twenty years after(二十年后)-第142章

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Boulogne。　Should　our　bark　be　upset　we　are　five　of　us　good
swimmers；　able　enough　to　turn　it　over　again；　or　if　not；　to
hold　on　by　it。　Now　we　are　on　the　very　road　which　all　the
vessels　between　Dover　and　Calais　take；　'tis　impossible　but
that　we　should　meet　with　a　fisherman　who　will　pick　us　up。〃
〃But　should　we　not　find　any　fisherman　and　should　the　wind
shift　to　the　north？〃
〃That；〃　said　Athos；　〃would　be　quite　another　thing；　and　we
should　nevermore　see　land　until　we　were　upon　the　other　side
of　the　Atlantic。〃
〃Which　implies　that　we　may　die　of　hunger；〃　said　Aramis。
〃'Tis　more　than　possible；〃　answered　the　Comte　de　la　Fere。
Musqueton　sighed　again；　more　deeply　than　before。
〃What　is　the　matter？　what　ails　you？〃　asked　Porthos。
〃I　am　cold；　sir；〃　said　Musqueton。
〃Impossible！　your　body　is　covered　with　a　coating　of　fat
which　preserves　it　from　the　cold　air。〃
〃Ah！　sir；　'tis　this　very　coating　of　fat　that　makes　me
shiver。〃
〃How　is　that；　Musqueton？
〃Alas！　your　honor；　in　the　library　of　the　Chateau　of　Bracieux
there　are　a　lot　of　books　of　travels。〃
〃What　then？〃
〃Amongst　them　the　voyages　of　Jean　Mocquet　in　the　time　of
Henry　IV。〃
〃Well？〃
〃In　these　books；　your　honor；　'tis　told　how　hungry　voyagers；
drifting　out　to　sea；　have　a　bad　habit　of　eating　each　other
and　beginning　with　　〃
〃The　fattest　among　them！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　unable　in　spite
of　the　gravity　of　the　occasion　to　help　laughing。
〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　Musqueton；　〃but　permit　me　to　say　I　see
nothing　laughable　in　it。　However；〃　he　added；　turning　to
Porthos；　〃I　should　not　regret　dying；　sir；　were　I　sure　that
by　doing　so　I　might　still　be　useful　to　you。〃
〃Mouston；〃　replied　Porthos；　much　affected；　〃should　we　ever
see　my　castle　of　Pierrefonds　again　you　shall　have　as　your
own　and　for　your　descendants　the　vineyard　that　surrounds　the
farm。〃
〃And　you　should　call　it　‘Devotion；'〃　added　Aramis；　〃the
vineyard　of　self…sacrifice；　to　transmit　to　latest　ages　the
recollection　of　your　devotion　to　your　master。〃
〃Chevalier；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　laughing；　〃you　could　eat　a
piece　of　Mouston；　couldn't　you；　especially　after　two　or
three　days　of　fasting？〃
〃Oh；　no；〃　replied　Aramis；　〃I　should　much　prefer　Blaisois；　we
haven't　known　him　so　long。〃
One　may　readily　conceive　that　during　these　jokes　which　were
intended　chiefly　to　divert　Athos　from　the　scene　which　had
just　taken　place；　the　servants；　with　the　exception　of
Grimaud；　were　not　silent。　Suddenly　Musqueton　uttered　a　cry
of　delight；　taking　from　beneath　one　of　the　benches　a　bottle
of　wine；　and　on　looking　more　closely　in　the　same　place　he
discovered　a　dozen　similar　bottles；　bread；　and　a　monster
junk　of　salted　beef。
〃Oh；　sir！〃　he　cried；　passing　the　bottle　to　Porthos；　〃we　are
saved　　the　bark　is　supplied　with　provisions。〃
This　intelligence　restored　every　one　save　Athos　to　gayety。
〃Zounds！〃　exclaimed　Porthos；　〃'tis　astonishing　how　empty
violent　agitation　makes　the　stomach。〃
And　he　drank　off　half　a　bottle　at　a　draught　and　bit　great
mouthfuls　of　the　bread　and　meat。
〃Now；〃　said　Athos；　〃sleep；　or　try　to　sleep；　my　friends；　and
I　will　watch。〃
In　a　few　moments；　notwithstanding　their　wet　clothes；　the　icy
blast　that　blew　and　the　previous　scene　of　terror；　these
hardy　adventurers；　with　their　iron　frames；　inured　to　every
hardship；　threw　themselves　down；　intending　to　profit　by　the
advice　of　Athos；　who　sat　at　the　helm；　pensively　wakeful；
guiding　the　little　bark　the　way　it　was　to　go；　his　eyes　fixed
on　the　heavens；　as　if　he　sought　to　verify　not　only　the　road
to　France；　but　the　benign　aspect　of　protecting　Providence。
After　some　hours　of　repose　the　sleepers　were　aroused　by
Athos。
Dawn　was　shedding　its　pallid；　placid　glimmer　on　the　purple
ocean；　when　at　the　distance　of　a　musket　shot　from　them　was
seen　a　dark　gray　mass；　above　which　gleamed　a　triangular
sail；　then　masters　and　servants　joined　in　a　fervent　cry　to
the　crew　of　that　vessel　to　hear　them　and　to　save。
〃A　bark！〃　all　cried　together。
It　was；　in　fact；　a　small　craft　from　Dunkirk　bound　for
Boulogne。
A　quarter　of　an　hour　afterward　the　rowboat　of　this　craft
took　them　all　aboard。　Grimaud　tendered　twenty　guineas　to　the
captain；　and　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　having　a　fair
wind；　our　Frenchmen　set　foot　on　their　native　land。
〃Egad！　how　strong　one　feels　here！〃　said　Porthos；　almost
burying　his　large　feet　in　the　sands。　〃Zounds！　I　could　defy　a
nation！〃
〃Be　quiet；　Porthos；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃we　are　observed。〃
〃We　are　admired；　i'faith；〃　answered　Porthos。
〃These　people　who　are　looking　at　us　are　only　merchants；〃
said　Athos；　〃and　are　looking　more　at　the　cargo　than　at　us。〃
〃I　shall　not　trust　to　that；〃　said　the　lieutenant；　〃and　I
shall　make　for　the　Dunes*　as　soon　as　possible。〃

*Sandy　hills　about　Dunkirk；　from　which　it　derives　its　name。

The　party　followed　him　and　soon　disappeared　with　him　behind
the　hillocks　of　sand　unobserved。　Here；　after　a　short
conference；　they　proposed　to　separate。
〃And　why　separate？〃　asked　Athos。
〃Because；〃　answered　the　Gascon；　〃we　were　sent；　Porthos　and
I；　by　Cardinal　Mazarin　to　fight　for　Cromwell；　instead　of
fighting　for　Cromwell　we　have　served　Charles　I。　　not　the
same　thing　by　any　means。　In　returning　with　the　Comte　de　la
Fere　and　Monsieur　d'Herblay　our　crime　would　be　confirmed。　We
have　circumvented　Cromwell；　Mordaunt；　and　the　sea；　but　we
shall　find　a　certain　difficulty　in　circumventing　Mazarin。〃
〃You　forget；〃　replied　Athos；　〃that　we　consider　ourselves
your　prisoners　and　not　free　from　the　engagement　we　entered
into。〃
〃Truly；　Athos；〃　interrupted　D'Artagnan；　〃I　am　vexed　that
such　a　man　as　you　are　should　talk　nonsense　which　schoolboys
would　be　ashamed　of。　Chevalier；〃　he　continued；　addressing
Aramis；　who；　leaning　proudly　on　his　sword；　seemed　to　agree
with　his　companion；　〃Chevalier；　Porthos　and　I　run　no　risk；
besides；　should　any　ill…luck　happen　to　two　of　us；　will　it
not　be　much　better　that　the　other　two　should　be　spared　to
assist　those　who　may　be　apprehended？　Besides；　who　knows
whether；　divided；　we　may　not　obtain　a　pardon　　you　from　the
queen；　we　from　Mazarin　　which；　were　we　all　four　together；
would　never　be　granted。　Come；　Athos　and　Aramis；　go　to　the
right；　Porthos；　come　with　me　to　the　left；　these　gentlemen
should　file　off　into　Normandy；　whilst　we；　by　the　nearest
road；　reach　Paris。〃
He　then　gave　his　friends　minute　directions　as　to　their
route。
〃Ah！　my　dear　friend；〃　exclaimed　Athos；　〃how　I　should　admire
the　resources　of　your　mind　did　I　not　stop　to　adore　those　of
your　heart。〃
And　he　gave　him　his　hand。
〃Isn't　this　fox　a　genius；　Athos？〃　asked　the　Gascon。　〃No！　he
knows　how　to　crunch　fowls；　to　dodge　the　huntsman　and　to　find
his　way　home　by　day　or　by　night；　that's　all。　Well；　is　all
said？〃
〃All。〃
〃Then　let's　count　our　money　and　divide　it。　Ah！　hurrah！
there's　the　sun！　A　merry　morning　to　you；　Sunshine。　'Tis　a
long　time　since　I　saw　thee！〃
〃Come；　come；　D'Artagnan；〃　said　Athos；　〃do　not　affect　to　be
strong…minded；　there　are　tears　in　your　eyes。　Let　us　be　open
with　each　other　and　sincere。〃
〃What！〃　cried　the　Gascon；　〃do　you　think；　Athos；　we　can　take
leave；　calmly；　of　two　friends　at　a　time　not　free　from　danger
to　you　and　Aramis？〃
〃No；〃　answered　Athos；　〃embrace　me；　my　son。〃
〃Zounds！〃　said　Porthos；　sobbing；　〃I　believe　I'm　crying；　but
how　foolish　all　this　is！〃
Then　they　embraced。　At　that　moment　their　fraternal　bond　of
union　was　closer　than　ever；　and　when　they　parted；　each　to
take　the　route　agreed　on；　they　turned　back　to　utter
affectionate　expressions；　which　the　echoes　of　the　Dunes
repeated。　At　last　they　lost　sight　of　each　other。
〃Sacrebleu！　D'Artagnan；〃　said　Porthos；　〃I　must　out　with　it
at　once；　for　I　can't　keep　to　myself　anything　I　have　against
you；　I　haven't　been　able　to　recognize　you　in　this　matter。〃
〃Why　not？〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　his　wise　smile。
〃Because　if；　as　you　say；　Athos　and　Aramis　are　in　real
danger；　this　is　not　the　time　to　abandon　them。　For　my　part；　I
confess　to　you　that　I　was　all　ready　to　follow　them　and　am
still　ready　to　rejoin　them；　in　spite　of　all　the　Mazarins　in
the　world。〃
〃You　would　be　right；　Porthos；　but　for　one　thing；　which　may
change　the　current　of　your　ideas；　and　that　is；　that　it　is
not　those　gentlemen　who　are　in　the　greatest　danger；　it　is
ourselves；　it　is　not　to　abandon　them　that　we　have　separated；