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 75 at Prostate Health
other in all respects, and not to devour one another."Instantly all hesitation ceased; the men breathed as if theyhad been taken out of a coffin, and examined each othercomplacently. After this examination they turned their eyestowards their leader, who had long been acquainted with theart of speaking to men of that class, and who improvised thefollowing little speech, pronounced with an energy trulyGascon:"Gentlemen, you all know who I am. I have engaged you fromknowing you to be brave, and willing to associate you withme in a glorious enterprise. Imagine that in laboring for meyou labor for the king. I only warn you that if you allowanything of this supposition to appear, I shall be forced tocrack your skulls immediately, in the manner most convenientto me. You are not ignorant, gentlemen, that state secretsare like a mortal poison: as long as that poison is in itsbox and the box is closed, it is not injurious; out of thebox, it kills. Now draw near and you shall know as much ofthis secret as I am able to tell you." All drew close to himwith an expression of curiosity. "Approach," continuedDArtagnan, "and let not the bird which passes over ourheads, the rabbit which sports on the downs, the fish whichbounds from the waters, hear us. Our business is to learnand to report to monsieur le surintendant of the finances towhat extent English smuggling is injurious to the Frenchmerchants. I shall enter every place, and see everything. Weare poor Picard fishermen, thrown upon the coast by a storm.It is certain that we must sell fish, neither more nor less,like true fishermen. Only people might guess who we are, andmight molest us; it is therefore necessary that we should bein a condition to defend ourselves. And this is why I haveselected men of spirit and courage. We shall lead a steadylife, and not incur much danger; seeing that we have behindus a powerful protector, thanks to whom no embarrassment ispossible. One thing alone puzzles me; but I hope that aftera short explanation, you will relieve me from thatdifficulty. The thing which puzzles me is taking with me acrew of stupid fishermen, which crew will annoy meimmensely, whilst if, by chance, there were among you anywho have seen the sea ---- ""Oh! dont let that trouble you," said one of the recruits;"I was a prisoner among the pirates of Tunis three years,and can maneuver a boat like an admiral.""See," said DArtagnan, "what an admirable thing chance is!"DArtagnan pronounced these words with an indefinable toneof feigned bonhomie, for he knew very well that the victimof pirates was an old corsair, and had engaged him inconsequence of that knowledge. But DArtagnan never saidmore than there was need to say, in order to leave people indoubt. He paid himself with the explanation, and welcomedthe effect, without appearing to be preoccupied with thecause."And I," said a second, "I, by chance, had an uncle whodirected the works of the port of La Rochelle. When quite achild, I played about the boats, and I know how to handle anoar or a sail as well as the best Ponantais sailor." Thelatter did not lie much more than the first, for he hadrowed on board his majestys galleys six years, at Ciotat.Two others were more frank: they confessed honestly thatthey had served on board a vessel as soldiers on punishment,and did not blush for it. DArtagnan found himself, then,the leader of ten men of war and four sailors, having atonce a land army and a sea force, which would have earnedthe pride of Planchet to its height, if Planchet had knownthe details.Nothing was now left but arranging the general orders, andDArtagnan gave them with precision. He enjoined his men tobe ready to set out for the Hague, some following the coastwhich leads to Breskens, others the road to Antwerp. Therendezvous was given, by calculating each days march, afortnight from that time upon the chief place at the Hague.DArtagnan recommended his men to go in couples, as theyliked best, from sympathy. He himself selected from amongthose with the least disreputable look, two guards whom hehad formerly known, and whose only faults were beingdrunkards and gamblers. These men had not entirely lost allideas of civilization, and
The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 74 The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 76 |
