The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [195]
“Monsieur le chevalier,” said Kitty, “far or near, I will always love you.”
“Where the devil will constancy find its nesting place?”143 murmured Athos.
“I, too,” said d’Artagnan, “I, too, will always love you, rest assured. But come, answer me. I attach great importance to the question I’m asking you now: did you ever hear mention of a young lady who was abducted one night?”
“Wait a moment…Oh, my God! Monsieur le chevalier, are you still in love with that woman?”
“No, one of my friends is in love with her. In fact, it’s Athos here.”
“I?” cried Athos, with an accent like that of a man who sees that he is about to tread on a snake.
“Of course, you!” said d’Artagnan, squeezing Athos’s hand. “You know very well what interest we all take in that poor little Mme Bonacieux. Besides, Kitty won’t say anything, will you, Kitty? You understand, my child,” d’Artagnan went on, “she’s the wife of that ugly ape you saw on the doorstep when you came here.”
“Oh, my God,” cried Kitty, “you remind me of how frightened I was! If only he didn’t recognize me!”
“What do you mean, recognize? So you’ve seen that man before?”
“He came to Milady’s twice.”
“Of course! When was that?”
“Why, some fifteen or eighteen days ago.”
“Exactly.”
“And last evening he came back.”
“Last evening.”
“Yes, a moment before you came yourself.”
“My dear Athos, we’re enveloped in a web of spies! And do you think he recognized you, Kitty?”
“I pulled down my scarf when I saw him, but maybe it was too late.”
“Go down, Athos, and see if he’s still at the door. He distrusts you less than he does me.”
Athos went down and came back up at once.
“He’s gone,” he said, “and the house is locked.”
“He went to make his report and say that right now all the pigeons are in the dovecote.”
“Well, then, let’s fly away,” said Athos, “and leave Planchet here to bring us news.”
“Wait a minute! What about Aramis? We’ve just sent for him.”
“That’s right,” said Athos, “let’s wait for Aramis.”
At that moment, Aramis came in.
They explained the affair to him and told him how urgent it was for him to find a place for Kitty among all his high-born acquaintances.
Aramis reflected for a moment and said, blushing:
“This will really be doing you a service, d’Artagnan?”
“I’ll be grateful to you all my life.”
“Well, then, Mme de Bois-Tracy has asked me for a reliable chambermaid, for one of her friends who lives in the provinces, I believe. If you, my dear d’Artagnan, can answer to me for Mademoiselle…”
“Oh, Monsieur!” cried Kitty, “I’ll be completely devoted to the person who gives me the means of leaving Paris, you can be sure of that.”
“In that case,” said Aramis, “it’s all for the best.”
He sat down at a table, wrote a little note, which he sealed with a ring, and handed it to Kitty.
“Now, my child,” said d’Artagnan, “you know that this place is no better for us than it is for you. And so, let us part. We shall meet again in better days.”
“And whenever we meet again, and wherever it may be,” said Kitty, “you will find I still love you as I do today.”
“A gambler’s oath,” said Athos, while d’Artagnan went to see Kitty down the stairs.
A moment later, the three young men separated, arranging a rendezvous for four o’clock at Athos’s and leaving Planchet to guard the house.
Aramis went home, and Athos and d’Artagnan concerned themselves with pawning the sapphire.
As our Gascon had foreseen, they easily got three hundred pistoles for the ring. Moreover, the Jew declared that if they wanted to sell it to him, as it would make him a magnificent set with a pair of earrings, he would give as much as five hundred pistoles for it.
Athos and d’Artagnan, with the diligence of two soldiers and the knowledge of two connoisseurs, spent barely three hours buying a whole musketeer’s outfit. Besides, Athos was of good character and a great lord to his fingertips. Each time something suited him, he paid the price that was asked without even trying to knock it down. D’Artagnan was going to make some observations about that, but Athos placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling, and