9 D'ARTAGNAN SHOWS HIMSELF
As Athos and Porthos had foreseen, at the expiration of a half hour,d'Artagnan returned. He had again missed his man, who had disappeared asif by enchantment. D'Artagnan had run, sword in hand, through all theneighboring streets, but had found nobody resembling the man he soughtfor. Then he came back to the point where, perhaps, he ought to havebegun, and that was to knock at the door against which the stranger hadleaned; but this proved useless--for though he knocked ten or twelvetimes in succession, no one answered, and some of the neighbors, who puttheir noses out of their windows or were brought to their doors by thenoise, had assured him that that house, all the openings of which weretightly closed, had not been inhabited for six months.
While d'Artagnan was running through the streets and knocking at doors,Aramis had joined his companions; so that on returning home d'Artagnanfound the reunion complete.
"Well!" cried the three Musketeers all together, on seeing d'Artagnanenter with his brow covered with perspiration and his countenance upsetwith anger.
"Well!" cried he, throwing his sword upon the bed, "this man must be thedevil in person; he has disappeared like a phantom, like a shade, like aspecter."
"Do you believe in apparitions?" asked Athos of Porthos.
"I never believe in anything I have not seen, and as I never have seenapparitions, I don't believe in them."
"The Bible," said Aramis, "makes our belief in them a law; the ghost ofSamuel appeared to Saul, and it is an article of faith that I should bevery sorry to see any doubt thrown upon, Porthos."
"At all events, man or devil, body or shadow, illusion or reality, thisman is born for my damnation; for his flight has caused us to miss aglorious affair, gentlemen--an affair by which there were a hundredpistoles, and perhaps more, to be gained."
"How is that?" cried Porthos and Aramis in a breath.
As to Athos, faithful to his system of reticence, he contented himselfwith interrogating d'Artagnan by a look.
"Planchet," said d'Artagnan to his domestic, who just then insinuatedhis head through the half-open door in order to catch some fragments ofthe conversation, "go down to my landlord, Monsieur Bonacieux, and askhim to send me half a dozen bottles of Beaugency wine; I prefer that."
"Ah, ah! You have credit with your landlord, then?" asked Porthos.
"Yes," replied d'Artagnan, "from this very day; and mind, if the wine isbad, we will send him to find better."
"We must use, and not abuse," said Aramis, sententiously.
"I always said that d'Artagnan had the longest head of the four," saidAthos, who, having uttered his opinion, to which d'Artagnan replied witha bow, immediately resumed his accustomed silence.
"But come, what is this about?" asked Porthos.
"Yes," said Aramis, "impart it to us, my dear friend, unless the honorof any lady be hazarded by this confidence; in that case you would dobetter to keep it to yourself."
"Be satisfied," replied d'Artagnan; "the honor of no one will have causeto complain of what I have to tell."
He then related to his friends, word for word, all that had passedbetween him and his host, and how the man who had abducted the wife ofhis worthy landlord was the same with whom he had had the difference atthe hostelry of the Jolly Miller.
"Your affair is not bad," said Athos, after having tasted like aconnoisseur and indicated by a nod of his head that he thought the winegood; "and one may draw fifty or sixty pistoles from this good man. Thenthere only remains to ascertain whether these fifty or sixty pistolesare worth the risk of four heads."
"But observe," cried d'Artagnan, "that there is a woman in the affair--awoman carried off, a woman who is doubtless threatened, torturedperhaps, and all because she is faithful to her mistress."
"Beware, d'Artagnan, beware," said Aramis. "You grow a little too warm,in my opinion, about the fate of Madame Bonacieux. Woman was created forour destruction, and it is from her we inherit all our miseries."
At this speech of Aramis, the brow of Athos became clouded and he bithis lips.
"It is not Madame Bonacieux about whom I am anxious," cried d'Artagnan,"but the queen, whom the king abandons, whom the cardinal persecutes,and who sees the heads of all her friends fall, one after the other."
"Why does she love what we hate most in the world, the Spaniards and theEnglish?"
"Spain is her country," replied d'Artagnan; "and it is very natural thatshe should love the Spanish, who are the children of the same soil asherself. As to the second reproach, I have heard it said that she doesnot love the English, but an Englishman."
"Well, and by my faith," said Athos, "it must be acknowledged that thisEnglishman is worthy of being loved. I never saw a man with a nobler airthan his."
"Without reckoning that he dresses as nobody else can," said Porthos. "Iwas at the Louvre on the day when he scattered his pearls; and, PARDIEU,I picked up two that I sold for ten pistoles each. Do you know him,Aramis?"
"As well as you do, gentlemen; for I was among those who seized him inthe garden at Amiens, into which Monsieur Putange, the queen's equerry,introduced me. I was at school at the time, and the adventure appearedto me to be cruel for the king."
"Which would not prevent me," said d'Artagnan, "if I knew where the Dukeof Buckingham was, from taking him by the hand and conducting him to thequeen, were it only to enrage the cardinal, and if we could find meansto play him a sharp turn, I vow that I would voluntarily risk my head indoing it."
"And did the mercer*," rejoined Athos, "tell you, d'Artagnan, that thequeen thought that Buckingham had been brought over by a forged letter?"
_*Haberdasher_
"She is afraid so."
"Wait a minute, then," said Aramis.
"What for?" demanded Porthos.
"Go on, while I endeavor to recall circumstances."
"And now I am convinced," said d'Artagnan, "that this abduction of thequeen's woman is connected with the events of which we are speaking, andperhaps with the presence of Buckingham in Paris."
"The Gascon is full of ideas," said Porthos, with admiration.
"I like to hear him talk," said Athos; "his dialect amuses me."
"Gentlemen," cried Aramis, "listen to this."
"Listen to Aramis," said his three friends.
"Yesterday I was at the house of a doctor of theology, whom I sometimesconsult about my studies."
Athos smiled.
"He resides in a quiet quarter," continued Aramis; "his tastes and hisprofession require it. Now, at the moment when I left his house--"
Here Aramis paused.
"Well," cried his auditors; "at the moment you left his house?"
Aramis appeared to make a strong inward effort, like a man who, in thefull relation of a falsehood, finds himself stopped by some unforeseenobstacle; but the eyes of his three companions were fixed upon him,their ears were wide open, and there were no means of retreat.
"This doctor has a niece," continued Aramis.
"Ah, he has a niece!" interrupted Porthos.
"A very respectable lady," said Aramis.
The three friends burst into laughter.
"Ah, if you laugh, if you doubt me," replied Aramis, "you shall knownothing."
"We believe like Mohammedans, and are as mute as tombstones," saidAthos.
"I will continue, then," resumed Aramis. "This niece comes sometimes tosee her uncle; and by chance was there yesterday at the same time that Iwas, and it was my duty to offer to conduct her to her carriage."
"Ah! She has a carriage, then, this niece of the doctor?" interruptedPorthos, one of whose faults was a great looseness of tongue. "A niceacquaintance, my friend!"
"Porthos," replied Aramis, "I have had the occasion to observe to youmore than once that you are very indiscreet; and that is injurious toyou among the women."
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," cried d'Artagnan, who began to get a glimpse ofthe result of the adventure, "the thing is serious. Let us try not tojest, if we can. Go on Aramis, go on.
"
"All at once, a tall, dark gentleman--just like yours, d'Artagnan."
"The same, perhaps," said he.
"Possibly," continued Aramis, "came toward me, accompanied by five orsix men who followed about ten paces behind him; and in the politesttone, 'Monsieur Duke,' said he to me, 'and you madame,' continued he,addressing the lady on my arm--"
"The doctor's niece?"
"Hold your tongue, Porthos," said Athos; "you are insupportable."
"'--will you enter this carriage, and that without offering the leastresistance, without making the least noise?'"
"He took you for Buckingham!" cried d'Artagnan.
"I believe so," replied Aramis.
"But the lady?" asked Porthos.
"He took her for the queen!" said d'Artagnan.
"Just so," replied Aramis.
"The Gascon is the devil!" cried Athos; "nothing escapes him."
"The fact is," said Porthos, "Aramis is of the same height, andsomething of the shape of the duke; but it nevertheless appears to methat the dress of a Musketeer--"
"I wore an enormous cloak," said Aramis.
"In the month of July? The devil!" said Porthos. "Is the doctor afraidthat you may be recognized?"
"I can comprehend that the spy may have been deceived by the person; butthe face--"
"I had a large hat," said Aramis.
"Oh, good lord," cried Porthos, "what precautions for the study oftheology!"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," said d'Artagnan, "do not let us lose our time injesting. Let us separate, and let us seek the mercer's wife--that is thekey of the intrigue."
"A woman of such inferior condition! Can you believe so?" said Porthos,protruding his lips with contempt.
"She is goddaughter to Laporte, the confidential valet of the queen.Have I not told you so, gentlemen? Besides, it has perhaps been herMajesty's calculation to seek on this occasion for support so lowly.High heads expose themselves from afar, and the cardinal islongsighted."
"Well," said Porthos, "in the first place make a bargain with themercer, and a good bargain."
"That's useless," said d'Artagnan; "for I believe if he does not pay us,we shall be well enough paid by another party."
At this moment a sudden noise of footsteps was heard upon the stairs;the door was thrown violently open, and the unfortunate mercer rushedinto the chamber in which the council was held.
"Save me, gentlemen, for the love of heaven, save me!" cried he. "Thereare four men come to arrest me. Save me! Save me!"
Porthos and Aramis arose.
"A moment," cried d'Artagnan, making them a sign to replace in thescabbard their half-drawn swords. "It is not courage that is needed; itis prudence."
"And yet," cried Porthos, "we will not leave--"
"You will leave d'Artagnan to act as he thinks proper," said Athos. "Hehas, I repeat, the longest head of the four, and for my part I declarethat I will obey him. Do as you think best, d'Artagnan."
At this moment the four Guards appeared at the door of the antechamber,but seeing four Musketeers standing, and their swords by their sides,they hesitated about going farther.
"Come in, gentlemen, come in," called d'Artagnan; "you are here in myapartment, and we are all faithful servants of the king and cardinal."
"Then, gentlemen, you will not oppose our executing the orders we havereceived?" asked one who appeared to be the leader of the party.
"On the contrary, gentlemen, we would assist you if it were necessary."
"What does he say?" grumbled Porthos.
"You are a simpleton," said Athos. "Silence!"
"But you promised me--" whispered the poor mercer.
"We can only save you by being free ourselves," replied d'Artagnan, in arapid, low tone; "and if we appear inclined to defend you, they willarrest us with you."
"It seems, nevertheless--"
"Come, gentlemen, come!" said d'Artagnan, aloud; "I have no motive fordefending Monsieur. I saw him today for the first time, and he can tellyou on what occasion; he came to demand the rent of my lodging. Is thatnot true, Monsieur Bonacieux? Answer!"
"That is the very truth," cried the mercer; "but Monsieur does not tellyou--"
"Silence, with respect to me, silence, with respect to my friends;silence about the queen, above all, or you will ruin everybody withoutsaving yourself! Come, come, gentlemen, remove the fellow." Andd'Artagnan pushed the half-stupefied mercer among the Guards, saying tohim, "You are a shabby old fellow, my dear. You come to demand money ofme--of a Musketeer! To prison with him! Gentlemen, once more, take himto prison, and keep him under key as long as possible; that will give metime to pay him."
The officers were full of thanks, and took away their prey. As they weregoing down d'Artagnan laid his hand on the shoulder of their leader.
"May I not drink to your health, and you to mine?" said d'Artagnan,filling two glasses with the Beaugency wine which he had obtained fromthe liberality of M. Bonacieux.
"That will do me great honor," said the leader of the posse, "and Iaccept thankfully."
"Then to yours, monsieur--what is your name?"
"Boisrenard."
"Monsieur Boisrenard."
"To yours, my gentlemen! What is your name, in your turn, if youplease?"
"d'Artagnan."
"To yours, monsieur."
"And above all others," cried d'Artagnan, as if carried away by hisenthusiasm, "to that of the king and the cardinal."
The leader of the posse would perhaps have doubted the sincerity ofd'Artagnan if the wine had been bad; but the wine was good, and he wasconvinced.
"What diabolical villainy you have performed here," said Porthos, whenthe officer had rejoined his companions and the four friends foundthemselves alone. "Shame, shame, for four Musketeers to allow anunfortunate fellow who cried for help to be arrested in their midst! Anda gentleman to hobnob with a bailiff!"
"Porthos," said Aramis, "Athos has already told you that you are asimpleton, and I am quite of his opinion. D'Artagnan, you are a greatman; and when you occupy Monsieur de Treville's place, I will come andask your influence to secure me an abbey."
"Well, I am in a maze," said Porthos; "do YOU approve of what d'Artagnanhas done?"
"PARBLEU! Indeed I do," said Athos; "I not only approve of what he hasdone, but I congratulate him upon it."
"And now, gentlemen," said d'Artagnan, without stopping to explain hisconduct to Porthos, "All for one, one for all--that is our motto, is itnot?"
"And yet--" said Porthos.
"Hold out your hand and swear!" cried Athos and Aramis at once.
Overcome by example, grumbling to himself, nevertheless, Porthosstretched out his hand, and the four friends repeated with one voice theformula dictated by d'Artagnan:
"All for one, one for all."
"That's well! Now let us everyone retire to his own home," saidd'Artagnan, as if he had done nothing but command all his life; "andattention! For from this moment we are at feud with the cardinal."