twenty years after(二十年后)-第11节

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〃Crown　pieces　only　　silver　pieces！　I　suspected　it。　Ah！
Mazarin！　Mazarin！　thou　hast　no　confidence　in　me！　so　much　the
worse　for　thee；　for　harm　may　come　of　it！〃
Meanwhile　the　cardinal　was　rubbing　his　hands　in　great
satisfaction。
〃A　hundred　pistoles！　a　hundred　pistoles！　for　a　hundred
pistoles　I　have　discovered　a　secret　for　which　Richelieu
would　have　paid　twenty　thousand　crowns；　without　reckoning
the　value　of　that　diamond〃　　he　cast　a　complacent　look　at
the　ring；　which　he　had　kept；　instead　of　restoring　to
D'Artagnan　　〃which　is　worth；　at　least；　ten　thousand
francs。〃
He　returned　to　his　room；　and　after　depositing　the　ring　in　a
casket　filled　with　brilliants　of　every　sort；　for　the
cardinal　was　a　connoisseur　in　precious　stones；　he　called　to
Bernouin　to　undress　him；　regardless　of　the　noises　of
gun…fire　that；　though　it　was　now　near　midnight；　continued　to
resound　through　Paris。
In　the　meantime　D'Artagnan　took　his　way　toward　the　Rue
Tiquetonne；　where　he　lived　at　the　Hotel　de　la　Chevrette。
We　will　explain　in　a　few　words　how　D'Artagnan　had　been　led
to　choose　that　place　of　residence。

6
D'Artagnan　in　his　Fortieth　Year。

Years　have　elapsed；　many　events　have　happened；　alas！　since；
in　our　romance　of　〃The　Three　Musketeers；〃　we　took　leave　of
D'Artagnan　at　No。　12　Rue　des　Fossoyeurs。　D'Artagnan　had　not
failed　in　his　career；　but　circumstances　had　been　adverse　to
him。　So　long　as　he　was　surrounded　by　his　friends　he　retained
his　youth　and　the　poetry　of　his　character。　He　was　one　of
those　fine；　ingenuous　natures　which　assimilate　themselves
easily　to　the　dispositions　of　others。　Athos　imparted　to　him
his　greatness　of　soul；　Porthos　his　enthusiasm；　Aramis　his
elegance。　Had　D'Artagnan　continued　his　intimacy　with　these
three　men　he　would　have　become　a　superior　character。　Athos
was　the　first　to　leave　him；　in　order　that　he　might　retire　to
a　little　property　he　had　inherited　near　Blois；　Porthos；　the
second；　to　marry　an　attorney's　wife；　and　lastly；　Aramis；　the
third；　to　take　orders　and　become　an　abbe。　From　that　day
D'Artagnan　felt　lonely　and　powerless；　without　courage　to
pursue　a　career　in　which　he　could　only　distinguish　himself
on　condition　that　each　of　his　three　companions　should　endow
him　with　one　of　the　gifts　each　had　received　from　Heaven。
Notwithstanding　his　commission　in　the　musketeers；　D'Artagnan
felt　completely　solitary。　For　a　time　the　delightful
remembrance　of　Madame　Bonancieux　left　on　his　character　a
certain　poetic　tinge；　perishable　indeed；　for　like　all　other
recollections　in　this　world；　these　impressions　were；　by
degrees；　effaced。　A　garrison　life　is　fatal　even　to　the　most
aristocratic　organization；　and　imperceptibly；　D'Artagnan；
always　in　the　camp；　always　on　horseback；　always　in　garrison；
became　（I　know　not　how　in　the　present　age　one　would　express
it）　a　typical　trooper。　His　early　refinement　of　character　was
not　only　not　lost；　it　grew　even　greater　than　ever；　but　it
was　now　applied　to　the　little；　instead　of　to　the　great
things　of　life　　to　the　martial　condition　of　the　soldier　
comprised　under　the　head　of　a　good　lodging；　a　rich　table；　a
congenial　hostess。　These　important　advantages　D'Artagnan
found　to　his　own　taste　in　the　Rue　Tiquetonne　at　the　sign　of
the　Roe。
From　the　time　D'Artagnan　took　quarters　in　that　hotel；　the
mistress　of　the　house；　a　pretty　and　fresh　looking　Flemish
woman；　twenty…five　or　twenty…six　years　old；　had　been
singularly　interested　in　him；　and　after　certain　love
passages；　much　obstructed　by　an　inconvenient　husband　to　whom
a　dozen　times　D'Artagnan　had　made　a　pretence　of　passing　a
sword　through　his　body；　that　husband　had　disappeared　one
fine　morning；　after　furtively　selling　certain　choice　lots　of
wine；　carrying　away　with　him　money　and　jewels。　He　was
thought　to　be　dead；　his　wife；　especially；　who　cherished　the
pleasing　idea　that　she　was　a　widow；　stoutly　maintained　that
death　had　taken　him。　Therefore；　after　the　connection　had
continued　three　years；　carefully　fostered　by　D'Artagnan；　who
found　his　bed　and　his　mistress　more　agreeable　every　year；
each　doing　credit　to　the　other；　the　mistress　conceived　the
extraordinary　desire　of　becoming　a　wife　and　proposed　to
D'Artagnan　that　he　should　marry　her。
〃Ah；　fie！〃　D'Artagnan　replied。　〃Bigamy；　my　dear！　Come　now；
you　don't　really　wish　it？〃
〃But　he　is　dead；　I　am　sure　of　it。〃
〃He　was　a　very　contrary　fellow　and　might　come　back　on
purpose　to　have　us　hanged。〃
〃All　right；　if　he　comes　back　you　will　kill　him；　you　are　so
skillful　and　so　brave。〃
〃Peste！　my　darling！　another　way　of　getting　hanged。〃
〃So　you　refuse　my　request？〃
〃To　be　sure　I　do　　furiously！〃
The　pretty　landlady　was　desolate。　She　would　have　taken
D'Artagnan　not　only　as　her　husband；　but　as　her　God；　he　was
so　handsome　and　had　so　fierce　a　mustache。
Then　along　toward　the　fourth　year　came　the　expedition　of
Franche…Comte。　D'Artagnan　was　assigned　to　it　and　made　his
preparations　to　depart。　There　were　then　great　griefs；　tears
without　end　and　solemn　promises　to　remain　faithful　　all　of
course　on　the　part　of　the　hostess。　D'Artagnan　was　too　grand
to　promise　anything；　he　purposed　only　to　do　all　that　he
could　to　increase　the　glory　of　his　name。
As　to　that；　we　know　D'Artagnan's　courage；　he　exposed　himself
freely　to　danger　and　while　charging　at　the　head　of　his
company　he　received　a　ball　through　the　chest　which　laid　him
prostrate　on　the　field　of　battle。　He　had　been　seen　falling
from　his　horse　and　had　not　been　seen　to　rise；　every　one；
therefore；　believed　him　to　be　dead；　especially　those　to　whom
his　death　would　give　promotion。　One　believes　readily　what　he
wishes　to　believe。　Now　in　the　army；　from　the
division…generals　who　desire　the：　death　of　the
general…in…chief；　to　the　soldiers　who　desire　the　death　of
the　corporals；　all　desire　some　one's　death。
But　D'Artagnan　was　not　a　man　to　let　himself　be　killed　like
that。　After　he　had　remained　through　the　heat　of　the　day
unconscious　on　the　battle…field；　the　cool　freshness　of　the
night　brought　him　to　himself。　He　gained　a　village；　knocked
at　the　door　of　the　finest　house　and　was　received　as　the
wounded　are　always　and　everywhere　received　in　France。　He　was
petted；　tended；　cured；　and　one　fine　morning；　in　better
health　than　ever　before；　he　set　out　for　France。　Once　in
France　he　turned　his　course　toward　Paris；　and　reaching　Paris
went　straight　to　Rue　Tiquetonne。
But　D'Artagnan　found　in　his　chamber　the　personal　equipment
of　a　man；　complete；　except　for　the　sword；　arranged　along　the
wall。
〃He　has　returned；〃　said　he。　〃So　much　the　worse；　and　so　much
the　better！〃
It　need　not　be　said　that　D'Artagnan　was　still　thinking　of
the　husband。　He　made　inquiries　and　discovered　that　the
servants　were　new　and　that　the　mistress　had　gone　for　a　walk。
〃Alone？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
〃With　monsieur。〃
〃Monsieur　has　returned；　then？〃
〃Of　course；〃　naively　replied　the　servant。
〃If　I　had　any　money；〃　said　D'Artagnan　to　himself；　〃I　would
go　away；　but　I　have　none。　I　must　stay　and　follow　the　advice
of　my　hostess；　while　thwarting　the　conjugal　designs　of　this
inopportune　apparition。〃
He　had　just　completed　this　monologue　　which　proves　that　in
momentous　circumstances　nothing　is　more　natural　than　the
monologue　　when　the　servant…maid；　watching　at　the　door；
suddenly　cried　out：
〃Ah！　see！　here　is　madame　returning　with　monsieur。〃
D'Artagnan　looked　out　and　at　the　corner　of　Rue　Montmartre
saw　the　hostess　coming　along　hanging　to　the　arm　of　an
enormous　Swiss；　who　tiptoed　in　his　walk　with　a　magnificent
air　which　pleasantly　reminded　him　of　his　old　friend　Porthos。
〃Is　that　monsieur？〃　said　D'Artagnan　to　himself。　〃Oh！　oh！　he
has　grown　a　good　deal；　it　seems　to　me。〃　And　he　sat　down　in
the　hall；　choosing　a　conspicuous　place。
The　hostess；　as　she　entered；　saw　D'Artagnan　and　uttered　a
little　cry；　whereupon　D'Artagnan；　judging　that　he　had　been
recognized；　rose；　ran　to　her　and　embraced　her　tenderly。　The
Swiss；　with　an　air　of　stupefaction；　looked　at　the　hostess；
who　turned　pale。
〃Ah；　it　is　you；　monsieur！　What　do　you　want　of　me？〃　she
asked；　in　great　distress。
〃Is　monsieur　your　cousin？　Is　monsieur　your　brother？〃　said
D'Artagnan；　not　in　the　slightest　degree　embarrassed　in　the
role　he　was　playing。　And　without　waiting　for　her　reply　he
threw　himself　into　the　arms　of　the　Helvetian；　who　received
him　with　great　coldness。
〃Who　is　that　man？〃　he　asked。
The　hostess　replied　only　by　gasps。
〃Who　is　that　Swiss？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
〃Monsieur　is　going　to　marry　me；〃　replied　the　hostess；
between　two　gasps。
〃Your　husband；　then；　is　at　last　dead？〃
〃How　does　that　concern　you？〃　replied　the　Swiss。
〃It　concerns　me　much；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃since　you　cannot
marry　madame　without　my　consent　and　since　　〃
〃And　since？〃　asked　the　Swiss。
〃And　since　　I　do　not　give　it；〃　said　the　musketeer。
The　Swiss　became　as　purple　as　a　peony。　He　wore　his　elegant
uniform；　D'Artagnan　was　wrapped　in　a　sort　of　gray　cloak；　the
Swiss　was　six　feet　high；　D'Artagnan　was　hardly　more　than
five；　the　Swiss　considered　himself　on　his　own　ground　and
regarded　D'Artagnan　as　an　intruder。
〃Will　you　go　away　from　here？〃　demanded　the　Swiss；　stamping
violently；　like　a　man　who　begins　to　be　seriously　angry。
〃I？　By　no　means！〃　said　D'Artagnan。
〃Some　one　must　go　for　help；〃　said　a　lad；　who　could　not
comprehend　that　this　little　man　should　make