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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 559 at Prostate Health
in my difficult
task."
As he said this, Athos pressed DArtagnans hand between both his own;
Raoul fancied he observed in this pressure something beyond the sense
his mere words conveyed.
"Yes," replied the musketeer, smoothing his mustache with the hand that
Athos had left free, "yes, I have come also."
"You are most welcome, chevalier; not for the consolation you bring with
you, but on your own account. I am already consoled," said Raoul; and he
attempted to smile, but the effect was far more sad than any tears
DArtagnan had ever seen shed.
"That is all well and good, then," said DArtagnan.
"Only," continued Raoul, "you have arrived just as the comte was about
to give me the details of his interview with the king. You will allow
the comte to continue?" added the young man, as, with his eyes fixed on
the musketeer, he seemed to read into the very depths of his heart.
"His interview with the king?" said DArtagnan, in a tone so natural and
unassumed that there was no means of suspecting that his astonishment
was feigned. "You have seen the king, then, Athos!"
Athos smiled as he said, "Yes, I have seen him."
"Ah, indeed; you were not aware, then, that the comte had seen his
majesty?" inquired Raoul, half reassured.
"Yes, indeed, quite so."
"In that case I am less uneasy," said Raoul.
"Uneasy--and about what?" inquired Athos.
"Forgive me, monsieur," said Raoul, "but knowing so well the regard and
affection you have for me, I was afraid you might possibly have
expressed somewhat plainly to his majesty my own sufferings and your
indignation, and that the king had consequently--"
"And that the king had consequently?" repeated DArtagnan; "well, go on,
finish what you were going to say."
"I have now to ask you to forgive me, Monsieur dArtagnan," said Raoul.
"For a moment, and I cannot help confessing it, I trembled lest you had
come here, not as M. dArtagnan, but as captain of the musketeers."
"You are mad, my poor boy," cried DArtagnan, with a burst of laughter,
in which an exact observer might perhaps have wished to have heard a
little more frankness.
"So much the better," said Raoul.
"Yes, mad; and do you know what I would advise you to do?"
"Tell me, monsieur, for the advice is sure to be good as it comes from
you."
"Very good, then; I advise you, after your long journey from England,
after your visit to M. de Guiche, after your visit to Madame, after your
visit to Porthos, after your journey to Vincennes, I advise you, I say,
to take a few hours rest; go and lie down, sleep for a dozen hours, and
when you wake up, go and ride one of my horses until you have tired him
to death."
And drawing Raoul toward him, he embraced him as he would have done his
own child. Athos did the like; only it was very visible that the kiss
was more affectionate, and the pressure of his lips still warmer with
the father than with the friend. The young man again looked at both his
companions, endeavoring to penetrate their real meaning, or their real
feelings, with the utmost strength of his intelligence; but his look was
powerless upon the smiling countenance of the musketeer, or upon the
calm and composed features of the Comte de la Fere. "Where are you
going, Raoul?" inquired the latter, seeing that Bragelonne was preparing
to go out.
"To my own apartments," replied the latter, in his soft and sad voice.
"We shall be sure to find you there, then, if we should have anything to
say to you?"
"Yes, monsieur; but do you suppose it likely you will have something to
say to me?"
"How can I tell?" said Athos.
"Yes, something fresh to console you with," said DArtagnan, pushing him
toward the door.
Raoul, observing the perfect composure which marked every gesture of his
two friends, quitted the comtes room, carrying away with him nothing
but the individual feeling of his own particular distress.
"Thank Heaven," he said, "since that is the case, I need only think of
myself."
And wrapping himself in his cloak, in order to conceal from the
passers-by in the streets his gloomy and sorrowful face, he quitted
them, for the purpose of returning to his own rooms, as he had promised
Porthos. The two friends watched the young man as he walked away with a
feeling akin to pity; only each expressed it in a very different way.
"Poor Raoul!" said Athos, sighing deeply.
"Poor Raoul!" said DArtagnan, shrugging his shoulders.
CHAPTER LXVII.
HEU!
The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 558 The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 560 |
