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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The Man in Red
It was a sad night for d'Artagnan and the other Musketeers. Eventually each of them went to their room to try and sleep. Before going to bed, Athos gave orders to the four servants to leave at dawn and travel to Armentieres, each by a different road. He asked Planchet to follow the road the carriage had gone.
Early the next morning d'Artagnan came to see Athos and asked what was to be done.
"We must wait." replied Athos.
A few hours later the woman of the convent told the Musketeers that the funeral of Constance would happen at noon. At noon the four friends went to the convent. The funeral bells were ringing, the church was open, and Constance's body lay there wearing a white dress. '
At the church door d'Artagnan's courage failed him and he turned around to look for Athos; but Athos had disappeared.
Athos had walked to the garden; he was following Milady's foot tracks. He discovered that she had left through a back door that led into the garden and had gotten in her carriage there.
Athos went back to the inn and found Planchet there waiting for him. Planchet had followed the tracks of the carriage and seen the inn where the horses had stopped. He knew that Milady had gone to Armentieres.
There was only one inn in the town, it was called the Post.
Planchet went to the inn and learned from the inn owner that a young woman had arrived the night before in a carriage. She was with a man on horseback, but he left her an hour later. The woman had rented a room, sent for the inn owner, and told him that she wanted to stay in the town for a long time.
Planchet did not need any other information. He met with the other three servants, told them to watch all the doors of the inn, and came to find Athos.
Athos thanked Planchet and called for his horse. He rode quickly to the city of Lille, approximately fifteen miles away. He returned to Bethune that evening with a tall man. He left him waiting at an inn outside of the town and then rode to meet his friends at their inn.
By now it was late night. Athos bought a fresh horse from the inn owner, then called his friends together and told them that the time had come for their journey.
Within a few minutes all three were ready and waiting outside the inn. Athos came down last, and saw that d'Artagnan was already on his horse.
"Wait!" cried Athos. "We must wait for one more man."
The three men looked at each other surprised, but Athos did not say anything. Planchet brought Athos his horse and he jumped lightly up on its back.
"Wait here for me," he said. "I will be back soon.”
He returned ten minutes later, riding next to a tall man wearing a large Red Cloak. Again the Musketeers looked at each other surprised. Athos still said nothing, however, and the Musketeers, Planchet and the man in the Red Cloak left on the road to Armentieres.
As they came close to Armentieres the sky became dark and it began to rain heavily. They covered their heads with their cloaks and rode on in the rain.
As they entered the town a man stepped out into the middle of the road. He raised an arm, telling the men to stop. Athos recognized his servant, Grimaud.
“ Is something wrong?" he asked. " Has she left the town? Where is she?"
Grimaud pointed east, towards the River Lys. "She is in a small house in the forest. It is about half a mile from here, in the direction of the river/* he said.
Grimaud led the group into the forest. Many minutes passed, Grimaud again raised his arm, and the men saw a small and lonely house sitting near the river. Close to the house, on the river bank, sat a small boat. One window of the house had a light in it.
Then a man climbed down from a tree who had been hiding in the branches. It was Porthos' servant, Mousqueton. "She is still in the house/ he said, Bazin is watching the door."
"Good," Athos whispered quietly, “ You have done well”
He jumped off his horse, and gave it to Grimaud. He then walked quietly towards the window.
He climbed the wall and stared in the window. He could see a woman sitting in a chair near a fire.
From the window he could not see her face, but he knew it was certainly the woman he wanted to find.
At this moment one of the Musketeers horses made a sound. Milady turned her head and saw Athos' face in the window. She screamed and jumped up. Athos kicked the window open with his knee. The glass broke and Athos, full of thoughts of revenge, jumped into the room.
Milady ran to the door and threw it open.
D'Artagnan stood outside the door, wet from the rain and pale in his face. He held a pistol in his hand and looked like the Spirit of Death. Milady fell back with a scream of fear.
"Put down your pistol, d'Artagnan!" yelled Athos. "We must take this woman to a court, not kill her. Come in, gentlemen/,
Milady looked up at the men, white and afraid. "What do you want?” she suddenly screamed.
Athos stared down at the woman on the floor: "We plan to judge you according to your crimes."