Part 17 (1/2)
”Suppose,” he said, ”we roughly chalk out a career for this young ”
”Do so”
”Do you think it is time for us to enter the service?”
”But are you not still in the service--you, D'Artagnan?”
”I mean active service Our former life, has it still no attractions for you? would you not be happy to begin anew in my society and in that of Porthos, the exploits of our youth?”
”Do you propose to nan?”
”Decidedly and honestly”
”On whose side?” asked Athos, fixing his clear, benevolent glance on the countenance of the Gascon
”Ah, devil take it, you speak in earnest----”
”And nan There is but one person, or rather, one cause, to who”
”Exactly,” answered the musketeer
”Yes, but let us understand each other,” returned Athos, seriously ”If by the cause of the king you mean that of Monsieur de Mazarin, we do not understand each other”
”I don't say exactly,” answered the Gascon, confused
”Coame; your hesitation, your evasion, tells me at once on whose side you are; for that party no one dares openly to recruit, and when people recruit for it, it is with averted eyes and humble voice”
”Ah!to you; you are the pearl of brave, boldItalian--of the pedant who has tried to put on his own head a crohich he stole from under a pillow--of the scoundrel who calls his party the party of the king--ants to send the princes of the blood to prison, not daring to kill thereat cardinal--our cardinal did--of the old pieces and keeps the clipped ones for fear, though he is rich, of losing the--of the impudent felloho insults the queen, as they say--soin three months to make war upon us, in order that he may retain his pensions; is that the nan”
”You are e has warmed, not chilled your blood Who informed you this was the master I propose to you? Devil take it,” he muttered to himself, ”don't let me betray my secrets to a man not inclined to entertain them”
”Well, then,” said Athos, ”what are your sche olden mediocrity Porthos has, perhaps, sixty thousand francs inco over the priest, as they quarreled formerly over the musketeer; but I--what have I in the world? I have worn my cuirass these twenty years, kept down in this inferior rank, without going forward or backward, hardly half living In fact, I a resuscitated, you say he's a scoundrel, an impudent fellow, a miser, a bad master! By Jove! I aive ”
Athos was for a few nan is for Mazarin,” he said to hiuarded
On his side D'Artagnan became more cautious also
”You spoke to me,” Athos resumed, ”of Porthos; have you persuaded him to seek his fortune? But he has wealth, I believe, already”
”Doubtless he has But such ismore than we already have”
”What does Porthos wish for?”
”To be a baron”
”Ah, true! I forgot,” said Athos, laughing
”'Tis true!” thought the Gascon, ”where has he heard it? Does he correspond with Aramis? Ah! if I knew that he did I should know all”
The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Raoul
”Is our little neighbor worse?” asked D'Artagnan, seeing a look of vexation on the face of the youth
”Ah, sir!” replied Raoul, ”her fall is a very serious one, and without any ostensible injury, the physician fears she will be lame for life”
”This is terrible,” said Athos
”And what makes me all the more wretched, sir, is, that I was the cause of this misfortune”
”How so?” asked Athos
”It was to run to meet me that she leaped from that pile of wood”
”There's only one remedy, dear Raoul--that is, to nan
”Ah, sir!” answered Raoul, ”you joke about a real ood understanding between the two friends was not in the least altered by the ood appetite, looking now and then at poor Raoul, ith moist eyes and a full heart, scarcely ate at all
After breakfast two letters arrived for Athos, who read thenan could not restrain hi hi at the ti of Ara, and crossed
”Co that Athos wished to be alone, ”coallery; that will amuse you”
And they both went into a low rooloves,match
In a quarter of an hour Athos joined theht in a letter for D'Artagnan, which a ht be instantly delivered
It was now Athos's turn to take a sly look
D'Artagnan read the letter with apparent cal his head: ”See, dear friend, what it is to belong to the arht not to return to it Monsieur de Treville is ill, so my company can't do without me; there! my leave is at an end!”
”Do you return to Paris?” asked Athos, quickly