An idea suddenly occurred to D'Artagnan; it was his first one, and we shall find it was not a bad one either.

During the time the gentleman was relating to the soldier that he had just been seized in a house as a thief, when the truth was he was only there as a lover; and while the soldier was pitying him, and offering him consolation and advice with that gravity which a French soldier has always ready whenever his vanity or his _esprit de corps_ is concerned, D'Artagnan glided behind the soldier, who was closely hemmed in by the crowd, and with a rapid sweep, like a sabre slash, snatched the letter from his belt.

As at this moment the gentleman with the torn clothes was pulling about the soldier, to show how the commissary of police had pulled him about, D'Artagnan effected his pillage of the letter without the slightest interference.

He stationed himself about ten paces distant, behind the pillar of an adjoining house, and read on the address, "To Monsieur du Vallon, at Monsieur Fouquet's, Saint-Mande." "Good!" he said, and then he unsealed, without tearing the letter, drew out the paper, which was folded in four, from the inside; which contained only these words: "DEAR MONSIEUR DU VALLON,--Will you be good enough to tell Monsieur d'Herblay that _he_ has been to the Bastile, and has been making inquiries.
"Your devoted "DE BAISEMEAUX." "Very good! all right!" exclaimed D'Artagnan; "it is clear enough now.
Porthos is engaged in it." Being now satisfied of what he wished to know: "_Mordioux!_" thought the musketeer, "what is to be done with that poor devil of a soldier?
That hot-headed, cunning fellow, De Baisemeaux, will make him pay dearly for my trick,--if he returns without the letter, what will they do to him?
Besides, I don't want the letter; when the egg has been sucked, what is the good of the shell ?" D'Artagnan perceived that the commissary and the archers had succeeded in convincing the soldier, and went on their way with the prisoner, the latter being still surrounded by the crowd, and continuing his complaints.

D'Artagnan advanced into the very middle of the crowd, let the letter fall, without any one having observed him, and then retreated rapidly.