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Books
The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 769 at Prostate Health
of Gourvilles letter.
Five minutes after, he was at the hostelry, where, according to the
custom of all great officers who have lodgings at the castle, he had
taken what was called his city chamber. But when arrived there, instead
of throwing off his sword and cloak, he took his pistols, put his money
into a large leather purse, sent for his horses from the castle stables,
and gave orders for reaching Vannes during the night. Everything went on
according to his wishes. At eight oclock in the evening, he was putting
his foot in the stirrup, when M. de Gesvres appeared, at the head of
twelve guards, in front of the hostelry. DArtagnan saw all from the
corner of his eye; he could not fail seeing thirteen men and thirteen
horses. But he feigned not to observe anything, and was about to put his
horse in motion. Gesvres rode up to him. "Monsieur dArtagnan!" said he
aloud.
"Ah, Monsieur de Gesvres! good-evening!"
"One would say you were getting on horseback."
"More than that--I am mounted, as you see."
"It is fortunate I have met with you."
"Were you looking for me, then?"
"Mon Dieu! yes."
"On the part of the king, I will wager?"
"Yes."
"As I, three days ago, went in search of M. Fouquet?"
"Oh!"
"Nonsense! It is of no use being delicate with me; that is all labor
lost. Tell me at once you are come to arrest me."
"To arrest you--good heavens! no."
"Why do you come to accost me with twelve horsemen at your heels, then?"
"I am making my round."
"That isnt bad! And so you pick me up in your round, eh?"
"I dont pick you up; I meet with you, and I beg you to come with me."
"Where?"
"To the king."
"Good!" said DArtagnan, with a bantering air; "the king has nothing to
do at last!"
"For Heavens sake, captain," said M. de Gesvres, in a low voice to the
musketeer, "do not compromise yourself! these men hear you."
DArtagnan laughed aloud, and replied, "March! People who are arrested
are placed between the six first guards and the six last."
"But as I do not arrest you," said M. de Gesvres, "you will march behind
with me, if you please."
"Well," said DArtagnan, "that is very polite, duc, and you are right in
being so; for if ever I had had to make my rounds near your
_chambre-de-ville_, I should have been courteous to you, I assure you,
by the faith of a gentleman! Now, one favor more: what does the king
want with me?"
"Oh, the king is furious!"
"Very well! the king, who has thought it worth while to be furious, may
take the trouble of getting calm again; that is all that. I shant die
of that, I will swear."
"No, but--"
"But--I shall be sent to keep company with poor M. Fouquet. Mordioux!
That is a gallant man, a worthy man! We shall live very sociably
together, I will be bound."
"Here we are at our place of destination," said the duc. "Captain, for
Heavens sake be calm with the king!"
"Ah, ah! you are playing the brave man with me, duc!" said DArtagnan,
throwing one of his defiant glances over De Gesvres. "I have been told
that you are ambitious of uniting your guards with my musketeers. This
strikes me as a capital opportunity."
"I will take devilish good care not to avail myself of it, captain."
"And why not?"
"Oh, for many reasons--in the first place, for this: If I were to
succeed you in the musketeers, after having arrested you--"
"Ah! then, you admit you have arrested me?"
"No, I dont."
"Say, met me, then. So you were saying, _if_ you were to succeed me,
after having arrested me?"
"Your musketeers, at the first exercise with ball cartridges, would all
fire toward me, by mistake."
"Ah! as to that I wont say; for the fellows do love me a little."
Gesvres made DArtagnan pass in first, and took him straight to the
cabinet where the king was waiting for his captain of the musketeers,
and placed himself behind his colleague in the antechamber. The king
could be heard distinctly, speaking aloud to Colbert, in the same
cabinet where Colbert might have heard, a few days before, the king
speaking aloud with M. dArtagnan. The guards remained as a mounted
piquet before the principal gate; and the report was quickly spread
through the city that monsieur le capitaine of the musketeers had just
been arrested by order of the king. Then, these men were seen to be in
motion, as, in the good old
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