months. Then, feeling myself free, I set off for
Pierrefonds, to see my friend Porthos. I had heard talk of
the happy division you had made of your time, and I wished,
for a fortnight, to divide mine after your fashion.”
“My friend, you know that it is not for a fortnight my house
is open to you; it is for a year — for ten years — for
life.”
“Thank you, Porthos.”
“Ah! but perhaps you want money — do you?” said Porthos,
making something like fifty louis chink in his pocket. “In
that case, you know —- ”
“No, thank you, I am not in want of anything. I placed my
savings with Planchet, who pays me the interest of them.”
“Your savings?”
“Yes, to be sure,” said D’Artagnan: “why should I not put by
my savings, as well as another, Porthos?”
“Oh, there is no reason why; on the contrary, I always
suspected you — that is to say, Aramis always suspected you
to have savings. For my own part, d’ye see, I take no
concern about the management of my household; but I presume
the savings of a musketeer must be small.”
“No doubt, relative to yourself, Porthos, who are a
millionaire; but you shall judge. I had laid by twenty-five
thousand livres.”
“That’s pretty well,” said Porthos, with an affable air.
“And,” continued D’Artagnan, “on the twenty-eighth of last
month I added to it two hundred thousand livres more.”
Porthos opened his large eyes, which eloquently demanded of
the musketeer, “Where the devil did you steal such a sum as
that, my dear friend?” “Two hundred thousand livres!” cried
he, at length.
“Yes; which, with the twenty-five I had, and twenty thousand
I have about me, complete the sum of two hundred and
forty-five thousand livres.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“But tell me, whence comes this fortune?”
“I will tell you all about it presently, dear friend; but as
you have, in the first place, many things to tell me
yourself, let us have my recital in its proper order.”
“Bravo!” said Porthos, “then we are both rich. But what can
I have to relate to you?”
“You have to relate to me how Aramis came to be named —- ”
“Ah! bishop of Vannes.”
“That’s it ” said D’Artagnan, “bishop of Vannes. Dear
Aramis! do you know how he succeeded so well?”
“Yes, yes; without reckoning that he does not mean to stop
there.”
“What! do you mean he will not be contented with violet
stockings, and that he wants a red hat?”
“Hush! that is promised him.”
“Bah! by the king?”
“By somebody more powerful than the king.”
“Ah! the devil! Porthos: what incredible things you tell me,
my friend!”
“Why incredible? Is there not always somebody in France more
powerful than the king?”
“Oh, yes; in the time of King Louis XIII. it was Cardinal
Richelieu; in the time of the Regency it was Cardinal
Mazarin. In the time of Louis XIV. it is M. —- ”
“Go on.”
“It is M. Fouquet.”
“Jove! you have hit it the first time.”
“So, then, I suppose it is M. Fouquet who has promised
Aramis the red hat?”
Porthos assumed an air of reserve. “Dear friend,” said he,
“God preserve me from meddling with the affairs of others,
above all from revealing secrets it may be to their interest
to keep. When you see Aramis, he will tell you all he thinks
he ought to tell you.”
“You are right, Porthos; and you are quite a padlock for
safety. But, to revert to yourself?”
“Yes,” said Porthos.
“You said just now you came hither to study topography?”
“I did so.”
“Tudieu! my friend, what fine things you will do!”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“How do you mean?”
“Why, these fortifications are admirable.”
“Is that your opinion?”
“Decidedly it is. In truth, to anything but a regular siege,
Belle-Isle is absolutely impregnable.”
Porthos rubbed his hands. “That is my opinion,” said he.
“But who the devil has fortified this paltry little place in
this manner?”
Porthos drew himself up proudly: “Did not I tell you who?”
“No.”
“Do you not suspect?”