It was evident that without suspecting it， and actuated solely by their chivalric and adventurous characters， our three friends had just rendered a service to some one whom the cardinal honoured with his special protection.
Now who was that some one？ This was the question the three musketeers put to each other. Then， seeing that none of the replies their wits could furnish was satisfactory， Porthos called the landlord and asked for dice.
Porthos and Aramis sat down at the table and began to play. Athos walked about in a contemplative mood.
While thinking and walking， Athos kept passing and re-passing before the stove-pipe， broken in half， the other end of which went into the upper chamber； and every time he passed he heard a murmur of words， which at length attracted his attention. Athos went close to it， and distinguished some words which undoubtedly seemed to deserve so deep an interest that he beckoned to his friends to be silent， remaining himself bent， with his ear placed against the opening of the lower orifice.
“Listen， milady，” said the cardinal； “the affair is important. Sit down and let us talk.”
“Milady！” murmured Athos.
“I am listening to your Eminence with the greatest attention，” replied a woman’s voice that made the musketeer start.
“A small vessel， with an English crew， whose captain is devoted to me， awaits you at the mouth of the Charente， at Fort de la Pointe. He will set sail to-morrow morning.”
“I must go there to-night， then？”
“Instantly！ That is to say， as soon as you have received my instructions. Two men， whom you will find at the door on going out， will serve as your escort. You will let me leave first， and， half an hour after， you can go away in your turn.”
“Yes， monseigneur. Now let us return to the mission in which you wish to employ me， and， as I desire to continue to merit your Eminence’s confidence， deign to explain it to me in clear and precise terms， so that I may not commit any error.”
There was a moment of deep silence between the two speakers. It was evident the cardinal was weighing beforehand the terms in which he was about to speak， and that milady was collecting all the powers of her mind to understand the things he was about to say， and to engrave them in her memory when they were spoken.
Athos took advantage of this moment to tell his two companions to fasten the door on the inside， and to beckon them to come and listen with him.
The two musketeers， who loved their ease， each brought a chair for himself and one for Athos. All three then sat down with their heads together and their ears alert.
“You will go to London，” pursued the cardinal； “when you reach London you will seek out Buckingham.”
“I must beg your Eminence to observe，” said milady， “that since the affair of the diamond studs， about which the duke always suspected me， his Grace has been very mistrustful of me.”
“Well， this time，” said the cardinal， “it is not a question of worming yourself into his confidence， but you will present yourself frankly and loyally as a negotiator.
“You will go to Buckingham in my behalf， and you will tell him I am acquainted with all the preparations he has made； but that they give me no uneasiness， since at the first step he takes I will ruin the queen.”
“Will he believe that your Eminence is in a position to accomplish the threat you make him？”
“Yes， for I have the proofs.”
“I must be able to present these proofs so as to convince him.”
“Unquestionably. And you will tell him I will publish the report of Bois-Robert and of the Marquis de Beautru， regarding the interview with the queen which the duke had at the constable’s residence， on the evening Madame la Connétable gave a masked ball. You will tell him， in order that he may not doubt anything， that he came there in the costume of the Great Mogul， which the Chevalier de Guise was to have worn， and which he bought for three thousand pistoles.”
“Very well， monseigneur.”
“All the details of his entrance and departure on the night when he was introduced into the palace in the character of an Italian fortuneteller you will tell him， in order that he may not doubt the correctness of my information.”
“Is that all， monseigneur？”
“Tell him also that I am acquainted with all the details of the adventure at Amiens； that I will have a little romance made of it， wittily turned， with a plan of the garden and portraits of the principal actors in that nocturnal romance.”
“I will tell him that.”
“Then add that his Grace in his precipitation to quit the Isle of Ré forgot and left behind him in his lodging a letter from Madame de Chevreuse， which singularly compromises the queen， inasmuch as it proves not only that her Majesty can love the king’s enemies， but that she can conspire with the enemies of France. You recollect perfectly all I have told you， do you not？”
“Your Eminence will judge： Madame la Connétable’s ball； the night at the Louvre； the evening at Amiens； the arrest of Montague； the letter of Madame de Chevreuse.”
“That’s it，” said the cardinal—“that’s it. You have an excellent memory， milady.”
