FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125  
126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   >>   >|  
rtagnan, coldly. "Monsieur!" exclaimed the king, "are you aware of what you are saying?" "Perfectly, sire; but, according to my notions, a man who fights a duel is a brave man; such, at least, is my own opinion; but your majesty may have another, it is but natural, for you are master here." "Monsieur d'Artagnan, I ordered you, however--" D'Artagnan interrupted the king by a respectful gesture. "You ordered me, sire, to gather what particulars I could, respecting a hostile meeting that had taken place; those particulars you have. If you order me to arrest M. de Guiche's adversary, I will do so; but do not order me to denounce him to you, for in that case I will not obey." "Very well! Arrest him, then." "Give me his name, sire." The king stamped his foot angrily; but after a moment's reflection, he said, "You are right--ten times, twenty times, a hundred times right." "That is my opinion, sire: I am happy that, this time, it accords with your majesty's." "One word more. Who assisted Guiche?" "I do not know, sire." "But you speak of two men. There was a person present, then, as second." "There was no second, sire. Nay, more than that, when M. de Guiche fell, his adversary fled without giving him any assistance." "The miserable coward!" exclaimed the king. "The consequence of your ordinances, sire. If a man has fought well, and fairly, and has already escaped one chance of death, he naturally wishes to escape a second. M. de Bouteville cannot be forgotten very easily." "And so, men turn cowards." "No, they become prudent." "And he has fled, then, you say?" "Yes; and as fast as his horse could possibly carry him." "In what direction?" "In the direction of the chateau." "Well, and after that?" "Afterwards, as I have had the honor of telling your majesty, two men on foot arrived, who carried M. de Guiche back with them." "What proof have you that these men arrived after the combat?" "A very evident proof, sire; at the moment the encounter took place, the rain had just ceased, the ground had not had time to imbibe the moisture, and was, consequently, soaked; the footsteps sank in the ground; but while M. de Guiche was lying there in a fainting condition, the ground became firm again, and the footsteps made a less sensible impression." Louis clapped his hands together in sign of admiration. "Monsieur d'Artagnan," he said, "you are positively the cleverest man in my kingdom
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125  
126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Guiche

 

Artagnan

 

ground

 

Monsieur

 

majesty

 

arrived

 

direction

 
moment
 

adversary

 

exclaimed


opinion
 

ordered

 

footsteps

 

particulars

 
prudent
 
impression
 

possibly

 

clapped

 

cowards

 

cleverest


escape

 

Bouteville

 

wishes

 

kingdom

 
chance
 

naturally

 

admiration

 
positively
 

forgotten

 

easily


Afterwards

 

evident

 

encounter

 

combat

 

imbibe

 

ceased

 

moisture

 

soaked

 
telling
 

chateau


carried

 

fainting

 

condition

 

gather

 

respecting

 

hostile

 

gesture

 

respectful

 
interrupted
 

meeting