Twenty Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part one

him; till now I have watched over his education and I have

made him, I hope, an accomplished gentleman; but I am now

obliged to return to the dangerous and wandering life of

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

party faction. To-morrow I plunge into an adventurous affair

in which I may be killed. Then it will devolve on you to

push him on in that world where he is called on to occupy a

place.”

“Rest assured,” cried the duchess, “I shall do what I can. I

have but little influence now, but all that I have shall

most assuredly be his. As to his title and fortune —- ”

“As to that, madame, I have made over to him the estate of

Bragelonne, my inheritance, which will give him ten thousand

francs a year and the title of vicomte.”

“Upon my soul, monsieur,” said the duchess, “you are a true

nobleman! But I am eager to see our young vicomte. Where is

he?”

“There, in the salon. I will have him come in, if you really

wish it.”

Athos moved toward the door; the duchess held him back.

“Is he handsome?” she asked.

Athos smiled.

“He resembles his mother.”

So he opened the door and beckoned the young man in.

The duchess could not restrain a cry of joy on seeing so

handsome a young cavalier, so far surpassing all that her

maternal pride had been able to conceive.

“Vicomte, come here,” said Athos; “the duchess permits you

to kiss her hand.”

The youth approached with his charming smile and his head

bare, and kneeling down, kissed the hand of the Duchess de

Chevreuse.

“Sir,” he said, turning to Athos, “was it not in compassion

to my timidity that you told me that this lady was the

Duchess de Chevreuse, and is she not the queen?”

“No, vicomte,” said Madame de Chevreuse, taking his hand and

making him sit near her, while she looked at him with eyes

sparkling with pleasure; “no, unhappily, I am not the queen.

If I were I should do for you at once the most that you

deserve. But let us see; whatever I may be,” she added,

hardly restraining herself from kissing that pure brow, “let

us see what profession you wish to follow.”

Athos, standing, looked at them both with indescribable

pleasure.

“Madame,” answered the youth in his sweet voice, “it seems

to me that there is only one career for a gentleman — that

of the army. I have been brought up by monsieur le comte

with the intention, I believe, of making me a soldier; and

he gave me reason to hope that at Paris he would present me

to some one who would recommend me to the favor of the

prince.”

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

“Yes, I understand it well. Personally, I am on bad terms

with him, on account of the quarrels between Madame de

Montbazon, my mother-in-law, and Madame de Longueville. But

the Prince de Marsillac! Yes, indeed, that’s the right

thing. The Prince de Marsillac — my old friend — will

recommend our young friend to Madame de Longueville, who

will give him a letter to her brother, the prince, who loves

her too tenderly not to do what she wishes immediately.”

“Well, that will do charmingly,” said the count; “but may I

beg that the greatest haste may be made, for I have reasons

for wishing the vicomte not to sleep longer than to-morrow

night in Paris!”

“Do you wish it known that you are interested about him,

monsieur le comte?”

“Better for him in future that he should be supposed never

to have seen me.”

“Oh, sir!” cried Raoul.

“You know, Bragelonne,” said Athos, “I never speak without

reflection.”

“Well, comte, I am going instantly,” interrupted the

duchess, “to send for the Prince de Marsillac, who is

happily, in Paris just now. What are you going to do this

evening?”

“We intend to visit the Abbe Scarron, for whom I have a

letter of introduction and at whose house I expect to meet

some of my friends.”

“‘Tis well; I will go there also, for a few minutes,” said

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