“I begin to think you are, sire.”
“Then, monsieur, you will resume your functions. Your
company is quite disorganized since your departure and the
men go about drinking and rioting in the cabarets where they
fight, in spite of my edicts, and those of my father. You
will reorganize the service as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sire.”
“You will not again quit my person.”
“Very well, sire,”
“You will march with me to the army, you will encamp round
my tent.”
“Then, sire,” said D’Artagnan, “if it is only to impose upon
me a service like that, your majesty need not give me twenty
thousand livres a year. I shall not earn them.”
“I desire that you shall keep open house; I desire that you
should keep a liberal table; I desire that my captain of
musketeers should be a personage.”
“And I,” said D’Artagnan, bluntly; “I do not like easily
found money; I like money won! Your majesty gives me an idle
trade, which the first comer would perform for four thousand
livres.”
Louis XIV. began to laugh. “You are a true Gascon, Monsieur
d’Artagnan; you will draw my heart’s secret from me.”
“Bah! has your majesty a secret, then?”
“Yes, monsieur.”
“Well! then I accept the twenty thousand livres, for I will
keep that secret, and discretion is above all price, in
these times. Will your majesty speak now?”
“Boot yourself, Monsieur d’Artagnan, and to horse!”
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“Directly, sire.”
“Within two days.”
“That is well, sire: for I have my affairs to settle before
I set out; particularly if it is likely there should be any
blows stirring.”
“That may happen.”
“We can receive them! But, sire, you have addressed yourself
to avarice, to ambition; you have addressed yourself to the
heart of M. d’Artagnan, but you have forgotten one thing.”
“What is that?”
“You have said nothing to his vanity, when shall I be a
knight of the king’s orders?”
“Does that interest you?”
“Why, yes, sire. My friend Athos is quite covered with
orders, and that dazzles me.”
“You shall be a knight of my order a month after you have
taken your commission of captain.”
“Ah! ah!” said the officer, thoughtfully, “after the
expedition.”
“Precisely.”
“Where is your majesty going to send me?”
“Are you”acquainted with Bretagne?”
“Have you any friends there?”
“In Bretagne? No, ma foi!”
“So much the better. Do you know anything about
fortifications?”
“I believe I do, sire,” said D’Artagnan, smiling.
“That is to say you can readily distinguish a fortress from
a simple fortification, such as is allowed to chatelains or
vassals?”
“I distinguish a fort from a rampart as I distinguish a
cuirass from a raised pie-crust, sire. Is that sufficient?”
“Yes, monsieur. You will set out then.”
“For Bretagne?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
“Absolutely alone. That is to say, you must not even take a
lackey with you.”
“May I ask your majesty for what reason?”
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“Because, monsieur, it will be necessary to disguise
yourself sometimes, as the servant of a good family. Your
face is very well known in France, M. d’Artagnan.”
“And then, sire?”
“And then you will travel slowly through Bretagne, and will
examine carefully the fortifications of that country.”
“The coasts?”
“Yes, and the isles, commencing by Belle-Isle-en-Mer.”
“Ah! which belongs to M. Fouquet!” said D’Artagnan, in a
serious tone, raising his intelligent eye to Louis XIV.
“I fancy you are right, monsieur, and that Belle-Isle does
belong to M. Fouquet, in fact.”
“Then your majesty wishes me to ascertain if Belle-Isle is a
strong place?”
“Yes.”
“If the fortifications of it are new or old?”
“Precisely.”
“And if the vassals of M. Fouquet are sufficiently numerous
to form a garrison?”
“That is what I want to know; you have placed your finger on
the question.”
“And if they are not fortifying, sire?”
“You will travel about Bretagne, listening and judging.”
“Then I am a king’s spy?” said D’Artagnan, bluntly, twisting
his mustache.
“No, monsieur.”
“Your pardon, sire; I spy on your majesty’s account.”
“You start on a voyage of discovery, monsieur. Would you
march at the head of your musketeers, with your sword in