“One of your friends!” cried Porthos, “this butcher of unarmed farmers!”

“Hush! my dear Porthos.  Monsieur Groslow is perhaps rather hasty, it’s true, but at bottom I have discovered two good qualities in him —­ he is conceited and stupid.”

Porthos opened his eyes in amazement; Athos and Aramis looked at one another and smiled; they knew D’Artagnan, and knew that he did nothing without a purpose.

“But,” continued D’Artagnan, “you shall judge of him for yourself.  He is coming to play with us this evening.”

“Oho!” said Porthos, his eyes glistening at the news.  “Is he rich?”

“He’s the son of one of the wealthiest merchants in London.”

“And knows lansquenet?”

“Adores it.”

“Basset?”

“His mania.”

“Biribi?”

“Revels in it.”

“Good,” said Porthos; “we shall pass an agreeable evening.”

“The more so, as it will be the prelude to a better.”

“How so?”

“We invite him to play to-night; he has invited us in return to-morrow.  But wait.  To-night we stop at Derby; and if there is a bottle of wine in the town let Mousqueton buy it.  It will be well to prepare a light supper, of which you, Athos and Aramis, are not to partake —­ Athos, because I told him you had a fever; Aramis, because you are a knight of Malta and won’t mix with fellows like us.  Do you understand?”

“That’s no doubt very fine,” said Porthos; “but deuce take me if I understand at all.”

“Porthos, my friend, you know I am descended on the father’s side from the Prophets and on the mother’s from the Sybils, and that I only speak in parables and riddles.  Let those who have ears hear and those who have eyes see; I can tell you nothing more at present.”

“Go ahead, my friend,” said Athos; “I am sure that whatever you do is well done.”

“And you, Aramis, are you of that opinion?”

“Entirely so, my dear D’Artagnan.”

“Very good,” said D’Artagnan; “here indeed are true believers; it is a pleasure to work miracles before them; they are not like that unbelieving Porthos, who must see and touch before he will believe.”

“The fact is,” said Porthos, with an air of finesse, “I am rather incredulous.”

D’Artagnan gave him playful buffet on the shoulder, and as they had reached the station where they were to breakfast, the conversation ended there.

At five in the evening they sent Mousqueton on before as agreed upon.  Blaisois went with him.

In crossing the principal street in Derby the four friends perceived Blaisois standing in the doorway of a handsome house.  It was there a lodging was prepared for them.

At the hour agreed upon Groslow came.  D’Artagnan received him as he would have done a friend of twenty years’ standing.  Porthos scanned him from head to foot and smiled when he discovered that in spite of the blow he had administered to Parry’s brother, he was not nearly so strong as himself.  Athos and Aramis suppressed as well as they could the disgust they felt in the presence of such coarseness and brutality.