Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

- i ' the scab oe --- ~~ ee ee re - ee oe + o- ee ——— —_ by looking very ——— for this letter, turning oat and rummaging pockets and fobe twenty times, poking into his bag, and opening and shu hia urse ; but whem be was quite convinced that the let- Se wae not to be found, he gave full vent to another fit of rage in a manner which had well-nigh rendered neces- gary a second decoction of wine and spiced oil. For, upon behol this young scatter-brain raging, and threatening to destroy everything in his establishment, if the letter Were not found, the host had already seized upon a spear, his wite upon the handle of a broom, and the waiter upon the same cudgel he had wielded the evening before. “ My letter of introduction 1” cried a’ an, “ my letter of introduction! or by St. Denis, I split you all like so many ortolans.” One circumstance prevented the youth from accom-, plishing his threat, which’ was, that his sword, as we have said, had unfortunately been broken in two in the first struggle, a mischance he had entirely forgotten ; consequently, when d’Artagnan drew it, he fouud him- selfarmed only with the stamp, about eight or ten inches long, h the host had carefully thrust into ard. As for the rest of the blade, the cook had already turned it into a skewer for her spice. And yet itis probable that this deception would not have stop- our fiery youth, had not the host reflected that the emand which his guest made was perfectly just. “ But, after all,”’ said he, lowering his spear, “ where is this letter?” “Yes, where is this letter?” roared d’A nan ; “and let me tell you that this letter is for M. de ville, and that it must be found, otherwise M. de Treville will take care to find it himself.” The threat completely frightened mine host. Next to the king and tho cardinal, M. de ‘ville was the man whose name was most frequently in the mouths of the military, and indeed of the citizens. There waa certainly, Father Joseph; but his name was never mentioned except in an under tone ; 80 great was the terror which his gray eminence, (as the familiar of the cardinal was called,) i red ; therefore, throwing away his spear, and etnias is wife to do the same with her broom-handle, and his waiters with their staves, he himself set the example by commencing a diligent search for the letter. “T believe so, indeed,” cried the Gascon, who calcu- tated on the letter to make his way at court; “it con- tained my fortune.”’ “Were they Spanish bonds?” demanded the host, much disturbed. “Bonds on the private treasury of his majesty!” re- plied d'Artagnan, who, calculating on entering the king's service through this letter of introduction; thought he | might, without lying, make this somewhat rash reply. “The devil !” exclaimed the host, altogether astound- ed. “ But it is of no consequence,” continued d’Artagnan, with his national rectitude; “the money is nothing, the letter is all I want. I had rather have lost a thou- sand pistoles than that!" Hoe might as well have said twenty thousand, but a certain | ge modesty re- «trained him. A sudden flash of light illumined the mind of the host, who was consigning himself to the devil for finding nothing. “'Phis letter is not lost |" he cried. “Ab 1" said d’ , n from you.” “No, it has been * Taken! and by whom ?’ By the , ‘day ; he went into the kitchen where your doublet was lying,; he was there entirely alone ; and I will bet an git was he who stole it from you.” “You really think so?” said d’Artagnan, only half convinced, for he knew better than anybody the strictly personal nature of the letter, and saw nothing in it to excite cupidity. The fact is, that none of the waiters or travelers who were there could have gained anything by the paper. “You say, then,” continued d’Artagnan, “ that you ii ee this impertinent stranger ?”’ “T tell you that I am quite certain of it,’ said the host; “ when I informed him that your — was the protege of M. de Treville, and that you had a letter for that illustrious gentleman, he appeared much dis- turbed, demanded where the letter was, and immediate- iy went into the kitchen, where your doublet was left.’’ “He, thon, is the robber,’’ said d’ nan. “I will complain to M. de Treville, and he will lay my com- plaint before the king.” And he majestically drew from his pocket two crowns, which he handed to the host, who followed him, hat in hand, to the gate, where he remounted his yellow horse, which carried him without further accident to the gate of St. Antoine, at Paris. There its owner sold the animal for three crowns; which was a good price, considering that d’Artagnan had completely foundered him in the last part of the journey, The dealer to whom he sold the galloway for these nine france, did not con- ceal from the young man that he gave this exorbitant sum merely on account of the originality of his color. D’Artagnan therefore entered Paris on foot, carrying his small under his arm, and proceeded until he found a lodging suitable to his slender resources. This chamber was a sort of garret, situated in the Rue des Fossoyeurs, near the E earnest-penny, he took possession of his lodging, and passed the remainder ofthe day in sewing on his doublet and breeches sundry laces which his mother had secret- ly taken from a nearly new doublet of M. 4’Artagnan, the father. He then repaired to the Quai de la Foraille, to procure a new blade for his sword; after which he re- turned to tho Louvre, to learn from the first musketeer he met where M. de Treville’s hotel was situated. This he ascertained to be in the Rue du Vieux Colom-_ bier; that is, in the very neighborhood where he had hired his own chamber; acircumstance which he con- —— into a happy omen of the success of his expedi- on, These matters disposed of, and satisfied with the man- nen uxembourg. Having paid the | THE THREE GUARDSMEN, 5 os fore, admired feared, and loved, which states constitute the apogee of human affairs. Henry IV absorbed all the lesser stars of his court, by his vast brilliancy; but his son, ‘‘ Sol pluribus im- —. imparted his personal splendor to many of his avorites—his individual vaior to each of his courtiers. Besides the king's levee, and that of the cardinal, there were then at Paris at least two hundred smaller ones of © some note; and amongst the two hundred smaller levees, that of M. de Treville was one of those most frequented, From six o'clock inthe morning during summer, and eight in the winter, the court-yard of this hotel, in the Rue du Vieux Colombier, resembled a camp. From fifty to sixty musketeers, who appeared to relieve each other. and to present a number always imposing, were stalking about incessantly, armed to the teeth, and ready for anything From one end to the other of one of these long staircases, on whose space our modern civilization would build an entire mansion, ascended and descended those petitioners who sought favors; with provincial gentlemen, eager to be cn- rolled ; and liveried lacqueys of every color, who came to deliver messages from their masters to My de Treville. In the antechamber, on long circular benclies, reclined the elite, that is, such of them as had assembled; a continual buzzing prevailed from morning to night; while M. de Treville, in his cabinet adjoining the antechamber, received visits, listened to complaints, gave his orders, and, like the in his balcony at the Louvre, had only to place him at his window to review his men and their arma. On the day when d’Artagnan presented himself, the ner in which he had behaved at Meung, without re- morse for the past, confident in the present, and full of hope for the future, he went to bed and slept the sleep of the brave. Thia sleep, as yet quite provincial, lasted till nine o’clock in the morning, the hour at which he rose to repair to the hotel of M. de Treville, who, in the esti- mation of d’Artagnan’s father, was the third personage in the realm. CHAPTER Li. THE ANTECHAMBER OF M. DE TREVILIE. M. pe Trorsvri.e, as his family was still called in Germany, or M. de Treville, as he called himself in Paris, had actually begun life like d’Artagnan; that is to say, without being worth a sou, but with that fund of audacity, wit, and resolution, which makes the poor- eat Gascon gentlemen often inherit more through hope than the richest gentleman of Perigord or Berri receives in reality. His desing and haughty courage—still more haughty in succeas—at the time when blows fell thick as hail, had raised him to the top of that difficult ladder | which is called court favor, and which he had mounted four steps at a time. | He was the confidential friend of the king who, as everyone knows, greatly honored the memory of his father, Henry IV. The father of M. de Treville had Re the latter so faithfully in his war against the League, that, instead of ready money—({a commodity | assembly was very imposing, especially to a provincialist which, during his life, was very scarce with the Bear- | just arrived in Paris. It is true, this provincialist was nese, who constantly paid his debta with what he never a Gascon, and at this period more especially, d’Artagnan’s had occasion to borrow, that is to say, with his genius) | count had the reputation of not being easily instead of ready money, as we have said, he had author- | intimidated; in fact, as soon as any one had passed the ized him, after the surrender of Paris, to take for bis | threshold of the massive door, studded with long square nails, he found himself in the midst of a troop of swords- men, who were cruising about the court, talking, quarreling, and jesting with each other: To clear a path through these wandering comets, it was n to be an officer,a man of rank, ora pretty woman. It was, therefore, in the midst of this crowd and that our youth, holding his long rapier against his mitted into the household of the young prince, where | slender legs, and the rim of his beaver in his hand, ad- he made such good use of his sword and was so true to} vanced with palpitating heart, yet with that sort of half his motto, that Louis XIII, one of the best swordsmen | smile of provincial embarrassment which wishes to put of his own kingdom, used to say, that if he had a friend | the best face upon the matter. When he had passed who was going to fight, he would advise him to take for | one group, he breathed more freely; but he perceived a second, first himself, and then Treville, or even per- | that they turned to look at him, and d'Artagnan, who haps before himself. On this account, Louis had areal af-| to that dew had invariably entertained a pretty good fection for Treville, a royal attachment, an egotistical af- | opinion of himself, for the first time in his lite thought fection, it must be allowed, but which, nevertheless, was | himself ridiculous. When he had reached the staircase an affection. In those unhappy days it was much the cus-| it was still worse; on the first step were four mus- tom to surround ones self with men of Treville’s stamp. | keteers, who amused themselves in the following Many could take for their device the epithet of “ fortis,” | manner, whilst ten or a dozen of their companions which formed the second part of the motto, but very | waited on the landing-place till it was their turn few men could claim the epithet " fidelis,”” which formed | havea share inthe game. One of them, onahig the first part of it. Treville was one of the latter class; | step, with a naked swerd in his hand, prevented, or en- | he was one of these rare formations, intellectual, yet | deavored to prevent, the other three from mounting | obedient as the mastiff, with a blind courage, and a the stairs; whilst these three skirmished with him ready hand, to whom the eye had been given only to see —_ actively with their swords. D’ at first whether the king was dissatisfied with any one, and the | took these swords for foils, and thought they were but- hand only to strike the offending person,—a Besme, a | toned; but he soon found, by certain scratches, that Maurevers, a Poltrot de Mere, a Vitry; in short, Treville | each weapon was as ss possible, and at each of only wanted an opportunity: but he watched for it, | these scratches, not only the spectators, but the actors and was resolved to seize it by the hair of its head if | themselves, laughed most heartily. The one who held ever it came within reach of his grasp. Louis XIII. | the higher step at that time, kept his opponents at bay therefore appointed Treville captain of the musketeers, | in a dexterous manner; a circle was formed around who, by their devotion, or rather fanaticism, became | him, the condition of the game being, that at every hit, what his ordinary troops were to Henry IV, and his | he who was struck should relinquish the pastime and Scottish guard to Louis XI. In this respect the cardinal | surrender his turn of reception by M. de Treville to the was not behind the king ; for when he saw the formida- ble picked guard with which Louis surrounded himself, this second, or rather this first, king of France, wished also to have his own guard ; he therefore, as well as the king, had his guards ; and these two rival powers were | selecting for their service, from all the provinces of France, and even all foreign countries, men famous for | er, although he did not wish it to appear that he was their skill as swordsmen. And Richelieu and the king, | astonish He had seen in his own province (that pro- over their game of draughts in the evening, often dis- | vince where, moreover, the fiery passions areso promptly puted concerning the merits of their respective follow- | roused) a good many provocatives to duels, and ers. Each boasted of the firmness and courage of his | yet the gasconade of these four players appeared own ; and whilst openly inveighing against duels and | much stronger than any he had heard of even in Gas- quarrels, then secretly excited their respective partisans | cony. He fancied he was transported into that famous to fight, and experienced intense chargin, or immoderate | country of giants where Gulliver went, and was so much delight, at their respective victories or defeats. Thus /| frightened. And yet he had not reached the end: the at least says the memoir of one who had taken a part in landing place and antechamber still remained, On the arms—* Uulion d’or passant, sur gueules,”’ with the motto, “ fidelis et fortis."" It was a great deal of honor, but not much profit; therefore, when the illustrious the Great died, the sole inheritance | companion of ~ rer, | he left his son was his sword, with the arms and motto. Thanks, however, to his double legacy, and to the stain- leas name which accompanied it, M. de Treville was ad- one who had touched him. Infive minutes three were grazed, one on the hand, one on the chin, and another on the ear, by this defender of the staircase, who was himself untouched—a proof of his skill which, accord- ing to the rules of the game, entitled him to three turns of favor. This sport surprised our young travel- some of these defeats, and many of these victories. landing-place they did not fight, but recounted bhisto- Treville saw this weak point in his master’s character; | ries of the fair sex; and in the antechamber, tales of the and to this knowledge he owed the long and constant | court. In the antechamber, d’Artagnan shuddered; om favor of a king who has not the reputation of haying | the landing-place he blushed. But if his good manners been constant in his friendships. He paraded his | were shocked on the landing-place, his respect for the musketeers before the Cardinal Armand Duplessis with | cardinal was scandalized in the antechamber: there, to an air of irony which made the grey moustache of his | his great astonishment, he heard the policy which made eminence curl with anger. Treville also thoroughly | all Europe tremble openly criticised, as well as the pri- understood the war of that period, when, if you lived.) vate life of the cardinal, which so many powerful men not at the expense of she enemy, you lived at that of | had been punished for attempting to scrutinize. That your countrymen. His soldiers formed a legion of very | great man, whom d’Artagnan’s father had so deeply devils, under no discipline but his own. Swaggering | reverenced, M. de Treville and his men made their butt, bullies, given to wine, the king’s musketeers, or rather | deriding his bandy legs and crooked back; some sang M. de Treville’s, spread themselves through the taverns, | carols on Madame d’Aiguillon, his mistress, and Ma- _in the public walks, and in the theatres, talking loud, | dame de Combalet, his niece; whilst others planned ad- _curling their moustaches, jingling their swords, | ventures against the pages and guards of the cardinal shouldering the guards of the cardinal when they met | duke himself. All these things appeared to d’Artagnan | them, indulging, in the open street, in a thousand jokes; | monstrous impossibilities. Nevertheless, when the sometimes killed, but then certain of being lamented _ and avenged; sometimes killing, but quite certain then | not to languish in prison, since M. de Treville was name of the king accidentally slipped out in the midst of these jokes on the cardinal, a sort of momentary gag stopped all their jeering mouths; they looked around with hesitation, and semed to doubt the thickness of the wall of M. de Treville’s cabinet. But some allusion soon brought back the conversation to his eminence. The wit was one of the most brilliant kind, and none of his actions were concealed. “ Verily,” thought d’Ar- | tagnan with terror, “ these gentry will soon be put into the Bastile and hanged. Doubtless I shall accompany | them, for having heard all they have said. Ighall, with- out doubt, be taken for an accomplice. What would my always at hand to procure their pardon and release.— Therefore, M. de Treville was landed in every tone, sung of in every key, by these men, who adored him; yet, | hang-dogs as they were, they trembled before him as scholars before their master, obedient to a word, and ready to meet death to wipe away any reproach. M. de Treville had used this powerful lever, first, for the king and his friends, and next, for himself and his own friends. The captain of the musketeers was, there- / JOO (ao,