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The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 45 at Prostate Health
some onewho requests admittance.""Who is that?""Your lieutenant of musketeers.""He who accompanied me?""Yes, sire.""Ah," said the king, "let him come in."The officer entered. The king made a sign, and the gentlemanand the valet retired. Louis followed them with his eyesuntil they had shut the door, and when the tapestries hadfallen behind them, -- "You remind me by your presence,monsieur, of something I had forgotten to recommend to you,that is to say, the most absolute discretion.""Oh! sire, why does your majesty give yourself the troubleof making me such a recommendation? It is plain you do notknow me.""Yes, monsieur, that is true. I know that you are discreet;but as I had prescribed nothing ---- "The officer bowed. "Has your majesty nothing else to say tome?""No, monsieur; you may retire.""Shall I obtain permission not to do so till I have spokento the king, sire?""What have you to say to me? Explain yourself, monsieur.""Sire, a thing without importance to you, but whichinterests me greatly. Pardon me, then, for speaking of it.Without urgency, without necessity, I never would have doneit, and I would have disappeared, mute and insignificant asI always have been.""How! Disappeared! I do not understand you, monsieur.""Sire, in a word," said the officer, "I am come to ask formy discharge from your majestys service."The king made a movement of surprise, but the officerremained as motionless as a statue."Your discharge -- yours, monsieur? and for how long a time,I pray?""Why, forever, sire.""What, you are desirous of quitting my service, monsieur?"said Louis, with an expression that revealed something morethan surprise."Sire, I regret to say that I am.""Impossible!""It is so, however, sire. I am getting old; I have wornharness now thirty-five years; my poor shoulders are tired;I feel that I must give place to the young. I dont belongto this age; I have still one foot in the old one; itresults that everything is strange in my eyes, everythingastonishes and bewilders me. In short, I have the honor toask your majesty for my discharge.""Monsieur," said the king, looking at the officer, who worehis uniform with an ease that would have caused envy in ayoung man, "you are stronger and more vigorous than I am.""Oh!" replied the officer, with an air of false modesty,"your majesty says so because I still have a good eye and atolerably firm foot -- because I can still ride a horse, andmy mustache is black; but, sire, vanity of vanities all that-- illusions all that -- appearance, smoke, sire! I havestill a youthful air, it is true, but I feel old, and withinsix months I am certain I shall be broken down, gouty,impotent. Therefore, then sire ---- ""Monsieur," interrupted the king, "remember your words ofyesterday. You said to me in this very place where you noware, that you were endowed with the best health of any manin France; that fatigue was unknown to you! that you did notmind spending whole days and nights at your post. Did youtell me that, monsieur, or not? Try and recall, monsieur."The officer sighed. "Sire," said he, "old age is boastful;and it is pardonable for old men to praise themselves whenothers no longer do it. It is very possible I said that; butthe fact is, sire, I am very much fatigued, and requestpermission to retire.""Monsieur," said the king, advancing towards the officerwith a gesture full of majesty, "you are not assigning methe true reason. You wish to quit my service, it may betrue, but you disguise from me the motive of your retreat.""Sire, believe that ---- ""I believe what I see, monsieur; I see a vigorous, energeticman, full of presence of mind, the best soldier in France,perhaps; and this personage cannot persuade me the least inthe world that you stand in need of rest.""Ah! sire," said the lieutenant, with bitterness, "whatpraise! Indeed, your majesty confounds me! Energetic,vigorous, brave, intelligent, the best soldier in the army!But, sire, your majesty exaggerates my small portion ofmerit to such a point, that however good an opinion I mayhave of myself, I do not recognize myself; in truth I donot. If I were vain enough to believe only half of yourmajestys words, I should consider myself a valuable,indispensable man. I should say that a servant possessed ofsuch brilliant qualities was a treasure beyond
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