Harrison, who recognized him as having met him at Cromwell’s
and received him as politely as a man of his breeding and
disposition could. It turned out as D’Artagnan had foreseen.
The colonel neither had nor could have any suspicion.
They halted for the king to dine. This time, however, due
precautions were taken to prevent any attempt at escape. In
the large room of the hotel a small table was placed for him
and a large one for the officers.
“Will you dine with me?” asked Harrison of D’Artagnan.
“Gad, I should be very happy, but I have my companion,
Monsieur du Vallon, and the two prisoners, whom I cannot
leave. Let us manage it better. Have a table set for us in a
corner and send us whatever you like from yours.”
“Good,” answered Harrison.
The matter was arranged as D’Artagnan had suggested, and
when he returned he found the king already seated at his
little table, where Parry waited on him, Harrison and his
officers sitting together at another table, and, in a
corner, places reserved for himself and his companions.
The table at which the Puritan officers were seated was
round, and whether by chance or coarse intention, Harrison
sat with his back to the king.
The king saw the four gentlemen come in, but appeared to
take no notice of them.
They sat down in such a manner as to turn their backs on
nobody. The officers, table and that of the king were
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opposite to them.
“I’faith, colonel,” said D’Artagnan, “we are very grateful
for your gracious invitation; for without you we ran the
risk of going without dinner, as we have without breakfast.
My friend here, Monsieur du Vallon, shares my gratitude, for
he was particularly hungry.”
“And I am so still,” said Porthos bowing to Harrison.
“And how,” said Harrison, laughing, “did this serious
calamity of going without breakfast happen to you?”
“In a very simple manner, colonel,” said D’Artagnan. “I was
in a hurry to join you and took the road you had already
gone by. You can understand our disappointment when,
arriving at a pretty little house on the skirts of a wood,
which at a distance had quite a gay appearance, with its red
roof and green shutters, we found nothing but a poor wretch
bathed — Ah! colonel, pay my respects to the officer of
yours who struck that blow.”
“Yes,” said Harrison, laughing, and looking over at one of
the officers seated at his table. “When Groslow undertakes
this kind of thing there’s no need to go over the ground a
second time.”
“Ah! it was this gentleman?” said D’Artagnan, bowing to the
officer. “I am sorry he does not speak French, that I might
tender him my compliments.”
“I am ready to receive and return them, sir,” said the
officer, in pretty good French, “for I resided three years
in Paris.”
“Then, sir, allow me to assure you that your blow was so
well directed that you have nearly killed your man.”
“Nearly? I thought I had quite,” said Groslow.
“No. It was a very near thing, but he is not dead.”
As he said this, D’Artagnan gave a glance at Parry, who was
standing in front of the king, to show him that the news was
meant for him.
The king, too, who had listened in the greatest agony, now
breathed again.
“Hang it,” said Groslow, “I thought I had succeeded better.
If it were not so far from here to the house I would return
and finish him.”
“And you would do well, if you are afraid of his recovering;
for you know, if a wound in the head does not kill at once,
it is cured in a week.”
And D’Artagnan threw a second glance toward Parry, on whose
face such an expression of joy was manifested that Charles
stretched out his hand to him, smiling.
Parry bent over his master’s hand and kissed it
respectfully.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“I’ve a great desire to drink the king’s health,” said
Athos.
“Let me propose it, then,” said D’Artagnan.
“Do,” said Aramis.
Porthos looked at D’Artagnan, quite amazed at the resources