我的美母教师 | 乡村精品合集 | 乡村活寡 | 乡村欲爱 | 乡村春潮 | 乡村花医 | 欲望乡村（未删） | 乡村艳福 | 乡村春事 | 人妻四部曲

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　　〃Gentlemen；〃　said　he；　〃let　us　drink　to　him　who　presides　at　the　repast。　Here's　to　our　colonel；　and　let　him　know　that　we　are　always　at　his　mands　as　far　as　London　and　farther。〃
　　And　as　D'Artagnan；　as　he　spoke；　looked　at　Harrison；　the　colonel　imagined　the　toast　was　for　himself。　He　arose　and　bowed　to　the　four　friends；　whose　eyes　were　fixed　on　Charles；　while　Harrison　emptied　his　glass　without　the　slightest　misgiving。
　　The　king；　in　return；　looked　at　the　four　gentlemen　and　drank　with　a　smile　full　of　nobility　and　gratitude。
　　〃e；　gentlemen；〃　cried　Harrison；　regardless　of　his　illustrious　captive；　〃let　us　be　off。〃
　　〃Where　do　we　sleep；　colonel？〃
　　〃At　Thirsk；〃　replied　Harrison。
　　〃Parry；〃　said　the　king；　rising　too；　〃my　horse；　I　desire　to　go　to　Thirsk。〃
　　〃Egad！〃　said　D'Artagnan　to　Athos；　〃your　king　has　thoroughly　taken　me；　and　I　am　quite　at　his　service。〃
　　〃If　what　you　say　is　sincere；〃　replied　Athos；　〃he　will　never　reach　London。〃
　　〃How　so？〃
　　〃Because　before　then　we　shall　have　carried　him　off。〃
　　〃Well；　this　time；　Athos；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃upon　my　word；　you　are　mad。〃
　　〃Have　you　some　plan　in　your　head　then？〃　asked　Aramis。
　　〃Ay！〃　said　Porthos；　〃the　thing　would　not　be　impossible　with　a　good　plan。〃
　　〃I　have　none；〃　said　Athos；　〃but　D'Artagnan　will　discover　one。〃
　　D'Artagnan　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　they　proceeded。
　　D'Artagnan　hits　on　a　Plan
　　As　night　closed　in　they　arrived　at　Thirsk。　The　four　friends　appeared　to　be　entire　strangers　to　one　another　and　indifferent　to　the　precautions　taken　for　guarding　the　king。　They　withdrew　to　a　private　house；　and　as　they　had　reason　every　moment　to　fear　for　their　safety；　they　occupied　but　one　room　and　provided　an　exit；　which　might　be　useful　in　case　of　an　attack。　The　lackeys　were　sent　to　their　several　posts；　except　that　Grimaud　lay　on　a　truss　of　straw　across　the　doorway。
　　D'Artagnan　was　thoughtful　and　seemed　for　the　moment　to　have　lost　his　usual　loquacity。　Porthos；　who　could　never　see　anything　that　was　not　self…evident；　talked　to　him　as　usual。　He　replied　in　monosyllables　and　Athos　and　Aramis　looked　significantly　at　one　another。
　　Next　morning　D'Artagnan　was　the　first　to　rise。　He　had　been　down　to　the　stables；　already　taken　a　look　at　the　horses　and　given　the　necessary　orders　for　the　day；　whilst　Athos　and　Aramis　were　still　in　bed　and　Porthos　snoring。
　　At　eight　o'clock　the　march　was　resumed　in　the　same　order　as　the　night　before；　except　that　D'Artagnan　left　his　friends　and　began　to　renew　the　acquaintance　which　he　had　already　struck　up　with　Monsieur　Groslow。
　　Groslow；　whom　D'Artagnan's　praises　had　greatly　pleased；　weled　him　with　a　gracious　smile。
　　〃Really；　sir；〃　D'Artagnan　said　to　him；　〃I　am　pleased　to　find　one　with　whom　to　talk　in　my　own　poor　tongue。　My　friend；　Monsieur　du　Vallon；　is　of　a　very　melancholy　disposition；　so　much　so；　that　one　can　scarcely　get　three　words　out　of　him　all　day。　As　for　our　two　prisoners；　you　can　imagine　that　they　are　but　little　in　the　vein　for　conversation。〃
　　〃They　are　hot　royalists；〃　said　Groslow。
　　〃The　more　reason　they　should　be　sulky　with　us　for　having　captured　the　Stuart；　for　whom；　I　hope；　you're　preparing　a　pretty　trial。〃
　　〃Why；〃　said　Groslow；　〃that　is　just　what　we　are　taking　him　to　London　for。〃
　　〃And　you　never　by　any　chance　lose　sight　of　him；　I　presume？〃
　　〃I　should　think　not；　indeed。　You　see　he　has　a　truly　royal　escort。〃
　　〃Ay；　there's　no　fear　in　the　daytime；　but　at　night？〃
　　〃We　redouble　our　precautions。〃
　　〃And　what　method　of　surveillance　do　you　employ？〃
　　〃Eight　men　remain　constantly　in　his　room。〃
　　〃The　deuce；　he　is　well　guarded；　then。　But　besides　these　eight　men；　you　doubtless　place　some　guard　outside？〃
　　〃Oh；　no！　Just　think。　What　would　you　have　two　men　without　arms　do　against　eight　armed　men？〃
　　〃Two　men　　how　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃Yes；　the　king　and　his　lackey。〃
　　〃Oh！　then　they　allow　the　lackey　to　remain　with　him？〃
　　〃Yes；　Stuart　begged　this　favor　and　Harrison　consented。　Under　pretense　that　he's　a　king　it　appears　he　cannot　dress　or　undress　without　assistance。〃
　　〃Really；　captain；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　determined　to　continue　on　the　laudatory　tack　on　which　he　had　menced；　〃the　more　I　listen　to　you　the　more　surprised　I　am　at　the　easy　and　elegant　manner　in　which　you　speak　French。　You　have　lived　three　years　in　Paris？　May　I　ask　what　you　were　doing　there？〃
　　〃My　father；　who　is　a　merchant；　placed　me　with　his　correspondent；　who　in　turn　sent　his　son　to　join　our　house　in　London。〃
　　〃Were　you　pleased　with　Paris；　sir？〃
　　〃Yes；　but　you　are　much　in　want　of　a　revolution　like　our　own　　not　against　your　king；　who　is　a　mere　child；　but　against　that　lazar　of　an　Italian；　the　queen's　favorite。〃
　　〃Ah！　I　am　quite　of　your　opinion；　sir；　and　we　should　soon　make　an　end　of　Mazarin　if　we　had　only　a　dozen　officers　like　yourself；　without　prejudices；　vigilant　and　incorruptible。〃
　　〃But；〃　said　the　officer；　〃I　thought　you　were　in　his　service　and　that　it　was　he　who　sent　you　to　General　Cromwell。〃
　　〃That　is　to　say　I　am　in　the　king's　service；　and　that　knowing　he　wanted　to　send　some　one　to　England；　I　solicited　the　appointment；　so　great　was　my　desire　to　know　the　man　of　genius　who　now　governs　the　three　kingdoms。　So　that　when　he　proposed　to　us　to　draw　our　swords　in　honor　of　old　England　you　see　how　we　snapped　up　the　proposition。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　know　that　you　charged　by　the　side　of　Mordaunt。〃
　　〃On　his　right　and　left；　sir。　Ah！　there's　another　brave　and　excellent　young　man。〃
　　〃Do　you　know　him？〃　asked　the　officer。
　　〃Yes；　very　well。　Monsieur　du　Vallon　and　myself　came　from　France　with　him。〃
　　〃It　appears；　too；　you　kept　him　waiting　a　long　time　at　Boulogne。〃
　　〃What　would　you　have？　I　was　like　you；　and　had　a　king　in　keeping。〃
　　〃Aha！〃　said　Groslow；　〃what　king？〃
　　〃Our　own；　to　be　sure；　the　little　one　　Louis　XIV。〃
　　〃And　how　long　had　you　to　take　care　of　him？〃
　　〃Three　nights；　and；　by　my　troth；　I　shall　always　remember　those　three　nights　with　a　certain　pleasure。〃
　　〃How　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃I　mean　that　my　friends；　officers　in　the　guards　and　mousquetaires；　came　to　keep　me　pany　and　we　passed　the　night　in　feasting；　drinking；　dicing。〃
　　〃Ah　true；〃　said　the　Englishman；　with　a　sigh；　〃you　Frenchmen　are　born　boon　panions。〃
　　〃And　don't　you　play；　too；　when　you　are　on　guard？〃
　　〃Never；〃　said　the　Englishman。
　　〃In　that　case　you　must　be　horribly　bored；　and　have　my　sympathy。〃
　　〃The　fact　is；　I　look　to　my　turn　for　keeping　guard　with　horror。　It's　tiresome　work　to　keep　awake　a　whole　night。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　with　a　jovial　partner　and　dice；　and　guineas　clinking　on　the　cloth；　the　night　passes　like　a　dream。　You　don't　like　playing；　then？〃
　　〃On　the　contrary；　I　do。〃
　　〃Lansquenet；　for　instance？〃
　　〃Devoted　to　it。　I　used　to　play　almost　every　night　in　France。〃
　　〃And　since　your　return　to　England？〃
　　〃I　have　not　handled　a　card　or　dice…box。〃
　　〃I　sincerely　pity　you；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　an　air　of　profound　passion。
　　〃Look　here；〃　said　the　Englishman。
　　〃Well？〃
　　〃To…morrow　I　am　on　guard。〃
　　〃In　Stuart's　room？〃
　　〃Yes；　e　and　pass　the　night　with　me。〃
　　〃Impossible！〃
　　〃Impossible！　why　so？〃
　　〃I　play　with　Monsieur　du　Vallon　every　night。　Sometimes　we　don't　go　to　bed　at　all！〃
　　〃Well；　what　of　that？〃
　　〃Why；　he　would　be　annoyed　if　I　did　not　play　with　him。〃
　　〃Does　he　play　well？〃
　　〃I　have　seen　him　lose　as　much　as　two　thousand　pistoles；　laughing　all　the　while　till　the　tears　rolled　down。〃
　　〃Bring　him　with　you；　then。〃
　　〃But　how　about　our　prisoners？〃
　　〃Let　your　servants　guard　them。〃
　　〃Yes；　and　give　them　a　chance　of　escaping；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃Why；　one　of　them　is　a　rich　lord　from　Touraine　and　the　other　a　knight　of　Malta；　of　noble　family。　We　have　arranged　the　ransom　of　each　of　them　　2；000　on　arriving　in　France。　We　are　reluctant　to　leave　for　a　single　moment　men　whom　our　lackeys　know　to　be　millionaires。　It　is　true　we　plundered　them　a　little　when　we　took　them；　and　I　will　even　confess　that　it　is　their　purse　that　Monsieur　du　Vallon　and　I　draw　on　in　our　nightly　play。　Still；　they　may　have　concealed　some　precious　stone；　some　valuable　diamond；　so　that　we　are　like　those　misers　who　are　unable　to　absent　themselves　from　their　treasures。