Ten Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part two

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.”

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