The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [197]
“He’s right,” said Porthos. “Battle! Besides, we’ve got to try out our weapons.”
“Yes, let’s give ourselves that pleasure,” said Aramis, with his gentle and nonchalant air.
“As you wish,” said Athos.
“Gentlemen,” said d’Artagnan, “it’s half-past four, and we barely have time to be on the road to Chaillot by six.”
“Then, too, if we leave too late, nobody will see us,” said Porthos, “and that will be a pity. Let’s get ready, gentlemen.”
“But the second letter,” said Athos, “you’re forgetting about that. It seems to me, however, that the seal suggests it’s well worth opening. As for me, I declare to you, my dear d’Artagnan, that I’m more worried about it than about that little bauble you’ve just slipped so daintily into your bosom.”
D’Artagnan blushed.
“Well, gentlemen,” said the young man, “let’s see what His Eminence wants with me.”
And d’Artagnan unsealed the letter and read:
M. d’Artagnan, king’s guard, company of des Essarts, is expected at the Palais Cardinal this evening at eight o’clock.
La Houdinière,144
Captain of the Guards
“Devil take it!” said Athos, “that’s a much more worrisome rendezvous than the other!”
“I’ll go to the second on coming from the first,” said d’Artagnan. “The one is for seven o’clock, the other for eight; there will be time for all of it.”
“Hm! I wouldn’t go,” said Aramis. “A gallant chevalier cannot miss a rendezvous accorded by a lady; but a prudent gentleman can be excused for not reporting to His Eminence, above all when he has some reason to believe that he is not going to receive any compliments there.”
“I’m of Aramis’s opinion,” said Porthos.
“Gentlemen,” replied d’Artagnan, “I already received a similar invitation from His Eminence through M. de Cavois, I ignored it, and the next day I suffered a great misfortune! Constance disappeared. Come what may, I’ll go.”
“If you’re set on it,” said Athos, “do it.”
“But the Bastille?” said Aramis.
“Bah! you’ll get me out,” replied d’Artagnan.
“Of course,” Aramis and Porthos picked up with admirable aplomb and as if it was the simplest of things, “of course we’ll get you out; but, in the meantime, as we have to leave the day after tomorrow, you’d do better not to risk the Bastille.”
“Let’s do better,” said Athos, “let’s not leave him all evening, let’s each wait at a door of the palace with three musketeers behind us. If we see some carriage come out with its curtains drawn and looking half suspicious, we’ll fall upon it. It’s a long time since we’ve had a bone to pick with the guards of M. le cardinal, and M. de Tréville must think we’ve died.”
“Decidedly, Athos,” said Aramis, “you were made to be a general. What do you say of the plan, gentlemen?”
“Admirable!” the young men repeated in chorus.
“Well, then,” said Porthos, “I’ll run to the hôtel; I’ll warn our comrades to be ready by eight o’clock; the rendezvous will be on the place du Palais Cardinal. Meanwhile, have the lackeys saddle the horses.”
“I have no horse,” said d’Artagnan. “I’ll go and take one from M. de Tréville.”
“That’s unnecessary,” said Aramis, “you can take one of mine.”
“How many do you have, then?” asked d’Artagnan.
“Three,” replied Aramis, smiling.
“My dear fellow,” said Athos, “you are certainly the most well-mounted poet in France and Navarre!”
“Listen, my dear Aramis, you don’t know what to do with three horses, do you? I don’t understand why you even bought three horses.”
“In fact, I only bought two,” said Aramis.
“So the third fell on you from the sky?”
“No, the third was brought to me just this morning by a servant without livery, who didn’t want to tell me whom he belonged to, and who informed me that he had received orders from his master…”
“Or his mistress,” interrupted d’Artagnan.
“That’s of no importance,” said Aramis, blushing. “And who informed me, I say, that he had received orders from his mistress to put this horse in my stable without telling me where it came from.”
“Such things only happen to poets,” Athos said gravely.
“Well, in that case, we’ll do better,” said d’Artagnan. “Which of the two horses will you ride—the