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"Yes; when he used to call himself Mousqueton." "And you remember, too, the period when he began to grow fatter?" "No, not exactly. I beg your pardon, my good Mouston." "Oh! you are not in fault, monsieur," said Mouston, graciously. "You were in Paris, and as for us, we were at Pierrefonds." "Well, well, my dear Porthos; there was a time when Mouston began to grow fat.
Mousqueton instantly assumed a jovial countenance, saddled the horses quickly and mounted his own without making faces over it. Whilst this went on, Porthos arrived with a very cross look on his face, and was astonished to find the lieutenant resigned and Mousqueton almost merry. "Ah, that's it!" he cried, "you have your promotion and I my barony."
He returned to Mousqueton, but the steward had sold the last wisp. He then repaired to D'Artagnan, who, thanks to his four trusses of straw, was in the act of making up and tasting, by anticipation, the luxury of a bed so soft, so well stuffed at the head, so well covered at the foot, that it would have excited the envy of the king himself, if his majesty had not been fast asleep in his own.
"I can show you," answered the Gascon. And he conducted them to Mousqueton, who freely distributed the trusses at the rate of a louis apiece. It was thought rather dear, but people wanted to sleep, and who would not give even two or three louis for a few hours of sound sleep?
"But Porthos, I do not see him." "Porthos is coming he swims like Leviathan." In fact, Porthos did not appear; for a scene, half tragedy and half comedy, had been performed by him with Mousqueton and Blaisois, who, frightened by the noise of the sea, by the whistling of the wind, by the sight of that dark water yawning like a gulf beneath them, shrank back instead of going forward.
And the three friends did not exchange another word till they reached their quarters, except to give the watchword to the sentinels. Only they sent Mousqueton to tell Planchet that his master was requested, the instant that he left the trenches, to come to the quarters of the Musketeers. Milady, as Athos had foreseen, on finding the two men that awaited her, made no difficulty in following them.
"Locked!" said Blaisois; "ah! the deuce it is; unlucky, for my stomach is getting more and more upset." "Locked!" repeated Mousqueton. "But," Blaisois ventured to say, "I have heard you relate, Monsieur Mousqueton, that once on a time, at Chantilly, you fed your master and yourself by taking partridges in a snare, carp with a line, and bottles with a slipnoose."
Porthos boasted of the strength of Mousqueton, who was big enough to thrash four men of ordinary size. Aramis, confiding in the address of Bazin, made a pompous eulogium on his candidate. Finally, d'Artagnan had entire faith in the bravery of Planchet, and reminded them of the manner in which he had conducted himself in the ticklish affair of Boulogne.
"Certainly; all the four are at your service." "Oh, I need only one of them for the time being." "Shall we take our valets?" "Yes, you may as well take Mousqueton. As to Planchet, he has certain reasons for not going to court." "And what are they?" "Oh, he doesn't stand well with his eminence." "Mouston," said Porthos, "saddle Vulcan and Bayard."
"Planchet," added Grimaud; "Planchet, with a gorget, indeed!" "Ah, gentlemen!" cried Planchet, "so you are back again in Paris. Oh, how happy you make us! no doubt you come to join the princes!" "As thou seest, Planchet," said Aramis, whilst Athos smiled on seeing what important rank was held in the city militia by the former comrade of Mousqueton, Bazin and Grimaud.
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