United States or Kyrgyzstan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
My fellow-traveller, who was a lieutenant de vaisseau, belonging to Latouche Treville's flotilla, proved a very agreeable companion, and extremely well-informed. This officer positively denied the circumstance of any of their gun-boats being moored with chains during our last attack. While he did ample justice to the bravery of our people, he censured the manner in which it had been exerted.
He took to his heels, and was soon at M. de Treville's; but instead of going into the saloon with the rest of the crowd, he asked to be introduced to M. de Treville's office.
In the meantime, the mousetrap continued in operation, and likewise d'Artagnan's vigilance. On the evening of the day after the arrest of poor Bonacieux, as Athos had just left d'Artagnan to report at M. de Treville's, as nine o'clock had just struck, and as Planchet, who had not yet made the bed, was beginning his task, a knocking was heard at the street door.
"Monsieur, we must not confound prudence with cowardice; prudence is a virtue." "And you are very virtuous, are you not, Planchet?" "Monsieur, is not that the barrel of a musket which glitters yonder? Had we not better lower our heads?" "In truth," murmured d'Artagnan, to whom M. de Treville's recommendation recurred, "this animal will end by making me afraid." And he put his horse into a trot.
D'Artagnan, in a state of fury, crossed the antechamber at three bounds, and was darting toward the stairs, which he reckoned upon descending four at a time, when, in his heedless course, he ran head foremost against a Musketeer who was coming out of one of M. de Treville's private rooms, and striking his shoulder violently, made him utter a cry, or rather a howl.
"Yes," continued Athos, "four times only; once at the house of Monsieur Crequy; another time at my own house in the country, in my chateau at when I had a chateau; a third time at Monsieur de Treville's where it surprised us all; and the fourth time at a cabaret, where it fell to my lot, and where I lost a hundred louis and a supper on it."
"Pardon me, monsieur," said d'Artagnan, who had profited by the moment he had been left alone to put back M. de Treville's clock three-quarters of an hour, "but I thought, as it was yet only twenty-five minutes past nine, it was not too late to wait upon you." "Twenty-five minutes past nine!" cried M. de Treville, looking at the clock; "why, that's impossible!"
Porthos had discovered the means, the diamond. D'Artagnan alone had discovered nothing he, ordinarily the most inventive of the four; but it must be also said that the very name of Milady paralyzed him. Ah! no, we were mistaken; he had discovered a purchaser for his diamond. The breakfast at M. de Treville's was as gay and cheerful as possible.
A door hidden in the tapestry opened noiselessly and a man in black silently advanced and stood behind the chair on which Mazarin sat. "Bernouin," said the cardinal, not turning round, for having whistled, he knew that it was his valet-de-chambre who was behind him; "what musketeers are now within the palace?" "The Black Musketeers, my lord." "What company?" "Treville's company."
Loose, half-drunk, imposing, the king's Musketeers, or rather M. de Treville's, spread themselves about in the cabarets, in the public walks, and the public sports, shouting, twisting their mustaches, clanking their swords, and taking great pleasure in annoying the Guards of the cardinal whenever they could fall in with them; then drawing in the open streets, as if it were the best of all possible sports; sometimes killed, but sure in that case to be both wept and avenged; often killing others, but then certain of not rotting in prison, M. de Treville being there to claim them.
Word Of The Day