Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.1-18
baldric. They continued to admire it, but said no more about it; `
` and with a rapid change of thought, the conversation passed `
` suddenly to another subject. `
` `
` "What do you think of the story Chalais's esquire relates?" asked `
` another Musketeer, without addressing anyone in particular, but `
` on the contrary speaking to everybody. `
` `
` "And what does he say?" asked Porthos, in a self-sufficient tone. `
` `
` "He relates that he met at Brussels Rochefort, the AME DAMNEE of `
` the cardinal disguised as a Capuchin, and that this cursed `
` Rochefort, thanks to his disguise, had tricked Monsieur de `
` Laigues, like a ninny as he is." `
` `
` "A ninny, indeed!" said Porthos; "but is the matter certain?" `
` `
` "I had it from Aramis," replied the Musketeer. `
` `
` "Indeed?" `
` `
` "Why, you knew it, Porthos," said Aramis. "I told you of it `
` yesterday. Let us say no more about it." `
` `
` "Say no more about it? That's YOUR opinion!" replied Porthos. `
` `
` "Say no more about it! PESTE! You come to your conclusions `
` quickly. What! The cardinal sets a spy upon a gentleman, has `
` his letters stolen from him by means of a traitor, a brigand, a `
` rascal-has, with the help of this spy and thanks to this `
` correspondence, Chalais's throat cut, under the stupid pretext `
` that he wanted to kill the king and marry Monsieur to the queen! `
` Nobody knew a word of this enigma. You unraveled it yesterday to `
` the great satisfaction of all; and while we are still gaping with `
` wonder at the news, you come and tell us today, 'Let us say no `
` more about it.'" `
` `
` "Well, then, let us talk about it, since you desire it," replied `
` Aramis, patiently. `
` `
` "This Rochefort," cried Porthos, "if I were the esquire of poor `
` Chalais, should pass a minute or two very uncomfortably with me." `
` `
` "And you--you would pass rather a sad quarter-hour with the Red `
` Duke," replied Aramis. `
` `
` "Oh, the Red Duke! Bravo! Bravo! The Red Duke!" cried Porthos, `
` clapping his hands and nodding his head. "The Red Duke is `
` capital. I'll circulate that saying, be assured, my dear fellow. `
` Who says this Aramis is not a wit? What a misfortune it is you `
` did not follow your first vocation; what a delicious abbe you `
` would have made!" `
` `
` "Oh, it's only a temporary postponement," replied Aramis; "I `
` shall be one someday. You very well know, Porthos, that I `
` continue to study theology for that purpose." `
` `
` "He will be one, as he says," cried Porthos; "he will be one, `
` sooner or later." `
` `
` "Sooner." said Aramis. `
` `
` "He only waits for one thing to determine him to resume his `
` cassock, which hangs behind his uniform," said another Musketeer. `
` `
` "What is he waiting for?" asked another. `
` `
` "Only till the queen has given an heir to the crown of France." `
` `
` "No jesting upon that subject, gentlemen," said Porthos; "thank `
` God the queen is still of an age to give one!" `
` `
` "They say that Monsieur de Buckingham is in France," replied `
` Aramis, with a significant smile which gave to this sentence, `
` apparently so simple, a tolerably scandalous meaning. `
` `
` "Aramis, my good friend, this time you are wrong," interrupted `
` Porthos. "Your wit is always leading you beyond bounds; if `
` Monsieur de Treville heard you, you would repent of speaking `
` thus." `
` `
` "Are you going to give me a lesson, Porthos?" cried Aramis, from `
` whose usually mild eye a flash passed like lightning. `
` `
` "My dear fellow, be a Musketeer or an abbe. Be one or the other, `
` but not both," replied Porthos. "You know what Athos told you `
` the other day; you eat at everybody's mess. Ah, don't be angry, `
` I beg of you, that would be useless; you know what is agreed upon `
` between you, Athos and me. You go to Madame d'Aguillon's, and `
` you pay your court to her; you go to Madame de Bois-Tracy's, the `
` cousin of Madame de Chevreuse, and you pass for being far `
` advanced in the good graces of that lady. Oh, good Lord! Don't `
` trouble yourself to reveal your good luck; no one asks for your `
` secret-all the world knows your discretion. But since you possess `
` that virtue, why the devil don't you make use of it with respect `
` to her Majesty? Let whoever likes talk of the king and the `
` cardinal, and how he likes; but the queen is sacred, and if `
` anyone speaks of her, let it be respectfully." `
` `
` "Porthos, you are as vain as Narcissus; I plainly tell you so," `
` replied Aramis. "You know I hate moralizing, except when it is `
` done by Athos. As to you, good sir, you wear too magnificent a `
` baldric to be strong on that head. I will be an abbe if it suits `
` me. In the meanwhile I am a Musketeer; in that quality I say `
` what I please, and at this moment it pleases me to say that you `
` weary me." `
` `
` "Aramis!" `
` `
` "Porthos!" `
` `
` "Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" cried the surrounding group. `
` `
` "Monsieur de Treville awaits Monsieur d'Artagnan," cried a `
` servant, throwing open the door of the cabinet. `
` `
` At this announcement, during which the door remained open, `
` everyone became mute, and amid the general silence the young man `
` crossed part of the length of the antechamber, and entered the `
` apartment of the captain of the Musketeers, congratulating `
` himself with all his heart at having so narrowly escaped the end `
` of this strange quarrel. `
` `
` `
` `
` 3 THE AUDIENCE `
` `
` M. de Treville was at the moment in rather ill-humor, `
` nevertheless he saluted the young man politely, who bowed to the `
` very ground; and he smiled on receiving d'Artagnan's response, `
` the Bearnese accent of which recalled to him at the same time `
` his youth and his country--a double remembrance which makes a man `
` smile at all ages; but stepping toward the antechamber and making `
` a sign to d'Artagnan with his hand, as if to ask his permission `
` to finish with others before he began with him, he called three `
` times, with a louder voice at each time, so that he ran through `
` the intervening tones between the imperative accent and the angry `
` accent. `
` `
` "Athos! Porthos! Aramis!" `
` `
` The two Musketeers with whom we have already made acquaintance, `
` and who answered to the last of these three names, immediately `
` quitted the group of which they had formed a part, and advanced `
` toward the cabinet, the door of which closed after them as soon `
` as they had entered. Their appearance, although it was not quite `
` at ease, excited by its carelessness, at once full of dignity and `
` submission, the admiration of d'Artagnan, who beheld in these two `
` men demigods, and in their leader an Olympian Jupiter, armed with `
` all his thunders. `
` `
` When the two Musketeers had entered; when the door was closed `
` behind them; when the buzzing murmur of the antechamber, to which `
` the summons which had been made had doubtless furnished fresh `
` food, had recommenced; when M. de Treville had three or four `
` times paced in silence, and with a frowning brow, the whole `
` length of his cabinet, passing each time before Porthos and `
` Aramis, who were as upright and silent as if on parade--he `
` stopped all at once full in front of them, and covering them from `
` head to foot with an angry look, "Do you know what the king said `
` to me," cried he, "and that no longer ago than yesterday `
` evening--do you know, gentlemen?" `
` `
` "No," replied the two Musketeers, after a moment's silence, "no, `
` sir, we do not." `
` `
` "But I hope that you will do us the honor to tell us," added `
` Aramis, in his politest tone and with his most graceful bow. `
` `
` "He told me that he should henceforth recruit his Musketeers from `
` among the Guards of Monsieur the Cardinal." `
` `
` "The Guards of the cardinal! And why so?" asked Porthos, warmly. `
` `
` "Because he plainly perceives that his piquette* stands in need `
` of being enlivened by a mixture of good wine." `
` `
` *A watered liquor, made from the second pressing of the grape. `
` `
` The two Musketeers reddened to the whites of their eyes. `
` d'Artagnan did not know where he was, and wished himself a `
` hundred feet underground. `
` `
` "Yes, yes," continued M. de Treville, growing warmer as he spoke, `
` "and his majesty was right; for, upon my honor, it is true that `
` the Musketeers make but a miserable figure at court. The `
` cardinal related yesterday while playing with the king, with an `
` air of condolence very displeasing to me, that the day before `
` yesterday those DAMNED MUSKETEERS, those DAREDEVILS--he dwelt `
` upon those words with an ironical tone still more displeasing to `
` me--those BRAGGARTS, added he, glancing at me with his tiger- `
` cat's eye, had made a riot in the Rue Ferou in a cabaret, and `
` that a party of his Guards (I thought he was going to laugh in my `
` face) had been forced to arrest the rioters! MORBLEU! You must `
` know something about it. Arrest Musketeers! You were among `
` them--you were! Don't deny it; you were recognized, and the `
` cardinal named you. But it's all my fault; yes, it's all my `
` fault, because it is myself who selects my men. You, Aramis, why `
` the devil did you ask me for a uniform when you would have been `
` so much better in a cassock? And you, Porthos, do you only wear `
` such a fine golden baldric to suspend a sword of straw from it? `
`
` and with a rapid change of thought, the conversation passed `
` suddenly to another subject. `
` `
` "What do you think of the story Chalais's esquire relates?" asked `
` another Musketeer, without addressing anyone in particular, but `
` on the contrary speaking to everybody. `
` `
` "And what does he say?" asked Porthos, in a self-sufficient tone. `
` `
` "He relates that he met at Brussels Rochefort, the AME DAMNEE of `
` the cardinal disguised as a Capuchin, and that this cursed `
` Rochefort, thanks to his disguise, had tricked Monsieur de `
` Laigues, like a ninny as he is." `
` `
` "A ninny, indeed!" said Porthos; "but is the matter certain?" `
` `
` "I had it from Aramis," replied the Musketeer. `
` `
` "Indeed?" `
` `
` "Why, you knew it, Porthos," said Aramis. "I told you of it `
` yesterday. Let us say no more about it." `
` `
` "Say no more about it? That's YOUR opinion!" replied Porthos. `
` `
` "Say no more about it! PESTE! You come to your conclusions `
` quickly. What! The cardinal sets a spy upon a gentleman, has `
` his letters stolen from him by means of a traitor, a brigand, a `
` rascal-has, with the help of this spy and thanks to this `
` correspondence, Chalais's throat cut, under the stupid pretext `
` that he wanted to kill the king and marry Monsieur to the queen! `
` Nobody knew a word of this enigma. You unraveled it yesterday to `
` the great satisfaction of all; and while we are still gaping with `
` wonder at the news, you come and tell us today, 'Let us say no `
` more about it.'" `
` `
` "Well, then, let us talk about it, since you desire it," replied `
` Aramis, patiently. `
` `
` "This Rochefort," cried Porthos, "if I were the esquire of poor `
` Chalais, should pass a minute or two very uncomfortably with me." `
` `
` "And you--you would pass rather a sad quarter-hour with the Red `
` Duke," replied Aramis. `
` `
` "Oh, the Red Duke! Bravo! Bravo! The Red Duke!" cried Porthos, `
` clapping his hands and nodding his head. "The Red Duke is `
` capital. I'll circulate that saying, be assured, my dear fellow. `
` Who says this Aramis is not a wit? What a misfortune it is you `
` did not follow your first vocation; what a delicious abbe you `
` would have made!" `
` `
` "Oh, it's only a temporary postponement," replied Aramis; "I `
` shall be one someday. You very well know, Porthos, that I `
` continue to study theology for that purpose." `
` `
` "He will be one, as he says," cried Porthos; "he will be one, `
` sooner or later." `
` `
` "Sooner." said Aramis. `
` `
` "He only waits for one thing to determine him to resume his `
` cassock, which hangs behind his uniform," said another Musketeer. `
` `
` "What is he waiting for?" asked another. `
` `
` "Only till the queen has given an heir to the crown of France." `
` `
` "No jesting upon that subject, gentlemen," said Porthos; "thank `
` God the queen is still of an age to give one!" `
` `
` "They say that Monsieur de Buckingham is in France," replied `
` Aramis, with a significant smile which gave to this sentence, `
` apparently so simple, a tolerably scandalous meaning. `
` `
` "Aramis, my good friend, this time you are wrong," interrupted `
` Porthos. "Your wit is always leading you beyond bounds; if `
` Monsieur de Treville heard you, you would repent of speaking `
` thus." `
` `
` "Are you going to give me a lesson, Porthos?" cried Aramis, from `
` whose usually mild eye a flash passed like lightning. `
` `
` "My dear fellow, be a Musketeer or an abbe. Be one or the other, `
` but not both," replied Porthos. "You know what Athos told you `
` the other day; you eat at everybody's mess. Ah, don't be angry, `
` I beg of you, that would be useless; you know what is agreed upon `
` between you, Athos and me. You go to Madame d'Aguillon's, and `
` you pay your court to her; you go to Madame de Bois-Tracy's, the `
` cousin of Madame de Chevreuse, and you pass for being far `
` advanced in the good graces of that lady. Oh, good Lord! Don't `
` trouble yourself to reveal your good luck; no one asks for your `
` secret-all the world knows your discretion. But since you possess `
` that virtue, why the devil don't you make use of it with respect `
` to her Majesty? Let whoever likes talk of the king and the `
` cardinal, and how he likes; but the queen is sacred, and if `
` anyone speaks of her, let it be respectfully." `
` `
` "Porthos, you are as vain as Narcissus; I plainly tell you so," `
` replied Aramis. "You know I hate moralizing, except when it is `
` done by Athos. As to you, good sir, you wear too magnificent a `
` baldric to be strong on that head. I will be an abbe if it suits `
` me. In the meanwhile I am a Musketeer; in that quality I say `
` what I please, and at this moment it pleases me to say that you `
` weary me." `
` `
` "Aramis!" `
` `
` "Porthos!" `
` `
` "Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" cried the surrounding group. `
` `
` "Monsieur de Treville awaits Monsieur d'Artagnan," cried a `
` servant, throwing open the door of the cabinet. `
` `
` At this announcement, during which the door remained open, `
` everyone became mute, and amid the general silence the young man `
` crossed part of the length of the antechamber, and entered the `
` apartment of the captain of the Musketeers, congratulating `
` himself with all his heart at having so narrowly escaped the end `
` of this strange quarrel. `
` `
` `
` `
` 3 THE AUDIENCE `
` `
` M. de Treville was at the moment in rather ill-humor, `
` nevertheless he saluted the young man politely, who bowed to the `
` very ground; and he smiled on receiving d'Artagnan's response, `
` the Bearnese accent of which recalled to him at the same time `
` his youth and his country--a double remembrance which makes a man `
` smile at all ages; but stepping toward the antechamber and making `
` a sign to d'Artagnan with his hand, as if to ask his permission `
` to finish with others before he began with him, he called three `
` times, with a louder voice at each time, so that he ran through `
` the intervening tones between the imperative accent and the angry `
` accent. `
` `
` "Athos! Porthos! Aramis!" `
` `
` The two Musketeers with whom we have already made acquaintance, `
` and who answered to the last of these three names, immediately `
` quitted the group of which they had formed a part, and advanced `
` toward the cabinet, the door of which closed after them as soon `
` as they had entered. Their appearance, although it was not quite `
` at ease, excited by its carelessness, at once full of dignity and `
` submission, the admiration of d'Artagnan, who beheld in these two `
` men demigods, and in their leader an Olympian Jupiter, armed with `
` all his thunders. `
` `
` When the two Musketeers had entered; when the door was closed `
` behind them; when the buzzing murmur of the antechamber, to which `
` the summons which had been made had doubtless furnished fresh `
` food, had recommenced; when M. de Treville had three or four `
` times paced in silence, and with a frowning brow, the whole `
` length of his cabinet, passing each time before Porthos and `
` Aramis, who were as upright and silent as if on parade--he `
` stopped all at once full in front of them, and covering them from `
` head to foot with an angry look, "Do you know what the king said `
` to me," cried he, "and that no longer ago than yesterday `
` evening--do you know, gentlemen?" `
` `
` "No," replied the two Musketeers, after a moment's silence, "no, `
` sir, we do not." `
` `
` "But I hope that you will do us the honor to tell us," added `
` Aramis, in his politest tone and with his most graceful bow. `
` `
` "He told me that he should henceforth recruit his Musketeers from `
` among the Guards of Monsieur the Cardinal." `
` `
` "The Guards of the cardinal! And why so?" asked Porthos, warmly. `
` `
` "Because he plainly perceives that his piquette* stands in need `
` of being enlivened by a mixture of good wine." `
` `
` *A watered liquor, made from the second pressing of the grape. `
` `
` The two Musketeers reddened to the whites of their eyes. `
` d'Artagnan did not know where he was, and wished himself a `
` hundred feet underground. `
` `
` "Yes, yes," continued M. de Treville, growing warmer as he spoke, `
` "and his majesty was right; for, upon my honor, it is true that `
` the Musketeers make but a miserable figure at court. The `
` cardinal related yesterday while playing with the king, with an `
` air of condolence very displeasing to me, that the day before `
` yesterday those DAMNED MUSKETEERS, those DAREDEVILS--he dwelt `
` upon those words with an ironical tone still more displeasing to `
` me--those BRAGGARTS, added he, glancing at me with his tiger- `
` cat's eye, had made a riot in the Rue Ferou in a cabaret, and `
` that a party of his Guards (I thought he was going to laugh in my `
` face) had been forced to arrest the rioters! MORBLEU! You must `
` know something about it. Arrest Musketeers! You were among `
` them--you were! Don't deny it; you were recognized, and the `
` cardinal named you. But it's all my fault; yes, it's all my `
` fault, because it is myself who selects my men. You, Aramis, why `
` the devil did you ask me for a uniform when you would have been `
` so much better in a cassock? And you, Porthos, do you only wear `
` such a fine golden baldric to suspend a sword of straw from it? `
`