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ch　our　friend　Athos　thought　much　of。〃
　　At　that　moment　the　steward　came　in　to　consult　his　master　upon　the　proceedings　of　the　next　day　and　also　with　regard　to　the　shooting　party　which　had　been　proposed。
　　〃Tell　me；　Mouston；〃　said　Porthos；　〃are　my　arms　in　good　condition？〃
　　〃Your　arms；　my　lord　　what　arms？〃
　　〃Zounds！　my　weapons。〃
　　〃What　weapons？〃
　　〃My　military　weapons。〃
　　〃Yes；　my　lord；　at　any　rate；　I　think　so。〃
　　〃Make　sure　of　it；　and　if　they　want　it；　have　them　burnished　up。　Which　is　my　best　cavalry　horse？〃
　　〃Vulcan。〃
　　〃And　the　best　hack？〃
　　〃Bayard。〃
　　〃What　horse　dost　thou　choose　for　thyself？〃
　　〃I　like　Rustaud；　my　lord；　a　good　animal；　whose　paces　suit　me。〃
　　〃Strong；　think's〃　thou？〃
　　〃Half　Norman；　half　Mecklenburger；　will　go　night　and　day。〃
　　〃That　will　do　for　us。　See　to　these　horses。　Polish　up　or　make　some　one　else　polish　my　arms。　Then　take　pistols　with　thee　and　a　hunting…knife。〃
　　〃Are　we　then　going　to　travel；　my　lord？〃　asked　Musqueton；　rather　uneasy。
　　〃Something　better　still；　Mouston。〃
　　〃An　expedition；　sir？〃　asked　the　steward；　whose　roses　began　to　change　into　lilies。
　　〃We　are　going　to　return　to　the　service；　Mouston；〃　replied　Porthos；　still　trying　to　restore　his　mustache　to　the　military　curl　it　had　long　lost。
　　〃Into　the　service　　the　king's　service？〃　Musqueton　trembled；　even　his　fat；　smooth　cheeks　shook　as　he　spoke；　and　he　looked　at　D'Artagnan　with　an　air　of　reproach；　he　staggered；　and　his　voice　was　almost　choked。
　　〃Yes　and　no。　We　shall　serve　in　a　campaign；　seek　out　all　sorts　of　adventures　　return；　in　short；　to　our　former　life。〃
　　These　last　words　fell　on　Musqueton　like　a　thunderbolt。　It　was　those　very　terrible　old　days　that　made　the　present　so　excessively　delightful；　and　the　blow　was　so　great　he　rushed　out；　overe；　and　forgot　to　shut　the　door。
　　The　two　friends　remained　alone　to　speak　of　the　future　and　to　build　castles　in　the　air。　The　good　wine　which　Musqueton　had　placed　before　them　traced　out　in　glowing　drops　to　D'Artagnan　a　fine　perspective；　shining　with　quadruples　and　pistoles；　and　showed　to　Porthos　a　blue　ribbon　and　a　ducal　mantle；　they　were；　in　fact；　asleep　on　the　table　when　the　servants　came　to　light　them　to　their　bed。
　　Musqueton　was；　however；　somewhat　consoled　by　D'Artagnan；　who　the　next　day　told　him　that　in　all　probability　war　would　always　be　carried　on　in　the　heart　of　Paris　and　within　reach　of　the　Chateau　du　Vallon；　which　was　near　Corbeil；　or　Bracieux；　which　was　near　Melun；　and　of　Pierrefonds；　which　was　between　piegne　and　Villars…Cotterets。
　　〃But　　formerly　　it　appears；〃　began　Musqueton　timidly。
　　〃Oh！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃we　don't　now　make　war　as　we　did　formerly。　To…day　it's　a　sort　of　diplomatic　arrangement；　ask　Planchet。〃
　　Musqueton　inquired；　therefore；　the　state　of　the　case　of　his　old　friend；　who　confirmed　the　statement　of　D'Artagnan。　〃But；〃　he　added；　〃in　this　war　prisoners　stand　a　chance　of　being　hung。〃
　　〃The　deuce　they　do！〃　said　Musqueton；　〃I　think　I　should　like　the　siege　of　Rochelle　better　than　this　war；　then！〃
　　Porthos；　meantime；　asked　D'Artagnan　to　give　him　his　instructions　how　to　proceed　on　his　journey。
　　〃Four　days；〃　replied　his　friend；　〃are　necessary　to　reach　Blois；　one　day　to　rest　there；　three　or　four　days　to　return　to　Paris。　Set　out；　therefore；　in　a　week；　with　your　suite；　and　go　to　the　Hotel　de　la　Chevrette；　Rue　Tiquetonne；　and　there　await　me。〃
　　〃That's　agreed；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃As　to　myself；　I　shall　go　around　to　see　Athos；　for　though　I　don't　think　his　aid　worth　much；　one　must　with　one's　friends　observe　all　due　politeness；〃　said　D'Artagnan。
　　The　friends　then　took　leave　of　each　other　on　the　very　border　of　the　estate　of　Pierrefonds；　to　which　Porthos　escorted　his　friend。
　　〃At　least；〃　D'Artagnan　said　to　himself；　as　he　took　the　road　to　Villars…Cotterets；　〃at　least　I　shall　not　be　alone　in　my　undertaking。　That　devil；　Porthos；　is　a　man　of　prodigious　strength；　still；　if　Athos　joins　us；　well；　we　shall　be　three　of　us　to　laugh　at　Aramis；　that　little　coxb　with　his　too　good　luck。〃
　　At　Villars…Cotterets　he　wrote　to　the　cardinal：
　　〃My　Lord；　　I　have　already　one　man　to　offer　to　your　eminence；　and　he　is　well　worth　twenty　men。　I　am　just　setting　out　for　Blois。　The　te　de　la　Fere　inhabits　the　Castle　of　Bragelonne；　in　the　environs　of　that　city。〃
　　Two　Angelic　Faces
　　The　road　was　long；　but　the　horses　upon　which　D'Artagnan　and　Planchet　rode　had　been　refreshed　in　the　well　supplied　stables　of　the　Lord　of　Bracieux；　the　master　and　servant　rode　side　by　side；　conversing　as　they　went；　for　D'Artagnan　had　by　degrees　thrown　off　the　master　and　Planchet　had　entirely　ceased　to　assume　the　manners　of　a　servant。　He　had　been　raised　by　circumstances　to　the　rank　of　a　confidant　to　his　master。　It　was　many　years　since　D'Artagnan　had　opened　his　heart　to　any　one；　it　happened；　however；　that　these　two　men；　on　meeting　again；　assimilated　perfectly。　Planchet　was　in　truth　no　vulgar　panion　in　these　new　adventures；　he　was　a　man　of　unmonly　sound　sense。　Without　courting　danger　he　never　shrank　from　an　encounter；　in　short；　he　had　been　a　soldier　and　arms　ennoble　a　man；　it　was；　therefore；　on　the　footing　of　friends　that　D'Artagnan　and　Planchet　arrived　in　the　neighborhood　of　Blois。
　　Going　along；　D'Artagnan；　shaking　his　head；　said：
　　〃I　know　that　my　going　to　Athos　is　useless　and　absurd；　but　still　I　owe　this　courtesy　to　my　old　friend；　a　man　who　had　in　him　material　for　the　most　noble　and　generous　of　characters。〃
　　〃Oh；　Monsieur　Athos　was　a　noble　gentleman；〃　said　Planchet；　〃was　he　not？　Scattering　money　round　about　him　as　Heaven　sprinkles　rain。　Do　you　remember；　sir；　that　duel　with　the　Englishman　in　the　inclosure　des　Carmes？　Ah！　how　lofty；　how　magnificent　Monsieur　Athos　was　that　day；　when　he　said　to　his　adversary：　‘You　have　insisted　on　knowing　my　name；　sir；　so　much　the　worse　for　you；　since　I　shall　be　obliged　to　kill　you。'　I　was　near　him；　those　were　his　exact　words；　when　he　stabbed　his　foe　as　he　said　he　would；　and　his　adversary　fell　without　saying；　‘Oh！'　'Tis　a　noble　gentleman　　Monsieur　Athos。〃
　　〃Yes；　true　as　Gospel；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃but　one　single　fault　has　swallowed　up　all　these　fine　qualities。〃
　　〃I　remember　well；〃　said　Planchet；　〃he　was　fond　of　drinking　　in　truth；　he　drank；　but　not　as　other　men　drink。　One　seemed；　as　he　raised　the　wine　to　his　lips；　to　hear　him　say；
　　‘e；　juice　of　the　grape；　and　chase　away　my　sorrows。'　And　how　he　used　to　break　the　stem　of　a　glass　or　the　neck　of　a　bottle！　There　was　no　one　like　him　for　that。〃
　　〃And　now；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　〃behold　the　sad　spectacle　that　awaits　us。　This　noble　gentleman　with　his　lofty　glance；　this　handsome　cavalier；　so　brilliant　in　feats　of　arms　that　every　one　was　surprised　that　he　held　in　his　hand　a　sword　only　instead　of　a　baton　of　mand！　Alas！　we　shall　find　him　changed　into　a　broken　down　old　man；　with　garnet　nose　and　eyes　that　slobber；　we　shall　find　him　extended　on　some　lawn；　whence　he　will　look　at　us　with　a　languid　eye　and　peradventure　will　not　recognize　us。　God　knows；　Planchet；　that　I　should　fly　from　a　sight　so　sad　if　I　did　not　wish　to　show　my　respect　for　the　illustrious　shadow　of　what　was　once　the　te　de　la　Fere；　whom　we　loved　so　much。〃
　　Planchet　shook　his　head　and　said　nothing。　It　was　evident　that　he　shared　his　master's　apprehensions。
　　〃And　then；〃　resumed　D'Artagnan；　〃to　this　decrepitude　is　probably　added　poverty；　for　he　must　have　neglected　the　little　that　he　had；　and　the　dirty　scoundrel；　Grimaud；　more　taciturn　than　ever　and　still　more　drunken　than　his　master　　stay；　Planchet；　it　breaks　my　heart　to　merely　think　of　it。〃
　　〃I　fancy　myself　there　and　that　I　see　him　staggering　and　hear　him　stammering；〃　said　Planchet；　in　a　piteous　tone；　〃but　at　all　events　we　shall　soon　know　the　real　state　of　things；　for　I　imagine　that　those　lofty　walls；　now　turning　ruby　in　the　setting　sun；　are　the　walls　of　Blois。〃
　　〃Probably；　and　those　steeples；　pointed　and　sculptured；　that　we　catch　a　glimpse　of　yonder；　are　similar　to　those　that　I　have　heard　described　at　Chambord。〃
　　At　this　moment　one　of　those　heavy　wagons；　drawn　by　bullocks；　which　carry　the　wood　cut　in　the　fine　forests　of　the　country　to　the　ports　of　the　Loire；　came　out　of　a　byroad　full　of　ruts　and　turned　on　that　which　the　tw