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Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 54 at Prostate Health
some tendon has been injured."
At this moment a little boy, half peasant, half foot-boy,
came to announce supper.
Athos led his guest into a dining-room of moderate size, the
windows of which opened on one side on a garden, on the
other on a hot-house full of magnificent flowers.
DArtagnan glanced at the dinner service. The plate was
magnificent, old, and appertaining to the family. DArtagnan
stopped to look at a sideboard on which was a superb ewer of
silver.
"That workmanship is divine!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, a chef doeuvre of the great Florentine sculptor,
Benvenuto Cellini," replied Athos.
"What battle does it represent?"
"That of Marignan, just at the point where one of my
forefathers is offering his sword to Francis I., who has
broken his. It was on that occasion that my ancestor,
Enguerrand de la Fere, was made a knight of the Order of St.
Michael; besides which, the king, fifteen years afterward,
gave him also this ewer and a sword which you may have seen
formerly in my house, also a lovely specimen of workmanship.
Men were giants in those times," said Athos; "now we are
pigmies in comparison. Let us sit down to supper. Call
Charles," he added, addressing the boy who waited.
"My good Charles, I particularly recommend to your care
Planchet, the laquais of Monsieur DArtagnan. He likes good
wine; now you have the key of the cellar. He has slept a
long time on a hard bed, so he wont object to a soft one;
take every care of him, I beg of you." Charles bowed and
retired.
"You think of everything," said DArtagnan; "and I thank you
for Planchet, my dear Athos."
Raoul stared on hearing this name and looked at the count to
be quite sure that it was he whom the lieutenant thus
addressed.
"That name sounds strange to you," said Athos, smiling; "it
was my nom de guerre when Monsieur DArtagnan, two other
gallant friends and myself performed some feats of arms at
the siege of La Rochelle, under the deceased cardinal and
Monsieur de Bassompierre. My friend is still so kind as to
address me by that old and well beloved appellation, which
makes my heart glad when I hear it."
"Tis an illustrious name," said the lieutenant, "and had
one day triumphal honors paid to it."
"What do you mean, sir?" inquired Raoul.
"You have not forgotten St. Gervais, Athos, and the napkin
which was converted into a banner?" and he then related to
Raoul the story of the bastion, and Raoul fancied he was
listening to one of those deeds of arms belonging to days of
chivalry, so gloriously recounted by Tasso and Ariosto.
"DArtagnan does not tell you, Raoul," said Athos, in his
turn, "that he was reckoned one of the finest swordsmen of
his time -- a knuckle of iron, a wrist of steel, a sure eye
and a glance of fire; thats what his adversary met with. He
was eighteen, only three years older than you are, Raoul,
when I saw him set to work, pitted against tried men."
"And did Monsieur DArtagnan come off the conqueror?" asked
the young man, with glistening eye.
"I killed one man, if I recollect rightly," replied
DArtagnan, with a look of inquiry directed to Athos;
"another I disarmed or wounded, I dont remember which."
"Wounded!" said Athos; "it was a phenomenon of skill."
The young man would willingly have prolonged this
conversation far into the night, but Athos pointed out to
him that his guest must need repose. DArtagnan would fain
have declared that he was not fatigued, but Athos insisted
on his retiring to his chamber, conducted thither by Raoul.
15
Athos as a Diplomatist.
DArtagnan retired to bed -- not to sleep, but to think over
all he had heard that evening. Being naturally goodhearted,
and having had once a liking for Athos, which had grown into
a sincere friendship, he was delighted at thus meeting a man
full of intelligence and moral strength, instead of a
drunkard. He admitted without annoyance the continued
superiority of Athos over himself, devoid as he was of that
jealousy which might have saddened a less generous
disposition; he was delighted also that the high qualities
of Athos appeared to promise favorably for his mission.
Nevertheless, it seemed to him that Athos was not in all
respects sincere and frank. Who was the youth he had adopted
and who bore so striking a resemblance to him? What could
explain Athoss having re-entered the world and the extreme
sobriety he had observed at table? The absence of Grimaud,
whose name had never once been uttered by Athos, gave
DArtagnan uneasiness. It was
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