hatchet.
On arriving at the extremity of the castle D’Artagnan found
himself overlooking a beautiful valley, in which, at the
foot of a charming little lake, stood several scattered
houses, which, humble in their aspect, and covered, some
with tiles, others with thatch, seemed to acknowledge as
their sovereign lord a pretty chateau, built about the
beginning of the reign of Henry IV., and surmounted by four
stately, gilded weather-cocks. D’Artagnan no longer doubted
that this was Porthos’s pleasant dwelling place.
The road led straight up to the chateau which, compared to
its ancestor on the hill, was exactly what a fop of the
coterie of the Duc d’Enghein would have been beside a knight
in steel armor in the time of Charles VII. D’Artagnan
spurred his horse on and pursued his road, followed by
Planchet at the same pace.
In ten minutes D’Artagnan reached the end of an alley
regularly planted with fine poplars and terminating in an
iron gate, the points and crossed bars of which were gilt.
In the midst of this avenue was a nobleman, dressed in green
and with as much gilding about him as the iron gate, riding
on a tall horse. On his right hand and his left were two
footmen, with the seams of their dresses laced. A
considerable number of clowns were assembled and rendered
homage to their lord.
“Ah!” said D’Artagnan to himself, “can this be the Seigneur
du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds? Well-a-day! how he has
shrunk since he gave up the name of Porthos!”
“This cannot be Monsieur Porthos,” observed Planchet
replying, as it were, to his master’s thoughts. “Monsieur
Porthos was six feet high; this man is scarcely five.”
“Nevertheless,” said D’Artagnan, “the people are bowing very
low to this person.”
As he spoke, he rode toward the tall horse — to the man of
importance and his valets. As he approached he seemed to
recognize the features of this individual.
“Jesu!” cried Planchet, “can it be?”
At this exclamation the man on horseback turned slowly and
with a lofty air, and the two travelers could see, displayed
in all their brilliancy, the large eyes, the vermilion
visage, and the eloquent smile of — Mousqueton.
It was indeed Mousqueton — Mousqueton, as fat as a pig,
rolling about with rude health, puffed out with good living,
who, recognizing D’Artagnan and acting very differently from
the hypocrite Bazin, slipped off his horse and approached
the officer with his hat off, so that the homage of the
assembled crowd was turned toward this new sun, which
eclipsed the former luminary.
“Monsieur d’Artagnan! Monsieur d’Artagnan!” cried Mousqueton,
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his fat cheeks swelling out and his whole frame perspiring
with joy; “Monsieur d’Artagnan! oh! what joy for my lord and
master, Du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds!”
“Thou good Mousqueton! where is thy master?”
“You stand upon his property!”
“But how handsome thou art — how fat! thou hast prospered
and grown stout!” and D’Artagnan could not restrain his
astonishment at the change good fortune had produced on the
once famished one.
“Hey, yes, thank God, I am pretty well,” said Mousqueton.
“But hast thou nothing to say to thy friend Planchet?”
“How, my friend Planchet? Planchet — art thou there?” cried
Mousqueton, with open arms and eyes full of tears.
“My very self,” replied Planchet; “but I wanted first to see
if thou wert grown proud.”
“Proud toward an old friend? never, Planchet! thou wouldst
not have thought so hadst thou known Mousqueton well.”
“So far so well,” answered Planchet, alighting, and
extending his arms to Mousqueton, the two servants embraced
with an emotion which touched those who were present and
made them suppose that Planchet was a great lord in
disguise, so highly did they estimate the position of
Mousqueton.
“And now, sir,” resumed Mousqueton, when he had rid himself
of Planchet, who had in vain tried to clasp his hands behind
his friend’s fat back, “now, sir, allow me to leave you, for
I could not permit my master to hear of your arrival from
any but myself; he would never forgive me for not having
preceded you.”
“This dear friend,” said D’Artagnan, carefully avoiding to