“That shall be done, Monseigneur.”
“The present order gives you the right to visit and search all the isles along the coast; you will there make the enrolments and levies you may want for me.”
“Yes, Monsieur the Duke.”
“And as you are an active man, and will work freely, you will spend much money.”
“I hope not, Monseigneur.”
“But I reckon you will. My intendant has prepared orders of a thousand livres, drawn upon the cities of the south; he will give you a hundred of them. Now, dear Viscount, begone!” Athos interrupted the Prince. “Keep your money, Monseigneur; war is to be made among the Arabs with gold as well as lead.”
“I wish to try the contrary,” replied the duke; “and then, you are acquainted with my ideas upon the expedition,- plenty of noise, plenty of fire, and, if so it must be, I shall disappear in the smoke.” Having spoken thus, M. de Beaufort began to laugh; but his mirth was not reciprocated by Athos and Raoul. He perceived this at once. “Ah,” said he, with the courteous egotism of his rank and his age, “you are such people as a man should not see after dinner; you are cold, stiff, and dry, when I am all fire, all suppleness, and all wine. No, devil take me! I shall always see you fasting, Viscount; and you, Count, if you wear such a face as that, I will see no more.”
He said this, pressing the hand of Athos, who replied with a smile, “Monseigneur, do not talk so grandly because you happen to have plenty of money. I predict that within a month you will be dry, stiff, and cold in presence of your strong box, and that then, having Raoul at your elbow, fasting, you will be surprised to see him gay, animated, and generous, because he will have some new crowns to offer you.”
“God grant it may be so!” cried the delighted duke. “Count, stay with me.”
“No, I shall go with Raoul; the mission with which you charge him is a troublesome and a difficult one. Alone, it would be too much for him to execute. You do not observe, Monseigneur, that you have given him a command of the first order.”
“Bah!”
“And in the navy!”
“That may be true. But when people resemble him, do they not do all that is required of them?”
“Monseigneur, I believe you will find nowhere so much zeal and intelligence, so much real bravery, as in Raoul; but if he failed in your embarkation, you would only meet with what you deserve.”
“Humph! you are scolding me, then?”
“Prince, to provision a fleet, to assemble a flotilla, to enroll your maritime force, would take an admiral a year. Raoul is a cavalry officer, and you allow him a fortnight!”
“I tell you he will get through.”
“He may; but I will help him.”
“To be sure you will,- I reckoned upon you; and still further, I believe that when we are once at Toulon you will not let him depart alone.”
“Oh!” said Athos, shaking his head.
“Patience! patience!”
“Monseigneur, permit us to take our leave.”
“Go, then, and may my good fortune attend you!”
“Adieu, Monseigneur; and may your good fortune attend you likewise!”
“Here is an expedition admirably begun!” said Athos to his son. “No provisions, no reserves, no store flotilla! What can be done thus?”
“Humph!” murmured Raoul; “if all are going to do as I am, provisions will not be wanted.”
“Monsieur,” replied Athos, sternly, “do not be unjust and senseless in your egotism, or your grief, whichever you please to call it. If you set out for this war solely with the intention of getting killed in it, you stand in need of nobody, and it was scarcely worth while to recommend you to M. de Beaufort. But when you have been introduced to the Prince commandant; when you have accepted the responsibility of a post in his army,- the question is no longer about you, but about all those poor soldiers who as well as you have hearts and bodies, who will weep for their country and endure all the necessities of their human condition. Remember, Raoul, that an officer is a minister as useful as a priest, and that he ought to have more charity than a priest.”