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Books
The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Three Musketeers 219 at Prostate Health
"as there is a diamond, let us sell it."
"But," said dArtagnan, "it is the queens diamond."
"The stronger reason why it should be sold," replied Athos.
The queen saving Monsieur de Buckingham, her lover; nothing
more just. The queen saving us, her friends; nothing more
moral. Let us sell the diamond. What says Monsieur the
Abbe? I dont ask Porthos; his opinion has been given."
"Why, I think," said Aramis, blushing as usual, "that his
ring not coming from a mistress, and consequently not being
a love token, dArtagnan may sell it."
"My dear Aramis, you speak like theology personified. Your
advice, then, is--"
"To sell the diamond," replied Aramis.
"Well, then," said dArtagnan, gaily, "let us sell the
diamond, and say no more about it."
The fusillade continued; but the four friends were out of
reach, and the Rochellais only fired to appease their
consciences.
"My faith, it was time that idea came into Porthoss head.
Here we are at the camp; therefore, gentlemen, not a word
more of this affair. We are observed; they are coming to
meet us. We shall be carried in triumph."
In fact, as we have said, the whole camp was in motion.
More than two thousand persons had assisted, as at a
spectacle, in this fortunate but wild undertaking of the
four friends--an undertaking of which they were far from
suspecting the real motive. Nothing was heard but cries of
"Live the Musketeers! Live the Guards!" M. de Busigny was
the first to come and shake Athos by the hand, and
acknowledge that the wager was lost. The dragoon and the
Swiss followed him, and all their comrades followed the
dragoon and the Swiss. There was nothing but felicitations,
pressures of the hand, and embraces; there was no end to the
inextinguishable laughter at the Rochellais. The tumult at
length became so great that the cardinal fancied there must
be some riot, and sent La Houdiniere, his captain of the
Guards, to inquire what was going on.
The affair was described to the messenger with all the
effervescence of enthusiasm.
"Well?" asked the cardinal, on seeing La Houdiniere return.
"Well, monseigneur," replied the latter, "three Musketeers
and a Guardsman laid a wager with Monsieur de Busigny that
they would go and breakfast in the bastion St. Gervais; and
while breakfasting they held it for two hours against the
enemy, and have killed I dont know how many Rochellais."
"Did you inquire the names of those three Musketeers?"
"Yes, monseigneur."
"What are their names?"
"Messieurs Athos, Porthos, and Aramis."
"Still my three brave fellows!" murmured the cardinal. "And
the Guardsman?"
"dArtagnan."
"Still my young scapegrace. Positively, these four men must
be on my side."
The same evening the cardinal spoke to M. de Treville of the
exploit of the morning, which was the talk of the whole
camp. M. de Treville, who had received the account of the
adventure from the mouths of the heroes of it, related it in
all its details to his Eminence, not forgetting the episode
of the napkin.
"Thats well, Monsieur de Treville," said the cardinal;
"pray let that napkin be sent to me. I will have three
fleur-de-lis embroidered on it in gold, and will give it to
your company as a standard."
"Monseigneur," said M. de Treville, "that will be unjust to
the Guardsmen. Monsieur dArtagnan is not with me; he
serves under Monsieur Dessessart."
"Well, then, take him," said the cardinal; "when four men
are so much attached to one another, it is only fair that
they should serve in the same company."
That same evening M. de Treville announced this good news to
the three Musketeers and dArtagnan, inviting all four to
breakfast with him next morning.
DArtagnan was beside himself with joy. We know that the
dream of his life had been to become a Musketeer. The three
friends were likewise greatly delighted.
"My faith," said dArtagnan to Athos, "you had a triumphant
idea! As you said, we have acquired glory, and were enabled
to carry on a conversation of the highest importance."
"Which we can resume now without anybody suspecting us, for,
with the help of God, we shall henceforth pass for
cardinalists."
That evening dArtagnan went to present his respects to M.
Dessessart, and inform him of his promotion.
M. Dessessart, who esteemed dArtagnan, made him offers of
help, as this change would entail expenses for equipment.
DArtagnan refused; but thinking the opportunity a good one, he
begged him to have the diamond he put into his hand valued,
as he wished to turn it into money.
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