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Rh LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. 31 "And of the most subtle character/' returned D'Ar- tagnan, Porthos bent his head at this word policy; then, after a moment's reflection, he added, "I confess, D'Artagnan, that 1 am no politician." "I know that well." "Oh! no one knows what you told me yourself, you, the bravest of the brave." "What did I tell you, Porthos?" "That every man has his day. You told me so, and I have experienced it myself. There are certain days when one feels less pleasure than others in exposing one's self to a bullet or a sword-thrust." "Exactly my own idea." "And mine, too, although I can hardly believe in blows or thrusts which kill outright." "The deuce! and yet you have killed a few in your time." "Yes; but I have never been killed." "Your reason is a very good one." "Therefore, I do not believe I shall ever die from a thrust of a sword or a gunshot." "In that case, then, you are afraid of nothing. Ahl water perhaps?" "Oh! I swim like an otter." "Of a quartan fever, then?" "I never had one yet, and I don't believe I ever shall; but there is one thing I will admit," and Porthos dropped his voice. "What is that?" asked D'Artagnan, adopting the same tone of voice as Porthos. "I must confess," repeated Porthos, "that I am horribly afraid of political matters." "Ah! bah!" exclaimed D'Artagnan. "Upon my word, it's true," said Porthos, in a stentorian voice. "I have seen His Eminence Monsieur le Cardinal de Eichelieu, and His Eminence Monsieur le Cardinal de Mazarin; the one was a red politician, the other a black politician; I have never felt very much more satisfied with the one than with the other; the first struck off the heads of Monsieur de Marillac, Monsieur de Thou, Monsieur de Cinq-MarSt Monsieur ChAlais, Monsieur de Boutteville, and Monsieur de Montmorency; the second got a whole crowd of Frondeurs cut in pieces, and we belonged to them." "On the contrary, we did not belong to them," said D'Artagnan.