“Friend,” said d’Artagnan, “a half-pistole for that paper!”
“My faith, Monsieur, with great pleasure! Here it is!”
The hostler, enchanted with the good day’s work he had done, returned to the yard. D’Artagnan unfolded the paper.
“Well?” eagerly demanded all his three friends.
“Nothing but one word!” said d’Artagnan.
“Yes,” said Aramis, “but that one word is the name of some town or village.”
“ Armentières ,” read Porthos; “Armentières? I don’t know such a place.”
“And that name of a town or village is written in her hand!” cried Athos.
“Come on, come on!” said d’Artagnan; “let us keep that paper carefully, perhaps I have not thrown away my half-pistole. To horse, my friends, to horse!”
And the four friends flew at a gallop along the road to Béthune.