Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

; "? 3 < P . ‘ > , F a a ; a . 4 : ; " . + - ‘ ; At Pay s 3 ng > ‘ : = Shir’ ‘Ga ; set ‘ we’ p J i ,; it . : . 14 : / yi : > . 7 i \ THE THREE®* GUARDSMEN. 3¥ his service. I staked Grimaud—the silent Grimaud—di- | steed, close by my side. I wonld take the hundred | with his companions, and they then set out to rejoin vided intoten portions.” pistoles without a moment’s hesitation. We want} Porthos. ** Ah, well! was ever such a thing heard of!"' said d’- | money to return to Paris.” anee found him almost entirely cured, and conse- Artagnan, bursting out into a laugh. ‘**T really have such a fancy for this horse, Athos.”’ nently, less pale than when d’Artagnan saw him at his ‘‘Grimand himself—do you understand? And by| ‘‘And you are wrong, my friend; a horse stumbles | first visit. He was seated at a table, on which, alihough these ten parts of Grimand, who is not worth a ducat| and breaks his knees; a horse eats at a rack where a} he was alone, thére was displayed a dinner for four when entire, I won back the diamond. Tell me now | glandered horse has eaten just before; and thus you! persons. This dinner consisted of viands admirably that perseverance is not a virtue.”’ ae a horse, or rather a hundred pistoles. Then, it is | dressed, of choice wines, and splendid fruit. ** Faith, itis all very droll,” said the now comforted | necessary for the master to feed his horse; when,on the | ‘*Egad!”’ said he, rising, *‘ you have come in the nick d’Artagnan, holding his sides with laughter. contrary, a hundred pistoles feeds the master.” of time: I was just at the soup, and you will dine “So, you understand, finding myself in the right vein, “But how shall we return?” | with me.” 1 began anew upen the diamond.” **On our servants’ horses to be sure. It will be evi- | **Oh, oh!"’ said d’Artagnan, “it is not Mousqueton ‘Ah! the devil!’’ said d’Artagnan, becoming again | dent enough, from our appearance, that we are people | who has lassoed such bottles as these. Besides, here is of consequence,” a larded fricandean, and a fillet of beef.” ; ‘““A nice figure we shall cut on those hacks, whilst **] am recruiting my strength,’’ said Porthos; “I am Aramis and Porthos are dashing about on their steeds.” | recruiting my strength. Nothing weakens one so much ‘*Aramis! Porthos!"’ exclaimed Athos, and he began | as these devlish sprains, Have you ever had any to laugh heartily. sprains, Athos?”’ ‘What now?’ demanded d’Artaghan, who did not| _‘* Never,”’ said Athos; ‘‘only I remember that in our understand his friend's merriment. skirmish in the rue de Ferou, I received a sword-thrust, ‘** Nothing, nothing, Go on,’ said Athos, which, at the end of fifteen or twenty days, produced * And your advice is 7 exactly the same consequences.” ““To take the hundred pistoles, d’Artagnan: with ‘*But this dinner was not for yourself alone, my dear them we can feast till the end of the month. We have | Porthos?’ said Aramis, suffered much from fatigue, you know, and it will be **No,” said Porthos; “I expected some gentlemen well for us to repose ourselves for a time.” from the neighborhood, who have just sent word that ‘“*Trest myself? Oh, no! Athos: immediately on my | they cannot come; but, as you will take their places, I return to Paris, I shall set out in search of that poor | shall lose nothing by the exchange. Hallo, Mons- woman,” queton! bring chairs, and let the bottles be doubled!” ‘Well, do you think your horse will be as useful to “Do you know what we are eating here?’ asked you for that purpose asthe gold? Take the hundred | Athos, after ten minutes had elapsed. pistoles, my friend—take the hundred pistoles.”’ ‘* Egad,”’ replied d’Artagnan, I am eating veal, larded D’Artagnan only wanted a good reason for giving up; | with marrow.’ and this appeared to him an excellent one, Besides, by ‘** And J, veal cutlets,”’ said Porthos. resisting any longer, he feared that he should appear “And I, poultry,” said Aramis. selfish. He therefore chose the hundred pistoles, which | ‘‘ You are all mistaken, gentlemen,” gravely replied the Englishman immediately paid him. Athos: *‘ you are eating the horse.”’ Their only thonght was then to set out. The peace ‘*Come, come!”’ said d’Artagnan. , which they had finally sealed with the landlord, cost six | ‘* The horse,”’ cried Aramis, making a horrible face. pistoles, in addition to Athos’s old horse, D’Artagnan Porthos alone made no reply. and Athos took the horses of Planchet and Grimaud; ‘** Yes, the horse. Is it not so, Porthos? Are we not and the two valets took to the road on foot, carrying | eating the horse, and rhaps the saddle with it?" the saddles on their heads, **No, peniiowen, I have kept the fittings.” . Badly mounted as the two friends were, they soon ‘* Faith, we are all bad alike,’ said is: ‘‘One left their servants behind them, and arrived at Cre- | would say that we had done it by agreement.” overclouded., ‘*T won back your trappings, then your horse, then my Own trappings, then my own horse, and then lost them allagain. In short, [ended by recovering your trapping and mine: and that is how we now stand. It was a superb throw, and therefore I left off.” D’Artagnan sighed as if the weight of the hotel had been taken off his breast. ‘* After all, my diamond is safe,”’ he said timidly. ‘* Untouched, my dear friend—besides the trappings of your Bucephalus and mine.”’ “But what shall we do with our saddles, without horses.” ‘*T have an idea about them.”’ “ Athos, you make me tremble.” ‘‘ Listen, d’Artagnan. You have not played fora long time.” “ And I have no wish to play.”’ ‘Well, don’t make a yow about it: you have not played for a re J time. I should say, therefore, that you oat to bein luck.” ** Well, and what then?’ “Well, the Englishman and ‘his companion are still here. I observed that they regretted the trappings. You seem to value te horse; and, in your place, I would stake my trappings against my horse.”’ ‘* But he would not wish for one set of capernat, ‘*Stake the two. Egad, I am not an egotist, like you.”’ ** You would, would you?’ said d’Artagnan, hesitat- ing; for the confidence of Athos began to influence him unconsciously. ‘*Upon my honor, I would! on one throw." a I “But, having lost the horses, I should very much like | veceur. At a distance they saw Aramis, leaning sor- **What would you have?” said Porthos; *‘the horse to keep the trappings at least.” rowfully from the window, and, like Sister Anne, look- | shamed my visitors, and I did not wish to humiliate ** Then stake your diamond.” ing at the dust in the horizon. them.” . ‘* Oh, that is quite another thing, never!” * Hallo! hey! Aramis,” shouted out the two friends, ‘Then your duchess is still at the baths, is she not?"’ ‘““The devil! I would propose to you to stake Plan- ‘‘ what the plague are you doing there?” inquired d’Artagnan. chet: but as that has been done once, the Englishman “Ah, is it you, Athos? is it you, d’Artagnan?’’ said ‘* Yes,” replied Porthos, ‘‘ Then, the governor of the would as See wish to try it again.” the young man. ‘I was just thinking how rapidly the | province, one of the gei.tlemen I expected here to-day, ‘Decidedly, my dear Athos,” said d’Artagnan, ‘‘I| things of this world disappear. My English horse, | appeared to wish so much for him, that I gave it would prefer risking nothing." which was Dee more and more distant, and has just | himn.”’ ‘It isa pity,’ said Athos ‘orf “the Englishman is | disappeared amidst a cloud of dust, was to me a ** Gave it!’’ exclaimed d’Artagnan. i well lined with pistoles, Hgad! do try one throw—a pte image of the fragility of terrestrial things. ‘Oh, yes—zounds, yes—that is the expression," said throw is soon played.” Life itself may be resolved into three words—‘ Erat, | Porthos, “for he was certainly worth a hundred and ** And if I lose?” est, fuit.’”’ louis, and the rascal would only pay me eighty.” ‘You will gain.” ‘And all this really means—” inquired d’Artagnan, “Without the saddle?’’ said Aramis. “ Butif L lose?’ who began to suspect the truth. ‘* Yes, without the saddle.” ‘‘ Well! then you will give up the pty owe “Tt means that I have just been taken in in a bargain, ‘*You observe, gentlemen,’ said Athos, “ that after ‘* Well, here goes for one throw,” said d’Artagnan. and sold, for sixty louis, a horse, which, by the manner | all, Porthos has made the best bargain of any of us.” Athos went to look for the Englishman and found | in which he moves, should be able to trot five leagues There was then a perfect shout of laughter, at which him in the stables, where he was looking wistfully at | an hour.” poor Porthos was altogether astonished; but they soon the saddles. The opportunity was good. Hemade his} D’Artagnan and Athos burst out into a laugh. explained to him the reason of this mirth, in which, as conditions: the two sets of trappings against one horse, ‘*My dear d’Artagnan,’’ said Aramis, ‘‘ do not be too | usual, he participated noisily. or a hundred sperm at choice, The Englishman cal-| much displeased with me, I entreat you: necessity “So we are all in cash now,” said d’Artagnan. culated quickly: the two sets of trappings were well | knows nolaw. Besides, 1 am the first punished, since **Not 1 for one,’ said Athos: “I found Aramis’s worth three hundred pistoles; so he agreed. this infamous horse-dealer has cheated me out of fifty | Spanish wine so good, that I sent sixty bottles in the D’Artagnan trembled as he threw the dice, and only } louis at least. Ah! you are good managers: you | wagon with the servants, which has very much impover- turned up the numberthree. His —— quite fright- | come on your servants’ horses, and make them lead | ished me.” ened Athos, who contented himself with saying:— your chargers slowly and by short s ss “And I,” said Aramis, “had given almost my last “That's a bad throw, comrade; you will have the| At this moment a wagon, which for some minutes | sou to the church of Montdidier, and the Jesuits of horse all caparisoned, sir.”’ had been seen coming —e the Amiens road, stopped, | Amiens; and I had besides, made engagements which I The triumphant Englishman did not give himself the | and out got Planchet and Grimaud, with their saddles | was compelled to keep - masses ordered for myself, and trouble to shake the dice; and, so sure was he of win- | on their heads, The wagon was going ae to Paris, | for you peatepen, which wili be surely and by ning, that he threw them on the table without looking. | and the two servants has engaged, as the price of which I do not doubt we shail be greatl benefitted.”’ D’ Artagnan turned away to hide his ill-humor. their places, to keep the wagoner in drink throughout “And do you believe that my sprain has cost me ‘* Well, well, well!’ said Athos in his usual calm | the journey. nothing?’ said Porthos; ‘‘not to mention Mousqueton's voice, “ this is a most extraordinary throw, and I have | «what does this mean?” said Aramis, as he saw | Wound, for which I was obliged to have a surgeon in only seen it four times in my life;—deux ace.” them. ‘ Nothing but the saddles?” attendance upon him twice a day.” The Englishman looked, and was seized with astonish- | «Tyo you understand now?” said Athos. “Well, well, Lsee,” said Athos, exchanging a smile ment. D Artagnan looked and colored with joy. “My friends, it is exactly like me. I have kept the | With Aramis and d’ Artagnan, *‘tiat you have behaved “ Yes,’ continued Athos, *‘ only four times: once, at | trannings by instinct. Hallo, Bazin! lay my tra s | Hobly towards the poor lad. It is like a good master.” M. deCrequis’s; once, at my own house in the country, slong side of toda belonging to these dentionven:* ping ‘In short,”’ said Porthos, ‘‘ when my bill is paid, I in my castle of —-when I had a castle; a third time, at} «« And what have you done with your doctors?’ de- shall have about thirty crowns remaining.” M. de Treville’s, where it astonished us all; and afourth | manded d’Artagnan. ‘ And I, about ten pistoles,”’ said Aramis, time ata wine-shop where it fell to me, and I lost by it) «| invited them to dinner the next day, my dear ‘It appears,” said Athos, “that we are the Croesuses a hundred louis, and a supper.” fellow,’ said Aramis, ‘There is some exquisite wine | Of the party. How much remains of your hundred “ Will the gentleman take back his horse?” said the | here, by the by, and made them both as drunk as [ | Pistoles, d’Artagnan? Beas Englishman. a conld, " Then, the curate forbade me to abandon the | _ “Of my hundred pistoles? In the first place I gay * Certainly?” said d’Artagnan., coat, and the Jesuit entreated me to get him accepted | YOUfifty.” a ‘Then, there is no revenge.” as a musketeer.”’ ** Do you think so? “Our conditons were: ‘no revenge.’ Do you re-| ,. * ; it ‘* Most assuredly.” ‘ member?” Without any thesis,’ cried d’Artagnan—‘' without “Ah! itis true: I recollect it.” “True. ‘The horse shall be delivered to your servant, | thesis! 1 demand, for my part, the suppression of the |“ ‘Then I paid six to the landlord!” sir.” thesis: ‘*What an animal that landlord was! Why did you * One moment,’ said Athos. ‘‘ With your permission, ‘Since that time I have lived very agreeably. I have | give him six pistoles?*’ sir, I desire to speak a word with my friend.” begun a poem in one-syllable verse: it is rather dif- ‘*Tt was you who told me to give them to him.” , “Speak.” ' ficult, but merit of nny kind consists in conquering ‘‘Tt is true: in fact, 1 am too generous!—and. the Athos led d’Artagnan apart. difficulty. Itis gallant in character; and I will read to | balance?"’ ‘“ Twenty-five louis,” said d'Artagnan, ‘‘And I,’ said Athos, pulling out a few sniall coins from his pocket—“‘ see here,”’ “Well!” said d’Artagnan,, ‘‘ what do you want with | you the first canto. ‘There are four hundred lines, and me now, tempter’ You want me to play, do you | they only spe! hyhn pean ait not?” *Faith,”’ said d’Artagnan, who detested verses almost NNR sss ‘* No, L want you to reflect,”’ as much ashe did Latin, “‘add to the merit of the dif- “ You, nothing!"’ “On what?” ficulty that of brevity, and you are at least, sure that ‘Faith! just 80; or, at any rate, 80 little as to be not “You are going to take back the horse?”’ your poem will have two merits,” worth adding to the general store,”’ ** Certainly,” ‘ Besides,” continued Aramis, ‘it is pervaded bya} ‘Now, let us reckon up how much we have got:~ “Yoware wrong. I would take the hundred pistoles. | virtuous passion. Well, my friends,” added he, “ and so | Porthos?” You know that you staked the trappings 1 the | were turn to Paris? Bravo! lamready, And we shall fall ‘Thirty crowns!” horse, or a hundred pistoles, whichever you liked.” in with the simple Porthos, once more? So much the} ‘‘Aramis!” “Yes!” better: you could not believe how I have missed that; ‘‘ Ten pistoles.”’ **T would take the hundred pistoles.”’ great ninny. Ilike to see him, so self-complacent; it| ‘* And you, d’Artagnan?”’ ** Would you? But I shall take the horse.” reconciles me to myself. He would not have sold his “Twenty-five.” ‘ And you are wrong, I say again. What shall we do | horse, evenfora kingdom, IwouldIcouldseehimon| ‘That makesin all—~ " said Athos, with one horse between us two? I cannot get up be- | his horse, and in his saddle. He will have, lam sure,| ‘Four hundred and seventy-five francs,”said d’ Artag- hind you; we shall have the appearance of the two sons | the look of the Great Mogul.” nan, who calculated like Archimedes, ef Aymon, who lost their brothers. You would not| After they had halted an honr to rest their horses, ‘‘ When we reach Paris, we shall have four hundred,'? mortify me by prancing about om this magnificent Aramis p his bill, placed Bazin in the wagon | said Porthos, ‘ besides the horse-trappings."’ COMMIEIOO Sacer