Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“I can do something better than that, sir, I can speak
Flemish.”
“Where the devil didst thou learn it?”
“In Artois, where I fought for years. Listen, sir. Goeden
morgen, mynheer, eth teen begeeray le weeten the ge sond
heets omstand.”
“Which means?”
“Good-day, sir! I am anxious to know the state of your
health.”
“He calls that a language! But never mind, that will do
capitally.”
D’Artagnan opened the door and called out to a waiter to
desire Madeleine to come upstairs.
When the landlady made her appearance she expressed much
astonishment at seeing Planchet.
“My dear landlady,” said D’Artagnan, “I beg to introduce to
you your brother, who is arrived from Flanders and whom I am
going to take into my service.”
“My brother?”
“Wish your sister good-morning, Master Peter.”
“Wilkom, suster,” said Planchet.
“Goeden day, broder,” replied the astonished landlady.
“This is the case,” said D’Artagnan; “this is your brother,
Madeleine; you don’t know him perhaps, but I know him; he
has arrived from Amsterdam. You must dress him up during my
absence. When I return, which will be in about an hour, you
must offer him to me as a servant, and upon your
recommendation, though he doesn’t speak a word of French, I
take him into my service. You understand?”
“That is to say, I guess your wishes, and that is all that’s
necessary,” said Madeleine.
“You are a precious creature, my pretty hostess, and I am
much obliged to you.”
The next moment D’Artagnan was on his way to Notre Dame.
7
Touches upon the Strange Effects a Half-pistole may have
upon a Beadle and a Chorister.
D’Artagnan, as he crossed the Pont Neuf, congratulated
himself on having found Planchet again, for at that time an
intelligent servant was essential to him; nor was he sorry
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
that through Planchet and the situation which he held in Rue
des Lombards, a connection with the bourgeoisie might be
commenced, at that critical period when that class were
preparing to make war with the court party. It was like
having a spy in the enemy’s camp. In this frame of mind,
grateful for the accidental meeting with Planchet, pleased
with himself, D’Artagnan reached Notre Dame. He ran up the
steps, entered the church, and addressing a verger who was
sweeping the chapel, asked him if he knew Monsieur Bazin.
“Monsieur Bazin, the beadle?” said the verger. “Yes. There
he is, attending mass, in the chapel of the Virgin.”
D’Artagnan nearly jumped for joy; he had despaired of
finding Bazin, but now, he thought, since he held one end of
the thread he would be pretty sure to reach the other end.
He knelt down just opposite the chapel in order not to lose
sight of his man; and as he had almost forgotten his prayers
and had omitted to take a book with him, he made use of his
time in gazing at Bazin.
Bazin wore his dress, it may be observed, with equal dignity
and saintly propriety. It was not difficult to understand
that he had gained the crown of his ambition and that the
silver-mounted wand he brandished was in his eyes as
honorable a distinction as the marshal’s baton which Conde
threw, or did not throw, into the enemy’s line of battle at
Fribourg. His person had undergone a change, analogous to
the change in his dress; his figure had grown rotund and, as
it were, canonical. The striking points of his face were
effaced; he had still a nose, but his cheeks, fattened out,
each took a portion of it unto themselves; his chin had
joined his throat; his eyes were swelled up with the
puffiness of his cheeks; his hair, cut straight in holy
guise, covered his forehead as far as his eyebrows.
The officiating priest was just finishing mass whilst
D’Artagnan was looking at Bazin; he pronounced the words of
the holy Sacrament and retired, giving the benediction,
which was received by the kneeling communicants, to the
astonishment of D’Artagnan, who recognized in the priest the
coadjutor* himself, the famous Jean Francois Gondy, who at
that time, having a presentiment of the part he was to play,