Part 61 (2/2)

Bonacieux becahastly smile

”Ah, ah!” said Bonacieux, ”you are a jocular coht,master? It does not appear to be very clean in the crossroads”

D'Artagnan glanced down at his boots, all covered with s of the ht have been said they had been dipped in the same mud heap Both were stained with splashes of mud of the same appearance

Then a sudden idea crossed the nan That little stout man, short and elderly, that sort of lackey, dressed in dark clothes, treated without cere swords who composed the escort, was Bonacieux himself The husband had presided at the abduction of his wife

A terrible inclination seized d'Artagnan to grasp the le him; but, as we have said, he was a very prudent youth, and he restrained himself However, the revolution which appeared upon his countenance was so visible that Bonacieux was terrified at it, and he endeavored to draw back a step or two; but as he was standing before the half of the door which was shut, the obstacle co, nan ”It appears to s and shoes stand in equal need of a brush May you not have been philandering a little also, Monsieur Bonacieux? Oh, the devil! That's unpardonable in a e, and who besides, has such a pretty wife as yours”

”Oh, Lord! no,” said Bonacieux, ”but yesterday I went to St Mande to make some inquiries after a servant, as I cannot possibly do without one; and the roads were so bad that I brought back all this mud, which I have not yet had time to remove”

The place named by Bonacieux as that which had been the object of his journey was a fresh proof in support of the suspicions d'Artagnan had conceived Bonacieux had named Mande because Mande was in an exactly opposite direction from St Cloud This probability afforded him his first consolation If Bonacieux knehere his as, one ht, by extreme means, force the mercer to open his teeth and let his secret escape The question, then, was how to change this probability into a certainty

”Pardon, my dear Monsieur Bonacieux, if I don't stand upon cere makes one so thirsty as want of sleep I alass of water in your aparthbors”

Without waiting for the pernan went quickly into the house, and cast a rapid glance at the bed It had not been used Bonacieux had not been abed He had only been back an hour or two; he had accompanied his wife to the place of her confinement, or else at least to the first relay

”Thanks, Monsieur Bonacieux,” said d'Artagnan, elass, ”that is all I wanted of you I will now go up into my apartment I will make Planchet brush my boots; and when he has done, I will, if you like, send him to you to brush your shoes”

He left thehimself if he had not been a little inconsiderate

At the top of the stairs he found Planchet in a great fright

”Ah, monsieur!” cried Planchet, as soon as he perceived his ht you would never come in”

”What's the ive you a hundred, I give you a thousand tiuess, monsieur, the visit I received in your absence”

”When?”

”About half an hour ago, while you were at Monsieur de Treville's”

”Who has been here? Come, speak”

”Monsieur de Cavois”

”Monsieur de Cavois?”