"Then we are ruined!" "Come, no useless words," interrupted Pelisson.

"Next to money, life.
Monseigneur, to horse! to horse!" "What, leave us!" at once cried both the women, wild with grief.
"Eh! monseigneur, in saving yourself, you save us all.

To horse!" "But he cannot hold himself on.

Look at him." "Oh! if he takes time to reflect--" said the intrepid Pelisson.
"He is right," murmured Fouquet.
"Monseigneur! Monseigneur!" cried Gourville, rushing up the stairs, four steps at once.

"Monseigneur!" "Well! what ?" "I escorted, as you desired, the king's courier with the money." "Yes." "Well! when I arrived at the Palais Royal, I saw--" "Take breath, my poor friend, take breath; you are suffocating." "What did you see ?" cried the impatient friends.
"I saw the musketeers mounting on horseback," said Gourville.
"There, then!" cried every voice at once; "there, then! is there an instant to be lost ?" Madame Fouquet rushed downstairs, calling for her horses; Madame de Belliere flew after her, catching her in her arms, and saying: "Madame, in the name of his safety, do not betray anything, do not manifest alarm." Pelisson ran to have the horses put to the carriages.