Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.1-18
character resumed its influence, and with whom all fear had `
` disappeared from the moment in which she recognized a friend in `
` one she had taken for an enemy. `
` `
` "No," said d'Artagnan; "no, I confess it. It was chance that `
` threw me in your way; I saw a woman knocking at the window of one `
` of my friends." `
` `
` "One of your friends?" interrupted Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` "Without doubt; Aramis is one of my best friends." `
` `
` "Aramis! Who is he?" `
` `
` "Come, come, you won't tell me you don't know Aramis?" `
` `
` "This is the first time I ever heard his name pronounced." `
` `
` "It is the first time, then, that you ever went to that house?" `
` `
` "Undoubtedly." `
` `
` "And you did not know that it was inhabited by a young man?" `
` `
` "No." `
` `
` "By a Musketeer?" `
` `
` "No, indeed!" `
` `
` "It was not he, then, you came to seek?" `
` `
` "Not the least in the world. Besides, you must have seen that `
` the person to whom I spoke was a woman." `
` `
` "That is true; but this woman is a friend of Aramis--" `
` `
` "I know nothing of that." `
` `
` "--since she lodges with him." `
` `
` "That does not concern me." `
` `
` "But who is she?" `
` `
` "Oh, that is not my secret." `
` `
` "My dear Madame Bonacieux, you are charming; but at the same time `
` you are one of the most mysterious women." `
` `
` "Do I lose by that?" `
` `
` "No; you are, on the contrary, adorable." `
` `
` "Give me your arm, then." `
` `
` "Most willingly. And now?" `
` `
` "Now escort me." `
` `
` "Where?" `
` `
` "Where I am going." `
` `
` "But where are you going?" `
` `
` "You will see, because you will leave me at the door." `
` `
` "Shall I wait for you?" `
` `
` "That will be useless." `
` `
` "You will return alone, then?" `
` `
` "Perhaps yes, perhaps no." `
` `
` "But will the person who shall accompany you afterward be a man `
` or a woman?" `
` `
` "I don't know yet." `
` `
` "But I will know it!" `
` `
` "How so?" `
` `
` "I will wait until you come out." `
` `
` "In that case, adieu." `
` `
` "Why so?" `
` `
` "I do not want you." `
` `
` "But you have claimed--" `
` `
` "The aid of a gentleman, not the watchfulness of a spy." `
` `
` "The word is rather hard." `
` `
` "How are they called who follow others in spite of them?" `
` `
` "They are indiscreet." `
` `
` "The word is too mild." `
` `
` "Well, madame, I perceive I must do as you wish." `
` `
` "Why did you deprive yourself of the merit of doing so at once?" `
` `
` "Is there no merit in repentance?" `
` `
` "And do you really repent?" `
` `
` "I know nothing about it myself. But what I know is that I `
` promise to do all you wish if you allow me to accompany you where `
` you are going." `
` `
` "And you will leave me then?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Without waiting for my coming out again?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Word of honor?" `
` `
` "By the faith of a gentleman. Take my arm, and let us go." `
` `
` D'Artagnan offered his arm to Mme. Bonacieux, who willingly took `
` it, half laughing, half trembling, and both gained the top of Rue `
` de la Harpe. Arriving there, the young woman seemed to hesitate, `
` as she had before done in the Rue Vaugirard. She seemed, `
` however, by certain signs, to recognize a door, and approaching `
` that door, "And now, monsieur," said she, "it is here I have `
` business; a thousand thanks for your honorable company, which has `
` saved me from all the dangers to which, alone I was exposed. But `
` the moment is come to keep your word; I have reached my `
` destination." `
` `
` "And you will have nothing to fear on your return?" `
` `
` "I shall have nothing to fear but robbers." `
` `
` "And that is nothing?" `
` `
` "What could they take from me? I have not a penny about me." `
` `
` "You forget that beautiful handkerchief with the coat of arms." `
` `
` "Which?" `
` `
` "That which I found at your feet, and replaced in your pocket." `
` `
` "Hold your tongue, imprudent man! Do you wish to destroy me?" `
` `
` "You see very plainly that there is still danger for you, since a `
` single word makes you tremble; and you confess that if that word `
` were heard you would be ruined. Come, come, madame!" cried `
` d'Artagnan, seizing her hands, and surveying her with an ardent `
` glance, "come, be more generous. Confide in me. Have you not `
` read in my eyes that there is nothing but devotion and sympathy `
` in my heart?" `
` `
` "Yes," replied Mme. Bonacieux; "therefore, ask my own secrets, `
` and I will reveal them to you; but those of others--that is quite `
` another thing." `
` `
` "Very well," said d'Artagnan, "I shall discover them; as these `
` secrets may have an influence over your life, these secrets must `
` become mine." `
` `
` "Beware of what you do!" cried the young woman, in a manner so `
` serious as to make d'Artagnan start in spite of himself. "Oh, `
` meddle in nothing which concerns me. Do not seek to assist me in `
` that which I am accomplishing. This I ask of you in the name of `
` the interest with which I inspire you, in the name of the service `
` you have rendered me and which I never shall forget while I have `
` life. Rather, place faith in what I tell you. Have no more `
` concern about me; I exist no longer for you, any more than if you `
` had never seen me." `
` `
` "Must Aramis do as much as I, madame?" said d'Artagnan, deeply `
` piqued. `
` `
` "This is the second or third time, monsieur, that you have `
` repeated that name, and yet I have told you that I do not know `
` him." `
` `
` "You do not know the man at whose shutter you have just knocked? `
` Indeed, madame, you believe me too credulous!" `
` `
` "Confess that it is for the sake of making me talk that you `
` invent this story and create this personage." `
` `
` "I invent nothing, madame; I create nothing. I only speak that `
` exact truth." `
` `
` "And you say that one of your friends lives in that house?" `
` `
` "I say so, and I repeat it for the third time; that house is one `
`
` disappeared from the moment in which she recognized a friend in `
` one she had taken for an enemy. `
` `
` "No," said d'Artagnan; "no, I confess it. It was chance that `
` threw me in your way; I saw a woman knocking at the window of one `
` of my friends." `
` `
` "One of your friends?" interrupted Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` "Without doubt; Aramis is one of my best friends." `
` `
` "Aramis! Who is he?" `
` `
` "Come, come, you won't tell me you don't know Aramis?" `
` `
` "This is the first time I ever heard his name pronounced." `
` `
` "It is the first time, then, that you ever went to that house?" `
` `
` "Undoubtedly." `
` `
` "And you did not know that it was inhabited by a young man?" `
` `
` "No." `
` `
` "By a Musketeer?" `
` `
` "No, indeed!" `
` `
` "It was not he, then, you came to seek?" `
` `
` "Not the least in the world. Besides, you must have seen that `
` the person to whom I spoke was a woman." `
` `
` "That is true; but this woman is a friend of Aramis--" `
` `
` "I know nothing of that." `
` `
` "--since she lodges with him." `
` `
` "That does not concern me." `
` `
` "But who is she?" `
` `
` "Oh, that is not my secret." `
` `
` "My dear Madame Bonacieux, you are charming; but at the same time `
` you are one of the most mysterious women." `
` `
` "Do I lose by that?" `
` `
` "No; you are, on the contrary, adorable." `
` `
` "Give me your arm, then." `
` `
` "Most willingly. And now?" `
` `
` "Now escort me." `
` `
` "Where?" `
` `
` "Where I am going." `
` `
` "But where are you going?" `
` `
` "You will see, because you will leave me at the door." `
` `
` "Shall I wait for you?" `
` `
` "That will be useless." `
` `
` "You will return alone, then?" `
` `
` "Perhaps yes, perhaps no." `
` `
` "But will the person who shall accompany you afterward be a man `
` or a woman?" `
` `
` "I don't know yet." `
` `
` "But I will know it!" `
` `
` "How so?" `
` `
` "I will wait until you come out." `
` `
` "In that case, adieu." `
` `
` "Why so?" `
` `
` "I do not want you." `
` `
` "But you have claimed--" `
` `
` "The aid of a gentleman, not the watchfulness of a spy." `
` `
` "The word is rather hard." `
` `
` "How are they called who follow others in spite of them?" `
` `
` "They are indiscreet." `
` `
` "The word is too mild." `
` `
` "Well, madame, I perceive I must do as you wish." `
` `
` "Why did you deprive yourself of the merit of doing so at once?" `
` `
` "Is there no merit in repentance?" `
` `
` "And do you really repent?" `
` `
` "I know nothing about it myself. But what I know is that I `
` promise to do all you wish if you allow me to accompany you where `
` you are going." `
` `
` "And you will leave me then?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Without waiting for my coming out again?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Word of honor?" `
` `
` "By the faith of a gentleman. Take my arm, and let us go." `
` `
` D'Artagnan offered his arm to Mme. Bonacieux, who willingly took `
` it, half laughing, half trembling, and both gained the top of Rue `
` de la Harpe. Arriving there, the young woman seemed to hesitate, `
` as she had before done in the Rue Vaugirard. She seemed, `
` however, by certain signs, to recognize a door, and approaching `
` that door, "And now, monsieur," said she, "it is here I have `
` business; a thousand thanks for your honorable company, which has `
` saved me from all the dangers to which, alone I was exposed. But `
` the moment is come to keep your word; I have reached my `
` destination." `
` `
` "And you will have nothing to fear on your return?" `
` `
` "I shall have nothing to fear but robbers." `
` `
` "And that is nothing?" `
` `
` "What could they take from me? I have not a penny about me." `
` `
` "You forget that beautiful handkerchief with the coat of arms." `
` `
` "Which?" `
` `
` "That which I found at your feet, and replaced in your pocket." `
` `
` "Hold your tongue, imprudent man! Do you wish to destroy me?" `
` `
` "You see very plainly that there is still danger for you, since a `
` single word makes you tremble; and you confess that if that word `
` were heard you would be ruined. Come, come, madame!" cried `
` d'Artagnan, seizing her hands, and surveying her with an ardent `
` glance, "come, be more generous. Confide in me. Have you not `
` read in my eyes that there is nothing but devotion and sympathy `
` in my heart?" `
` `
` "Yes," replied Mme. Bonacieux; "therefore, ask my own secrets, `
` and I will reveal them to you; but those of others--that is quite `
` another thing." `
` `
` "Very well," said d'Artagnan, "I shall discover them; as these `
` secrets may have an influence over your life, these secrets must `
` become mine." `
` `
` "Beware of what you do!" cried the young woman, in a manner so `
` serious as to make d'Artagnan start in spite of himself. "Oh, `
` meddle in nothing which concerns me. Do not seek to assist me in `
` that which I am accomplishing. This I ask of you in the name of `
` the interest with which I inspire you, in the name of the service `
` you have rendered me and which I never shall forget while I have `
` life. Rather, place faith in what I tell you. Have no more `
` concern about me; I exist no longer for you, any more than if you `
` had never seen me." `
` `
` "Must Aramis do as much as I, madame?" said d'Artagnan, deeply `
` piqued. `
` `
` "This is the second or third time, monsieur, that you have `
` repeated that name, and yet I have told you that I do not know `
` him." `
` `
` "You do not know the man at whose shutter you have just knocked? `
` Indeed, madame, you believe me too credulous!" `
` `
` "Confess that it is for the sake of making me talk that you `
` invent this story and create this personage." `
` `
` "I invent nothing, madame; I create nothing. I only speak that `
` exact truth." `
` `
` "And you say that one of your friends lives in that house?" `
` `
` "I say so, and I repeat it for the third time; that house is one `
`