known company contract; perhaps such things have been abused
a little since, both in form and principle.
“Now,” said Planchet, pouring out the last glass of Anjou
wine for D’Artagnan, — “now go to sleep, my dear master.”
“No,” replied D’Artagnan; “for the most difficult part now
remains to be done, and I will think over that difficult
part.”
“Bah!” said Planchet; “I have such great confidence in you,
M. d’Artagnan, that I would not give my hundred thousand
livres for ninety thousand livres down.”
“And devil take me if I don’t think you are right!” Upon
which D’Artagnan took a candle and went up to his bedroom.
CHAPTER 21
In which D’Artagnan prepares to travel
for the Firm of Planchet and Company
D’Artagnan reflected to such good purpose during the night
that his plan was settled by morning. “This is it,” said he,
sitting up in bed, supporting his elbow on his knee, and his
chin in his hand; — “this is it. I shall seek out forty
steady, firm men, recruited among people a little
compromised, but having habits of discipline. I shall
promise them five hundred livres for a month if they return,
nothing if they do not return, or half for their kindred. As
to food and lodging, that concerns the English, who have
cattle in their pastures, bacon in their bacon-racks, fowls
in their poultry-yards, and corn in their barns. I will
present myself to General Monk with my little body of
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troops. He will receive me. I shall win his confidence, and
take advantage of it, as soon as possible.”
But without going farther, D’Artagnan shook his head and
interrupted himself. “No,” said he; “I should not dare to
relate this to Athos; the way is therefore not honorable. I
must use violence,” continued he, — “very certainly I must,
but without compromising my loyalty. With forty men I will
traverse the country as a partisan. But if I fall in with,
not forty thousand English, as Planchet said, but purely and
simply with four hundred, I shall be beaten. Supposing that
among my forty warriors there should be found at least ten
stupid ones — ten who will allow themselves to be killed
one after the other, from mere folly? No; it is, in fact,
impossible to find forty men to be depended upon — they do
not exist. I must learn how to be contented with thirty.
With ten men less I should have the right of avoiding any
armed encounter, on account of the small number of my
people; and if the encounter should take place, my chance is
better with thirty men than forty. Besides, I should save
five thousand francs; that is to say, the eighth of my
capital; that is worth the trial. This being so, I should
have thirty men. I shall divide them into three bands, — we
will spread ourselves about over the country, with an
injunction to reunite at a given moment; in this fashion,
ten by ten, we should excite no suspicion — we should pass
unperceived. Yes, yes, thirty — that is a magic number.
There are three tens — three, that divine number! And then,
truly, a company of thirty men, when all together, will look
rather imposing. Ah! stupid wretch that I am!” continued
D’Artagnan, “I want thirty horses. That is ruinous. Where
the devil was my head when I forgot the horses? We cannot,
however, think of striking such a blow without horses. Well,
so be it, that sacrifice must be made; we can get the horses
in the country — they are not bad, besides. But I forgot —
peste! Three bands — that necessitates three leaders; there
is the difficulty. Of the three commanders I have already
one — that is myself; — yes, but the two others will of
themselves cost almost as much money as all the rest of the
troop. No; positively I must have but one lieutenant. In
that ease, then, I should reduce my troop to twenty men. I
know very well that twenty men is but very little; but since
with thirty I was determined not to seek to come to blows, I