Page:The Man in the Iron Mask.djvu/64

50 "Ah! he expatiated?'"

"Parbleu!" "Let me hear his theory."

"'Seeing that,' he continued, 'one may, in awkward circumstances, or in a troublesome position, have one's doublet on one's shoulder, and not desire to take one's doublet off'" "True," said D'Artagnan.

"'And so,' continued Monsieur Volière"

"Molière."

"Molière, yes. 'And so,' went on Monsieur Molière, 'you want to draw your sword, monsieur, and you have your doublet on your back. What do you do?'

"'I take it off,' I answered.

"'Well, no,' he replied.

"'How, no?'

"'I say that the dress should be so well made that it can in no way incumber you, even in drawing your sword.'

"'Ah! ah!'

"'Throw yourself on guard,' pursued he.

"I did it with such wondrous firmness that two panes of glass burst out of the window.

"'‘Tis nothing, nothing,' said he. 'Keep your position.'

"I raised my left arm in the air, the forearm gracefully bent, the ruffle drooping, and my wrist curved, while my right arm, half-extended, securely covered my waist with the elbow and my breast with the wrist."

"Yes," said D'Artagnan; " 'tis the true guard—the academic guard."

"You have said the very word, dear friend. In the meanwhile, Volière"

"Molière."

"Hold! I should certainly, after all, prefer to call him—what did you say his other name was?"

"Poquelin."

"I prefer to call him Poquelin."

"And how will you remember this name better than the other?"

"You understand, he calls himself Poquelin, does he not?"

"Yes."

"I shall recall to mind Madame Coquenard."

"Good."

"I shall change Coc into Poc, nard into lin; and instead of Coquenard I shall have Poquelin."