The captain agreed,but insisted that that pass had to be signed by the Port Governor.Hearing this,D'Artagnan hurried away and waited amongst some trees for the gentleman to come back with the signed pass.He had to have the Cardinal's pass.Naturally,the man refused to give it up,and D'Artagnan had to fight him for it.They fought fiercely for some time before the man at last gave in and handed over the precious piece of paper.
Breathing hard,D'Artagnan thrust the pass into his pocket and went to find a ship to take him to England.
The ship D'Artagnan chose had scarcely left harbour when a cannon boomed out.The port had been closed.He had only just been in time.Worn out,D'Artagnan slept while the ship sailed across the Channel.In the morning,he watching eagerly while the vessel dropped anchor in Dover.Soon he was on his way to London.
The young Frenchman knew no English,but he had the Duke of Buckingham'a name written on a piece of paper.He was soon directed to the Duke's home,for everyone in London knew him.When he heard that.
D'Artagnan had come,the Duke saw him at once.He remembered him from their meeting in the dark streets of Paris.
His face became grave whem D'Artagnan told him of the Queen's danger.
'We must return the diamond studs to her.Louis must not find out she gave them to me!'he exclaimed.He unlocked the box in which they lay,with a kwy from a chain he wore round his neck.As he lifted the diamonds out,he gave a startled cry.
'Two of them are missing!'
'Can you have lost them,my lord?'D'Artagnan asked anxiously.
'They have been stolen,'the Duke replied grimly.He showed D'Artagnan where the ribbon holding the two missing studs had been cut.
'Wait!'said the Duke.'I remember now.I wore them only once,at a Ball in London.Milady de Winter was there.She has never liked me,but she unusually friendly.I wondered why.She must have taken them.She must be an agent of the Cardinal.'