which disdains roads, and proudly casts anchor in mid-ocean.
D’Artagnan learnt all this without appearing the least in
the world astonished. He also learnt that the best way to
get intelligence was to go to La Roche-Bernard, a tolerably
important city at the mouth of the Vilaine. Perhaps there he
could embark; if not, crossing the salt marshes, he would
repair to Guerande-en-Croisic, to wait for an opportunity to
cross over to Belle-Isle. He had discovered, besides, since
his departure from Chateaubriand, that nothing would be
impossible for Furet under the impulsion of M. Agnan, and
nothing to M. Agnan through the initiative of Furet. He
prepared, then, to sup off a teal and a tourteau, in a hotel
of La Roche-Bernard, and ordered to be brought from the
cellar, to wash down these two Breton dishes, some cider,
which, the moment it touched his lips, he perceived to be
more Breton still.
CHAPTER 67
How D’Artagnan became acquainted with a Poet, who had
turned Printer for the sake of printing his own Verses
Before taking his place at table, D’Artagnan acquired, as
was his custom, all the information he could; but it is an
axiom of curiosity, that every man who wishes to question
well and fruitfully ought in the first place to lay himself
open to questions. D’Artagnan sought, then, with his usual
skill, a promising questioner in the hostelry of La
Roche-Bernard. At the moment, there were in the house, on
the first story, two travelers either preparing for supper,
or at supper itself. D’Artagnan had seen their nags in the
stable, and their equipages in the salle. One traveled with
a lackey, undoubtedly a person of consideration; — two
Perche mares, sleek, sound beasts, were suitable means of
locomotion. The other, a little fellow, a traveler of meagre
appearance, wearing a dusty surtout, dirty linen, and boots
more worn by the pavement than the stirrup, had come from
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
Nantes with a cart drawn by a horse so like Furet in color,
that D’Artagnan might have gone a hundred miles without
finding a better match. This cart contained divers large
packets wrapped in pieces of old stuff.
“That traveler yonder,” said D’Artagnan to himself, “is the
man for my money. He will do, he suits me; I ought to do for
and suit him; M. Agnan, with the gray doublet and the rusty
calotte, is not unworthy of supping with the gentleman of
the old boots and still older horse.”
This said, D’Artagnan called the host, and desired him to
send his teal, tourteau, and cider up to the chamber of the
gentleman of modest exterior. He himself climbed, a plate in
his hand, the wooden staircase which led to the chamber, and
began to knock at the door.
“Come in!” said the unknown. D’Artagnan entered, with a
simper on his lips, his plate under his arm, his hat in one
hand, his candle in the other.
“Excuse me, monsieur,” said he, “I am, as you are, a
traveler; I know no one in the hotel, and I have the bad
habit of losing my spirits when I eat alone, so that my
repast appears a bad one to me, and does not nourish me.
Your face, which I saw just now, when you came down to have
some oysters opened, — your face pleased me much. Besides,
I have observed you have a horse just like mine, and that
the host, no doubt on account of that resemblance, has
placed them side by side in the stable, where they appear to
agree amazingly well together. I therefore, monsieur, do not
see any reason why the masters should be separated when the
horses are united. Accordingly, I am come to request the
pleasure of being admitted to your table. My name is Agnan,
at your service, monsieur, the unworthy steward of a rich
seigneur, who wishes to purchase some salt-mines in this
country, and sends me to examine his future acquisitions. In
truth, monsieur, I should be well pleased if my countenance
were as agreeable to you as yours is to me; for, upon my
honor, I am quite at your service.”