Prostate Health
Prostate Articles
Antioxidant levels key for prostate cancer risk
Obesity and prostate health
Tomatoes for prostate health
Green tea and prostate health
Screening tests for prostate
Books
The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
|
|
The Vicomte De Bragelonne 68 at Prostate Health
diplomatist to trick him, will restorehimself, and when once restored, will pay down to me thehundred thousand crowns in question. That is the idea I haveformed; what do you say to it, Planchet?""Magnificent, monsieur!" cried Planchet, trembling withemotion. "How did you conceive that idea?""It came to me one morning on the banks of the Loire, whilstour beloved king, Louis XIV., was pretending to weep uponthe hand of Mademoiselle de Mancini.""Monsieur, I declare the idea is sublime. But ---- ""Ah! is there a but?""Permit me! But this is a little like the skin of that finebear -- you know -- that they were about to sell, but whichit was necessary to take from the back of the living bear.Now, to take M. Monk, there will be a bit of scuffle, Ishould think.""No doubt; but as I shall raise an army to ---- ""Yes, yes -- I understand, parbleu! -- a coup-de-main. Yes,then, monsieur, you will triumph, for no one equals you insuch sorts of encounters.""I certainly am lucky in them," said DArtagnan, with aproud simplicity. "You know that if for this affair I had mydear Athos, my brave Porthos, and my cunning Aramis, thebusiness would be settled; but they are all lost, as itappears, and nobody knows where to find them. I will do it,then, alone. Now, do you find the business good, and theinvestment advantageous?""Too much so -- too much so.""How can that be?""Because fine things never reach the expected point.""This is infallible, Planchet, and the proof is that Iundertake it. It will be for you a tolerably pretty gain,and for me a very interesting stroke. It will be said, `Suchwas the old age of M. dArtagnan, and I shall hold a placein tales and even in history itself, Planchet. I am greedyof honor.""Monsieur," cried Planchet, "when I think that it is here,in my home, in the midst of my sugar, my prunes, and mycinnamon, that this gigantic project is ripened, my shopseems a palace to me.""Beware, beware, Planchet! If the least report of thisescapes, there is the Bastile for both of us. Beware, myfriend, for this is a plot we are hatching. M. Monk is theally of M. Mazarin -- beware!""Monsieur, when a man has had the honor to belong to you, heknows nothing of fear; and when he has the advantage ofbeing bound up in interests with you, he holds his tongue.""Very well, that is more your affair than mine, seeing thatin a week I shall be in England.""Depart, monsieur, depart -- the sooner the better.""Is the money, then, ready?""It will be to-morrow, to-morrow you shall receive it frommy own hands. Will you have gold or silver?""Gold; that is most convenient. But how are we going toarrange this? Let us see.""Oh, good Lord! in the simplest way possible. You shall giveme a receipt, that is all.""No, no," said DArtagnan, warmly; "we must preserve orderin all things.""That is likewise my opinion; but with you, M. dArtagnan---- ""And if I should die yonder -- if I should be killed by amusket-ball -- if I should burst from drinking beer?""Monsieur, I beg you to believe that in that case I shouldbe so much afflicted at your death, that I should not thinkabout the money.""Thank you, Planchet; but no matter. We shall, like twolawyers clerks, draw up together an agreement, a sort ofact, which may be called a deed of company.""Willingly, monsieur.""I know it is difficult to draw such a thing up, but we cantry.""Let us try, then." And Planchet went in search of pens,ink, and paper. DArtagnan took the pen and wrote: --"Between Messire dArtagnan, ex-lieutenant of the kingsmusketeers, at present residing in the Rue Tiquetonne, Hotelde la Chevrette; and the Sieur Planchet, grocer, residing inthe Rue les Lombards, at the sign of the Pilon dOr, it hasbeen agreed as follows: -- A company, with a capital offorty thousand livres, and formed for the purpose ofcarrying out an idea conceived by M. dArtagnan, and thesaid Planchet approving of it in all points, will placetwenty thousand livres in the hands of M. dArtagnan. Hewill require neither repayment nor interest before thereturn of M. dArtagnan from a journey he is about to takeinto England. On his part, M. dArtagnan undertakes to findtwenty thousand
The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 67 The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 69 |
