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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Three Musketeers 41 at Prostate Health
him.
Notwithstanding all the pains he took, dArtagnan was unable to
learn any more concerning his three new-made friends. He formed,
therefore, the resolution of believing for the present all that
was said of their past, hoping for more certain and extended
revelations in the future. In the meanwhile, he looked upon
Athos as an Achilles, Porthos as an Ajax, and Aramis as a Joseph.
As to the rest, the life of the four young friends was joyous
enough. Athos played, and that as a rule unfortunately.
Nevertheless, he never borrowed a sou of his companions, although
his purse was ever at their service; and when he had played upon
honor, he always awakened his creditor by six oclock the next
morning to pay the debt of the preceding evening.
Porthos had his fits. On the days when he won he was insolent
and ostentatious; if he lost, he disappeared completely for
several days, after which he reappeared with a pale face and
thinner person, but with money in his purse.
As to Aramis, he never played. He was the worst Musketeer and
the most unconvivial companion imaginable. He had always
something or other to do. Sometimes in the midst of dinner, when
everyone, under the attraction of wine and in the warmth of
conversation, believed they had two or three hours longer to
enjoy themselves at table, Aramis looked at his watch, arose with
a bland smile, and took leave of the company, to go, as he said,
to consult a casuist with whom he had an appointment. At other
times he would return home to write a treatise, and requested his
friends not to disturb him.
At this Athos would smile, with his charming, melancholy smile,
which so became his noble countenance, and Porthos would drink,
swearing that Aramis would never be anything but a village CURE.
Planchet, dArtagnans valet, supported his good fortune nobly.
He received thirty sous per day, and for a month he returned to
his lodgings gay as a chaffinch, and affable toward his master.
When the wind of adversity began to blow upon the housekeeping of
the Rue des Fossoyeurs--that is to say, when the forty pistoles
of King Louis XIII were consumed or nearly so--he commenced
complaints which Athos thought nauseous, Porthos indecent, and
Aramis ridiculous. Athos counseled dArtagnan to dismiss the
fellow; Porthos was of opinion that he should give him a good
thrashing first; and Aramis contended that a master should never
attend to anything but the civilities paid to him.
"This is all very easy for you to say," replied dArtagnan, "for
you, Athos, who live like a dumb man with Grimaud, who forbid him
to speak, and consequently never exchange ill words with him; for
you, Porthos, who carry matters in such a magnificent style, and
are a god to your valet, Mousqueton; and for you, Aramis, who,
always abstracted by your theological studies, inspire your
servant, Bazin, a mild, religious man, with a profound respect;
but for me, who am without any settled means and without
resources--for me, who am neither a Musketeer nor even a
Guardsman, what I am to do to inspire either the affection, the
terror, or the respect in Planchet?"
"This is serious," answered the three friends; "it is a family
affair. It is with valets as with wives, they must be placed at
once upon the footing in which you wish them to remain. Reflect
upon it."
DArtagnan did reflect, and resolved to thrash Planchet
provisionally; which he did with the conscientiousness that
dArtagnan carried into everything. After having well beaten
him, he forbade him to leave his service without his permission.
"For," added he, "the future cannot fail to mend; I inevitably
look for better times. Your fortune is therefore made if you
remain with me, and I am too good a master to allow you to miss
such a chance by granting you the dismissal you require."
This manner of acting roused much respect for dArtagnans policy
among the Musketeers. Planchet was equally seized with
admiration, and said no more about going away.
The life of the four young men had become fraternal. DArtagnan,
who had no settled habits of his own, as he came from his
province into the midst of his world quite new to him, fell
easily into the habits of his friends.
They rose about eight oclock in the winter, about six in summer,
and went to take the countersign and see how things went on at M.
de Trevilles. DArtagnan, although he
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