had not the hope
of peeping with Madame Coquenard into her husband's chest!"

M. Coquenard, after the luxuries of such a repast, which he called an
excess, felt the want of a siesta. Porthos began to hope that the thing
would take place at the present sitting, and in that same locality; but
the procurator would listen to nothing, he would be taken to his room,
and was not satisfied till he was close to his chest, upon the edge of
which, for still greater precaution, he placed his feet.

The procurator's wife took Porthos into an adjoining room, and they
began to lay the basis of a reconciliation.

"You can come and dine three times a week," said Mme. Coquenard.

"Thanks, madame!" said Porthos, "but I don't like to abuse your
kindness; besides, I must think of my outfit!"

"That's true," said the procurator's wife, groaning, "that unfortunate
outfit!"

"Alas, yes," said Porthos, "it is so."

"But of what, then, does the equipment of your company consist, Monsieur
Porthos?"

"Oh, of many things!" said Porthos. "The Musketeers are, as you know,
picked soldiers, and they require many things useless to the Guardsmen
or the Swiss."

"But yet, detail them to me."

"Why, they may amount to--", said Porthos, who preferred discussing the
total to taking them one by one.

The procurator's wife waited tremblingly.

"To how much?" said she. "I hope it does not exceed--" She stopped;
speech failed her.

"Oh, no," said Porthos, "it does not exceed two thousand five hundred
livres! I even think that with economy I could manage it with two
thousand livres."

"Good God!" cried she, "two thousand livres! Why, that is a fortune!"

Porthos made a most significant grimace; Mme. Coquenard understood it.

"I wished to know the detail," said she, "because, having many relatives
in business, I was almost sure of obtaining things at a hundred per cent
less than you would pay yourself."

"Ah, ah!" said Porthos, "that is what you meant to say!"

"Yes, dear Monsieur Porthos. Thus, for instance, don't you in the first
place want a horse?"

"Yes, a horse."

"Well, then! I can just suit you."

"Ah!" said Porthos, brightening, "that's well as regards my horse; but
I must have the appointments complete, as they include objects which
a Musketeer alone can purchase, and which will not amount, besides, to
more than three hundred livres."

"Three hundred livres? Then put down three hundred livres," said the
procurator's wife, w