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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 91 at Prostate Health
the right and to the left, and
drew himself up with a movement full of dignity.
"The best swordsman in the kingdom, my lord," said
DArtagnan.
Porthos bowed to his friend.
Mazarin was as fond of fine soldiers as, in later times,
Frederick of Prussia used to be. He admired the strong
hands, the broad shoulders and the steady eye of Porthos. He
seemed to see before him the salvation of his administration
and of the kingdom, sculptured in flesh and bone. He
remembered that the old association of musketeers was
composed of four persons.
"And your two other friends?" he asked.
Porthos opened his mouth, thinking it a good opportunity to
put in a word in his turn; DArtagnan checked him by a
glance from the corner of his eye.
"They are prevented at this moment, but will join us later."
Mazarin coughed a little.
"And this gentleman, being disengaged, takes to the service
willingly?" he asked.
"Yes, my lord, and from pure devotion to the cause, for
Monsieur de Bracieux is rich."
"Rich!" said Mazarin, whom that single word always inspired
with a great respect.
"Fifty thousand francs a year," said Porthos.
These were the first words he had spoken.
"From pure zeal?" resumed Mazarin, with his artful smile;
"from pure zeal and devotion then?"
"My lord has, perhaps, no faith in those words?" said
DArtagnan.
"Have you, Monsieur le Gascon?" asked Mazarin, supporting
his elbows on his desk and his chin on his hands.
"I," replied the Gascon, "I believe in devotion as a word at
ones baptism, for instance, which naturally comes before
ones proper name; every one is naturally more or less
devout, certainly; but there should be at the end of ones
devotion something to gain."
"And your friend, for instance; what does he expect to have
at the end of his devotion?"
"Well, my lord, my friend has three magnificent estates:
that of Vallon, at Corbeil; that of Bracieux, in the
Soissonais; and that of Pierrefonds, in the Valois. Now, my
lord, he would like to have one of his three estates erected
into a barony."
"Only that?" said Mazarin, his eyes twinkling with joy on
seeing that he could pay for Porthoss devotion without
opening his purse; "only that? That can be managed."
"I shall be baron!" explained Porthos, stepping forward.
"I told you so," said DArtagnan, checking him with his
hand; "and now his eminence confirms it."
"And you, Monsieur DArtagnan, what do you want?"
"My lord," said DArtagnan, "it is twenty years since
Cardinal de Richelieu made me lieutenant."
"Yes, and you would be gratified if Cardinal Mazarin should
make you captain."
DArtagnan bowed.
"Well, that is not impossible. We will see, gentlemen, we
will see. Now, Monsieur de Vallon," said Mazarin, "what
service do you prefer, in the town or in the country?"
Porthos opened his mouth to reply.
"My lord," said DArtagnan, "Monsieur de Vallon is like me,
he prefers service extraordinary -- that is to say,
enterprises that are considered mad and impossible."
That boastfulness was not displeasing to Mazarin; he fell
into meditation.
"And yet," he said, "I must admit that I sent for you to
appoint you to quiet service; I have certain apprehensions
-- well, what is the meaning of that?"
In fact, a great noise was heard in the ante-chamber; at the
same time the door of the study was burst open and a man,
covered with dust, rushed into it, exclaiming:
"My lord the cardinal! my lord the cardinal!"
Mazarin thought that some one was going to assassinate him
and he drew back, pushing his chair on the castors.
DArtagnan and Porthos moved so as to plant themselves
between the person entering and the cardinal.
"Well, sir," exclaimed Mazarin, "whats the matter? and why
do you rush in here, as if you were about to penetrate a
crowded market-place?"
"My lord," replied the messenger, "I wish to speak to your
eminence in secret. I am Monsieur du Poins, an officer in
the guards, on duty at the donjon of Vincennes."
Mazarin, perceiving by the paleness and agitation of the
messenger that he had something of importance to say, made a
sign that DArtagnan and Porthos should give place.
DArtagnan and Porthos withdrew to a corner of the cabinet.
"Speak, monsieur, speak at once!" said Mazarin "What is the
matter?"
"The matter is, my lord, that the Duc de Beaufort has
contrived to escape from the Chateau of Vincennes."
Mazarin uttered a cry and became paler than the man who had
brought the news. He fell back, almost fainting, in his
chair.
"Escaped? Monsieur de Beaufort escaped?"
"My lord, I saw him run off from the top of the terrace."
"And you did not fire on him?"
"He was
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