Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

_ i} 7 : _ it <9 ES ' ' Pas gee Ey a ee nt 2. ray a.° . t > . * 2 — | pie ) Y< ie hae - a - 4, ‘ _ phru . **Orto one of my friends—what does it signify?’ Ps vers ; The connt hastened to her assistance, and, as she ’ h — —_ ne a Ae ee a atta _ —- — aR =H, ? a . : » . - ; . : "hi . ‘ y - 2 P / ' i THE THREE @UARDSMEN. —- eee SO Oe eee eee a — ————— ee ee eS —$ _——-—— eee eee -_ re off the remainder of her clothes, tied her hands behind = bottles which had been ordered, and a ham, which had | her back, and hung her to atree!”’ een, fortunately, left outside the cellar, _. *'Phat’s right,’’ said Athos, filling hisown glass and **Oh, heavens, Athos, a murder!”’ cried d'Artagnan. that of d'Artagnan; *‘ here’s to Porthos and Aramis. F But, my friend, what is the matter with you? and what! death. ‘ But they leave me without wine, it seems. mnanerprned to you personally? I fancy that you are And he seized the last bottle by its neck, put it to his ooking sad.” ‘** Alas!"’ replied d'Artagnan, of vou all.” | You unhappy, d’Artagnan!"’ said. Athos, “Let me | mained before him, overwhelmed with horror. hear how you can be unhappy? Tell me that.” | “That has cured me of women—beautiful, poetic, ‘* By and by,” said d’Artagnan. and captivating women ’’—said Athos, raising himself, “ By and by! And why by and by? Isit because you | and forgetting to preserve the mystery of an interven- think that Lam drunk, d’Artagnan? Just understand, |! ingcount. ‘* May God grantas much toyou! Let us then, that my ideas are never clearer than when I amin | drink.” ye ky Speak, therefore: I am all attention.” | “And so she died?’ stammered d’Artagnan. ‘Artagnan related his adventure with Madame Bon-,| ‘‘Egad!” said Athos—* Hold ont glass. ancienx, Athos heard him without even moving his | have some ham, you rogue?’ We cannot drink any eyebrow, Then, when he had ended: more!” ** Those are all trifles,’’ said Athos; ‘ trifles,*’ _. “* But, her brother?’’ timidly added d’Artagnan. This was the favorite word of Athos, | “Her brother?’ replied Athos. ‘“You repeat the word rifles, my dear Athos,” said ‘* Yes, the priest,”’ d’Artagnan; “and it comes with a bad grace from you,| ‘ Ah! I sought him, to hang him also; but he was who have never loved.” | too quick for me—he had fled the evening before.”’ The dull eye of Athos lighted up suddenly; yetit was'| ‘And did anyone ever discover who the wretch . but with a momentary flash, and then it again became | was?” ‘dull and wandering as before. ‘** It was the first lover and accomplice of the girl: a ‘It is true,’’ he said quietly, ‘‘ I have never loved.”’ | worthy fellow, who had pretended to bea curate, that ‘* Yon see, then, stony heart,’ said d’Artagnan, ‘ that | he might get his mistress married and provided for. you are wrong to be so hard on us who have more ten- Ile must have got quartered, I hope.”’ der natures.” | “Obt my God! my God!” exclaimed d’Artagnan, as- ‘Tender natures! wounded hearts,’’ said Athos. tounded by this horrible adventure. ‘* What are you sayi ty ‘** Eat some of this ham, d’Artagnan; it is excellent,”’ “Tsay thatloveis a lottery, in which he who wins | said Athos, cutting a slice, which he placed on the ns death! You are very fortunate to have lost, be- | young man’s plate. ‘ What a misfortune that there lieve me, my dear d’Artagnan; and if I have any ad-| were not four such hams inthe cellar. I should have vice to give you, it is to lose always.”’ | drank fifty bottles more.” ** She seemed to loveme so much!” D’Artagnan could no longer bear this conversation: it ; _ would have driven him mad. He let his head fall upon She loved me.”’ his hands, and pretended to sleep. _. “Child! There is nota man who has not, like you,! _“*The young men now-a-days do not know how to believed that his mistress loved him; and there is not a | drink,’’ said Athos,’ looking at him with pity; ‘“ and man who has not been deceived by his mistress!’’ yet that is one of the best of them!” ** Except you, Athos, who never had one.” ‘It is true,’ said Athos, after 4 moment's silence, **T never had one. Let us drink.” | But then,” said d’Artagnan, ‘‘philosopher as you | are, ee a and console me: I want instruction and on.’ _ “Consolation—about what?” , * About my misfortune.” “Your misfortune makes me laugh,” said Athos, ng his shoulders. ‘I should be curious to know what you would say if I were to tell you a tale of love.” “Which happened to yourself?” ‘*T am the most unhappy | been an ordinary glass. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE RETURN. D’ ARTAGNAN had not recovered from the consternation | produced by the terrible communication of Athos. Many | things yet appeared to him obscure in this half-revealed confession. In the first place, it had been made by a man who was quite drunk, to another man who was half drunk; and yet, in spite of that confusion of the brain which is produced by two or three bottles of Burgundy d’Artagnan, on awaking the next morning, had each of _Athos’s words as thoroughly present to his mind, as though they had been stamped upon it as they fell from his companion’s lips. His doubts made him only the _more eager to arrive at certainty; and he went to his friend’s room with a determination to renew the conver- sation. But he found Athos quite himself a that _ is to say, the acutest and most impenetrable of men. | Moreover, the musketeer, after he had exchanged a smile, and shaken hands with him, anticipated his *« Tell it to me, Athos; tell it.” / ** Let. us drink: that will be far better.” ** Drink, and tell your story.” ** Yes can do that,” said Athos, emptying and | y well toget filling his glass: the two things go admirab i nem attentive,’’ said d'Artagnan, Al hos collected himself; and, as he did so, c’Axtag- | thonght., yan saw him grow more pale, He was at that point of Paes very tipsy last night, my dear d’Artagnan,” intoxication at which vulgar tipplers fall down and | gaid he, “I perceived it this morning by my tongue ‘sleep, As for him, he actually dreamed aloud, without | which was still heavy, and my pulse, which was still sleeping. There was something awful in this somnam- | agitated. I would bet that I uttered a thousand extrava- bulism of intoxication. | gances,”” ‘* You absolutely wish for it?’ said he. |” And, as he said this, he looked at his friend with an .‘ Lentreat you,’ replied d’Artagnan. | earnestness which embarrassed him. ‘““Well then, it shall be as you desire. Oneof my| “No,” said d’Artagnan: “if I remember right, you friends—one of | friends, you understand—not my- | said nothing more than common.” self,” said. Athos, interrupting himself with a sombre | + Ah! you astonish me. I thought that I had related e: “one of the counts of m province, that is to | some most lamentable story.” say, of Berri, as Noble asa Dandolo or 4Montmorency, | And he looked at the young man as if he would have become enamored, at twenty-five years of age, of a read the very depths of his heart. aoe rl of sixteen, who was as beautiful as love. | + Faith,” replied d’Artagnan, ‘it appears that I was ough the simplicity of herage, an ardent soul was | eyen more tipsy than you were, since t remember noth- nh tible; the soul, not of a woman, but of a poet, | ing.” 1e did not please merely—she intoxicated the mind. Athos was not satisfied with this, and continned: Her home was in a small Village, where she lived with s+ You cannot fail to have observed, my dear friend, her brother, " ho was a curate,, ‘They had both newly | that each onc has his own kind of drunkenness—sad or come into that part of the country. No-one knew | gay, Mine is of a melancholy sort; and, when once | whence they came; and, onsceing her so beautiful, and am tipsy, my mania is to narrate all the lugubrious tales er brother so pious,.no one thought of inquiring. | with which my foolish nurse has filled my brain. It is were, moreover, said to belong to a good family. | my weakness—a great fault, I confess; but, barring that, ~My friend, who was a great man of that neighbor- | [ am an excellent drinker.” hood, might have beguiled her, or even seized her by | Athos said this in such a natural manner, that d’Ar- force if he had chosen, He was the master; and who tagnan was shaken in his conviction. would have thought of defending two unknown stran-| “ Ah, then, that is it.” said the young man, as if en- gers? Unfortuna'ely, he wasa man of honor, and he | geavoring to recall the truth; ‘ that is what I remember, married her. The fool! the ass! the idiot.” as one recollects adream, that we talked of people being - Bag why so, since he loved her?” said d’Artagnan. | jung.” “Wait a ittle,” replied Athos. ‘He took her to his “Ah! you see "* evid Athos, growing pale, but attempt- to do her justice, she maintained her station admira- | are quite my nightmare.” bly.” 6 um res,”’ replied d’Artagnan; ‘‘ and this is what I “Well!” said d’Artagnan. can recall to mind: yes, it was so, listen, then—it was “Well! one day, when she was out hunting with her | something about a woman.” hnsband,” continued Athos, in a low voice, and speak-| ‘‘See there,’’ replied Athos, becoming almost livid; y quickly, “ she fell from her liorse, and fainted. | ‘it is my best story, of the woman with fair hair; an when I tell that I am sure to be dead-drunk.”’ ‘Yes, that is it,” said d'Artagnan: ‘a story fair woman, tall and beautiful, with blue eyes.”’ “Yes, and hanged.” “By her husband who was a nobleman of your ac- SRRAEN 5 said d’Artagnan, looking earnestly at thos. “Well, now when one no seemed half-suffocated by her clothes, he cut them with about a his dagger, and her shoulder was exposed. Guese what there was upon her shoulder, d’Artagnan?”’ said Athos, witha convulsive burst of laughter. “* How can I tell?’ demanded d’Artagnan. ‘© A fleur-de-lis,” said Athos. ** She was branded !’"— and «at one draught he emptied the glass which was in his hand. “ Horrible!’ What are you telling me?” cried d’Ar- The truth, my dear fellow! The angel was a fiend —the rie red oan girl had been a thief!" ' D’Artagnan continued silent; and then, suddenly / “And hat did the count do?” changing the conversation, Athos said: “The count was a powerful noble; he had undisput-| “ A propos, I thank you for the horse you have brought of right of executing justice on bis own lands: he tore me," see how a man might be compromised, longer knows whut he is saying,” replied Athos, shrugging his shoulders, as if he pitied himself. ‘Positively I will not get tipsy any more, d’Artagnan: tis a very bad habit.” eee eeee ee ee -_ __——_—~— — we- . - N¢ >= " , rf - i = e+ ye - —_—- —_<-- — - ee LE 0 a , 7 - < ~~ + a4 - ; - ; - - — a a Ee eH ‘** Do you like him?” ** Yes: but he would not stand work.” ~ ‘*You are mistakem. I went ten leagues with him in ‘Yes, a murder—nothing more!"’ said Athos, paleas| ess than an hour and a half, and he appeared as if he | had only gone round the Place St. Sulpice.” mouth, and emptied it at a draught, as though it had | His head fell on his two hands; whilst d’Artagnan re- | ls him, and, as I saw Will you | ———— Reena eee nen e ene n renee esses a — ‘“* Ah, then, you make me regret him,” “Regret him?’’y ‘“* Yes, for I have parted with him.” ‘* How is that?”’ ‘The fact is, this morning I got up at six, You were sleeping like a deaf man, and I did not know what to do, being still quite stupefled by last night's debauch. L therefore went down to the common room, and saw one of the Englishmen, who was buying a horse of a dealer, his own having died the day before. I approached 10 Was Offering a hundred pistoles for a sorrel horse—‘ Egad, sir,’ said I,” ‘I have also a horse to sell.’—* And a very handsome one, too,’ said he: ‘I saw him yesterday; your friend’s servant was holding him.—‘Do you think he is worth a hundred pistoles?’—Yes, will you sell him to me at that price?” Ta but I will play you for him..—At whaty— ‘ dice.’ ‘*No sooner said than done; and I lost the horse. Ah! but, after all,’ continued Athos, ** I won back hir trappings.”’ "Artagnan made a wry face. ‘** Does that annoy you?” asked Athos. ‘“* Yes, indeed, I confess it does,”’ replied d’Artagnan. ‘That horse ought to have led to our recagnition on a battle-fleld; it was a pledge—a memorial. Athos, you are wrong.” ‘* But, my dear fellow, put yourself in my place,"’ re- plied the musketeer. I was horribly tired of myself; and then, upon my honor, I do not like English horses. Besides, if it is of any consequence that we should be com Cory: 5 hat, for it any one, the saddle will do well enough for is very remarkable. As for the horee, we will find some excuse, as a reason for its disappearance. What the plague! a horse is mortal. ae us say that mine has had the glanders, or the arcy.”’ But d’Artagnan did not laugh. ‘‘T am sorry for this,’’ continued Athos, “that you seom to set such a value on these animals, for-I hava not rt finished my tale.” ‘* Why, what more have you done?” ‘* After having lost my horse—nine against ten for that was the throw—the idea came into my head to stake yours.”’ m 3 But you confined yourself morely to the idea, [ ope?”’ ‘* No, I put it into execution instantaneously.”’ ‘Ah! was ever such a thing heard of?” exclaimed d’Artagnan, uneasily. “I staked him—and Jost.” . ** My horse?”’ : ‘Yes; your horse—seven against eight, for I lost only by one point. You know the old proverb,” ‘* Athos, you have lost your senses, I swear.”’ ‘‘ My dear fellow, it was yesterday, when I was telling you those foolish stories, that you should have said that, and not this morning. I lost him, however, with all his ornaments and wanDinge. | ‘* But this is quite frightful!” ‘*Listen, now; you have not heard the end of it yet. I should be a most excellent player if I did not get se infatuated; but I do get infatuated, just as I am when Sang Well, accordingly, I obstinately persevered at it.”’ , But what more could you stake? You had nothing eft.”’ “Yes, yes, my friend; there remained that diamond, which now glitters on your finger, and which I had no- ticed yy ay.” ‘* This diamond!’’ exclaimed d'Artagnan, putting his hand quickly on the ring, ‘‘And, as Iam a judge of these things, having had some few of my own, I valued it at a thousand pistoles.”’ ‘*T hope,” said d’Artagnan, very seriously, whilst he was half dead with fright, ** that you did not make any mention of my diamond?’ ‘“‘On the contrary, my dear friend, do you not see that this diamond became our last resource: I might, with that win back our horses and their accoutrements; and, perhaps, money enough for our journey.” “Athos, you make me tremble,”’ cried d’Artagnan. ‘** So I mentioned your diamond to my adversary, who had also remarked it. What the plague, my dear fel- low! would you carry a star of heaven on your r, and wish no one to observe it? Impossible!” “Go on, my dear fellow, go on,” said d’Artagnan: ‘*for upon my honor, you horrify me with your calm- ness,” “ We divided the diamond into ten parts, of a hun- dred pistoles each,”’ *“Oh! you are joking, on purpose to try me,” said d’Artagnan, whom anger began to catch by the hair as Minerva caught Achilles in the J/iad. “No, Lam not joking, by heaven, I should like to have seen P i in the same situation. For a whole fort- night I had not looked upon a human face, and had — there brutalizing myself by parleying only with »ottles!”’ ‘That was no reason why you ehould stake my dia- mond!" said d’Artagnan, closing his hand with a nervous constriction. * Listen, then, tothe end. Ten parts of a hundred pistoles each would be ten throws, without revenge. In thirteen throws I lost all—in thirteen throws! The num- ber 13 has always been fatal to me. It was the 13 of July when— ‘“Zounds!” cried d’Artagnan, arising from the table, the morning's narrative making him forget that of the ‘Thad formed a plan. The night before. ‘ Patience,” said Athos. Englishman was an original, 1 had seen him in the morning es ery to Grimaud; and Grimaud had in- formed me that he had made proposals to engage him ia EGOmie sy ee (GO) poo -