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The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 42 at Prostate Health
He didnot disturb his valet de chambre, who was sleeping soundlyat some distance; he dressed himself, and the valet, in agreat fright sprang up, thinking he had been deficient inhis duty; but the king sent him back again, commanding himto preserve the most absolute silence. He then descended thelittle staircase, went out at a lateral door, and perceivedat the end of the wall a mounted horseman holding anotherhorse by the bridle. This horseman could not be recognizedin his cloak and slouched hat. As to the horse, saddled likethat of a rich citizen, it offered nothing remarkable to themost experienced eye. Louis took the bridle: the officerheld the stirrup without dismounting, and asked hismajestys orders in a low voice."Follow me," replied the king.The officer put his horse to the trot, behind that of hismaster, and they descended the hill towards the bridge. Whenthey reached the other side of the Loire, --"Monsieur," said the king, "you will please to ride on tillyou see a carriage coming; then return and inform me. I willwait here.""Will your majesty deign to give me some description of thecarriage I am charged to discover?""A carriage in which you will see two ladies, and probablytheir attendants likewise.""Sire, I should not wish to make a mistake; is there noother sign by which I may know this carriage?""It will bear, in all probability, the arms of monsieur lecardinal.""That is sufficient, sire," replied the officer, fullyinstructed in the object of his search. He put his horse tothe trot, and rode sharply on in the direction pointed outby the king. But he had scarcely gone five hundred paceswhen he saw four mules and then a carriage, loom up frombehind a little hill. Behind this carriage came another. Itrequired only one glance to assure him that these were theequipages he was in search of; he therefore turned hisbridle, and rode back to the king."Sire," said he, "here are the carriages. The first, as yousaid, contains two ladies with their femmes de chambre; thesecond contains the footmen, provisions, and necessaries.""That is well," replied the king in an agitated voice."Please to go and tell those ladies that a cavalier of thecourt wishes to pay his respects to them alone."The officer set off at a gallop. "Mordioux!" said he, as herode on, "here is a new and an honorable employment, I hope!I complained of being nobody. I am the kings confidant:that is enough to make a musketeer burst with pride."He approached the carriage, and delivered his messagegallantly and intelligently. There were two ladies in thecarriage: one of great beauty, although rather thin; theother less favored by nature, but lively, graceful, anduniting in the delicate lines of her brow all the signs of astrong will. Her eyes, animated and piercing in particular,spoke more eloquently than all the amorous phrases infashion in those days of gallantry. It was to her DArtagnanaddressed himself, without fear of being mistaken, althoughthe other was, as we have said, the more handsome of thetwo."Madame," said he, "I am the lieutenant of the musketeers,and there is on the road a horseman who awaits you, and isdesirous of paying his respects to you."At these words, the effect of which he watched closely, thelady with the black eyes uttered a cry of joy, leant out ofthe carriage window, and seeing the cavalier approaching,held out her arms, exclaiming:"Ah, my dear sire!" and the tears gushed from her eyes.The coachman stopped his team; the women rose in confusionfrom the back of the carriage, and the second lady made aslight curtsey, terminated by the most ironical smile thatjealousy ever imparted to the lips of woman."Marie? dear Marie?" cried the king, taking the hand of theblack-eyed lady in both his. And opening the heavy doorhimself, he drew her out of the carriage with so much ardor,that she was in his arms before she touched the ground. Thelieutenant, posted on the other side of the carriage, sawand heard all without being observed.The king offered his arm to Mademoiselle de Mancini, andmade a sign to the coachman and lackeys to proceed. It wasnearly six oclock; the road was fresh and pleasant; talltrees with their foliage still inclosed in the golden downof their buds let the dew of morning filter from theirtrembling branches
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