“Monsieur, I beg you to believe that in that case I should
be so much afflicted at your death, that I should not think
about the money.”
“Thank you, Planchet; but no matter. We shall, like two
lawyers’ clerks, draw up together an agreement, a sort of
act, which may be called a deed of company.”
“Willingly, monsieur.”
“I know it is difficult to draw such a thing up, but we can
try.”
“Let us try, then.” And Planchet went in search of pens,
ink, and paper. D’Artagnan took the pen and wrote: —
“Between Messire d’Artagnan, ex-lieutenant of the king’s
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musketeers, at present residing in the Rue Tiquetonne, Hotel
de la Chevrette; and the Sieur Planchet, grocer, residing in
the Rue les Lombards, at the sign of the Pilon d’Or, it has
been agreed as follows: — A company, with a capital of
forty thousand livres, and formed for the purpose of
carrying out an idea conceived by M. d’Artagnan, and the
said Planchet approving of it in all points, will place
twenty thousand livres in the hands of M. d’Artagnan. He
will require neither repayment nor interest before the
return of M. d’Artagnan from a journey he is about to take
into England. On his part, M. d’Artagnan undertakes to find
twenty thousand livres, which he will join to the twenty
thousand already laid down by the Sieur Planchet. He will
employ the said sum of forty thousand livres according to
his judgment in an undertaking which is described below. On
the day when M. d’Artagnan shall have re-established, by
whatever means, his majesty King Charles II. upon the throne
of England, he will pay into the hands of M. Planchet the
sum of —- ”
“The sum of a hundred and fifty thousand livres,” said
Planchet, innocently, perceiving that D’Artagnan hesitated.
“Oh, the devil, no!” said D’Artagnan, “the division cannot
be made by half; that would not be just.”
“And yet, monsieur; we each lay down half,” objected
Planchet, timidly.
“Yes; but listen to this clause, my dear Planchet, and if
you do not find it equitable in every respect when it is
written, well, we can scratch it out again: —
`Nevertheless, as M. d’Artagnan brings to the association,
besides his capital of twenty thousand livres, his time, his
idea, his industry and his skin, — things which he
appreciates strongly, particularly the last, — M.
d’Artagnan will keep, of the three hundred thousand livres
two hundred thousand livres for himself, which will make his
share two-thirds.”
“Very well,” said Planchet.
“Is it just?” asked D’Artagnan.
“Perfectly just, monsieur.”
“And you will be contented with a hundred thousand livres?”
“Peste! I think so. A hundred thousand for twenty thousand!”
“And in a month, understand.”
“How, in a month?”
“Yes, I only ask one month.”
“Monsieur,” said Planchet, generously, “I give you six
weeks.”
“Thank you,” replied the musketeer, politely; after which
the two partners reperused their deed.
“That is perfect, monsieur,” said Planchet, “and the late M.
Coquenard, the first husband of Madame la Baronne du Vallon,
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
could not have done it better.”
“Do you find it so? Let us sign it, then.” And both affixed
their signatures.
“In this fashion,” said D’Artagnan, “I shall be under
obligations to no one.”
“But I shall be under obligations to you,” said Planchet.
“No; for whatever store I set by it, Planchet, I may lose my
skin yonder, and you will lose all. A propos — peste! —
that makes me think of the principal, an indispensable
clause. I shall write it: — `In the case of M. d’Artagnan
dying in this enterprise, liquidation will be considered
made, and the Sieur Planchet will give quittance from that
moment to the shade of Messire d’Artagnan for the twenty
thousand livres paid by him into the hands of the said
company.'”
This last clause made Planchet knit his brows a little, but
when he saw the brilliant eye, the muscular hand, the supple
and strong back of his associate, he regained his courage,
and, without regret, he at once added another stroke to his
signature. D’Artagnan did the same. Thus was drawn the first