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"Monsieur D'Artagnan: You know that I have had a quarrel with a certain gentleman, who has given me an appointment for this evening in the Place Royale. As I am of the church, and the affair might injure me if I should share it with any other than a sure friend like you, I write to beg that you will serve me as second.
And among these, even if you should think me childish, I must count my d'Artagnan not d'Artagnan of the memoirs whom Thackeray pretended to prefer a preference, I take the freedom of saying, in which he stands alone; not the d'Artagnan of flesh and blood, but him of the ink and paper; not Nature's, but Dumas's.
"Come! my dear master," said Planchet, making a super-human effort, whilst all his contracted muscles, his pallor and his trembling betrayed the most acute anguish. "Come! I have been a soldier and consequently have some courage; do not make me linger, dear Monsieur d'Artagnan; our money is lost, is it not?"
"Hold your tongue, Porthos," said Athos; "you are insupportable." " will you enter this carriage, and that without offering the least resistance, without making the least noise?" "He took you for Buckingham!" cried d'Artagnan. "I believe so," replied Aramis. "But the lady?" asked Porthos. "He took her for the queen!" said d'Artagnan. "Just so," replied Aramis.
And so saying, Planchet rubbed his hands one against the other with a rapidity evincing great delight. "Planchet," said D'Artagnan, "there is but one misfortune in it." "And what is that?" "That the idea is not mine. I can risk nothing upon it." These words drew a deep sigh from the heart of Planchet.
Fouquet opened the letter and read it, and instantly a vague terror, which D'Artagnan did not fail to penetrate, was painted on the countenance of the first minister. Fouquet put the paper into the portfolio which he had under his arm, and passed on towards the king's apartments.
And so saying, D'Artagnan felt a strange joy, a joy of youth, a perfume of those great and happy years of former times mount into his brain and intoxicate him. "During these two hours I will go," said the musketeer, "and take my quarter's rent of the Image-de-Notre-Dame. That will be pleasant. Three hundred and seventy-five livres! Mordioux! but that is astonishing!
"Ah, this time you cannot lose ground, my fine friend!" exclaimed D'Artagnan. "Gentlemen, did you ever see a scorpion pinned to a wall? No. Well, then, you shall see it now." In a second D'Artagnan had made three terrible thrusts at Mordaunt, all of which touched, but only pricked him. The three friends looked on, panting and astonished.
"Oh, you'll know it someday, Aramis; but at present I must imitate the discretion of 'the doctor's niece." Aramis smiled, as he remembered the tale he had told his friends on a certain evening. "Well, then, since she has left Paris, and you are sure of it, d'Artagnan, nothing prevents me, and I am ready to follow you. You say we are going "
"Good luck attend you," said D'Artagnan. "Thank you." "This is a strange affair," murmured D'Artagnan, as he slowly ascended the staircase after he had left Baisemeaux. "What possible interest can Aramis have in obliging Baisemeaux in this manner? Well, I suppose we shall learn some day or another." Fouquet was present, as D'Artagnan had said, at the king's card-table.
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