Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas Chapter 77 Page 21

“Well, have you any news?” Athos asked.

“Nothing. No one has seen D’Artagnan and Porthos has not appeared. Have you anything?”

“Nothing.”

“The devil!” said Aramis.

“In fact,” said Athos, “this delay is not natural; they took the shortest route and should have arrived before we did.”

“Add to that D’Artagnan’s rapidity in action and that he is not the man to lose an hour, knowing that we were expecting him.”

“He expected, you will remember, to be here on the fifth.”

“And here we are at the ninth. This evening the margin of possible delay expires.”