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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 259 at Prostate Health
were I sure that
by doing so I might still be useful to you."
"Mouston," replied Porthos, much affected, "should we ever
see my castle of Pierrefonds again you shall have as your
own and for your descendants the vineyard that surrounds the
farm."
"And you should call it `Devotion," added Aramis; "the
vineyard of self-sacrifice, to transmit to latest ages the
recollection of your devotion to your master."
"Chevalier," said DArtagnan, laughing, "you could eat a
piece of Mouston, couldnt you, especially after two or
three days of fasting?"
"Oh, no," replied Aramis, "I should much prefer Blaisois; we
havent known him so long."
One may readily conceive that during these jokes which were
intended chiefly to divert Athos from the scene which had
just taken place, the servants, with the exception of
Grimaud, were not silent. Suddenly Mousqueton uttered a cry
of delight, taking from beneath one of the benches a bottle
of wine; and on looking more closely in the same place he
discovered a dozen similar bottles, bread, and a monster
junk of salted beef.
"Oh, sir!" he cried, passing the bottle to Porthos, "we are
saved -- the bark is supplied with provisions."
This intelligence restored every one save Athos to gayety.
"Zounds!" exclaimed Porthos, "tis astonishing how empty
violent agitation makes the stomach."
And he drank off half a bottle at a draught and bit great
mouthfuls of the bread and meat.
"Now," said Athos, "sleep, or try to sleep, my friends, and
I will watch."
In a few moments, notwithstanding their wet clothes, the icy
blast that blew and the previous scene of terror, these
hardy adventurers, with their iron frames, inured to every
hardship, threw themselves down, intending to profit by the
advice of Athos, who sat at the helm, pensively wakeful,
guiding the little bark the way it was to go, his eyes fixed
on the heavens, as if he sought to verify not only the road
to France, but the benign aspect of protecting Providence.
After some hours of repose the sleepers were aroused by
Athos.
Dawn was shedding its pallid, placid glimmer on the purple
ocean, when at the distance of a musket shot from them was
seen a dark gray mass, above which gleamed a triangular
sail; then masters and servants joined in a fervent cry to
the crew of that vessel to hear them and to save.
"A bark!" all cried together.
It was, in fact, a small craft from Dunkirk bound for
Boulogne.
A quarter of an hour afterward the rowboat of this craft
took them all aboard. Grimaud tendered twenty guineas to the
captain, and at nine oclock in the morning, having a fair
wind, our Frenchmen set foot on their native land.
"Egad! how strong one feels here!" said Porthos, almost
burying his large feet in the sands. "Zounds! I could defy a
nation!"
"Be quiet, Porthos," said DArtagnan, "we are observed."
"We are admired, ifaith," answered Porthos.
"These people who are looking at us are only merchants,"
said Athos, "and are looking more at the cargo than at us."
"I shall not trust to that," said the lieutenant, "and I
shall make for the Dunes* as soon as possible."
*Sandy hills about Dunkirk, from which it derives its name.
The party followed him and soon disappeared with him behind
the hillocks of sand unobserved. Here, after a short
conference, they proposed to separate.
"And why separate?" asked Athos.
"Because," answered the Gascon, "we were sent, Porthos and
I, by Cardinal Mazarin to fight for Cromwell; instead of
fighting for Cromwell we have served Charles I. -- not the
same thing by any means. In returning with the Comte de la
Fere and Monsieur dHerblay our crime would be confirmed. We
have circumvented Cromwell, Mordaunt, and the sea, but we
shall find a certain difficulty in circumventing Mazarin."
"You forget," replied Athos, "that we consider ourselves
your prisoners and not free from the engagement we entered
into."
"Truly, Athos," interrupted DArtagnan, "I am vexed that
such a man as you are should talk nonsense which schoolboys
would be ashamed of. Chevalier," he continued, addressing
Aramis, who, leaning proudly on his sword, seemed to agree
with his companion, "Chevalier, Porthos and I run no risk;
besides, should any ill-luck happen to two of us, will it
not be much better that the other two should be spared to
assist those who may be apprehended? Besides, who knows
whether, divided, we may not obtain a pardon -- you from the
queen, we from Mazarin -- which, were we all four together,
would never be granted. Come, Athos and Aramis, go to the
right; Porthos, come with me to the left; these gentlemen
should file off
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