Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

Se 12 “ Really !’’ said d’ an, “Yes! the cardinal, as it appears, watches and perse- cutes her more than ever; he cannot pardon her the story of the Sarabande—you know the story of the Sara- ———— ee ~ _ q bande, sir.”’ if “FEgad! Ishould think I do!” replied d’Artagnan ; i who knew nothing at all about it, but would not for the ih world appear ignorant. i, “ So that it is no longer hatred, now, but revenge !’’ said the citizen. | “ Really !” replied d’Artagnan. “ And the queen believes’’—— _ “Well! what does the queen believe ?” “She believes that they have written in her name to the Duke of Buckingham.” i “In her majesty’s name ?”’ “Yes, to entice him to Paris; and when they have got him here, to lead him into some snare.” “The deuce! but your wife, my dear sir—what has she to do with all this? | “They know her devotion to the queen, and want to il, separate her from her mistress ; and to intimidate her into betraying her majesty’s secrets, or seduce her into i _gerying as a spy wpon her.” : “Itseems probable!" said d’Artagnan ; “but do you Hs know the man who has carried her off?" ra “T have told you that I believe I know him.” “ His name ?” “T have not an idea what it is; all I know is that he ‘= is a creature of the cardinal—the minister's tool.” “But you have seen him ?” “Yes ; my wife pointed him out one day.” “Has he any mark by which he may be recognized?” “Yes; certainly ; he isa man of aristocratic appear- ance, and has a dark skin, a tawny complexion, piercing eyes, white teeth, and a scar on his forehead,” “Agscaron his forehead!” cried d’Artagnan, “and with white teeth, piercing eyes, dark complexion, and proud air—it is my man of Meung!” “Your man, do you say ?”’ ‘Yes, yes!”’’ said d’Artagnan; “but that has noth- ing to do with theaffair. YetI mistake! It has, on the contrary, a great deal todo with it; forif your man is minealso, I shall at one blow perform two acts of re- venge. But where canI meet with him?” “T have not the slightest idea.” ar “Have you no clue to his abode ?” “None whatever. One day, when I accompanied my wife to the Louvre, he came out as she entered, and she pointed him out to me.” ‘Plague on it!" murmured d’Artagnan; “this is all very vague. But how did you hear of the abduction of your wife ?”’ “From M. de la Porte.” “ Did he give you any particulars ?’’ ih “He had none to give.” ii “You have got no information from other quar- ters?” *, * Yes, I have received’’—— ino “ What ?” “But 1 know not whether I commit an impru- = dence.” i , “You return to that doubt; but permit me to observe that you have now advanced too far to re- cede,”’ “I do not. draw back,” exclaimed the citizen accom- panying the assurance with an oath, to support his courage; “ besides, on the honor of Bonancieux’’—— “Then your name is Bonancieux?’’ interrupted d’Artignan. “Yes, that is my name.” “You say on the honor of Bonancieux. Pardon this $ interruption, but the name appears not to be un- hy) known to me.” hee “Tt is very possible, sir, for Iam your landlord.” _.“Ab, ah!” said d’Artagnan, half rising, ‘ah, you are my landord ?” “Yes, sir, yes ; and as for the three months that you have been in my house (diverted no doubt by your great and splendid occupations), you haye forgotten to s* you for payment, I thought that you would have some regard on account of my delicacy in that respect.” “Why, then, my dear M. Bonancieux,”” anawered d'Artagnan, ‘‘ believe me lam grateful for such a pro- ceeding, and shall, as I have said, be most happy if Ican be of use in any way.”’ : “I believe you, I believe you,” interrupted the cit- izen; ‘‘and as I said, onthe honor of Bonancieurx, I have confidence in you,” “Then go on with what you began to tell me,” _ The citizen drew a paper trom his pocket, and gave it to d’Artagnan. i: A letter?’ exclaimed the young man. ) | ie “ Which I received this morning.’ D’Artagnan opened it, and as tive day began to close, he approached the window followed by Bonancieux. ‘Do not seek for your wife,” read d’Artagnan: “she will be returned to you when sheis no longer wanted. If you make 4 single attempt to discover her you are lost !"’ “Well, this is somethin ey strong !"* continued @’Artagnan; “ but after a t is only a threat.”’ Yes, but this frightens me, sir; Tam not at all war- , I fear the tile t”’ c as eet said d’Artagnan; “Ido not like the Bas- tile. more than you do; ifit was only a sword- | t, now, it would be of no consequence |” And yet, I had depended much on your assistance.” Certainly {” al ¢ AM always surrounded musketeers of haughty , and perceiving that those musketeers to Mf e, and, co uently, were the emies of the cardinal, I thought that you and your , whilst rendering justice to our poor queen, be enchanted at doing his eminence an ill 4 " “ Tnquestionably ial EEO -——_——_—- -— » pay me my rent, and as, likewise, [have not once asked ly GUARDSMEN. THE THREE $e -_——- = “And then I thought, that, owing me three months’ rent, which I have never demanded’’—— ‘Yes, yes, you have already mentioned that reason, and I consider it excellent.” “Reckoning, moreover, that as long as you will do | me the honor of remaining in my house. i should never | speak to you about your rent’—— “Good, again |’’ said d’Artagnan. “And, added to that, calculating upon offering you fifty pistoles, should you, contrary to all probability, be at all distressed at this time’’—— “Wonderfully good! You are rich then, my dear M. Bonancieux !" , “Tam in easy circumstances, sir—that is the term. 1 have amassed something like two or three thousand crowns & yearin the linendrapery line; and more par- ticularly, by investing something in the last voyage of the celebrated navigator, Jean Moquet; so that you un- derstand, sir-——. Ah! but’’——exclaimed the citizen, “ What ?’’ demanded d’Artagnan. ‘‘Wiiat do I see there ?”’ “ Where ?”’ “In the street, opposite your windows ; in the open- ing of that gateway—a man wrapped in a cloak ?”’ “Itis he!” cried d'Artagnan and the citizen, in one breath ; each having at the same moment recognized his man. “Ah! this time he shall not escape?’ exclaimed a’, an, rushing out, sword in hand. On the staircase he met Athos and Porthos, who were coming to see him: they stepped aside, and he passed between therm like a meteor. “Ah, where are you running to?’ cried the two | musketeers. “The man of Meung!” ejaculated d’Artagnan, as he disappeared. D’Artagnan had more than once related to his friends his adventure with the stranger, and also the apparition of the fair traveler, to whom this man appeared to con- fide such an important missive, Athos was of opinion that d’Artagnan had iost the letterin the row, since a gentleman, such as he described the unknown to be, must have been incapable of stealing anything; Por- thos only saw in the affair an amorous appointment, which d'Artagnan and his yellow horse had disturbed ; and Aramis had said, these kind of things being myste- rious, had better not be searched into. From the few | words which escaped d’Artagnan. they understood, | therefore, what he was saying, and concluding that he would return, after he had tound his man, they pro- ceeded to his apartment. When they entered the room which d'Artagnan had just quitted, they found it empty : for the landlord, fearing the consequences of the meeting which he doubted not would take place between the young man and the stranger, had judged it most prudent to de- camp. SS CHAPTER IX. D'ARTAGNAN BEGINS TO SHOW HIMSELF, As Athos and Porthos had foreseen, d’A an re- turned in halfan hour. He had again missed his man, who had disappeared as if by enchantment. The young Gascon had run through all the neighboring streets, sword in hand, but found no one resembling him. Whilst d’Artagnan was engaged in this pursuit, Aramis had joined his companions, so that on his return he found the re-union complete, ‘* Well ?” exclaimed they, when they saw him enter, covered with perspiration and disturbed with rage. ‘“ Well!” said he, throwing his sword on the bed ; “this man must be the devil himself: he disappeared like a phantom, a shadow, a specter |" “Do you believe in apparitions?’ demanded Athos and Porthos. *“‘T only believe what I have seen; and as I have never seen an apparition, I do not believe in them,” “ The Bible declares that one appeared to Saul!’ said Aramis. “ Be it how it may,’’ said d’Artagnan, “ man or devil, body or shadow, illusion or reality, this man is born to be my bane; for his caer has caused us to lose a fine opportunity—one, gentlemen, by which an hundred iatoles or more were to be gained |" * How is that ?’ asked Aramis and Porthos; but Athos, true tohis silent principle, merely interrogated d’Artag- nan by a look. mm mm ee —™—. — —_ ee a ‘*But observe,”’ said d’Artagnan, “that there is a woman in the case; a woman who is carried off, and no doubt threatened, perhaps tortured, merely on ac- count of her fidelity to her royal mistress.” “ Take care, d’Artagnan—take care,’’ said Aramis: “is my opinion you get too warm about the fate of Madame Bonancieux. Woman was created for our destruction ; and from her all our miseries arise.”’ Athos frowned and bit his lip, whilst he listened to this profound opinion. “It is not for Madame Bonancieux that I distress my- self,’ said d’ Artagnan, “ but for the queen, whom the king abandons, whom the cardinal persecutes, and who sees the heads of all her truest friends fall off in sue- cession,” “But why will she love what we most detest, the English and the Spaniards ?’’ asked Athos. ‘Spain is her country,’’ replied d’Artagnan,“ and it is but natural that she should love the Spaniards, who are the children of ber native soil. As to your first re- proach, I never heard that she loved the English, but an Englishinan. “And truly,” replied Athos, ‘‘one must confess, that Englishman is well worthy of being loved. I never saw a man of a more noble air.”’ ** Besides, you do not remember the matchless style in which he edd pee Porthos. I was at the Louvre the day he scattered his pearls, and I picked up two which sold for twenty pistoles. Do you know him, Aramis ?”’ “ As well as you do, ——— for I was one of those who arrested in the garden at Amiens, where the queen’s equerry, M. de Putange, had introduced me, I was at the seminary at that time, and the adventure ap- peared to me to bear hard upon the king.”’ “Which would not hinder me,” said d’Artagnan, ‘‘from taking him by the hand, and conducting him to the queen; if it were only to enrage the cardinal. Our one eternal enemy is the cardinal; and if we could find the means of doing him some injury, I confess that I would willingly risk my life to compass it.” “And the mercer told you, d’Artagnan,”’ said Athos, “that the queen thought they had decoyed Buckingham into France by some false information ?” “She fears so! And Iam convinced,” added d’Artag- nan, “that the abduction of this woman, belonging to the queen, has some connection with the circumstances of which we are speaking, and perhaps with his grace the Duke of Ems ey in Paris.” “The Gascon is full of imaginations,” said Porthos, “Llike to hear him talk,’’ said Athos: “his patois amuses me.” “ Gentlemen,’ said Aramis, “ listen.’”’ “Let us attend to Aramis!" exclaimed the three friends. ‘ Yesterday, I was at the house of a learned doctor of theology whom I sometimes consult in my studies.” Athos smiled. “ He lives in aretired spot, which his tastes and his rofession recommend: now, just as 1 was leaving his ouse’’—— Here Aramis hesitated, “Well!”’ said his auditors—* just, as you were leaving his house ?”’ Aramis appeared to make on effort, like a man who, in the full swing of telling a falsehood, finds himself sud- denly arrested by an unforeseen obstacle; but as the eyes of his three friends were upon him, he could not by any means draw back. “This doctor has a niece,’’ continued Aramis, “Oh! he has a niece,” interrupted Porthos. “Yes, a lady of the greatest respectability,”’ said Aramis. The three friends began to laugh. “Ah! if you either laugh or suspect, you shall hear no more,”’ said Aramis. “We are credulous as the Mohometans, and dumb as the Catafalks !’’ said Athos, “Then I will continue,’ said Aramis. ‘ This niece comes sometimes to see her uncle, and as she was there by chance yesterday, at the same time that I was, I was obliged to offer to conduct her to the carriage.”’ ‘*Ah! the niece of this doctor has a carriage,” inter- rupted Porthos, whose chief fault consisted in having too longatongue. “A nice acquaintance, my friend.” * Porthos,” said Aramis, “I have often intimated to you that you are very indiscreet, and it does you no | good in the eyes of gentlemen.” “Gentlemen,” said d’Artagan, who saw how the ad- “ Planchet,” said d’Artagnan, “ go to my landlord, M. | venture arose, “ the thing is serious; let us endeavor Bonancieux, and tell him to send me half a dozen bot- tles of Beaugency, which is the wine that I prefer.” * Ah, then you havecredit with your landlord?” de- manded Porthos. “Yes, from this day,” said d’Artagnan; ‘and be as- sured that if the wine is bad, we will sendit to him to change it.’’ “You should use and not abuse,”’ sententiously re- marked Aramis. “I always said that d’Artagnan had the best head of the four,’ said Athos, who, having delivered him- self of his opinion, which da’ an acknowledged by a bow, relapsed into his usual silence. “But now let us hear what is in the wind?’ de- | | resistance, or the slightest noise’ ’’—— manded Porthos. “ Yes,” said Aramis, “ confide in us, my dear friend; at least, if the honor of some lady be not compromised.” “ Of course,” replied d’Artagnan, “the honor of no one shall be in danger from what I have to tell you.” He then related, word for word, what had passed be- tween him and his landlord; and how the man who had carried off the worthy mercer’s wife was the same with whom he had quarreled at the Jolly Miller, at Moung. ” The looks well,’”’ said Athos, after he had tasted the*wine like @ connoisseur, and Sage ge an approving nod of the head that it was good; and calcu- lated also whether it was worth while to risk four heads for sixty or seventy pistoles, ' to avoid joking. Go on, Aramis—go on!” “ All of a sudden a tall man, dark, and with the man- ners of a gentleman—like your man, d’Artagnan’’—— | “ The same perhaps,” said the Gascon. “It is possible,” said Aramis, “‘ However, he ap- | proached me, accompanied by six or seven men, whe followed him at about ten paces’ distance, and then, in the most polite tone, he said: | “*My lord duke, and you; Madame,’ addressing the lady’’—. “What! the doctor's niece ?’’ said Porthos. ‘Silence, Porthos,” said Athos; “ you are unsupport- | able.”’ “ «Please enter the carriage without making the least “ He took you for Buckingham ?” said d’Artagnan. | “T believe so,"’ said Aramis. * But tun a = Porthos. ‘i ‘He took her for the queen,” said d’Artagnan. “ Just so!’’ said Aramis. 5 “ The Gascon is the devil!’ cried Athos; nothing es- capes him.” The fact is,” said Porthos, “that Aramis is about the height, and has something of the figure, of the handsome duke; and yet one would that the dress of a musketeer’’— “ T had on an enormous cloak.”’ “In the month of July! Excellent!’ cried Porthos; “was the doctor afraid that you might be known?’ (E| ooo) (E(@) > me oe =< a | a