The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [56]
“To continue, then,” Aramis went on. “This niece sometimes comes to see her uncle. Now, she happened to be there yesterday at the same time I was, by chance, and I had to show her to her carriage.”
“Ah, the doctor’s niece has a carriage?” interrupted Porthos, one of whose failings was great verbal incontinence. “A nice acquaintance, my friend.”
“Porthos,” Aramis picked up, “I’ve already pointed out to you more than once that you are extremely indiscreet, and that it does you harm with women.”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” cried d’Artagnan, who began to see the point of the game, “this is a serious thing; let’s try not to joke if we can help it. Go on, Aramis, go on.”
“All of a sudden a tall man, dark-haired, with the manners of a gentleman…in fact, just like your man, d’Artagnan…”
“The same, perhaps,” said the latter.
“It’s possible,” Aramis continued, “…approached me, accompanied by five or six men who followed ten paces behind him, and said to me in the most polite tone: ‘Monsieur le duc, and you, Madame,’ he went on, turning to the lady who was on my arm…”
“The doctor’s niece?”
“Be quiet, Porthos,” said Athos, “you’re insufferable!”
“‘…kindly get into this carriage, and without offering the slightest resistance, without making the slightest 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.
“Precisely,” said Aramis.
“The Gascon’s a real devil!” cried Athos. “Nothing escapes him!”
“The fact is,” said Porthos, “that Aramis is the same size and has something of the same figure as the handsome duke. It seems to me, however, that the uniform of a musketeer…”
“I had an enormous cloak,” said Aramis.
“In the month of July, devil take it!” said Porthos. “Is the doctor afraid you’ll be recognized?”
“I can understand,” said Athos, “that the spy was taken in by the figure; but the face…”
“I had a big hat,” said Aramis.
“Oh, my God!” cried Porthos. “Such precautions in order to study theology!”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” said d’Artagnan, “don’t waste time bantering. Let’s divide up and search for the mercer’s wife, that’s the key to the plot.”
“A woman of such inferior condition? Do you really think so, d’Artagnan?” said Porthos, drawing out his lips in disdain.
“She’s the goddaughter of La Porte, the queen’s trusted valet. Didn’t I tell you that, gentlemen? And besides, maybe it was out of calculation that Her Majesty sought support, this time, in such low places. High heads can be seen from far off, and the cardinal has good eyes.”
“Well, then,” said Porthos, “first come to a price with the mercer—and a good price!”
“There’s no point,” said d’Artagnan, “for I believe that if he doesn’t pay us, we’ll be paid well enough from another quarter.”
At that moment, the noise of hurrying footsteps was heard on the stairs, the door opened with a bang, and the unfortunate mercer flew into the room where the council was being held.
“Ah, gentlemen!” he cried. “Save me, in the name of heaven, save me! Four men have come to arrest me! Save me, save me!”
Porthos and Aramis stood up.
“One moment,” cried d’Artagnan, making a sign for them to push their half-drawn swords back into their scabbards, “one moment, it’s not courage that’s needed here, it’s prudence.”
“All the same,” cried Porthos, “we won’t let…”
“You’ll let d’Artagnan do it,” said Athos. “He is, I repeat, the best head among us, and I, for my part, declare that I will obey him. Do as you like, d’Artagnan.”
At that moment, the four guards appeared at the door of the antechamber, and seeing four musketeers standing with swords at their sides, hesitated to go further.
“Come in, gentlemen, come in,” cried d’Artagnan. “You are here in my home, and we are all faithful servants of the king and M. le cardinal.”
“In that case, gentlemen, you won’t oppose us if we carry out the orders we’ve received?” asked the one who seemed to be the chief of the squad.
“On the contrary, gentlemen, and