Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/344

Rh 33:2 THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE. "At the Louvre, I suppose, or wherever the king is. Does he not command the musketeers?" ''No; at present Monsieur d'Artagnan is absent on leave; he is resting a little. Do not, therefore, seek him at the posts of his service. You will hear of him at the house of a certain Planchet." "His former lackey?" "Exactly; turned grocer." "I know; Rue des Lombards?" "Somewhere thereabouts, or Rue des Arcis." "I will find it, monsieur — I will find it." "You will say a thousand kind things to him, on my oart, and ask him to come and dine with me before I set out for La Fere." "Yes, monsieur." "Good-night, Raoul." "Monsieur, I see you wear an order I never saw you wear before; accept my compliments." "The Fleece! that is true. A coral, my boy, which no longer amuses even an old child like myself. Good-night. Raoul!" CHAPTER ML d'artagnan's lesson. Raoul did not meet with D'Artagnan the next day, as he had hoped. He only met with Planchet, whose joy was great at seeing the young man again, and who contrived to pay him two or three little soldierly compliments savoring very little of the grocer's shop. But as Raoul was return- ing the next day from Vincennes, at the head of fifty dragoons confided to him by M. le Prince, he perceived, in La Place Baudcyer, a man with his nose in the air, examin- ing a house as we examine a horse we have a fancy to buy. This man, dressed in citizen costume, buttoned up like a military pourpoint, a very small hat on his head, but a long shagreen-mounted sword by his side, turned his* head as soon as he heard the steps of the horses, and left off look- ing at the house to look at the dragoons. This was simply M. d'Artagnan; D'Artagnan on foot; D'Artagnan with his hands behind him, passing a little review upon the dragoons, after having reviewed the buildings. Not a man, not a tag,