Chapter XXVIII.

Preparations for Departure.
Athos lost no more time in combating this immutable resolution.

He gave all his attention to preparing, during the two days the duke had granted him, the proper appointments for Raoul.

This labor chiefly concerned Grimaud, who immediately applied himself to it with the good-will and intelligence we know he possessed.

Athos gave this worthy servant orders to take the route to Paris when the equipments should be ready; and, not to expose himself to the danger of keeping the duke waiting, or delaying Raoul, so that the duke should perceive his absence, he himself, the day after the visit of M.de Beaufort, set off for Paris with his son.
For the poor young man it was an emotion easily to be understood, thus to return to Paris amongst all the people who had known and loved him.
Every face recalled a pang to him who had suffered so much; to him who had loved so much, some circumstance of his unhappy love.