ir." Your money! These words made a thousand
chords vibrate in the heart of D'Artagnan, which he had never felt
before. He had the bags packed in a small cart, and returned home
meditating deeply. A man who possesses three hundred thousand crowns
can no longer expect to wear a smooth brow; a wrinkle for every hundred
thousand livres is not too much.

D'Artagnan shut himself up, ate no dinner, closed his door to everybody,
and, with a lighted lamp, and a loaded pistol on the table, he watched
all night, ruminating upon the means of preventing these lovely crowns,
which from the coffers of the king had passed into his coffers, from
passing from his coffers into the pockets of any thief whatever. The
best means discovered by the Gascon was to inclose his treasure, for
the present, under locks so solid that no wrist could break them, and
so complicated that no master-key could open them. D'Artagnan remembered
that the English are masters in mechanics and conservative industry;
and he determined to go in the morning in search of a mechanic who would
sell him a strong box. He did not go far; Master Will Jobson, dwelling
in Piccadilly, listened to his propositions, comprehended his wishes,
and promised to make him a safety lock that should relieve him from all
future fear.

"I will give you," said he, "a piece of mechanism entirely new. At the
first serious attempt upon your lock, an invisible plate will open
of itself and vomit forth a pretty copper bullet of the weight of a
mark--which will knock down the intruder, and not without a loud report.
What do you think of it?"

"I think it very ingenious," cried D'Artagnan, "the little copper bullet
pleases me mightily. So now, sir mechanic, the terms?"

"A fortnight for the execution, and fifteen hundred crowns payable on
delivery," replied the artisan.

D'Artagnan's brow darkened. A fortnight was delay enough to allow the
thieves of London time to remove all occasion for the strong box. As
to the fifteen hundred crowns--that would be paying too dear for what a
little vigilance would procure him for nothing.

"I will think of it," said he, "thank you, sir." And he returned home
at full speed; nobody had yet touched his treasure. That same day Athos
paid a visit to his friend and found him so thoughtful that he could not
help expressing his surprise.

"How is this?" said he, "you are rich and not gay--you, who were so
anxious for wealth!"

"My friend, the pleasures to wh