"You are right, friend Porthos; it is true, there is something strange in it." "And further," added Porthos, whose ideas the assent of the bishop of Vannes seemed to enlarge; "and, further, do you not observe that if the boats have perished, not a single plank has washed ashore ?" "I have remarked it as well as yourself." "And do you not think it strange that the two only boats we had left in the whole island, and which I sent in search of the others--" Aramis here interrupted his companion by a cry, and by so sudden a movement, that Porthos stopped as if he were stupefied.

"What do you say, Porthos?
What!--You have sent the two boats--" "In search of the others! Yes, to be sure I have," replied Porthos, calmly.
"Unhappy man! What have you done?
Then we are indeed lost," cried the bishop.
"Lost!--what did you say ?" exclaimed the terrified Porthos.

"How lost, Aramis?
How are we lost ?" Aramis bit his lips.

"Nothing! nothing! Your pardon, I meant to say--" "What ?" "That if we were inclined--if we took a fancy to make an excursion by sea, we could not." "Very good! and why should that vex you?
A precious pleasure, _ma foi!_ For my part, I don't regret it at all.

What I regret is certainly not the more or less amusement we can find at Belle-Isle: what I regret, Aramis, is Pierrefonds; Bracieux; le Vallon; beautiful France! Here, we are not in France, my dear friend; we are--I know not where.