38 HOW, WITHOUT INCOMMDING HIMSELF, ATHOS PROCURES HIS EQUIPMENT
D'Artagnan was so completely bewildered that without taking any heed ofwhat might become of Kitty he ran at full speed across half Paris, anddid not stop till he came to Athos's door. The confusion of his mind,the terror which spurred him on, the cries of some of the patrol whostarted in pursuit of him, and the hooting of the people who,notwithstanding the early hour, were going to their work, only made himprecipitate his course.
He crossed the court, ran up the two flights to Athos's apartment, andknocked at the door enough to break it down.
Grimaud came, rubbing his half-open eyes, to answer this noisy summons,and d'Artagnan sprang with such violence into the room as nearly tooverturn the astonished lackey.
In spite of his habitual silence, the poor lad this time found hisspeech.
"Holloa, there!" cried he; "what do you want, you strumpet? What's yourbusiness here, you hussy?"
D'Artagnan threw off his hood, and disengaged his hands from the foldsof the cloak. At sight of the mustaches and the naked sword, the poordevil perceived he had to deal with a man. He then concluded it must bean assassin.
"Help! murder! help!" cried he.
"Hold your tongue, you stupid fellow!" said the young man; "I amd'Artagnan; don't you know me? Where is your master?"
"You, Monsieur d'Artagnan!" cried Grimaud, "impossible."
"Grimaud," said Athos, coming out of his apartment in a dressing gown,"Grimaud, I thought I heard you permitting yourself to speak?"
"Ah, monsieur, it is--"
"Silence!"
Grimaud contented himself with pointing d'Artagnan out to his masterwith his finger.
Athos recognized his comrade, and phlegmatic as he was, he burst into alaugh which was quite excused by the strange masquerade before hiseyes--petticoats falling over his shoes, sleeves tucked up, andmustaches stiff with agitation.
"Don't laugh, my friend!" cried d'Artagnan; "for heaven's sake, don'tlaugh, for upon my soul, it's no laughing matter!"
And he pronounced these words with such a solemn air and with such areal appearance of terror, that Athos eagerly seized his hand, crying,"Are you wounded, my friend? How pale you are!"
"No, but I have just met with a terrible adventure! Are you alone,Athos?"
"PARBLEU! whom do you expect to find with me at this hour?"
"Well, well!" and d'Artagnan rushed into Athos's chamber.
"Come, speak!" said the latter, closing the door and bolting it, thatthey might not be disturbed. "Is the king dead? Have you killed thecardinal? You are quite upset! Come, come, tell me; I am dying withcuriosity and uneasiness!"
"Athos," said d'Artagnan, getting rid of his female garments, andappearing in his shirt, "prepare yourself to hear an incredible, anunheard-of story."
"Well, but put on this dressing gown first," said the Musketeer to hisfriend.
D'Artagnan donned the robe as quickly as he could, mistaking one sleevefor the other, so greatly was he still agitated.
"Well?" said Athos.
"Well," replied d'Artagnan, bending his mouth to Athos's ear, andlowering his voice, "Milady is marked with a FLEUR-DE-LIS upon hershoulder!"
"Ah!" cried the Musketeer, as if he had received a ball in his heart.
"Let us see," said d'Artagnan. "Are you SURE that the OTHER is dead?"
"THE OTHER?" said Athos, in so stifled a voice that d'Artagnan scarcelyheard him.
"Yes, she of whom you told me one day at Amiens."
Athos uttered a groan, and let his head sink on his hands.
"This is a woman of twenty-six or twenty-eight years."
"Fair," said Athos, "is she not?"
"Very."
"Blue and clear eyes, of a strange brilliancy, with black eyelids andeyebrows?"
"Yes."
"Tall, well-made? She has lost a tooth, next to the eyetooth on theleft?"
"Yes."
"The FLEUR-DE-LIS is small, rosy in color, and looks as if efforts hadbeen made to efface it by the application of poultices?"
"Yes."
"But you say she is English?"
"She is called Milady, but she may be French. Lord de Winter is only herbrother-in-law."
"I will see her, d'Artagnan!"
"Beware, Athos, beware. You tried to kill her; she is a woman to returnyou the like, and not to fail."
"She will not dare to say anything; that would be to denounce herself."
"She is capable of anything or everything. Did you ever see herfurious?"
"No," said Athos.
"A tigress, a panther! Ah, my dear Athos, I am greatly afraid I havedrawn a terrible vengeance on both of us!"
D'Artagnan then related all--the mad passion of Milady and her menacesof death.
"You are right; and upon my soul, I would give my life for a hair," saidAthos. "Fortunately, the day after tomorrow we leave Paris. We are goingaccording to all probability to La Rochelle, and once gone--"
"She will follow you to the end of the world, Athos, if she recognizesyou. Let her, then, exhaust her vengeance on me alone!"
"My dear friend, of what consequence is it if she kills me?" said Athos."Do you, perchance, think I set any great store by life?"
"There is something horribly mysterious under all this, Athos; thiswoman is one of the cardinal's spies, I am sure of that."
"In that case, take care! If the cardinal does not hold you in highadmiration for the affair of London, he entertains a great hatred foryou; but as, considering everything, he cannot accuse you openly, and ashatred must be satisfied, particularly when it's a cardinal's hatred,take care of yourself. If you go out, do not go out alone; when you eat,use every precaution. Mistrust everything, in short, even your ownshadow."
"Fortunately," said d'Artagnan, "all this will be only necessary tillafter tomorrow evening, for when once with the army, we shall have, Ihope, only men to dread."
"In the meantime," said Athos, "I renounce my plan of seclusion, andwherever you go, I will go with you. You must return to the Rue desFossoyeurs; I will accompany you."
"But however near it may be," replied d'Artagnan, "I cannot go thitherin this guise."
"That's true," said Athos, and he rang the bell.
Grimaud entered.
Athos made him a sign to go to d'Artagnan's residence, and bring backsome clothes. Grimaud replied by another sign that he understoodperfectly, and set off.
"All this will not advance your outfit," said Athos; "for if I am notmistaken, you have left the best of your apparel with Milady, and shewill certainly not have the politeness to return it to you. Fortunately,you have the sapphire."
"The jewel is yours, my dear Athos! Did you not tell me it was a familyjewel?"
"Yes, my grandfather gave two thousand crowns for it, as he once toldme. It formed part of the nuptial present he made his wife, and it ismagnificent. My mother gave it to me, and I, fool as I was, instead ofkeeping the ring as a holy relic, gave it to this wretch."
"Then, my friend, take back this ring, to which I see you attach muchvalue."
"I take back the ring, after it has passed through the hands of thatinfamous creature? Never; that ring is defiled, d'Artagnan."
"Sell it, then."
"Sell a jewel which came from my mother! I vow I should consider it aprofanation."
"Pledge it, then; you can borrow at least a thousand crowns on it. Withthat sum you can extricate yourself from your present difficulties; andwhen you are full of money again, you can redeem it, and take it backcleansed from its ancient stains, as it will have passed through thehands of usurers."
Athos smiled.
"You are a capital companion, d'Artagnan," said be; "your never-failingcheerfulness raises poor souls in affliction. Well, let us pledge thering, but upon one condition."
"What?"
"That there shall be five hundred crowns for you, and five hundredcrowns for me."
"Don't dream it, Athos. I don't need the quarter of s
uch a sum--I who amstill only in the Guards--and by selling my saddles, I shall procure it.What do I want? A horse for Planchet, that's all. Besides, you forgetthat I have a ring likewise."
"To which you attach more value, it seems, than I do to mine; at least,I have thought so."
"Yes, for in any extreme circumstance it might not only extricate usfrom some great embarrassment, but even a great danger. It is not only avaluable diamond, but it is an enchanted talisman."
"I don't at all understand you, but I believe all you say to be true.Let us return to my ring, or rather to yours. You shall take half thesum that will be advanced upon it, or I will throw it into the Seine;and I doubt, as was the case with Polycrates, whether any fish will besufficiently complaisant to bring it back to us."
"Well, I will take it, then," said d'Artagnan.
At this moment Grimaud returned, accompanied by Planchet; the latter,anxious about his master and curious to know what had happened to him,had taken advantage of the opportunity and brought the garments himself.
d'Artagnan dressed himself, and Athos did the same. When the two wereready to go out, the latter made Grimaud the sign of a man taking aim,and the lackey immediately took down his musketoon, and prepared tofollow his master.
They arrived without accident at the Rue des Fossoyeurs. Bonacieux wasstanding at the door, and looked at d'Artagnan hatefully.
"Make haste, dear lodger," said he; "there is a very pretty girl waitingfor you upstairs; and you know women don't like to be kept waiting."
"That's Kitty!" said d'Artagnan to himself, and darted into the passage.
Sure enough! Upon the landing leading to the chamber, and crouchingagainst the door, he found the poor girl, all in a tremble. As soon asshe perceived him, she cried, "You have promised your protection; youhave promised to save me from her anger. Remember, it is you who haveruined me!"
"Yes, yes, to be sure, Kitty," said d'Artagnan; "be at ease, my girl.But what happened after my departure?"
"How can I tell!" said Kitty. "The lackeys were brought by the cries shemade. She was mad with passion. There exist no imprecations she did notpour out against you. Then I thought she would remember it was throughmy chamber you had penetrated hers, and that then she would suppose Iwas your accomplice; so I took what little money I had and the best ofmy things, and I got away.
"Poor dear girl! But what can I do with you? I am going away the dayafter tomorrow."
"Do what you please, Monsieur Chevalier. Help me out of Paris; help meout of France!"
"I cannot take you, however, to the siege of La Rochelle," aidd'Artagnan.
"No; but you can place me in one of the provinces with some lady of youracquaintance--in your own country, for instance."
"My dear little love! In my country the ladies do without chambermaids.But stop! I can manage your business for you. Planchet, go and findAramis. Request him to come here directly. We have something veryimportant to say to him."
"I understand," said Athos; "but why not Porthos? I should have thoughtthat his duchess--"
"Oh, Porthos's duchess is dressed by her husband's clerks," saidd'Artagnan, laughing. "Besides, Kitty would not like to live in the Rueaux Ours. Isn't it so, Kitty?"
"I do not care where I live," said Kitty, "provided I am well concealed,and nobody knows where I am."
"Meanwhile, Kitty, when we are about to separate, and you are no longerjealous of me--"
"Monsieur Chevalier, far off or near," said Kitty, "I shall always loveyou."
"Where the devil will constancy niche itself next?" murmured Athos.
"And I, also," said d'Artagnan, "I also. I shall always love you; besure of that. But now answer me. I attach great importance to thequestion I am about to put to you. Did you never hear talk of a youngwoman who was carried off one night?"
"There, now! Oh, Monsieur Chevalier, do you love that woman still?"
"No, no; it is one of my friends who loves her--Monsieur Athos, thisgentleman here."
"I?" cried Athos, with an accent like that of a man who perceives he isabout to tread upon an adder.
"You, to be sure!" said d'Artagnan, pressing Athos's hand. "You know theinterest we both take in this poor little Madame Bonacieux. Besides,Kitty will tell nothing; will you, Kitty? You understand, my dear girl,"continued d'Artagnan, "she is the wife of that frightful baboon you sawat the door as you came in."
"Oh, my God! You remind me of my fright! If he should have known meagain!"
"How? know you again? Did you ever see that man before?"
"He came twice to Milady's."
"That's it. About what time?"
"Why, about fifteen or eighteen days ago."
"Exactly so."
"And yesterday evening he came again."
"Yesterday evening?"
"Yes, just before you came."
"My dear Athos, we are enveloped in a network of spies. And do youbelieve he knew you again, Kitty?"
"I pulled down my hood as soon as I saw him, but perhaps it was toolate."
"Go down, Athos--he mistrusts you less than me--and see if he be stillat his door."
Athos went down and returned immediately.
"He has gone," said he, "and the house door is shut."
"He has gone to make his report, and to say that all the pigeons are atthis moment in the dovecot."
"Well, then, let us all fly," said Athos, "and leave nobody here butPlanchet to bring us news."
"A minute. Aramis, whom we have sent for!"
"That's true," said Athos; "we must wait for Aramis."
At that moment Aramis entered.
The matter was all explained to him, and the friends gave him tounderstand that among all his high connections he must find a place forKitty.
Aramis reflected for a minute, and then said, coloring, "Will it bereally rendering you a service, d'Artagnan?"
"I shall be grateful to you all my life."
"Very well. Madame de Bois-Tracy asked me, for one of her friends whoresides in the provinces, I believe, for a trustworthy maid. If you can,my dear d'Artagnan, answer for Mademoiselle-"
"Oh, monsieur, be assured that I shall be entirely devoted to the personwho will give me the means of quitting Paris."
"Then," said Aramis, "this falls out very well."
He placed himself at the table and wrote a little note which he sealedwith a ring, and gave the billet to Kitty.
"And now, my dear girl," said d'Artagnan, "you know that it is not goodfor any of us to be here. Therefore let us separate. We shall meet againin better days."
"And whenever we find each other, in whatever place it may be," saidKitty, "you will find me loving you as I love you today."
"Dicers' oaths!" said Athos, while d'Artagnan went to conduct Kittydownstairs.
An instant afterward the three young men separated, agreeing to meetagain at four o'clock with Athos, and leaving Planchet to guard thehouse.
Aramis returned home, and Athos and d'Artagnan busied themselves aboutpledging the sapphire.
As the Gascon had foreseen, they easily obtained three hundred pistoleson the ring. Still further, the Jew told them that if they would sell itto him, as it would make a magnificent pendant for earrings, he wouldgive five hundred pistoles for it.
Athos and d'Artagnan, with the activity of two soldiers and theknowledge of two connoisseurs, hardly required three hours to purchasethe entire equipment of the Musketeer. Besides, Athos was very easy, anda noble to his fingers' ends. When a thing suited him he paid the pricedemanded, without thinking to ask for any abatement. D'Artagnan wouldhave remonstrated at this; but Athos put his hand upon his shoulder,with a smile, and d'Artagnan understood that it was all very well forsuch a little Gascon gentleman as himself to drive a bargain, but notfor a man who had the bearing of a prince. The Musketeer met with asuperb Andalusian horse, black as jet, nostrils of fire, legs clean andelegant, rising six years. He examined him, and found him sound andwithout blemish. They asked a thousand livres for him.
/> He might perhaps have been bought for less; but while d'Artagnan wasdiscussing the price with the dealer, Athos was counting out the moneyon the table.
Grimaud had a stout, short Picard cob, which cost three hundred livres.
But when the saddle and arms for Grimaud were purchased, Athos had not asou left of his hundred and fifty pistoles. D'Artagnan offered hisfriend a part of his share which he should return when convenient.
But Athos only replied to this proposal by shrugging his shoulders.
"How much did the Jew say he would give for the sapphire if he purchasedit?" said Athos.
"Five hundred pistoles."
"That is to say, two hundred more--a hundred pistoles for you and ahundred pistoles for me. Well, now, that would be a real fortune to us,my friend; let us go back to the Jew's again."
"What! will you--"
"This ring would certainly only recall very bitter remembrances; then weshall never be masters of three hundred pistoles to redeem it, so thatwe really should lose two hundred pistoles by the bargain. Go and tellhim the ring is his, d'Artagnan, and bring back the two hundred pistoleswith you."
"Reflect, Athos!"
"Ready money is needful for the present time, and we must learn how tomake sacrifices. Go, d'Artagnan, go; Grimaud will accompany you with hismusketoon."
A half hour afterward, d'Artagnan returned with the two thousand livres,and without having met with any accident.
It was thus Athos found at home resources which he did not expect.