“Pray, what does that mean?”

“It means that Monsieur de Richelieu was able to find trusty servants, dozens and dozens of them.”

“He! the point aimed at by every poniard! Richelieu, who passed his life in warding off blows which were forever aimed at him!”

“But he did ward them off,” said De Rochefort, “and the reason was, that though he had bitter enemies he possessed also true friends.

I have known persons,” he continued — for he thought he might avail himself of the opportunity of speaking of D’Artagnan — ”who by their sagacity and address have deceived the penetration of Cardinal Richelieu; who by their valor have got the better of