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Rh THE MAN" IN THE IRON MASK, 443 household of the king. A captain of musketeers ought, either to command all that, and then he would absorb a hundred thousand livres a year for expenses of representa- tion and table " "Well, but do you suppose, by chance, that the king would haggle with you?'' said Colbert. "Eh! monsieur, you have not understood me,'* replied D'Artagnan, sure of having carried the question of interest; "I was telling you that I, an old captain, formerly chief of the king's guard, having precedence of the marechaux of France — I saw myself one day in the trenches with two other equals, the captain of the guards and the colonel com- manding the Swiss. Now, at no price will I suffer that. I have old habits, and I will stand to them." Colbert felt this blow, but he was prepared for it. "I have been thinking of what you said just now," re- plied he. "About what, monsieur?" "We were speaking of canals and marshes in which peo- ple are drowned." "Well?" "Well, if they are drowned, it is for want of a boat, a plank, or a stick." "Of a stick, however short it may be," said D'Artagnan. "Exactly," said Colbert. "And, therefore, I never heard of an instance of a marechal of France being drowned." D'Artagnan became pale with joy, and in a not very firm voice: "People would be very proud of me in my country," said he, "if 1 were a marechal of France; but a man must have commanded an expedition in chief to obtain the baton." "Monsieur," said Colbert, "here is in this pocketbook, which you will study, a plan of a campaign you will have to lead a body of troops to carry out in the next spring." D'Artagnan took the book tremblingly, and his fingers meeting with those of Colbert, the minister pressed the hand of the musketeer loyally. "Monsieur," said he, "we had both a revenge to take, one over the other. I have begun; it is now your turn." "I will do you justice, monsieur," replied D'Artagnan, "and implore you to tell the king that the first opportunity that shall offer, he may depend upon a victory, or seeing me dead." "Then I will have the fleur-de-lis for your mar^chal's baton prepared immediately," said Colbert.