unfortunate. Porthos is such a stay-at-home!"

"Monsieur, there is not a more sedentary man that monseigneur, but - "

"But what?"

"When a friend presses you - "

"A friend?"

"Doubtless - the worthy M. d'Herblay."

"What, has Aramis pressed Porthos?"

"This is how the thing happened, Monsieur d'Artagnan. M. d'Herblay wrote
to monseigneur - "

"Indeed!"

"A letter, monsieur, such a pressing letter that it threw us all into a
bustle."

"Tell me all about it, my dear friend," said D'Artagnan; "but remove
these people a little further off first."

Mousqueton shouted, "Fall back, you fellows," with such powerful lungs
that the breath, without the words, would have been sufficient to
disperse the four lackeys. D'Artagnan seated himself on the shaft of the
box and opened his ears. "Monsieur," said Mousqueton, "monseigneur,
then, received a letter from M. le Vicaire-General d'Herblay, eight or