The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [192]
Then, with far more than a woman’s strength, Milady tried to break down the barrier that confined her to her room. Once she felt that it was impossible, she stabbed the door repeatedly with her dagger, sometimes piercing the entire thickness of the wood.
Each stab was accompanied by a terrible curse.
“Quick, Kitty, quick,” d’Artagnan said in a low voice, once the bolts were in place, “get me out of the hôtel! If we give her time to catch her breath, she’ll have me killed by the lackeys.”
“But you can’t go out like that,” said Kitty, “you’re quite naked.”
“That’s true,” said d’Artagnan, who only then noticed the costume he happened to be wearing, “that’s true. Dress me however you can, but let’s hurry. You understand, it’s a matter of life and death!”
Kitty understood only too well. With one flick of the wrist, she rigged him out in a flowery dress, a big head scarf, and a short cape, and she gave him a pair of slippers into which he slipped his bare feet. Then she led him down the stairs. They were just in time. Milady had already rung and awakened the whole hôtel. The gatekeeper drew the latch at the sound of Kitty’s voice just as Milady, half naked herself, shouted from the window:
“Don’t open!”
XXXVIII
HOW, WITHOUT STIRRING, ATHOS FOUND HIS OUTFIT
The young man ran off, while she went on threatening him with an impotent gesture. Just as she lost sight of him, Milady fell into a faint in her room.
D’Artagnan was so distraught that, without worrying about what would become of Kitty, he crossed half of Paris at a run and stopped only when he was at Athos’s door. The disorder of his mind, the terror that spurred him on, the shouts of some patrols that set off in pursuit of him, and the hoots of some passersby who, despite the late hour, were going about their business, only quickened his pace.
He crossed the courtyard, climbed the two stories to Athos, and pounded on the door fit to break it down.
Grimaud came to open, his eyes puffy with sleep. D’Artagnan rushed into the antechamber with such force that he almost knocked him over on the way.
Despite the poor lad’s habitual mutism, this time he found his tongue.
“Hey, hey, there!” he cried. “What do you want, you slut! What are you after, you strumpet!”
D’Artagnan lifted his head scarf and freed his hands from under the cape. At the sight of his mustaches and his bared sword, the poor devil realized he was dealing with a man.
He thought then that it was some assassin.
“Help! Help! Save me!” he cried.
“Shut up, wretch!” said the young man. “I’m d’Artagnan, don’t you recognize me? Where is your master?”
“You, M. d’Artagnan?” cried the terrified Grimaud. “Impossible!”
“Grimaud,” said Athos, coming from his room in a dressing gown, “I believe you have allowed yourself to speak.”
“Ah! Monsieur! it’s just that…”
“Silence.”
Grimaud contented himself with pointing out d’Artagnan to his master.
Athos recognized his comrade, and, phlegmatic as he was, let out a burst of laughter that was well motivated by the masquerade before his eyes: scarf askew, skirts falling over the shoes, sleeves pulled up, and mustaches bristling with emotion.
“Don’t laugh, my friend,” cried d’Artagnan, “in heaven’s name, don’t laugh, for, upon my soul, I’ll tell you, there’s nothing to laugh at.”
And he uttered these words with such a solemn air and such genuine fright that Athos immediately took him by the hands, crying:
“Are you wounded, my friend? You’re very pale.”
“No, but a terrible thing has just happened to me. Are you alone, Athos?”
“Pardieu! who do you suppose could be with me at this hour?”
“Good, good.”
And d’Artagnan hurried into Athos’s room.
“Well, speak!” said the latter, closing the door and sliding the bolts so that they would not be disturbed. “Is the king dead? Have you killed the cardinal? You’re all upset. Come, come, tell me, for I’m truly dying of worry.”
“Athos,” said d’Artagnan, taking off his woman’s clothing and appearing in his undershirt, “prepare yourself to hear a shocking, incredible story.”
“First take this dressing