Part 93 (1/2)
”Faith!” said Porthos, ”as for o out with that purity and that simplicity which it seeed his shoulders
”And besides,” he said, ”going out of this chamber isn't all”
”Dear friend,” said Porthos, ”you appear to be in a somewhat better hu out of this cha neither arms nor password, we shouldn't take fifty steps in the court without knocking against a sentinel”
”Very well,” said Porthos, ”ill kill the sentinel and we shall have his arms”
”Yes, but before we can kill him--and he will be hard to kill, that Swiss--he will shriek out and the whole picket will come, and we shall be taken like foxes, ho are lions, and thrown into soeon, where we shall not even have the consolation of seeing this frightful gray sky of Rueil, which no more resembles the sky of Tarbes than the moon is like the sun Lack-a-day! if we only had soraphy of this castle Ah! when one thinks that for twenty years, during which time I did not knohat to do with myself, it never occurred to me to come to study Rueil”
”What difference does that o out all the same”
”Do you know, my dear fellohy master pastrycooks never ith their hands?”
”No,” said Porthos, ”but I should be glad to be informed”
”It is because in the presence of their pupils they fear that some of their tarts or creams may turn out badly cooked”
”What then?”
”Why, then they would be laughed at, and a hed at”
”And what have ht, in our adventures, never to be defeated or give any one a chance to laugh at us In England, lately, we failed, ere beaten, and that is a blemish on our reputation”
”By whom, then, e beaten?” asked Porthos
”By Mordaunt”
”Yes, but we have drowned Monsieur Mordaunt”
”That is true, and that will redeem us a little in the eyes of posterity, if posterity ever looks at us But listen, Porthos: though Monsieur Mordaunt was athan he, and we shall not easily succeed in drowning hiah, ”o are equal, perhaps, to eight others; but we are not equal to the four that you know of”
”That is true,” said Porthos, echoing D'Artagnan's sigh
”Well, Porthos, follow my examples; walk back and forth till some news of our friends reaches us or till we are visited by a good idea But don't sleep as you do all the ti dulls the intellect like sleep As to what may lie before us, it is perhaps less serious than we at first thought I don't believe that Monsieur de Mazarin thinks of cutting off our heads, for heads are not taken off without previous trial; a trial would et the attention of our friends, ould check the operations of Monsieur de Mazarin”
”Hoell you reason!” said Porthos, adnan; ”and besides, you see, if they put us on trial, if they cut off our heads, they must meanwhile either keep us here or transfer us elsewhere”
”Yes, that is inevitable,” said Porthos
”Well, it is impossible but that Master Aramis, that keen-scented bloodhound, and Athos, that wise and prudent nobleman, will discover our retreat Then, believe me, it will be time to act”
”Yes, ait We can wait the more contentedly, that it is not absolutely bad here, but for one thing, at least”
”What is that?”
”Did you observe, D'Artagnan, that three days running they have brought us braised mutton?”
”No; but if it occurs a fourth time I shall complain of it, so never mind”
”And then I feel the loss oftiet them for a time; we shall return to theround”
”Do you think that likely?”
”No, the other cardinal would have done so, but this one is too nan”
”Well, then, assuuards, we ood-will of the soldiers, since we can't corrupt them Try, Porthos, to please them more than you are wont to do when they are under our s Thus far you have done nothing but show them your fist; and the more respectable your fist is, Porthos, the less attractive it is Ah, I would give much to have five hundred louis, only”
”So would I,” said Porthos, unwilling to be behind D'Artagnan in generosity; ”I would give as much as a hundred pistoles”
The two prisoners were at this point of their conversation when Coht supper in a basket with two handles, filled with basins and plates
”What!” exclaiain?”
”My dear Monsieur de Conan, ”you will find that ths if Cardinal Mazarin continues to provide us with this sort of meat; mutton every day”
”I declare,” said Porthos, ”I shall eat nothing if they do not take it away”
”Rees; ”I wish Monsieur du Vallon to sup well, ive him that will improve his appetite”
”Is Mazarin dead?” asked Porthos
”No; I am sorry to tell you he is perfectly well”
”So much the worse,” said Porthos
”What is that news?” asked D'Artagnan ”News in prison is a fruit so rare that I trust, Monsieur de Coer since you have given us to understand that the news is good”
”Should you be glad to hear that the Conan's penetrating gray eyes were opened to the utlad! Happy--beyond ive you his conan alht to Porthos: ”If Athos knohere we are, if he opens co Athos will act”
Porthos was not very quick to understand the language of glances, but now since the naested to him the same idea, he understood