Ten Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part two

regular, brings every twelve hours its contingency to my

coffers. I am the first Parisian who has dreamt of such a

speculation. Do not say anything about it, I beg of you, and

in a short time we will communicate on the matter. I am to

have three leagues of country for thirty thousand livres.”

Aramis darted a look at Porthos, as if to ask if all this

were true, if some snare were not concealed beneath this

outward indifference. But soon, as if ashamed of having

consulted this poor auxiliary, he collected all his forces

for a fresh assault and new defense. “I heard that you had

had some difference with the court but that you had come out

of it as you know how to get through everything, D’Artagnan,

with the honors of war.”

“I!” said the musketeer, with a burst of laughter that did

not conceal his embarrassment, for, from these words, Aramis

was not unlikely to be acquainted with his last relations

with the king. “I! Oh, tell me all about that, pray,

Aramis?”

“Yes, it was related to me, a poor bishop, lost in the

middle of the Landes, that the king had taken you as the

confidant of his amours.”

“With whom?”

“With Mademoiselle de Mancini.”

D’Artagnan breathed freely again. “Ah! I don’t say no to

that,” replied he.

“It appears that the king took you one morning over the

bridge of Blois to talk with his lady-love.”

“That’s true,” said D’Artagnan. “And you know that, do you?

Well, then, you must know that the same day I gave in my

resignation!”

“What, sincerely?”

“Nothing more so.”

“It was after that, then, that you went to the Comte de la

Fere’s?”

“Yes.”

“Afterwards to me?”

“Yes.”

“And then Porthos?”

“Yes.”

“Was it in order to pay us a simple visit?”

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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later

“No, I did not know you were engaged, and I wished to take

you with me into England.”

“Yes, I understand; and then you executed alone, wonderful

man as you are, what you wanted to propose to us all four. I

suspected you had something to do with that famous

restoration, when I learned that you had been seen at King

Charles’s receptions, and that he appeared to treat you like

a friend, or rather like a person to whom he was under an

obligation.”

“But how the devil did you learn all that?” asked

D’Artagnan, who began to fear that the investigation of

Aramis had extended further than he wished.

“Dear D’Artagnan,” said the prelate, “my friendship

resembles, in a degree, the solicitude of that night watch

whom we have in the little tower of the mole, at the

extremity of the quay. That brave man, every night, lights a

lantern to direct the barks that come from sea. He is

concealed in his sentry-box, and the fishermen do not see

him; but he follows them with interest; he divines them; he

calls them; he attracts them into the way to the port. I

resemble this watcher: from time to time some news reaches

me, and recalls to my remembrance all those I loved. Then I

follow the friends of old days over the stormy ocean of the

world, I, a poor watcher, to whom God has kindly given the

shelter of a sentry-box.”

“Well, what did I do when I came from England?”

“Ah! there,” replied Aramis, “you get beyond my depth. I

know nothing of you since your return. D’Artagnan, my eyes

are dim. I regretted you did not think of me. I wept over

your forgetfulness. I was wrong. I see you again, and it is

a festival, a great festival, I assure you, solemnly! How is

Athos?”

“Very well, thank you.”

“And our young pupil, Raoul?”

“He seems to have inherited the skill of his father, Athos,

and the strength of his tutor, Porthos.”

“And on what occasion have you been able to judge of that?”

“Eh! mon Dieu! on the eve of my departure from Paris.”

“Indeed! tell me all about it!”

“Yes; there was an execution at the Greve, and in

consequence of that execution, a riot. We happened by

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