myself to be drawn towards the son from sympathy for this
same principle. Besides, he was a worthy knight, a noble
creature, that father: do you remember him?”
“Yes; that is true; he was a brave, an excellent man, who
led a sad life, but made a fine end.”
“Well, my dear D’Artagnan, understand this; to that king, to
that man of heart, to that friend of my thoughts, if I durst
venture to say so, I swore at the last hour to preserve
faithfully the secret of a deposit which was to be
transmitted to his son, to assist him in his hour of need.
This young man came to me; he described his destitution; he
was ignorant that he was anything to me save a living memory
of his father. I have accomplished towards Charles II. what
I promised Charles I.; that is all! Of what consequence is
it to me, then, whether he be grateful or not? It is to
myself I have rendered a service, by relieving myself of
this responsibility, and not to him.”
“Well, I have always said,” replied D’Artagnan, with a sigh,
“that disinterestedness was the finest thing in the world.”
Page 197
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Well, and you, my friend,” resumed Athos, “are you not in
the same situation as myself? If I have properly understood
your words, you allowed yourself to be affected by the
misfortunes of this young man; that, on your part, was much
greater than it was upon mine, for I had a duty to fulfill,
whilst you were under no obligation to the son of the
martyr. You had not, on your part, to pay him the price of
that precious drop of blood which he let fall upon my brow,
through the floor of his scaffold. That which made you act
was heart alone — the noble and good heart which you
possess beneath your apparent skepticism and sarcastic
irony; you have engaged the fortune of a servitor, and your
own, I suspect, my benevolent miser! and your sacrifice is
not acknowledged! Of what consequence is it? You wish to
repay Planchet his money. I can comprehend that, my friend:
for it is not becoming in a gentleman to borrow from his
inferior, without returning to him principal and interest.
Well, I will sell La Fere if necessary, and if not, some
little farm. You shall pay Planchet, and there will be
enough, believe me, of corn left in my granaries for us two
and Raoul. In this way, my friend, you will be under
obligations to nobody but yourself, and, if I know you well,
it will not be a small satisfaction to your mind to be able
to say, `I have made a king!’ Am I right?”
“Athos! Athos!” murmured D’Artagnan, thoughtfully, “I have
told you more than once that the day on which you will
preach I shall attend the sermon; the day on which you will
tell me there is a hell — Mordioux! I shall be afraid of
the gridiron and the pitchforks. You are better than I, or
rather, better than anybody, and I only acknowledge the
possession of one quality, and that is, of not being
jealous. Except that defect, damme, as the English say, if I
have not all the rest.”
“I know no one equal to D’Artagnan,” replied Athos; “but
here we are, having quietly reached the house I inhabit.
Will you come in, my friend?”
“Eh! why, this is the tavern of the Corne du Cerf, I think,”
said D’Artagnan.
“I confess I chose it on purpose. I like old acquaintances;
I like to sit down on that place, whereon I sank, overcome
by fatigue, overwhelmed with despair, when you returned on
the 31st of January.”
“After having discovered the abode of the masked
executioner? Yes, that was a terrible day!”
“Come in, then,” said Athos, interrupting him.
They entered the large apartment, formerly the common one.
The tavern, in general, and this room in particular, had
undergone great changes; the ancient host of the musketeers,
having become tolerably rich for an innkeeper, had closed
his shop, and made of this room of which we were speaking, a
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