“Certainly.”
“Very well. Count on me for bringing this about, and have no fear.”
“I may depend on your word?”
“You may.”
D’Artagnan bowed to Madame Bonacieux, darting at her the most loving glance that he could possibly concentrate upon her charming little person; and while he descended the stairs he heard the door closed behind him and double-locked. In two bounds he was at the Louvre. As he entered the wicket of L’Echelle ten o’clock struck. All the events we have just described had taken place within half an hour.
Everything happened as Madame Bonacieux said it would. On hearing the password, Germain bowed; ten minutes after La Porte was at the lodge; with two words D’Artagnan told him what was going on, and informed him where Madame Bonacieux was. La Porte assured himself, by having it twice repeated, of the exact address, and set off at a run. He had, however, scarcely gone ten steps before he returned.
“Young man,” said he to D’Artagnan, “I have a piece of advice to give you.”
“What is it?”
“You may get into trouble by what has taken place.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. Have you any friend whose clock is too slow?”
“What then?”
“Go and call upon him, in order that he may give evidence of your having been with him at half-past nine. In law that is called an alibi.”
D’Artagnan found this advice prudent. He took to his heels, and was soon at M. de Tréville’s; but instead of going into the drawing-room with everybody, he asked to be introduced to M. de Tréville’s office. As D’Artagnan was one of the frequenters of the hôtel, no difficulty was made in complying with his request, and a servant went to inform M. de Tréville that his young compatriot, having something important to communicate, solicited a private audience. Five minutes after, M. de Tréville was asking D’Artagnan what he could do for him, and to what he was indebted for his visit at so late an hour.
“Pardon me, sir,” said D’Artagnan, who had profited by the moment he had been left alone to put back M. de Tréville’s clock three-quarters of an hour; “I thought, as it was yet only twenty-five minutes past nine, it was not too late to wait upon you.”
“Twenty five minutes past nine!” cried M. de Tréville, looking at the clock; “why, that’s impossible!”
“Look, rather, sir,” said D’Artagnan; “the clock shows it.”
“That’s true,” said M. de Tréville; “I should have thought it was later. But what can I do for you?”
Then D’Artagnan told M. de Tréville a long history about the queen. He expressed to him the fears he entertained with respect to her Majesty; he related to him what he had heard of the projects of the cardinal with regard to Buckingham; and all with a tranquillity and sereneness which deceived M. de Tréville the more because he had himself, as we have said, observed something new between the cardinal, the king, and the queen.