Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/234

Rh 222 THE VICOMfE DE BRAGELONSTE. which made you act was heart alone— the noble and good heart which you possess beneath your apparent skepticism and sarcastic irony; you have engaged the fortune of a servant, and your own, I suspect, my benevolent miser, and your sacrifice is not acknowledged. Of what consequence is it? You wish to repay Planchet his money. I can com- prehend that, my friend; for it is not becoming in a gentle- man to borrow of his inferior without returning him princi- pal and interest. Well, I will sell La Fere, if necessary, and if not, some little farm. You shall pay Planchet, and there will be enough, believe me, of corn left in my grana- ries for us two and Kaoul. In this way, my friend, you will owe an obligation to nobody but yourself; and, if I know you well, it will not be a small satisfaction to your mind to be able to say, 'I have made a king!' Am I right?" "Athos! Athos!" murmured D'Artagnan thoughtfully, "I have told you more than once that the day on which you shall preach I will attend the sermon; the day on which you shall tell me there is a hell, mordiovx! I shall be afraid of the gridiron and the forks. You are better than I, or, rather, better than anybody, and I only acknowledge the possession of one merit, and that is, of not being jealous. Except that defect, damme, as the English say, if I have not all the rest." "I know nobody equal to D'Artagnan," replied Athos; "but here we are, arrived gently at the house I inhabit. Will you come in, my friend?" "Eh! why this is the tavern of the Come du Cerf, I think?" said D'Artagnan. "I confess I chose it on purpose. I like old acquaint- ances; I like to sit down on that place whereon I sank, overcome by fatigue, overwhelmed with despair, when you returned on the 31st of January." "After having discovered the abode of the masked execu- tioner? Yes, that was a terrible day." "Come in, then," said Athos, interrupting him. They entered the large apartment, formerly the common one. The tavern in general, and this room in particular, had undergone great changes; the ancient host of the mus- keteers having become tolerably rich for an innkeeper, had closed his shop, and made of this room, of which we were speaking, an entrepot for colonial provisions. As for the rest of the house, he let it ready furnished to strangers. It was with unspeakable emotion D'Artagnan recognized all the furniture of the chamber of the first story; the wainscot-