your glass. Some ham, my boy, or we
can't drink."

"And her brother?" added d'Artagnan, timidly.

"Her brother?" replied Athos.

"Yes, the priest."

"Oh, I inquired after him for the purpose of hanging him likewise; but
he was beforehand with me, he had quit the curacy the night before."

"Was it ever known who this miserable fellow was?"

"He was doubtless the first lover and accomplice of the fair lady. A
worthy man, who had pretended to be a curate for the purpose of getting
his mistress married, and securing her a position. He has been hanged
and quartered, I hope."

"My God, my God!" cried d'Artagnan, quite stunned by the relation of
this horrible adventure.

"Taste some of this ham, d'Artagnan; it is exquisite," said Athos,
cutting a slice, which he placed on the young man's plate.

"What a pity it is there were only four like this in the cellar. I could
have drunk fifty bottles more."

D'Artagnan could no longer endure this conversation, which had made him
bewildered. Allowing his head to sink upon his two hands, he pretended
to sleep.

"These young fellows can none of them drink," said Athos, looking at him
with pity, "and yet this is one of the best!"

28 THE RETURN

D'Artagnan was astounded by the terrible confidence of Athos; yet many
things appeared very obscure to him in this half revelation. In the
first place it had been made by a man quite drunk to one who was half
drunk; and yet, in spite of the incertainty which the vapor of three or
four bottles of Burgundy carries with it to the brain, d'Artagnan, when
awaking on the following morning, had all the words of Athos as present
to his memory as if they then fell from his mouth--they had been so
impressed upon his mind. All this doubt only gave rise to a more lively
desire of arriving at a certainty, and he went into his friend's chamber
with a fixed determination of renewing the conversation of the preceding
evening; but he found Athos quite himself again--that is to say, the
most shrewd and impenetrable of men. Besides which, the Musketeer,
after having exchanged a hearty shake of the hand with him, broached the
matter first.

"I was pretty drunk yesterday, d'Artagnan," said he, "I can tell that
by my tongue, which was swollen and hot this morning, and by my
pulse, which was very tremulous. I wager that I uttered a thousand
extravagances."

While saying this he looked at his friend with an earnestness that
embarrassed him.

"