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Books
The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 31 at Prostate Health
intimacy of too
tender a nature with Coligny, who, for her sake, had been
killed in a duel, in the Place Royale, by the Duc de Guise.
She was now connected by bonds of a political nature with
the Prince de Marsillac, the eldest son of the old Duc de
Rochefoucauld, whom she was trying to inspire with an enmity
toward the Duc de Conde, her brother-in-law, whom she now
hated mortally.
DArtagnan thought of all these matters. He remembered how
at the Louvre he had often seen, as she passed by him in the
full radiance of her dazzling charms, the beautiful Madame
de Longueville. He thought of Aramis, who, without
possessing any greater advantages than himself, had formerly
been the lover of Madame de Chevreuse, who had been to a
former court what Madame de Longueville was in that day; and
he wondered how it was that there should be in the world
people who succeed in every wish, some in ambition, others
in love, whilst others, either from chance, or from
ill-luck, or from some natural defect or impediment, remain
half-way upon the road toward fulfilment of their hopes and
expectations.
He was confessing to himself that he belonged to the latter
unhappy class, when Planchet approached and said:
"I will lay a wager, your honor, that you and I are thinking
of the same thing."
"I doubt it, Planchet," replied DArtagnan, "but what are
you thinking of?"
"I am thinking, sir, of those desperate looking men who were
drinking in the inn where we rested."
"Always cautious, Planchet."
"Tis instinct, your honor."
"Well, what does your instinct tell you now?"
"Sir, my instinct told me that those people were assembled
there for some bad purpose; and I was reflecting on what my
instinct had told me, in the darkest corner of the stable,
when a man wrapped in a cloak and followed by two other men,
came in."
"Ah ah!" said DArtagnan, Planchets recital agreeing with
his own observations. "Well?"
"One of these two men said, `He must certainly be at Noisy,
or be coming there this evening, for I have seen his
servant.
"`Art thou sure? said the man in the cloak.
"`Yes, my prince."
"My prince!" interrupted DArtagnan.
"Yes, `my prince; but listen. `If he is here -- this is
what the other man said -- `lets see decidedly what to do
with him.
"`What to do with him? answered the prince.
"`Yes, hes not a man to allow himself to be taken anyhow;
hell defend himself.
"`Well, we must try to take him alive. Have you cords to
bind him with and a gag to stop his mouth?
"`We have.
"`Remember that he will most likely be disguised as a
horseman.
"`Yes, yes, my lord; dont be uneasy.
"`Besides, I shall be there.
"`You will assure us that justice ----
"`Yes, yes! I answer for all that, the prince said.
"`Well, then, well do our best. Having said that, they
went out of the stable."
"Well, what matters all that to us?" said DArtagnan. "This
is one of those attempts that happen every day."
"Are you sure that we are not its objects?"
"We? Why?"
"Just remember what they said. `I have seen his servant,
said one, and that applies very well to me."
"Well?"
"`He must certainly be at Noisy, or be coming there this
evening, said the other; and that applies very well to
you."
"What else?"
"Then the prince said: `Take notice that in all probability
he will be disguised as a cavalier; which seems to me to
leave no room for doubt, since you are dressed as a cavalier
and not as an officer of musketeers. Now then, what do you
say to that?"
"Alas! my dear Planchet," said DArtagnan, sighing, "we are
unfortunately no longer in those times in which princes
would care to assassinate me. Those were good old days;
never fear -- these people owe us no grudge."
"Is your honor sure?"
"I can answer for it they do not."
"Well, we wont speak of it any more, then;" and Planchet
took his place in DArtagnans suite with that sublime
confidence he had always had in his master, which even
fifteen years of separation had not destroyed.
They had traveled onward about half a mile when Planchet
came close up to DArtagnan.
"Stop, sir, look yonder," he whispered; "dont you see in
the darkness something pass by, like shadows? I fancy I hear
horses feet."
"Impossible!" returned DArtagnan. "The ground is soaking
wet; yet I fancy, as thou sayest, that I see something."
At this moment the neighing of a horse struck his ear,
coming through darkness and space.
"There are men somewhere about, but thats of no consequence
to us," said DArtagnan;
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