Les trois mousquetaires. English Read online

  7 THE INTERIOR* OF THE MUSKETEERS

  When d'Artagnan was out of the Louvre, and consulted his friends uponthe use he had best make of his share of the forty pistoles, Athosadvised him to order a good repast at the Pomme-de-Pin, Porthos toengage a lackey, and Aramis to provide himself with a suitable mistress.

  _*Domestic affairs, housekeeping_

  The repast was carried into effect that very day, and the lackey waitedat table. The repast had been ordered by Athos, and the lackey furnishedby Porthos. He was a Picard, whom the glorious Musketeer had picked upon the Bridge Tournelle, making rings and plashing in the water.

  Porthos pretended that this occupation was proof of a reflective andcontemplative organization, and he had brought him away without anyother recommendation. The noble carriage of this gentleman, for whom hebelieved himself to be engaged, had won Planchet--that was the name ofthe Picard. He felt a slight disappointment, however, when he saw thatthis place was already taken by a compeer named Mousqueton, and whenPorthos signified to him that the state of his household, though great,would not support two servants, and that he must enter into the serviceof d'Artagnan. Nevertheless, when he waited at the dinner given by hismaster, and saw him take out a handful of gold to pay for it, hebelieved his fortune made, and returned thanks to heaven for havingthrown him into the service of such a Croesus. He preserved this opinioneven after the feast, with the remnants of which he repaired his ownlong abstinence; but when in the evening he made his master's bed, thechimeras of Planchet faded away. The bed was the only one in theapartment, which consisted of an antechamber and a bedroom. Planchetslept in the antechamber upon a coverlet taken from the bed ofd'Artagnan, and which d'Artagnan from that time made shift to dowithout.

  Athos, on his part, had a valet whom he had trained in his service in athoroughly peculiar fashion, and who was named Grimaud. He was verytaciturn, this worthy signor. Be it understood we are speaking of Athos.During the five or six years that he had lived in the strictest intimacywith his companions, Porthos and Aramis, they could remember havingoften seen him smile, but had never heard him laugh. His words werebrief and expressive, conveying all that was meant, and no more; noembellishments, no embroidery, no arabesques. His conversation was amatter of fact, without a single romance.

  Although Athos was scarcely thirty years old, and was of great personalbeauty and intelligence of mind, no one knew whether he had ever had amistress. He never spoke of women. He certainly did not prevent othersfrom speaking of them before him, although it was easy to perceive thatthis kind of conversation, in which he only mingled by bitter words andmisanthropic remarks, was very disagreeable to him. His reserve, hisroughness, and his silence made almost an old man of him. He had, then,in order not to disturb his habits, accustomed Grimaud to obey him upona simple gesture or upon a simple movement of his lips. He never spoketo him, except under the most extraordinary occasions.

  Sometimes, Grimaud, who feared his master as he did fire, whileentertaining a strong attachment to his person and a great venerationfor his talents, believed he perfectly understood what he wanted, flewto execute the order received, and did precisely the contrary. Athosthen shrugged his shoulders, and, without putting himself in a passion,thrashed Grimaud. On these days he spoke a little.

  Porthos, as we have seen, had a character exactly opposite to that ofAthos. He not only talked much, but he talked loudly, little caring, wemust render him that justice, whether anybody listened to him or not. Hetalked for the pleasure of talking and for the pleasure of hearinghimself talk. He spoke upon all subjects except the sciences, allegingin this respect the inveterate hatred he had borne to scholars from hischildhood. He had not so noble an air as Athos, and the commencement oftheir intimacy often rendered him unjust toward that gentleman, whom heendeavored to eclipse by his splendid dress. But with his simpleMusketeer's uniform and nothing but the manner in which he threw backhis head and advanced his foot, Athos instantly took the place which washis due and consigned the ostentatious Porthos to the second rank.Porthos consoled himself by filling the antechamber of M. de Trevilleand the guardroom of the Louvre with the accounts of his love scrapes,after having passed from professional ladies to military ladies, fromthe lawyer's dame to the baroness, there was question of nothing lesswith Porthos than a foreign princess, who was enormously fond of him.

  An old proverb says, "Like master, like man." Let us pass, then, fromthe valet of Athos to the valet of Porthos, from Grimaud to Mousqueton.

  Mousqueton was a Norman, whose pacific name of Boniface his master hadchanged into the infinitely more sonorous name of Mousqueton. He hadentered the service of Porthos upon condition that he should only beclothed and lodged, though in a handsome manner; but he claimed twohours a day to himself, consecrated to an employment which would providefor his other wants. Porthos agreed to the bargain; the thing suited himwonderfully well. He had doublets cut out of his old clothes andcast-off cloaks for Mousqueton, and thanks to a very intelligent tailor,who made his clothes look as good as new by turning them, and whose wifewas suspected of wishing to make Porthos descend from his aristocratichabits, Mousqueton made a very good figure when attending on his master.

  As for Aramis, of whom we believe we have sufficiently explained thecharacter--a character which, like that of his companions, we shall beable to follow in its development--his lackey was called Bazin. Thanksto the hopes which his master entertained of someday entering intoorders, he was always clothed in black, as became the servant of achurchman. He was a Berrichon, thirty-five or forty years old, mild,peaceable, sleek, employing the leisure his master left him in theperusal of pious works, providing rigorously for two a dinner of fewdishes, but excellent. For the rest, he was dumb, blind, and deaf, andof unimpeachable fidelity.

  And now that we are acquainted, superficially at least, with the mastersand the valets, let us pass on to the dwellings occupied by each ofthem.

  Athos dwelt in the Rue Ferou, within two steps of the Luxembourg. Hisapartment consisted of two small chambers, very nicely fitted up, in afurnished house, the hostess of which, still young and still reallyhandsome, cast tender glances uselessly at him. Some fragments of pastsplendor appeared here and there upon the walls of this modest lodging;a sword, for example, richly embossed, which belonged by its make to thetimes of Francis I, the hilt of which alone, encrusted with preciousstones, might be worth two hundred pistoles, and which, nevertheless, inhis moments of greatest distress Athos had never pledged or offered forsale. It had long been an object of ambition for Porthos. Porthos wouldhave given ten years of his life to possess this sword.

  One day, when he had an appointment with a duchess, he endeavored evento borrow it of Athos. Athos, without saying anything, emptied hispockets, got together all his jewels, purses, aiguillettes, and goldchains, and offered them all to Porthos; but as to the sword, he said itwas sealed to its place and should never quit it until its master shouldhimself quit his lodgings. In addition to the sword, there was aportrait representing a nobleman of the time of Henry III, dressed withthe greatest elegance, and who wore the Order of the Holy Ghost; andthis portrait had certain resemblances of lines with Athos, certainfamily likenesses which indicated that this great noble, a knight of theOrder of the King, was his ancestor.

  Besides these, a casket of magnificent goldwork, with the same arms asthe sword and the portrait, formed a middle ornament to the mantelpiece,and assorted badly with the rest of the furniture. Athos always carriedthe key of this coffer about him; but he one day opened it beforePorthos, and Porthos was convinced that this coffer contained nothingbut letters and papers--love letters and family papers, no doubt.

  Porthos lived in an apartment, large in size and of very sumptuousappearance, in the Rue du Vieux-Colombier. Every time he passed with afriend before his windows, at one of which Mousqueton was sure to beplaced in full livery, Porthos raised his head and his hand, and said,"That is my abode!" But he was never to be found at home; he neverinvited anybody to go up with him, a
nd no one could form an idea of whathis sumptuous apartment contained in the shape of real riches.

  As to Aramis, he dwelt in a little lodging composed of a boudoir, aneating room, and a bedroom, which room, situated, as the others were, onthe ground floor, looked out upon a little fresh green garden, shady andimpenetrable to the eyes of his neighbors.

  With regard to d'Artagnan, we know how he was lodged, and we havealready made acquaintance with his lackey, Master Planchet.

  D'Artagnan, who was by nature very curious--as people generally are whopossess the genius of intrigue--did all he could to make out who Athos,Porthos, and Aramis really were (for under these pseudonyms each ofthese young men concealed his family name)--Athos in particular, who, aleague away, savored of nobility. He addressed himself then to Porthosto gain information respecting Athos and Aramis, and to Aramis in orderto learn something of Porthos.

  Unfortunately Porthos knew nothing of the life of his silent companionbut what revealed itself. It was said Athos had met with great crossesin love, and that a frightful treachery had forever poisoned the life ofthis gallant man. What could this treachery be? All the world wasignorant of it.

  As to Porthos, except his real name (as was the case with those of histwo comrades), his life was very easily known. Vain and indiscreet, itwas as easy to see through him as through a crystal. The only thing tomislead the investigator would have been belief in all the good thingshe said of himself.

  With respect to Aramis, though having the air of having nothing secretabout him, he was a young fellow made up of mysteries, answering littleto questions put to him about others, and having learned from him thereport which prevailed concerning the success of the Musketeer with aprincess, wished to gain a little insight into the amorous adventures ofhis interlocutor. "And you, my dear companion," said he, "you speak ofthe baronesses, countesses, and princesses of others?"

  "PARDIEU! I spoke of them because Porthos talked of them himself,because he had paraded all these fine things before me. But be assured,my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan, that if I had obtained them from any othersource, or if they had been confided to me, there exists no confessormore discreet than myself."

  "Oh, I don't doubt that," replied d'Artagnan; "but it seems to me thatyou are tolerably familiar with coats of arms--a certain embroideredhandkerchief, for instance, to which I owe the honor of youracquaintance?"

  This time Aramis was not angry, but assumed the most modest air andreplied in a friendly tone, "My dear friend, do not forget that I wishto belong to the Church, and that I avoid all mundane opportunities. Thehandkerchief you saw had not been given to me, but it had been forgottenand left at my house by one of my friends. I was obliged to pick it upin order not to compromise him and the lady he loves. As for myself, Ineither have, nor desire to have, a mistress, following in that respectthe very judicious example of Athos, who has none any more than I have."

  "But what the devil! You are not a priest, you are a Musketeer!"

  "A Musketeer for a time, my friend, as the cardinal says, a Musketeeragainst my will, but a churchman at heart, believe me. Athos and Porthosdragged me into this to occupy me. I had, at the moment of beingordained, a little difficulty with--But that would not interest you, andI am taking up your valuable time."

  "Not at all; it interests me very much," cried d'Artagnan; "and at thismoment I have absolutely nothing to do."

  "Yes, but I have my breviary to repeat," answered Aramis; "then someverses to compose, which Madame d'Aiguillon begged of me. Then I must goto the Rue St. Honore in order to purchase some rouge for Madame deChevreuse. So you see, my dear friend, that if you are not in a hurry, Iam very much in a hurry."

  Aramis held out his hand in a cordial manner to his young companion, andtook leave of him.

  Notwithstanding all the pains he took, d'Artagnan was unable to learnany more concerning his three new-made friends. He formed, therefore,the resolution of believing for the present all that was said of theirpast, hoping for more certain and extended revelations in the future. Inthe meanwhile, he looked upon Athos as an Achilles, Porthos as an Ajax,and Aramis as a Joseph.

  As to the rest, the life of the four young friends was joyous enough.Athos played, and that as a rule unfortunately. Nevertheless, he neverborrowed a sou of his companions, although his purse was ever at theirservice; and when he had played upon honor, he always awakened hiscreditor by six o'clock the next morning to pay the debt of thepreceding evening.

  Porthos had his fits. On the days when he won he was insolent andostentatious; if he lost, he disappeared completely for several days,after which he reappeared with a pale face and thinner person, but withmoney in his purse.

  As to Aramis, he never played. He was the worst Musketeer and the mostunconvivial companion imaginable. He had always something or other todo. Sometimes in the midst of dinner, when everyone, under theattraction of wine and in the warmth of conversation, believed they hadtwo or three hours longer to enjoy themselves at table, Aramis looked athis watch, arose with a bland smile, and took leave of the company, togo, as he said, to consult a casuist with whom he had an appointment. Atother times he would return home to write a treatise, and requested hisfriends not to disturb him.

  At this Athos would smile, with his charming, melancholy smile, which sobecame his noble countenance, and Porthos would drink, swearing thatAramis would never be anything but a village CURE.

  Planchet, d'Artagnan's valet, supported his good fortune nobly. Hereceived thirty sous per day, and for a month he returned to hislodgings gay as a chaffinch, and affable toward his master. When thewind of adversity began to blow upon the housekeeping of the Rue desFossoyeurs--that is to say, when the forty pistoles of King Louis XIIIwere consumed or nearly so--he commenced complaints which Athos thoughtnauseous, Porthos indecent, and Aramis ridiculous. Athos counseledd'Artagnan to dismiss the fellow; Porthos was of the opinion that heshould give him a good thrashing first; and Aramis contended that amaster should never attend to anything but the civilities paid to him.

  "This is all very easy for you to say," replied d'Artagnan, "for you,Athos, who live like a dumb man with Grimaud, who forbid him to speak,and consequently never exchange ill words with him; for you, Porthos,who carry matters in such a magnificent style, and are a god to yourvalet, Mousqueton; and for you, Aramis, who, always abstracted by yourtheological studies, inspire your servant, Bazin, a mild, religious man,with a profound respect; but for me, who am without any settled meansand without resources--for me, who am neither a Musketeer nor even aGuardsman, what am I to do to inspire either the affection, the terror,or the respect in Planchet?"

  "This is serious," answered the three friends; "it is a family affair.It is with valets as with wives, they must be placed at once upon thefooting in which you wish them to remain. Reflect upon it."

  D'Artagnan did reflect, and resolved to thrash Planchet provisionally;which he did with the conscientiousness that d'Artagnan carried intoeverything. After having well beaten him, he forbade him to leave hisservice without his permission. "For," added he, "the future cannot failto mend; I inevitably look for better times. Your fortune is thereforemade if you remain with me, and I am too good a master to allow you tomiss such a chance by granting you the dismissal you require."

  This manner of acting roused much respect for d'Artagnan's policy amongthe Musketeers. Planchet was equally seized with admiration, and said nomore about going away.

  The life of the four young men had become fraternal. D'Artagnan, who hadno settled habits of his own, as he came from his province into themidst of a world quite new to him, fell easily into the habits of hisfriends.

  They rose about eight o'clock in the winter, about six in summer, andwent to take the countersign and see how things went on at M. deTreville's. D'Artagnan, although he was not a Musketeer, performed theduty of one with remarkable punctuality. He went on guard because healways kept company with whoever of his friends was on duty. He was wellknown at the Hotel of the Musketeers, where everyone considered
him agood comrade. M. de Treville, who had appreciated him at the firstglance and who bore him a real affection, never ceased recommending himto the king.

  On their side, the three Musketeers were much attached to their youngcomrade. The friendship which united these four men, and the need theyfelt of seeing another three or four times a day, whether for dueling,business, or pleasure, caused them to be continually running after oneanother like shadows; and the Inseparables were constantly to be metwith seeking one another, from the Luxembourg to the Place St. Sulpice,or from the Rue du Vieux-Colombier to the Luxembourg.

  In the meanwhile the promises of M. de Treville went on prosperously.One fine morning the king commanded M. de Chevalier Dessessart to admitd'Artagnan as a cadet in his company of Guards. D'Artagnan, with a sigh,donned his uniform, which he would have exchanged for that of aMusketeer at the expense of ten years of his existence. But M. deTreville promised this favor after a novitiate of two years--a novitiatewhich might besides be abridged if an opportunity should present itselffor d'Artagnan to render the king any signal service, or to distinguishhimself by some brilliant action. Upon this promise d'Artagnan withdrew,and the next day he began service.

  Then it became the turn of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis to mount guardwith d'Artagnan when he was on duty. The company of M. le ChevalierDessessart thus received four instead of one when it admittedd'Artagnan.