Three Musketeers (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

the sill of which he had leaned with his elbow, and knitted his brows like a man disquieted.
    “The devil!” murmured he, between his teeth. “Can Tréville have set this Gascon upon me? He is very young; but a sword thrust is a sword thrust, whatever be the age of him who gives it, and a youth is less to be suspected than an older man,” and the stranger fell into a reverie which lasted some minutes. “A weak obstacle is sometimes sufficient to overthrow a great design.
    “Host,” said he, “could you not contrive to get rid of this frantic boy for me? In conscience, I cannot kill him; and yet,” added he, with a coldly menacing expression, “he annoys me. Where is he?”
    “In my wife’s chamber, on the first flight, where they are dressing his wounds.”
    “His things and his bag are with him? Has he taken off his doublet?”
    “On the contrary, everything is in the kitchen. But if he annoys you, this young fool—”
    “To be sure he does. He causes a disturbance in your hostelry, which respectable people cannot put up with. Go; make out my bill, and notify my servant.”
    “What, monsieur, will you leave us so soon?”
    “You know that very well, as I gave the order to saddle my horse. Have they not obeyed me?”
    “It is done; as your Excellency may have observed, your horse is in the great gateway, ready saddled for your departure.”
    “That is well; do as I have directed you, then.”
    “What the devil!” said the host to himself. “Can he be afraid of this boy?” But an imperious glance from the stranger stopped him short; he bowed humbly and retired.
    “It is not necessary for Milady a to be seen by this fellow,” continued the stranger. “She will soon pass; she is already late. I had better get on horseback, and go and meet her. I should like, however, to know what this letter addressed to Tréville contains.” And the stranger, muttering to himself, directed his steps toward the kitchen.
    In the meantime the host, who entertained no doubt that it was the presence of the young man that drove the stranger from his hostelry, re-ascended to his wife’s chamber, and found D‘Artagnan just recovering his senses. Giving him to understand that the police would deal with him pretty severely for having sought a quarrel with a great lord—for in the opinion of the host the stranger could be nothing less than a great lord—he insisted that notwithstanding his weakness D’Artagnan should get up and depart as quickly as possible. D’Artagnan, half stupefied, without his doublet, and with his head bound up in a linen cloth, arose then, and urged by the host, began to descend the stairs; but on arriving at the kitchen, the first thing he saw was his antagonist talking calmly at the step of a heavy carriage, drawn by two large Norman horses.
    His interlocutor, whose head appeared through the carriage window, was a woman of from twenty to two-and-twenty years. We have already observed with what rapidity D‘Artagnan seized the expression of a countenance. He perceived then, at a glance, that this woman was young and beautiful; and her style of beauty struck him the more forcibly from its being totally different from that of the southern countries in which D’Artagnan had hitherto resided. She was pale and fair, with long curls falling in profusion over her shoulders, had large blue, languishing eyes, rosy lips, and hands of alabaster. She was talking with great animation with the stranger.
    “His Eminence, then, orders me—” said the lady.
    “To return instantly to England, and to inform him as soon as the duke leaves London.” 9
    “And as to my other instructions?” asked the fair traveler.
    “They are contained in this box, which you will not open until you are on the other side of the Channel.”
    “Very well; and you—what will you do?”
    “I—I return to Paris.”
    “What, without chastising this insolent boy?” asked the lady.
    The stranger was about to reply; but at the