eyebrows.
“But stop, I tell you — it was no fault of Mouston’s
because he was ignorant of where you were.”
“I know he was; and that is why I am in such haste to
understand —- ”
“Oh! how impatient you are, Porthos.”
“When I do not comprehend, I am terrible.”
“Well, you will understand. Aramis wrote to you at
Pierrefonds, did he not?”
“Yes.”
“And he told you to come before the equinox.”
“That is true.”
“Well! that is it,” said D’Artagnan, hoping that this reason
would mystify Porthos. Porthos appeared to give himself up
to a violent mental labor.
“Yes, yes,” said he, “I understand. As Aramis told me to
come before the equinox, you have understood that that was
to join him. You then inquired where Aramis was, saying to
yourself, `Where Aramis is, there Porthos will be.’ You have
learnt that Aramis was in Bretagne, and you said to
yourself, `Porthos is in Bretagne.'”
“Exactly. In good truth, Porthos I cannot tell why you have
not turned conjurer. So you understand that arriving at
Roche-Bernard, I heard of the splendid fortifications going
on at Belle-Isle. The account raised my curiosity, I
embarked in a fishing boat, without dreaming that you were
here: I came, and I saw a monstrous fine fellow lifting a
stone Ajax could not have stirred. I cried out, `Nobody but
the Baron de Bracieux could have performed such a feat of
strength.’ You heard me, you turned round, you recognized
me, we embraced; and, ma foi! if you like, my dear friend,
we will embrace again.”
“Ah! now all is explained,” said Porthos; and he embraced
D’Artagnan with so much friendship as to deprive the
musketeer of his breath for five minutes.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Why, you are stronger than ever,” said D’Artagnan, “and
still, happily, in your arms.” Porthos saluted D’Artagnan
with a gracious smile. During the five minutes D’Artagnan
was recovering his breath, he reflected that he had a very
difficult part to play. It was necessary that he always
should question and never reply. By the time his respiration
returned, he had fixed his plans for the campaign.
CHAPTER 70
Wherein the Ideas of D’Artagnan, at first
strangely clouded, begin to clear up a little
D’Artagnan immediately took the offensive. Now that I have
told you all, dear friend, or rather now you have guessed
all, tell me what you are doing here, covered with dust and
mud?”
Porthos wiped his brow, and looked around him with pride.
“Why, it appears,” said he, “that you may see what I am
doing here.”
“No doubt, no doubt, you lift great stones.”
“Oh! to show these idle fellows what a man is,” said
Porthos, with contempt. “But you understand —- ”
“Yes, that it is not your place to lift stones, although
there are many whose place it is, who cannot lift them as
you do. It was that which made me ask you, just now, What
are you doing here, baron?”
“I am studying topography, chevalier.”
“You are studying topography?”
“Yes; but you — what are you doing in that common dress?”
D’Artagnan perceived he had committed a fault in giving
expression to his astonishment. Porthos had taken advantage
of it, to retort with a question. “Why,” said he, “you know
I am a bourgeois, in fact; my dress, then, has nothing
astonishing in it, since it conforms with my condition.”
“Nonsense! you are a musketeer.”
“You are wrong, my friend; I have given in my resignation.”
“Bah!”
“Oh, mon Dieu! yes.”
“And have you abandoned the service?”
“I have quitted it.”
“You have abandoned the king?”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Quite.”
Porthos raised his arms towards heaven, like a man who has
heard extraordinary news. “Well, that does confound me,”
said he.
“It is nevertheless true.”
“And what led you to form such a resolution?”
“The king displeased me. Mazarin had disgusted me for a long
time, as you know; so I threw my cassock to the nettles.”
“But Mazarin is dead.”
“I know that well enough, parbleu! Only, at the period of
his death, my resignation had been given in and accepted two