by Alexandre Dumas

“ Porthos placed his hand on the pistols.
"What is it?" asked Mazarin.
"My lord, I think we are in bad company."
A man advanced to the door with a kind of scythe in his hand. "Qui vive?" he asked.
"Eh, rascal!" said D'Artagnan, "do you not recognize his highness the prince's carriage?"
"Prince or not," said the man, "open. We are here to guard the gate, and no one whom we do not know shall pass."
"What is to be done?" said Porthos.
"Pardieu! pass," replied D'Artagnan.
"But how?" asked Mazarin. ”

“ With the queen I double her risk; after the queen her departure would double mine; then, the court once safe, I might be forgotten. The great are often ungrateful."
"Very true," said D'Artagnan, fixing his eyes, in spite of himself, on the queen's diamond, which Mazarin wore on his finger. Mazarin followed the direction of his eyes and gently turned the hoop of the ring inside. ”

“ We are about to leave this evening," continued Mazarin. "My dear M. d'Artagnan, the welfare of the state is deposited in your hands." He paused.
"Explain yourself, my lord, I am listening."
"The queen has resolved to make a little excursion with the king to Saint Germain."
"Aha!" said D'Artagnan, "that is to say, the queen wishes to leave Paris."
"A woman's caprice - you understand." ”