The Vicomte de Bragelonne Read online

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  HARDLY HAD THE LADDER BEEN PROPERLY PLACED THAN THEKING BEGAN TO ASCEND.--_Page 155._]

  THE WORKS

  OF

  ALEXANDRE DUMAS

  THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE

  OR

  TEN YEARS LATER

  BEING THE COMPLETION OF

  "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" AND "TWENTY YEARS AFTER"

  _PART II_

  * * * * *

  _Copiously Illustrated with elegant Pen and Ink and Wood Engravings,specially drawn for this edition by eminent French and American Artists._

  * * * * *

  COMPLETE IN NINE VOLUMES

  VOLUME FOUR

  * * * * *

  NEW YORKPETER FENELON COLLIER, PUBLISHER.1893

  * * * * *

  CONTENTS.

  THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE.

  (PART II.)

  I. Showing what neither the Naiad nor Dryad had anticipated 5

  II. The new General of the Jesuits 9

  III. The Storm 14

  IV. The Shower of Rain 18

  V. Toby 25

  VI. Madame's four Chances 29

  VII. The Lottery 33

  VIII. Malaga 37

  IX. A Letter from M. de Baisemeaux 44

  X. In which the Reader will be delighted to find that Porthos has lost nothing of his Strength 46

  XI. The Rat and the Cheese 55

  XII. Planchet's Country-House 59

  XIII. Showing what could be seen from Planchet's House 62

  XIV. How Porthos, Truechen, and Planchet parted with each other on friendly terms, thanks to D'Artagnan 65

  XV. The Presentation of Porthos at Court 67

  XVI. Explanations 69

  XVII. Madame and Guiche 73

  XVIII. Montalais and Malicorne 77

  XIX. How De Wardes was received at Court 81

  XX. The Combat 87

  XXI. The King's Supper 93

  XXII. After Supper 96

  XXIII. Showing in what way D'Artagnan discharged the Mission with which the King had intrusted him 98

  XXIV. The Encounter 101

  XXV. The Physician 104

  XXVI. Wherein D'Artagnan perceives that it was he who was mistaken, and Manicamp who was right 106

  XXVII. Showing the advantage of having two Strings to one's Bow 109

  XXVIII. M. Malicorne the Keeper of the Records of the Realm of France 115

  XXIX. The Journey 118

  XXX. Triumfeminate 121

  XXXI. The First Quarrel 124

  XXXII. Despair 129

  XXXIII. The Flight 132

  XXXIV. Showing how Louis, on his side, had passed the time from Ten to half-past Twelve at Night 135

  XXXV. The Ambassadors 138

  XXXVI. Chaillot 142

  XXXVII. Madame 147

  XXXVIII. Mademoiselle de la Valliere's Pocket-Handkerchief 151

  XXXIX. Which treats of Gardeners, of Ladders, and Maids of Honor 153

  XL. Which treats of Carpentry Operations, and furnishes Details upon the Mode of constructing Staircases 157

  XLI. The Promenade by Torchlight 161

  XLII. The Apparition 166

  XLIII. The Portrait 170

  XLIV. Hampton Court 174

  XLV. The Courier from Madame 180

  XLVI. Saint-Aignan follows Malicorne's Advice 185

  XLVII. Two Old Friends 188

  XLVIII. Wherein may be seen that a Bargain which cannot be made with one Person, can be carried out with Another 196

  XLIX. The Skin of the Bear 201

  L. An Interview with the Queen-Mother 204

  LI. Two Friends 209

  LII. How Jean de la Fontaine wrote his first Tale 213

  LIII. La Fontaine in the Character of a Negotiator 215

  LIV. Madame de Belliere's Plate and Diamonds 219

  LV. M. de Mazarin's Receipt 221

  LVI. Monsieur Colbert's rough Draft 225

  LVII. In which the Author thinks it is now time to return to the Vicomte de Bragelonne 231

  LVIII. Bragelonne continues his Inquiries 234

  LIX. Two Jealousies 236

  LX. A Domiciliary Visit 239

  LXI. Porthos' Plan of Action 243

  LXII. The Change of Residence, the Trap-Door, and the Portrait 247

  LXIII. Rival Politics 253

  LXIV. Rival Affections 255

  LXV. King and Nobility 259

  LXVI. After the Storm 264

  LXVII. Heu! Miser!
267

  LXVIII. Wounds upon Wounds 269

  LXIX. What Raoul had Guessed 272

  LXX. Three Guests astonished to find themselves at Supper together 275

  LXXI. What took place at the Louvre during the Supper at the Bastille 278

  LXXII. Political Rivals 282

  LXXIII. In which Porthos is convinced without having understood anything 286

  LXXIV. M. de Baisemeaux's "Society" 289

  LXXV. The Prisoner 293

  LXXVI. How Mouston had become fatter without giving Porthos notice thereof, and of the Troubles which consequently befell that worthy Gentleman 307

  LXXVII. Who Messire John Percerin was 311

  LXXVIII. The Patterns 315

  LXXIX. Where, probably, Moliere formed his first Idea of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme 319

  LXXX. The Beehive, the Bees, and the Honey 323

  LXXXI. Another Supper at the Bastille 328

  LXXXII. The General of the Order 331

  LXXXIII. The Tempter 336

  LXXXIV. Crown and Tiara 340

  LXXXV. The Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte 344

  LXXXVI. The Wine of Melun 347

  LXXXVII. Nectar and Ambrosia 350

  LXXXVIII. A Gascon, and a Gascon and a half 352

  LXXXIX. Colbert 359

  XC. Jealousy 362

  XCI. High Treason 366

  XCII. A Night at the Bastille 371

  XCIII. The Shadow of M. Fouquet 374

  XCIV. The Morning 383

  XCV. The King's Friend 387

  XCVI. Showing how the Countersign was respected at the Bastille 395

  XCVII. The King's Gratitude 400

  XCVIII. The False King 404

  XCIX. In which Porthos thinks he is pursuing a Duchy 409

  C. The Last Adieux 412

  CI. Monsieur de Beaufort 415

  CII. Preparations for Departure 419

  CIII. Planchet's Inventory 423

  CIV. The Inventory of M. de Beaufort 426

  CV. The Silver Dish 429

  CVI. Captive and Jailers 433

  CVII. Promises 438

  CVIII. Among Women 444

  CIX. The Last Supper 449

  CX. In the Carriage of M. Colbert 453

  CXI. The Two Lighters 456

  CXII. Friendly Advice 460

  CXIII. How the King, Louis XIV., played his little Part 463

  CXIV. The White Horse and the Black Horse 468

  CXV. In which the Squirrel falls--in which the Adder flies 472

  CXVI. Belle-Isle-en-Mer 477

  CXVII. The Explanations of Aramis 482

  CXVIII. Result of the Ideas of the King, and the Ideas of D'Artagnan 487

  CXIX. The Ancestors of Porthos 489

  CXX. The Son of Biscarrat 491

  CXXI. The Grotto of Locmaria 494

  CXXII. The Grotto 497

  CXXIII. An Homeric Song 501

  CXXIV. The Death of a Titan 504

  CXXV. The Epitaph of Porthos 508

  CXXVI. The Round of M. de Gesvres 511

  CXXVII. King Louis XIV. 514

  CXXVIII. The Friends of M. Fouquet 518

  CXXIX. Porthos' Will 522

  CXXX. The Old Age of Athos 525

  CXXXI. The Vision of Athos 527

  CXXXII. The Angel of Death 531

  CXXXIII. The Bulletin 533

  CXXXIV. The last Canto of the Poem 536

  EPILOGUE 539

  THE DEATH OF D'ARTAGNAN 549

  * * * * *

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

  I.--_Frontispiece._--Hardly had the ladder been properly placedthan the king began to ascend.

  II.--As the rain dripped more and more through the foliage of the oak,the king held his hat over the head of the young girl.

  III.--D'Artagnan, reclining upon an immense straight-backed chair, withhis legs not stretched out, but simply placed upon a stool, formed anangle of the most obtuse form that could possibly be seen.

  IV.--De Guiche turned round also, and, at the moment the horse was quietagain, he fired, and the ball carried off De Wardes' hat from his head.

  V.--Athos broke his sword across his knee, slowly placed the two piecesupon the floor, and saluting the king, who was almost choking from rageand shame, he quitted the cabinet.

  VI.--Raoul, presenting his pistol, threw himself on the leader,commanding the coachman to stop.

  VII.--Aramis saw that the young man was stretched upon his bed, his facehalf-concealed by his arms.

  VIII.--"You will look through the opening, which answers to one of thefalse windows made in the dome of the king's apartment. Can you see?"

  IX.--"What is this, monsieur, and what is the meaning of this jest?" "Itis no jest," replied in a deep voice the masked figure that held thelantern.

  X.--The king entered into the cell without pronouncing a single word: hewas pale and haggard.

  XI.--They saw, by the red flashes of the lightning against the violetfog which the wind stamped upon the bankward sky, they saw pass gravelyat six paces behind the governor, a man clothed in black and masked by avisor of polished steel, soldered to a helmet of the same nature, whichaltogether enveloped the whole of his head.

  XII.--The Deathbed of Athos
--"Here I am!"

  THE

  VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE.