leader, who had long been acquainted with the
art of speaking to men of that class, and who improvised the
following little speech, pronounced with an energy truly
Gascon:

"Gentlemen, you all know who I am. I have engaged you from
knowing you to be brave, and willing to associate you with
me in a glorious enterprise. Imagine that in laboring for me
you labor for the king. I only warn you that if you allow
anything of this supposition to appear, I shall be forced to
crack your skulls immediately, in the manner most convenient
to me. You are not ignorant, gentlemen, that state secrets
are like a mortal poison: as long as that poison is in its
box and the box is closed, it is not injurious; out of the
box, it kills. Now draw near and you shall know as much of
this secret as I am able to tell you." All drew close to him
with an expression of curiosity. "Approach," continued
D'Artagnan, "and let not the bird which passes over our
heads, the rabbit which sports on the downs, the fish which
bounds from the waters, hear us. Our business is to learn
and to report to monsieur le surintendant of the finances to
what extent English smuggling is injurious to the French
merchants. I shall enter every place, and see everything. We
are poor Picard fishermen, thrown upon the coast by a storm.
It is certain that we must sell fish, neither more nor less,
like true fishermen. Only people might guess who we are, and
might molest us; it is therefore necessary that we should be
in a condition to defend ourselves. And this is why I have