Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

” ‘* i wd _ > — : ; ee ee - —— — ~~ a ee ee eerrcrrlewr on i —_— - — sumptuous appearance, in the Rue du Vieux Colombier. Every time Porthos passed the windows of this house, at one of which Musqueton always appeared in splendid livery, he raised his head and his hand, saying, '* Behold my habitation!’’ But no one ever found him at home, nor did he ever ask any one in; and it was therefore impossible to form an idea of the reality of those riches which this sumptuous appearance promised. As for Aramis, he dwelt in a small apartment, com- prising a boudoir, a dining-room, and a sleeping cham- ber, which were situate on the ground-floor, and led into a small garden, fresh, green, shady, and quite impene- trable to the eyes of the surrounding neighborhood, We have already had oceasion to know how d’Artagnan was lodged, and have already formed an acquaintance with his lacquey, Master Planchet. D'Artagnan, who was naturally very curious, as men of talent generally are, made every effort to find out , me;I have an infallible expectation of better times, who Athos, Porthos, and Aramis really were; for, under one of those assumed appellations, each of these young men concealed his real name. It was evident they were of some consequence, too, particularly Athos, who might be known as a nobleman at a league’s distance. He therefore tried from Porthos to get some information concerning Athos and Aramis; and assailed Aramis, to find out something concerning Porthos. Unfortunately, Porthos knew no more of the life of | alike. his silent comrade than that which has transpired. It was said that he had met with great misfortunes of the | fallen into the midst of aworld entirely new to him, | heart, and that a terrible treachery had forever poisoned | immediately assumed the customs of his friends. the happiness of this gallant man. was, no one knew. As for Porthos, except his real name, which M, de What this treachery Treville alone was acquainted with, as well as with those | he was not a musketeer, performed the duties of one of his two comrades also, his life was easily discovered. Vain and indiscreet, he was as easily seen through as | he always accompanied that one of his frien crystal. The only thing which could mislead the in- | turn it chanced to be. Every one at the hotel knew Ms a ey would have been a belief in all the good | him, and which he announced of himself. As for Aramis, with the appearance of entire openness, he was enveloped in eer: He replied but little to the uestions put to him about o having questioned him a long time about Porthos, and having learnt the report of his love affair with a prin- cess, wished to ascertain something of a similar nature as regarded himself. “And you, my dear companion,” said he, “I have an opinion that you are familiar with coats of arms: wit- ness a certain handkerchief.” Aramis was not angry thia time, but he put on a most modest air, and said, affectedly, “My dear fellow, do not | fulfilled. One fine day the kin forget that I wish to enter the Church, and that I fly | Chevalier des Essarts to take d’ That handkerchief had not | from all worldly things. emer ee ' ’ | | | Ss ee ee eee ene ee ee EE a! - Poe THE THREH GUARDSMEN, M ‘ a demi-god to your valet. Musqueton ; for you, in fine, | society throughout a whole month.. It was. by thi Aramis, who, being always engaged in thought, make | reflection that his mind was set to work. He conceive? your servant Bazin, whois a mild, religious man, re-| that this coalition of four brave, enterprising and spect you; but I—who am without stability, or re- | active young men, ought to have some higher aim tha™ sources—I, who am neither musketeer nor guardsman | idle walks, fencing lessons, and more or less amusin& —what can I do to inspire Planchet with affection, ter- | jests. In fact, four such men as they—so deyoted t? ror, or respect ?”’ each other, with their purses or their lives ; so ready t® “ The thing is weighty,’’ answered the three friends; | support each other without surrendering an inch; exe- “itis an affair of domestic andinternal consequence, | cuting, eithersingly or together, the resolution they had With valets, as with women, it is necessary to put them | formed in concert ; menacing the four cardinal points at at once under subjection, if you wish to keep them | one time, or concentrating their united efforts on some with you; let us therefore reflect.” ;common focus—ought inevitably, either secretly or D’Artagnan reflected, and resolved to thrash Planchet | openly, either by mine or trench, by stratagem or provisionally, which was executed as he acted in all | force, to finda way to what they had in view, however other affairs. Then, haying drubbed him soundly, he | well defended, or however distant it might be. The forbade him to quit his seryice without permission. | only thing that surprised d’Artagnan was, that this ‘ For,” said he, ‘the future cannot be untavorable to | capacity had never yet occurred to his companions. He himself now thought of it seriously, racking his and your fortune is therefore made if you remain with , brain to find a direction for his individual power four me. Yes! I am too good amaster to let your pros-, times multiplied, with which he felt assured that he pects be sacrificed, by granting you the dismissal you | might, as with the lever which Archimedes sought, demand.”’ , succeed in moying the world.—But his meditations This manner of proceeding gave the musketeers great | were disturbed by a gentle knock at the door. . respect for d'Artagnan’s policy; and, Planchet, too, was D’Artaguan roused Planchet, and told him to see who seized with equal admiration, and spoke no more of | was there, But by this phrase of rousing Planchet, it leaving him, | must not be supposed that it was night. No! it was The lives of the four young men were now passed | four in the afternoon; but two hours had elapsed since D’Artagnan, who had formed no habits what- | Planchet, on coming to ask his master for some dinner, ever, as he had but just arrived from the country, and | had been answered that : | thers, and entirely eluded | those which related to himself, One day, d’Artagnan | affection for their young companion, | ’ been given to me, but was lett by mistake at my house, | by one of my friends. I was vbliged to take it for fear of compromising him, and his lady-love. Astor myself, Iam, like Athos, indifferent to these affairs.’’ “ But what the devil! you are not an abbe, but a musketeer !"’ exclaimed d’Artagnan. “A musketeer, my dear fellow, for a time, as the car- dinal says: a musketeer against my will, but a church- man at heart, believe me. Athos and Porthos have foisted me in, to occupy my time. I had, at the mo- ment I was going to be ordained, a slight difficulty with —but that does not much interest you, and I take up your valuable time.” “Not at all,” said d’Artagnan; “it interests me too much, and I have at present actually nothing to do.”’ * Yes, but I have my breviary to say,’’ replied Aramis; “then some vorses to compose, which Madame d’Aiguil- lon has requested of me; then I must go into the Rue St. Honore, to buy some rouge for meé de Chev- reuse ; 80 yot see, my dear friend, that if you are not in a hurry, I am;” and Aramis, tenderly pressing his young companion's hand, took leave of him. D'Artagnan could not, with all his pains, learn any more of his three new friends ; he therefore determined to believe all that was at present said of their past life, and hope for better and more full information trom the future. In the meantime, he considered Athos as an Achilles, Porthos an Ajax, and Aramis a Joseph | The days of the four young men passed happily on. | the sale of some of his theological books. After all Athos played, and always with ill luck; yet he never borrowed a sou of his friends, although his own purse was always at their service. And, when he played on | these could not go very far with our musketeers, who credit, he always awoke his creditor at six in the morn- | were already in arrears; and the young guardsmen had before. Porthos | as yet no pay due. ing, to pay him the debt of the evenin had his humor; one day, if he gained, he was insolent and splendid ; and when he lost, he disappeared entirely for a time, and then came back, wan and thin, but with his pockets stored with coin. As for Aramis, he never played ; he was the worst musketeer, and the most un- pleasant guest possible. He always wanted to study: even in the middle of dinner, when all expected to keep him in the midst of the wine and and company for two or three hours, out came his watch, and he would say —rising with a graceful smile, and taking leave of the company—that he must consult a casuist with whom he had an appointment. Planchet, d’Artagnan’s valet, nobly supported his rood fortune. He received thirty sous a day, and, dur- ng @ month, returned to his lodgings gay asa chaf- finch and affable as his master, When the wind of ad- versity began to blow on the household of the Rue des Fossoyeurs—that is to say, when Louis XIII’s forty pistoles were eaten up, or nearly so—he began to utter complaints Which d@’Artagnan found very nauseous. Porthos indelicate, and Araniis ridiculous. On this ac- count, Athos advised a’ an to dismiss the rascal ; Porthos wished him to thrash him first; and Aramis declared that a master should never listen to anything but his servant’s compliments. “That is very easy for you to say,’’ replied d’Artag- nan; “for you, Athos, who live mutually with Gri- maud, and forbid him to speak; and, consequently, | Athos, Porthos, and Aramis had procured him. He ean never hear anything unpleasant from him: for} thought himself a burden to the society ; forgetting, you, Porthos, who live magnificently, and are a sort of 'in his youthful sincerity, that he had supported the ' t | | | | | “He who sleeps, dines!” And Planchet was haying dinner on this economical They rose at eight in the winter andat,sixin the | fare. summer; and went to take the countersign and see; A man of plain and simple appearance, who had the what was doing at M. de Treville’s. D’Artagnan, though | air of a citizen, was introduced. , Planchet would have liked, by way of desert, to hear uard, as | the conversation; but the man declared to d’Artagnan whose | that what he had to say being of consequence, and confidential, he would wish to be alone with him. M. dé Treville, | D’Artagnan theréfore dismissed Planchet, and begged ated his merits, and had a | his visitor to be seated. } sincere affection for him, did not cease to recommend! There was a momentary silence, during which the him to the kiug. two men regarded one another very inquisitively, The three musketeers had, on their parts, a great | after which d’Artagnan bowed as a signal of attention. The friendship; “I have heard M. d’Artagnan mentioned ‘as a very which united these four men, and the necessity of see- brave young man,” said the citizen, “and thisit is ing each other three or four times a day, whether for a | that has determined me to confide a secret to him,” duel, or a party of pleasure, made them run aftereach | ‘“ Speak, sir, speak!’ exclaimed d’Artaynan, who in- other like shadows; and they were always to be seen | stinctively smelt something profitable, with great punctuality. He was always on arded him as a comrade. who, at the first glance, esti seeking each other, from the Luxembourg to the Place The citizen paused: and then continued:—“TI have de Saint Sulpice, or from the rue du Vieux Colombier to | a wife, who is seamstress to the queen, and who is not the Luxembourg. without wit or beauty. I was induced to marry her, In the meantime, the promises of M, de Treville were | three years ago, though she had but 4 small dowry, be- commanded M. the | cause M. de la Porte, the queen’s cloak-bearer, is her tagnan, as a recruit, | kinsman and patron.” ; into his eompany of guards. It was not without a| “ Well, sir?’ demanded d’Artagnan. sigh that d’Artagnan put on the uniform, which he | “© Well, sir ?”’ replied the citizen, “she was carried off would have exchanged for that of the musketeers at | yesterday morning, as she left her work-room.” the costof ten years of his existence. But M. de Tre- ‘And by whom has she been carried off?’ inquired ville promised him that favor after a noviciate of two | d’Artagnan. ‘ years ; a noviciate which, however, might be abridged, “I do not know positively, sir,”’ said the other ; “ but if he should find an opportunity of distinguishing him- | I suspect a certain person,”’ self by some brilliant action. D’Artagnan retired with “ And who is this person whom you suspect ?” this promise, and entered on his service the next day. er One who has for a long time pursued her.” Then it was, that Athos, Porthos, and Aramis,| ‘“ The devil?’ mounted guard, in turn with d’Artagnan, when the| “ But, allow me fo tell you, sit, that there is less of duty came to him. The company of M. des Essarts, | love than of policy in all this.” therefore on the day that it received the youthful Gas- “ Less of love than of policy !”" éxclaimed ad’ . con, received four men, in the place of one ! with an air of profound reflection: “ and whom do you suspect ?’’ “T scarcely know whether I ought to tell you his name.”’ “ Sir,” said d’A an, “permit me to observe, that I have absolutely demanded nothing from you; it is you who have come to me ; it is you that told me that you had a secret to confide to me; do then as you please: there is yet time to draw back.” = = ——— “No sir, you have the air ofan honorable man, and I can trust you. I believe it is in consequence of no love affair of her own that my wife has been éntrapped, but because ofan amour of alady of far moré exalted station than her own !”’ “Ah, ah, can it be on account of some amour of Madame de Bois Tracy ?” asked d’Artagnan; who wished to appear knowing in court affairs, | these resources were exhausted, they had recourse to “ Higher, sir, higher!’ . M. de Treville, who made some advances of pay; but “Of Madame d’Aiguillon 7?’ “ Higher yet ¢’’ said the citizem. “Of Madame de Chevreuse ?” “ Higher still !—much higher!" “ Of the ——” And here d’Artagnan paused. f “Yes!” answered the frightened citizen, in such a low voice that he could scarcely be heard. “ And with whom?” said d’Artagnan. CHAPTER VIII. THE COURT INTRIGUE. NEVERTHELESS, the forty pistoles of Louis XIII, like everything else in this world, after having had a begin- ing, had also an end; and after the end, our four com- panions fell into difficulties. Athos, at first, supported the association from his own private funds; to him succeeded Porthos, and, thanks to one of his occasional disappearances, he supplied the necessities of his friends for about fifteen days. Lastly, came the turn of Aramis, who performed his part with a good grace, on the strength of afew pistoles, procured, as he asserted, by When they were at last almost des- titute, they mustered, as alast resource, about eight or ten pistoles, which Porthos staked at play; but, being in ill-luck, he lost not only them, but twenty-five more, for which he gave his word of honor. Their difficulties thus became transformed to actual distress; and the four half-staryed soldiers, followed by their lacqueys, were seen running about the promenades and guard- rooms, picking up dinners wherever ey could find them, for—by Aramis's advice—whilst in pros- perity they had sown repasts right and left, in order that they might reap some in the sea- son of adversity. Athos received four invitations, and every time took his three friends and their lacqueys with him; Porthos had six chances, in which, also, they all participated; but Aramis had eight, for he, as may be seen, was a man who made but little noise over a good deal of work. As for d’Artagnan, who searcely knew anyone in the capital, he ‘only founda breakfast on chocolate at the house of a Gascon priest, and. one dinner with a cornet of the guards, He took his little army with him to the priest—whose two months’ stock of provisions it mercilessly consumed—and to the cornet’s, who regaled them well; but, as Planchet observed, however much we may devour, it still makes only a single meal. D)'Artagnan, therefore, was somewhat humbled ‘at returning only one meal and a half for the feasts which replied the mercer. * With the Duke of ——®” a “ Yea, sir!’ replied the citizen in a still lower tone.. “ But how do you know all this?’’ * How dol know it?’ said the mercer. - “Yes |! How do you know it? No half confidence, you understand,” said Artagnan. et ee : self.’”’ “And from whem does she know it?”’, .. “From M. de la Porte. Did I not tell you that sho is his god-daughter? . Well! M. de ls Porte, who is the confidential agent of the queen, had placed her near her majesty, that our poor queen—eban loned as she is by the king, watched as she is by the cardinal, and be- trayed as she is by all—might at any rate have some one Ah ait iT bepin to undérefetid, ” did a'artaga * ’ un a] oe ; “Now, sir, my wife came h four ys ago. One of the conditions of our marriage was, that she should come and see nié twice a week ; for, as T have the honor to inform you, my wife is very fond of me. ‘Well, sir my wife came to inform me, in confidence, that queen is at the present time in great alarm.”’ (G) O00) ‘“ With whom can it be if not with the Duke of ——?” . “J know it from my. wife, sir—from my wife her- the (E(O} . ‘ . : ‘ * - . NN a” ~ ~ OF xt x a Pe ~~ Sal » + >