Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

call which corroborated the geoa opinion that the inn- keeper had already formed of his guest at first sight. _ D’Artagnan was served with a celerity which was quite miraculous. The regiment of guards was com- posed of the first gentlemen in the realm; and d’Arti- agnan, traveling with a servant and four splendid horses, cou'd not fail of creating a sensation, in spite of the simplicity of his uniform. The host wished to wait on him himself; seeing which d'Artagnan made him bring two glasses, and began the following conversation:— | it ‘**By my faith, mine host,” said d’Artagnan, filling _ ~ two glasses, ‘I have asked for the best wine, and, if _~———s you have deceived me, your sin will bring its punish- ment along with it, since, as I hate to drink alone, you are going to drink with me. Take this glass then, and letusdrink. What shall we drink, that we may wound no one’s feelings? Let us drink to the prosperity of your establishment!” * *“Your lordship does me great honor, and I sincerely ‘thank you for your good wishes,” “But don’t deceive yourself,” said d’Artagnan; “there is more selfishness in my toast than you think of. It is only in prosperous houses that one gets well treated: in tottering inns everything runs to disorder, and the traveller is a victim to the landlord’s embarrass- ment, Now, as I travel a good deal, and particularly on this road, I should like to see all the innkeepers making a fortune.” * In fact,’’ said the landlord, ‘‘ it appears to me that this is not the first time I have seen you, sir.” ‘Bah! I have passed through Chantilly perhaps ten times, and have stopped at least three or four times at your house. Yes, I was here about ten or twelve days ago, conducting three of my friends, musketeers; and one of them, by-the-by, quarrelled with a stranger here - —€aman who sought to quarrel with him.” “Ah! true!” said mine host; “I recollect ee verfec Ps Is it not of M. Porthos that your lord- a. travelling companion, “That is the very name of my me has any misfortune at i id God! my dear landlord, tel » befallen him?” a _** But your pepdehip must have remarked that he was mot able to continue his journey.” “ls **In fact, he promised to overtake us, but we saw no more of him."’ ** He has done us the honor to remain here.” “What! he has done you the honor to remain here !"’ rg Yes, sir, in this hotel ; and we are somewhat uneasy Why?” On account of certain expenses that he has in- “Well, but the expenses he has incurred he will pay.” ** Ah, sir, your words are a positive balm to my heart. -_ ———s Wee have been at considerable expense or. his account; ) aa d only this morning the surgeon declared that if M. Miibcan Po thos did not pay him, he should proceed against me, as it was I who sent for him.”’ “But is Porthos wounded then?” TL eannot tell you, sir.” _ “What! you cannot tell me? You ought at any _ rate to know better about it than anybody else.” . *¥es3 but in our business we do not tell all we know, r—particularly when we have been warned that our es > ) Se ears ape answer for our tongue.” hi. 2+) 68 Welll can I see Porthos?” Fees “* Certainly, sir. Go to the first landing-place on the ket ircase, and knock at No. 1. Only, caution him that it + 4 at! caution him that it is me?”’ "Yea: some accident might happen else.” a a What accident could happen to me?” + - “M. Porthos might mistake you for somebody belong- ing to the house, and might, in a fit of passion, either Fan you through with his sword or blow out your ry ? ‘‘Why! what have yon been doing to him, then?”’ ““Oh! we asked him for money.” “Ah! I comprehend it now. That is a kind of de- ‘mand that Porthos always receives badly when he is not ss 4n cash; but I know that he ought to have plenty.” a **So we thought also, sir. And as the house is very iter )) regul and our accounts are made up every week, on ,. the eighth day we presented our little bill: but we seem to have hit upon an unlucky time, for, at the first _ word w> Rly upon the gt hee he sent us all to the 4° a, o), ™ , , _~ F i ‘ . -very devil. s true, he had been playing the evening Be be ” ae Wit! playing the evening before! And with re, | whom?’ “Oh! good Lord, who can tell that? With some nobleman who was trayelling this way, and to whom he _ gent to propose a game at lansquenet.”’ “Just 80; and the unincky deg lost his all.” “Even to his horse, sir; for when the stranger was |. &bout_toleave, we perceived that his servant was sad- ie ‘dling M. Porthos’s horse, and we remarked it to him; + nt he told us that we had better interfere only in our ’ __ ewn concerns, and that the horse was his own. _ So, we -. ‘west immediately to let M. Porthos know what was te on; but he only answered that we were scoundrels pe the word of a gentleman, and that, as this d ’ ¢ : 3<, Pb a, e ‘ 5 ” * : for ibtin one had said that the horse belonged to him, it neces- .) _ sarily must be true.” . #*T recognize him there, exactly,’ muttered d'Art- ‘ae n. A i i ee Then,” continued the innkeeper,” I sent a message _ f#ohim, that, as we did not scem likely to come to any ke Z nderstanding with one another about payment, I hoped | ' that he Sone at least have the kindness to transfer the favor of his custom to my brother landlord at The i. |. - Got agle, but M. Porthos replied, that, as my hotel «was the best, he desired to remain here. his answer ae: Seas tos complimentary for me to insist upon his leay- Sng. I contented myself with begging him to-resign his _ gpartment, which is the most beautiful in the house, and ~~ fo. be satisfied with a pretty little room upon the third ak floor. But, to this, Mir. orthos replied, that he was (We) bd “4. * ae ‘im - ~ aio > = Pe 4 4 soar, *. ° - yy b “* _ - - » * Fh '' " inks fe a) Ai. 1. eee -% a - & Se y ‘ - - ~~ * MS . : ,? ¥ : r + > . \ war ‘ +s St a ar’ . ‘ os ; ‘ nh ‘ ‘ ©; ‘ s ‘' 4 ; y 2 a . - - ; - . > P ’ H . ; ‘ - 3 a ant ‘ =" i vi 4h a = © , / y , F \ ae — ——-_ /} concern him. 7 ' a ' ss oho =¥ TR Se ries ~. 4 fs A om aa oe a * ot ®? pare N " \ " , % > > y 5 ar ‘A ‘ : a ‘ r , z” : , P o ‘ ‘\ i9@ ; , a THE THREE GUARDSMEN, every moment expecting his mistress, who was one of the highest ladies at court: and that I ought to under- stand that the chamber which he did me the honor to occupy in my house, was still scarcely good enough for such a visitor, Nevertheless, fully recognizing the truth of what he said, I felt it my duty to insist ; but without giving himse’f the trouble to enter into any discussion with me, he puta pistol on his night-table, and declared that at the first word which might be said to him about any moving whatsoever, either out of the house or in it, he would blow out the brains of the person who has been imprudent enough to interfere in what does not So, since that time, sir, nobody has once entered his room but his own servant.” ‘Oh! Mouscuetcn is here, is he?” “Yes, sir. Five days after his departure, be came back in a very ill-humor: it seems that he, also, had met with some unpleasantry on his way. But he is, | unfortunately, rather nimbler than his master, so that he turns everything topsy-turvy, and under the supposi- tion that we micht refuse him what he asks for, takes anything he wants without asking at all.” “The fact is,’’ replied d’Artagnan, “that I have always remarked in Mousqueton a very superior intel- _ligence and zeal.” | ‘*Possibly so, sir; but if I should only find myself, four times in a year, in contact with a similar intel- | ligence and zeal, I should be a ruined man,” | **No! Porthos will pay'you.”’ | ~ *** om catered the innkeeper, in a tone of doubt. ‘‘He is the favorite of a lady of rank, who will not allow him to remain in trouble on account of a trifle like what he ows you.” “Tf I only dared to say what I think about that.” What) ou think?” “T might sy more—what I know.” “What do you know?” “Or, even, what I am quite sure of!” “And what ure you so sure of? Come, let us hear!" | - should say that I know this lady of rank.”’ sour _* Yes, me!” *“ And how came you to know her?” ‘*Oh! sir, if I thought I could depend on your dis- cretion.”’ ““Speak; and, on the word of a gentleman, you shall have no occasion to regret your confidence."' “Well! sir, you can understand that uneasiness makes one do many things.” ‘* What have you done?” " woe but what a creditor has a right to do.”’ ‘e e b ‘*M. Porthos had handed us a note for this duchess, giving us orders to putitin the post. It was before his own servant came; and, as he could not leave his room, he was obliged to employ us in his commissions."’ ** What next?” ** Instead of putting this letterin the post, which is never very safe, we took advantage of the onportunity of one of our waiters going to Paris, and instructed him to deliver the letter to this duchess herself. That was fulfilling the intentions of M. Porthos, who had portion. larly enjoined us to be careful of the letter, was it not?” ** Nearly so.”’ ** Well, sir, do you know what this lady of rank is?’ en I have heard Porthos speak of her; that is b | “Do rerended duchess is?” you know what this ‘*T tell you again, I don’t know her.” ‘*She is an attorney's wife, sir; an old woman, called Madame Coquenard, who is at least fif'y years of age, and yet takes upon herself to be jealous. It seemed very strange to me, a princess living in the rue aux Ours!” ** How do you know this!” ** Because she put herself in a great passion on recetv- ing the letter, s*ying that M, Porthos wasa fickle man, and that it was for some woman that he had received this sword wound.” “Then he has received a sword wound?" replied d’Artagnan. ‘**Ah, my God! what have I said?’ cried the inn- keeper. ‘* You said that M. Porthos had receiyed a wound from a sword,”’ ‘*Yes; but he strongly enjoined me to say nothing about it.” ** And why?’ ‘*Plagne, sir! becatise he boasted that he would per- forate the stranger with whom you left himin a dispute: whilst, on the contrary, this stranger, in spite of his rhodomontades, stretched him on the ground, Now, as M. Porthos isa very vain-glorious man, except toward his duchess, whom he thought to soften by an account of his adventure, he is not disposed to admit to anybody that he is suffering from a wound,” A asword wound, then, that keeps him in his “¢ ”” ‘“‘Anda masterly one, I assure you, Your friend’s soul must be absolutely pinned to his body.” ‘“ Were you there, then?” **T followed them, sir, from curiosity, so that 1 saw the combat, without the combatants seeing me.”’ ** And how did it happen?” “Oh, the thing did not take long, Tassure you, They placed themselves on guard: the stranger made a feint, 'and lunged, and that so rapidly, that, when M. Porthos | parried, he had already three inches of steel in his chest. He fel back. The stranger put*his sword to his throat, and M. Porthos, seeing himself at the mercy of his ad- versary, confessed himself yanquished, The stranger then asked his name; and hearing that he was M. Por- thos, and not M. d‘Artagnan, offered him his arm, led him beck to the hotel, mounted his horse, and disap- | peared,”’ | “Then it was M. d’Artagnan that the stranger Wanted ?"’ —_—— -—-— -_-- —— ee ee ee SS TT Sr a — —— —— + - —------~-- —-- —~—- = ‘* Tt appears so.”’ ** And do you know what has become of him?” ‘No, I had never seen him before that moment, and we have not seen him since.”’ i “Very well; I know all IT want. And you say that M. Porthos’ chamber is on the first floor, No. 1?’’ ** Yes, sir, the handsomest in the house—a chamber which I might have let ten or a dozen times.” ‘*Bah! Don't be unhappy,’ said D’Artagnan, laugh- ing; ‘‘ Porthos will pay you with the cash of the Duchess _Coquenard.”’ —EE SSS eee ee ‘Oh! sir, attorney's wife or duchess would be no mat- ter to me, if she would only unloosen her purse-strings; : but she has positively said that she is tired out by the ‘ inconstancies and exigencies of M. Porthos, and that she will not send him even a sous.” ‘‘And did you communicate this reply to your guest?” ‘‘No: we were too careful for that. He would have found out the fashion in which we had executed our commission," ‘*Then he isstill in expectation of the money?” . ‘‘Oh, Lord! yes. He wrote again yesterday: but his . 4 own servant this time took the letter to the post. ”’ ‘* You say the attorney's wife is old and ugly?” “Fifty years old, at least, sir, and far from handsome, from what Pathand says.”’ ‘* Be comforted, then. Her heart will melt towards him; and, at any rate, Porthos cannot owe you much.” ‘*Whut! not much? It is twenty pistoles already, without reckoning the surgeon. Oh! he denies himeelf nothing: it is plain that he has been always accustomed to live well.” ‘Well, even if the duchess should fail him, he will find friends, I can assure you. So my dear landlord, do ryt disturb yourself, and be most attentive to his com- ort.’ ‘* You have promised me, sir, not to say a word about the attorney's wife, or the wound.” ‘*That is settled—you have my word.” “Oh! he would kill me, do you see!”’ ‘a Do not be afraid: he is not half such a devil as he seems!"’ ni hn these words, d’Artagnan mounted the stairs, leaving the landlord a little more encouraged concerning two things, about which he appeared to think a good deal—his money and his life. At the top of tHe stairs, d’Artagnan found, on the most conspicuous door of the corridor, a gigantic No. 1, marked with black ink. At this door he knocked, and being invited to do so from within, entered the room. Porthos was lying down, and playing at lansquenet with Mousqueton, to keep his hands in, whilst a spit, burdened with partridges, was turning before the fire, and, at the two corners of an immense chimney, there were boiling, on two chafing dishes, two saucepans from which exhaled the double odor of a fricassee o fowls, and a eggs of fish, which delighted the olfactory nerves. esides, the top of a desk and the | athe slab of a‘commode were covered with empty 2 4 ttles, ' At sight of his friend, Porthos uttered a loud and joy- | ful cry; whilst Mousqueton, rising respectfully, gave up his place to him, and went to glance into the twe sauce- | pans, of which he appeared to have particular charge, _. ‘Ah! egad! it is you!"’ said Porthos. ‘* Welcome welcome! Excuse me for not rising to meet you, but,” added he, ap ato, | with some anxiety at d’Artagnan, ee at know what has happened to me?” ay sé to,”? ‘* Tias the innkeeper told you nothing?” ‘**T asked for you, and came up directly.” Porthos appeared to breathe more freely. ‘* And what has happened to you, then, my dear Por- thos?’ said d’Artagnan. ‘¢it neppreet, that, in lunging at my adversary, to whom I had already given three sword wounds, and whom I wished to finish by a fourth, my foot caught against a stone, and I sprained my knee.” wetanes ‘Tea nnon my honor! Lucky it was for the rascal, too, for I should otherwise have left him dead upon the spot, I assure you.” ‘* And what became of him?" “Oh, [know nothing abont that: he had had quite enough of it, and went away without asking for the re- mainder, But you, my deard’Artagnan, what happened to you?” a So that,’ continued d’Artagnan, “it is this sprain that keeps youn in bed, my dear Porthos?” “Ah, my God, yes; that is all; but in a few days I shall be on my legs again.” “But why did you not get yourself removed to Paris? You must have been sadly dull here?” f “It wasmy intention; but, my dear friend, [ must confess one thing to you.” ** And what is that?” “Tt is, that asT became cruelly dull, as you say, and as I had in my cket the seventy-five pistoles which you provided me with, I invited up a passing traveler, and proposed to him a game of dice; he agreed: and, faith, my seventy-five pistoles passed from my pocket into his, without reckoning my horse, which he carried off into the bargain. But you, my dear qd’. Artagnan,”’ ‘What wonld you have, my dear Porthos? You can- not be favored in all your pursuits,’’ said d’A an. ‘You know the proverb—‘ lose at play, and win at love,’ You are too fortunate in love, for play not to reve itself. But what do these changes of fortune signif you? Happy dog! have you not still got yous trie 88 to assist you?”’ “Well! look, my dear d’Artagnan, how unlucky I am,” replied Porthos, in the most unconcerned tone in the world. ‘I have written to her to send me some fifty louis, for which [ have particular -occasion in my er — yn sa re prs ~ GOMES e/; Caos