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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Three Musketeers 34 at Prostate Health
afford him his.
Toward six oclock M. de Treville announced that it was time to
go to the Louvre; but as the hour of audience granted by his
Majesty was past, instead of claiming the ENTREE by the back
stairs, he placed himself with the four young men in the
antechamber. The king had not yet returned from hunting. Our
young men had been waiting about half an hour, amid a crowd of
courtiers, when all the doors were thrown open, and his Majesty
was announced.
At his announcement dArtagnan felt himself tremble to the very
marrow of his bones. The coming instant would in all probability
decide the rest of his life. His eyes therefore were fixed in a
sort of agony upon the door through which the king must enter.
Louis XIII appeared, walking fast. He was in hunting costume
covered with dust, wearing large boots, and holding a whip in his
hand. At the first glance, dArtagnan judged that the mind of
the king was stormy.
This disposition, visible as it was in his Majesty, did not
prevent the courtiers from ranging themselves along his pathway.
In royal antechambers it is worth more to be viewed with an angry
eye than not to be seen at all. The three Musketeers therefore
did not hesitate to make a step forward. DArtagnan on the
contrary remained concealed behind them; but although the king
knew Athos, Porthos, and Aramis personally, he passed before them
without speaking or looking--indeed, as if he had never seen them
before. As for M. de Treville, when the eyes of the king fell
upon him, he sustained the look with so much firmness that it was
the king who dropped his eyes; after which his Majesty,
grumbling, entered his apartment.
"Matters go but badly," said Athos, smiling; "and we shall not be
made Chevaliers of the Order this time."
"Wait here ten minutes," said M. de Treville; "and if at the
expiration of ten minutes you do not see me come out, return to
my hotel, for it will be useless for you to wait for me longer."
The four young men waited ten minutes, a quarter of an hour,
twenty minutes; and seeing that M. de Treville did not return,
went away very uneasy as to what was going to happen.
M. de Treville entered the kings cabinet boldly, and found his
Majesty in a very ill humor, seated on an armchair, beating his
boot with the handle of his whip. This, however, did not prevent
his asking, with the greatest coolness, after his Majestys
health.
"Bad, monsieur, bad!" replied the king; "I am bored."
This was, in fact, the worst complaint of Louis XIII, who would
sometimes take one of his courtiers to a window and say,
"Monsieur So-and-so, let us weary ourselves together."
"How! Your Majesty is bored? Have you not enjoyed the pleasures
of the chase today?"
"A fine pleasure, indeed, monsieur! Upon my soul, everything
degenerates; and I dont know whether it is the game which leaves
no scent, or the dogs that have no noses. We started a stag of
ten branches. We chased him for six hours, and when he was near
being taken--when St.-Simon was already putting his horn to his
mouth to sound the mort--crack, all the pack takes the wrong
scent and sets off after a two-year-older. I shall be obliged to
give up hunting, as I have given up hawking. Ah, I am an
unfortunate king, Monsieur de Treville! I had but one gerfalcon,
and he died day before yesterday."
"Indeed, sire, I wholly comprehend your disappointment. The
misfortune is great; but I think you have still a good number of
falcons, sparrow hawks, and tiercets."
"And not a man to instruct them. Falconers are declining. I
know no one but myself who is acquainted with the noble art of
venery. After me it will all be over, and people will hunt with
gins, snares, and traps. If I had but the time to train pupils!
But there is the cardinal always at hand, who does not leave me a
moments repose; who talks to me about Spain, who talks to me
about Austria, who talks to me about England! Ah! A PROPOS of
the cardinal, Monsieur de Treville, I am vexed with you!"
This was the chance at which M. de Treville waited for the king.
He knew the king of old, and he knew that all these
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