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"Presented by me," replied D'Artagnan, "you have nothing to fear, even though you were what you are not." "Ah! 'tis because " "What? Have you anything against Percerin, Porthos?" "I think that I once sent Mouston to a fellow of that name." "And then?" "The fellow refused to supply me." "Oh, a misunderstanding, no doubt, which it will be now exceedingly easy to set right.

He was single-minded and jealous in his allegiance; Miss Craven he tolerated indifferently, of Craven he was openly suspicious. He followed Gillian like a shadow and moped in her absence, yielding to Yoshio, who had charge of him on such occasions, a resigned obedience he gave to no other member of the household. Through Mouston Gillian and Yoshio had become acquainted.

"And you, too, my poor Monsieur Mouston, are out of place in this poor hotel, are you not?" asked D'Artagnan, in that rallying tone which may indicate either compassion or mockery. "He finds the cooking detestable," replied Porthos. "Why, then, doesn't he attend to it himself, as at Chantilly?"

"And for myself, monsieur, shall I saddle Rustaud?" "No, take a more stylish horse, Phoebus or Superbe; we are going with some ceremony." "Ah," said Mousqueton, breathing more freely, "you are only going, then, to make a visit?" "Oh! yes, of course, Mouston; nothing else. But to avoid risk, put the pistols in the holsters. You will find mine on my saddle, already loaded."

"Well, I had an idea, which would doubtless have proved a good one, but for Mouston's carelessness." D'Artagnan glanced at Mouston, who replied by a slight movement of his body, as if to say, "You will see whether I am at all to blame in all this."

However," he added, turning to Porthos, "I should not regret dying, sir, were I sure that by doing so I might still be useful to you." "Mouston," replied Porthos, much affected, "should we ever see my castle of Pierrefonds again you shall have as your own and for your descendants the vineyard that surrounds the farm."

"I like Rustaud, my lord; a good animal, whose paces suit me." "Strong, thinkest thou?" "Half Norman, half Mecklenburger; will go night and day." "That will do for us. See to these horses. Polish up or make some one else polish my arms. Then take pistols with thee and a hunting-knife." "Are we then going to travel, my lord?" asked Mousqueton, rather uneasy. "Something better still, Mouston."

"From that moment I determined to put Mouston in communication with my tailors, and to have him measured instead of myself." "A capital idea, Porthos; but Mouston is a foot and a half shorter than you." "Exactly! They measured him down to the ground, and the end of the skirt came just below my knee." "What a marvelous man you are, Porthos! Such a thing could happen only to you."

"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."

"Well," said Porthos, "Mouston fattened so well, that he gratified all my hopes, by reaching my standard; a fact of which I was well able to convince myself, by seeing the rascal, one day, in a waistcoat of mine, which he had turned into a coat a waistcoat, the mere embroidery of which was worth a hundred pistoles." "'Twas only to try it on, monsieur," said Mouston.