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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 33 at Prostate Health
DArtagnan, whose purposes were in
conflict with that order, "that is not so easy, since I am
on the point of falling, and my horse, too, through fatigue;
unless, indeed, you are disposed to offer me a supper and a
bed in the neighborhood."
"Rascal!"
"Eh! monsieur!" said DArtagnan, "I beg you will have a care
what you say; for if you utter another word like that, be
you marquis, duke, prince or king, I will thrust it down
your throat! do you hear?"
"Well, well," rejoined the leader, "theres no doubt tis a
Gascon who is speaking, and therefore not the man we are
looking for. Our blow has failed for to-night; let us
withdraw. We shall meet again, Master dArtagnan," continued
the leader, raising his voice.
"Yes, but never with the same advantages," said DArtagnan,
in a tone of raillery; "for when you meet me again you will
perhaps be alone and there will be daylight."
"Very good, very good," said the voice. "En route,
gentlemen."
And the troop, grumbling angrily, disappeared in the
darkness and took the road to Paris. DArtagnan and Planchet
remained for some moments still on the defensive; then, as
the noise of the horsemen became more and more distant, they
sheathed their swords.
"Thou seest, simpleton," said DArtagnan to his servant,
"that they wished no harm to us."
"But to whom, then?"
"Ifaith! I neither know nor care. What I do care for now,
is to make my way into the Jesuits convent; so to horse and
let us knock at their door. Happen what will, the devil take
them, they cant eat us."
And he mounted his horse. Planchet had just done the same
when an unexpected weight fell upon the back of the horse,
which sank down.
"Hey! your honor!" cried Planchet, "Ive a man behind me."
DArtagnan turned around and plainly saw two human forms on
Planchets horse.
"Tis then the devil that pursues!" he cried; drawing his
sword and preparing to attack the new foe.
"No, no, dear DArtagnan," said the figure, "tis not the
devil, tis Aramis; gallop fast, Planchet, and when you come
to the end of the village turn swiftly to the left."
And Planchet, with Aramis behind him, set off at full
gallop, followed by DArtagnan, who began to think he was in
the merry maze of some fantastic dream.
9
The Abbe DHerblay.
At the extremity of the village Planchet turned to the left
in obedience to the orders of Aramis, and stopped underneath
the window which had light in it. Aramis alighted and
clapped his hands three times. Immediately the window was
opened and a ladder of rope was let down from it.
"My friend," said Aramis, "if you like to ascend I shall be
delighted to receive you."
"Ah," said DArtagnan, "is that the way you return to your
apartment?"
"After nine at night, pardieu!" said Aramis, "the rule of
the convent is very severe."
"Pardon me, my dear friend," said DArtagnan, "I think you
said `pardieu!"
"Do you think so?" said Aramis, smiling; "it is possible.
You have no idea, my dear fellow, how one acquires bad
habits in these cursed convents, or what evil ways all these
men of the church have, with whom I am obliged to live. But
will you not go up?"
"Pass on before me, I beg of you."
"As the late cardinal used to say to the late king, `only to
show you the way, sire." And Aramis ascended the ladder
quickly and reached the window in an instant.
DArtagnan followed, but less nimbly, showing plainly that
this mode of ascent was not one to which he was accustomed.
"I beg your pardon," said Aramis, noticing his awkwardness;
"if I had known that I was to have the honor of your visit I
should have procured the gardeners ladder; but for me alone
this is good enough."
"Sir," said Planchet when he saw DArtagnan on the summit of
the ladder, "this way is easy for Monsieur Aramis and even
for you; in case of necessity I might also climb up, but my
two horses cannot mount the ladder."
"Take them to yonder shed, my friend," said Aramis, pointing
to a low building on the plain; "there you will find hay and
straw for them; then come back here and clap your hands
three times, and we will give you wine and food. Marry,
forsooth, people dont die of hunger here."
And Aramis, drawing in the ladder, closed the window.
DArtagnan then looked around attentively.
Never was there an apartment at the same time more warlike
and more elegant. At each corner were arranged trophies,
presenting to view swords of all sorts, and on the
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