Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.1-18
should like, however, to know what this letter addressed to `
` Treville contains." `
` `
` *We are well aware that this term, milady, is only properly used `
` when followed by a family name. But we find it thus in the manuscript, `
` and we do not choose to take upon ourselves to alter it. `
` `
` And the stranger, muttering to himself, directed his steps toward `
` the kitchen. `
` `
` In the meantime, the host, who entertained no doubt that it was `
` the presence of the young man that drove the stranger from his `
` hostelry, re-ascended to his wife's chamber, and found d'Artagnan `
` just recovering his senses. Giving him to understand that the `
` police would deal with him pretty severely for having sought a `
` quarrel with a great lord--for the opinion of the host the `
` stranger could be nothing less than a great lord--he insisted `
` that notwithstanding his weakness d'Artagnan should get up and `
` depart as quickly as possible. D'Artagnan, half stupefied, `
` without his doublet, and with his head bound up in a linen cloth, `
` arose then, and urged by the host, began to descend the stairs; `
` but on arriving at the kitchen, the first thing he saw was his `
` antagonist talking calmly at the step of a heavy carriage, drawn `
` by two large Norman horses. `
` `
` His interlocutor, whose head appeared through the carriage `
` window, was a woman of from twenty to two-and-twenty years. We `
` have already observed with what rapidity d'Artagnan seized the `
` expression of a countenance. He perceived then, at a glance, `
` that this woman was young and beautiful; and her style of beauty `
` struck him more forcibly from its being totally different from `
` that of the southern countries in which d'Artagnan had hitherto `
` resided. She was pale and fair, with long curls falling in `
` profusion over her shoulders, had large, blue, languishing eyes, `
` rosy lips, and hands of alabaster. She was talking with great `
` animation with the stranger. `
` `
` "His Eminence, then, orders me--" said the lady. `
` `
` "To return instantly to England, and to inform him as soon as the `
` duke leaves London." `
` `
` "And as to my other instructions?" asked the fair traveler. `
` `
` "They are contained in this box, which you will not open until `
` you are on the other side of the Channel." `
` `
` "Very well; and you--what will you do?" `
` `
` "I--I return to Paris." `
` `
` "What, without chastising this insolent boy?" asked the lady. `
` `
` The stranger was about to reply; but at the moment he opened his `
` mouth, d'Artagnan, who had heard all, precipitated himself over `
` the threshold of the door. `
` `
` "This insolent boy chastises others," cried he; "and I hope that `
` this time he whom he ought to chastise will not escape him as `
` before." `
` `
` "Will not escape him?" replied the stranger, knitting his brow. `
` `
` "No; before a woman you would dare not fly, I presume?" `
` `
` "Remember," said Milady, seeing the stranger lay his hand on his `
` sword, "the least delay may ruin everything." `
` `
` "You are right," cried the gentleman; "begone then, on your part, `
` and I will depart as quickly on mine." And bowing to the lady, `
` sprang into his saddle, while her coachman applied his whip `
` vigorously to his horses. The two interlocutors thus separated, `
` taking opposite directions, at full gallop. `
` `
` "Pay him, booby!" cried the stranger to his servant, without `
` checking the speed of his horse; and the man, after throwing two `
` or three silver pieces at the foot of mine host, galloped after `
` his master. `
` `
` "Base coward! false gentleman!" cried d'Artagnan, springing `
` forward, in his turn, after the servant. But his wound had `
` rendered him too weak to support such an exertion. Scarcely had `
` he gone ten steps when his ears began to tingle, a faintness `
` seized him, a cloud of blood passed over his eyes, and he fell in `
` the middle of the street, crying still, "Coward! coward! coward!" `
` `
` "He is a coward, indeed," grumbled the host, drawing near to `
` d'Artagnan, and endeavoring by this little flattery to make up `
` matters with the young man, as the heron of the fable did with `
` the snail he had despised the evening before. `
` `
` "Yes, a base coward," murmured d'Artagnan; "but she--she was very `
` beautiful." `
` `
` "What she?" demanded the host. `
` `
` "Milady," faltered d'Artagnan, and fainted a second time. `
` `
` "Ah, it's all one," said the host; "I have lost two customers, `
` but this one remains, of whom I am pretty certain for some days `
` to come. There will be eleven crowns gained." `
` `
` It is to be remembered that eleven crowns was just the sum that `
` remained in d'Artagnan's purse. `
` `
` The host had reckoned upon eleven days of confinement at a crown `
` a day, but he had reckoned without his guest. On the following `
` morning at five o'clock d'Artagnan arose, and descending to the `
` kitchen without help, asked, among other ingredients the list of `
` which has not come down to us, for some oil, some wine, and some `
` rosemary, and with his mother's recipe in his hand composed a `
` balsam, with which he anointed his numerous wounds, replacing his `
` bandages himself, and positively refusing the assistance of any `
` doctor, d'Artagnan walked about that same evening, and was almost `
` cured by the morrow. `
` `
` But when the time came to pay for his rosemary, this oil, and the `
` wine, the only expense the master had incurred, as he had `
` preserved a strict abstinence--while on the contrary, the yellow `
` horse, by the account of the hostler at least, had eaten three `
` times as much as a horse of his size could reasonably supposed to `
` have done--d'Artagnan found nothing in his pocket but his little `
` old velvet purse with the eleven crowns it contained; for as to `
` the letter addressed to M. de Treville, it had disappeared. `
` `
` The young man commenced his search for the letter with the `
` greatest patience, turning out his pockets of all kinds over and `
` over again, rummaging and rerummaging in his valise, and opening `
` and reopening his purse; but when he found that he had come to `
` the conviction that the letter was not to be found, he flew, for `
` the third time, into such a rage as was near costing him a fresh `
` consumption of wine, oil, and rosemary--for upon seeing this hot- `
` headed youth become exasperated and threaten to destroy `
` everything in the establishment if his letter were not found, the `
` host seized a spit, his wife a broom handle, and the servants the `
` same sticks they had used the day before. `
` `
` "My letter of recommendation!" cried d'Artagnan, "my letter of `
` recommendation! or, the holy blood, I will spit you all like `
` ortolans!" `
` `
` Unfortunately, there was one circumstance which created a `
` powerful obstacle to the accomplishment of this threat; which `
` was, as we have related, that his sword had been in his first `
` conflict broken in two, and which he had entirely forgotten. `
` Hence, it resulted when d'Artagnan proceeded to draw his sword in `
` earnest, he found himself purely and simply armed with a stump of `
` a sword about eight or ten inches in length, which the host had `
` carefully placed in the scabbard. As to the rest of the blade, `
` the master had slyly put that on one side to make himself a `
` larding pin. `
` `
` But this deception would probably not have stopped our fiery `
` young man if the host had not reflected that the reclamation `
` which his guest made was perfectly just. `
` `
` "But, after all," said he, lowering the point of his spit, "where `
` is this letter?" `
` `
` "Yes, where is this letter?" cried d'Artagnan. "In the first `
` place, I warn you that that letter is for Monsieur de Treville, `
` and it must be found, he will know how to find it." `
` `
` His threat completed the intimidation of the host. After the `
` king and the cardinal, M. de Treville was the man whose name was `
` perhaps most frequently repeated by the military, and even by `
` citizens. There was, to be sure, Father Joseph, but his name was `
` never pronounced but with a subdued voice, such was the terror `
` inspired by his Gray Eminence, as the cardinal's familiar was `
` called. `
` `
` Throwing down his spit, and ordering his wife to do the same with `
` her broom handle, and the servants with their sticks, he set the `
` first example of commencing an earnest search for the lost `
` letter. `
` `
` "Does the letter contain anything valuable?" demanded the host, `
` after a few minutes of useless investigation. `
` `
` "Zounds! I think it does indeed!" cried the Gascon, who reckoned `
` upon this letter for making his way at court. "It contained my `
` fortune!" `
` `
` "Bills upon Spain?" asked the disturbed host. `
` `
` "Bills upon his Majesty's private treasury," answered d'Artagnan, `
` who, reckoning upon entering into the king's service in `
` consequence of this recommendation, believed he could make this `
` somewhat hazardous reply without telling of a falsehood. `
` `
` "The devil!" cried the host, at his wit's end. `
` `
` "But it's of no importance," continued d'Artagnan, with natural `
` assurance; "it's of no importance. The money is nothing; that `
` letter was everything. I would rather have lost a thousand `
` pistoles than have lost it." He would not have risked more if he `
` had said twenty thousand; but a certain juvenile modesty `
` restrained him. `
` `
` A ray of light all at once broke upon the mind of the host as he `
` was giving himself to the devil upon finding nothing. `
`
` Treville contains." `
` `
` *We are well aware that this term, milady, is only properly used `
` when followed by a family name. But we find it thus in the manuscript, `
` and we do not choose to take upon ourselves to alter it. `
` `
` And the stranger, muttering to himself, directed his steps toward `
` the kitchen. `
` `
` In the meantime, the host, who entertained no doubt that it was `
` the presence of the young man that drove the stranger from his `
` hostelry, re-ascended to his wife's chamber, and found d'Artagnan `
` just recovering his senses. Giving him to understand that the `
` police would deal with him pretty severely for having sought a `
` quarrel with a great lord--for the opinion of the host the `
` stranger could be nothing less than a great lord--he insisted `
` that notwithstanding his weakness d'Artagnan should get up and `
` depart as quickly as possible. D'Artagnan, half stupefied, `
` without his doublet, and with his head bound up in a linen cloth, `
` arose then, and urged by the host, began to descend the stairs; `
` but on arriving at the kitchen, the first thing he saw was his `
` antagonist talking calmly at the step of a heavy carriage, drawn `
` by two large Norman horses. `
` `
` His interlocutor, whose head appeared through the carriage `
` window, was a woman of from twenty to two-and-twenty years. We `
` have already observed with what rapidity d'Artagnan seized the `
` expression of a countenance. He perceived then, at a glance, `
` that this woman was young and beautiful; and her style of beauty `
` struck him more forcibly from its being totally different from `
` that of the southern countries in which d'Artagnan had hitherto `
` resided. She was pale and fair, with long curls falling in `
` profusion over her shoulders, had large, blue, languishing eyes, `
` rosy lips, and hands of alabaster. She was talking with great `
` animation with the stranger. `
` `
` "His Eminence, then, orders me--" said the lady. `
` `
` "To return instantly to England, and to inform him as soon as the `
` duke leaves London." `
` `
` "And as to my other instructions?" asked the fair traveler. `
` `
` "They are contained in this box, which you will not open until `
` you are on the other side of the Channel." `
` `
` "Very well; and you--what will you do?" `
` `
` "I--I return to Paris." `
` `
` "What, without chastising this insolent boy?" asked the lady. `
` `
` The stranger was about to reply; but at the moment he opened his `
` mouth, d'Artagnan, who had heard all, precipitated himself over `
` the threshold of the door. `
` `
` "This insolent boy chastises others," cried he; "and I hope that `
` this time he whom he ought to chastise will not escape him as `
` before." `
` `
` "Will not escape him?" replied the stranger, knitting his brow. `
` `
` "No; before a woman you would dare not fly, I presume?" `
` `
` "Remember," said Milady, seeing the stranger lay his hand on his `
` sword, "the least delay may ruin everything." `
` `
` "You are right," cried the gentleman; "begone then, on your part, `
` and I will depart as quickly on mine." And bowing to the lady, `
` sprang into his saddle, while her coachman applied his whip `
` vigorously to his horses. The two interlocutors thus separated, `
` taking opposite directions, at full gallop. `
` `
` "Pay him, booby!" cried the stranger to his servant, without `
` checking the speed of his horse; and the man, after throwing two `
` or three silver pieces at the foot of mine host, galloped after `
` his master. `
` `
` "Base coward! false gentleman!" cried d'Artagnan, springing `
` forward, in his turn, after the servant. But his wound had `
` rendered him too weak to support such an exertion. Scarcely had `
` he gone ten steps when his ears began to tingle, a faintness `
` seized him, a cloud of blood passed over his eyes, and he fell in `
` the middle of the street, crying still, "Coward! coward! coward!" `
` `
` "He is a coward, indeed," grumbled the host, drawing near to `
` d'Artagnan, and endeavoring by this little flattery to make up `
` matters with the young man, as the heron of the fable did with `
` the snail he had despised the evening before. `
` `
` "Yes, a base coward," murmured d'Artagnan; "but she--she was very `
` beautiful." `
` `
` "What she?" demanded the host. `
` `
` "Milady," faltered d'Artagnan, and fainted a second time. `
` `
` "Ah, it's all one," said the host; "I have lost two customers, `
` but this one remains, of whom I am pretty certain for some days `
` to come. There will be eleven crowns gained." `
` `
` It is to be remembered that eleven crowns was just the sum that `
` remained in d'Artagnan's purse. `
` `
` The host had reckoned upon eleven days of confinement at a crown `
` a day, but he had reckoned without his guest. On the following `
` morning at five o'clock d'Artagnan arose, and descending to the `
` kitchen without help, asked, among other ingredients the list of `
` which has not come down to us, for some oil, some wine, and some `
` rosemary, and with his mother's recipe in his hand composed a `
` balsam, with which he anointed his numerous wounds, replacing his `
` bandages himself, and positively refusing the assistance of any `
` doctor, d'Artagnan walked about that same evening, and was almost `
` cured by the morrow. `
` `
` But when the time came to pay for his rosemary, this oil, and the `
` wine, the only expense the master had incurred, as he had `
` preserved a strict abstinence--while on the contrary, the yellow `
` horse, by the account of the hostler at least, had eaten three `
` times as much as a horse of his size could reasonably supposed to `
` have done--d'Artagnan found nothing in his pocket but his little `
` old velvet purse with the eleven crowns it contained; for as to `
` the letter addressed to M. de Treville, it had disappeared. `
` `
` The young man commenced his search for the letter with the `
` greatest patience, turning out his pockets of all kinds over and `
` over again, rummaging and rerummaging in his valise, and opening `
` and reopening his purse; but when he found that he had come to `
` the conviction that the letter was not to be found, he flew, for `
` the third time, into such a rage as was near costing him a fresh `
` consumption of wine, oil, and rosemary--for upon seeing this hot- `
` headed youth become exasperated and threaten to destroy `
` everything in the establishment if his letter were not found, the `
` host seized a spit, his wife a broom handle, and the servants the `
` same sticks they had used the day before. `
` `
` "My letter of recommendation!" cried d'Artagnan, "my letter of `
` recommendation! or, the holy blood, I will spit you all like `
` ortolans!" `
` `
` Unfortunately, there was one circumstance which created a `
` powerful obstacle to the accomplishment of this threat; which `
` was, as we have related, that his sword had been in his first `
` conflict broken in two, and which he had entirely forgotten. `
` Hence, it resulted when d'Artagnan proceeded to draw his sword in `
` earnest, he found himself purely and simply armed with a stump of `
` a sword about eight or ten inches in length, which the host had `
` carefully placed in the scabbard. As to the rest of the blade, `
` the master had slyly put that on one side to make himself a `
` larding pin. `
` `
` But this deception would probably not have stopped our fiery `
` young man if the host had not reflected that the reclamation `
` which his guest made was perfectly just. `
` `
` "But, after all," said he, lowering the point of his spit, "where `
` is this letter?" `
` `
` "Yes, where is this letter?" cried d'Artagnan. "In the first `
` place, I warn you that that letter is for Monsieur de Treville, `
` and it must be found, he will know how to find it." `
` `
` His threat completed the intimidation of the host. After the `
` king and the cardinal, M. de Treville was the man whose name was `
` perhaps most frequently repeated by the military, and even by `
` citizens. There was, to be sure, Father Joseph, but his name was `
` never pronounced but with a subdued voice, such was the terror `
` inspired by his Gray Eminence, as the cardinal's familiar was `
` called. `
` `
` Throwing down his spit, and ordering his wife to do the same with `
` her broom handle, and the servants with their sticks, he set the `
` first example of commencing an earnest search for the lost `
` letter. `
` `
` "Does the letter contain anything valuable?" demanded the host, `
` after a few minutes of useless investigation. `
` `
` "Zounds! I think it does indeed!" cried the Gascon, who reckoned `
` upon this letter for making his way at court. "It contained my `
` fortune!" `
` `
` "Bills upon Spain?" asked the disturbed host. `
` `
` "Bills upon his Majesty's private treasury," answered d'Artagnan, `
` who, reckoning upon entering into the king's service in `
` consequence of this recommendation, believed he could make this `
` somewhat hazardous reply without telling of a falsehood. `
` `
` "The devil!" cried the host, at his wit's end. `
` `
` "But it's of no importance," continued d'Artagnan, with natural `
` assurance; "it's of no importance. The money is nothing; that `
` letter was everything. I would rather have lost a thousand `
` pistoles than have lost it." He would not have risked more if he `
` had said twenty thousand; but a certain juvenile modesty `
` restrained him. `
` `
` A ray of light all at once broke upon the mind of the host as he `
` was giving himself to the devil upon finding nothing. `
`