The Vicomte de Bragelonne
Page 15
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW PORTHOS, TRUeCHEN, AND PLANCHET PARTED WITH EACH OTHER ON FRIENDLYTERMS, THANKS TO D'ARTAGNAN.
There was good living in Planchet's house. Porthos broke a ladder andtwo cherry-trees, stripped the raspberry-bushes, and was only unable tosucceed in reaching the strawberry-beds on account, as he said, of hisbelt. Truechen, who had got quite sociable with the giant, said that itwas not the belt so much as his corporation; and Porthos, in a state ofthe highest delight, embraced Truechen, who gathered him a handful of thestrawberries, and made him eat them out of her hand. D'Artagnan, whoarrived in the midst of these little innocent flirtations, scoldedPorthos for his indolence, and silently pitied Planchet. Porthosbreakfasted with a very good appetite, and when he had finished, hesaid, looking at Truechen, "I could make myself very happy here." Truechensmiled at his remark, and so did Planchet, but the latter not withoutsome embarrassment.
D'Artagnan then addressed Porthos--"You must not let the delights ofCapua make you forget the real object of our journey to Fontainebleau."
"My presentation to the king?"
"Certainly. I am going to take a turn in the town to get everythingready for that. Do not think of leaving the house. I beg."
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Porthos.
Planchet looked at D'Artagnan nervously. "Will you be away long?" heinquired.
"No, my friend: and this very evening I will release you from twotroublesome guests."
"Oh! Monsieur d'Artagnan! can you say--"
"No, no; you are an excellent-hearted fellow, but your house is verysmall. Such a house, with only a couple of acres of land, would be fitfor a king, and make him very happy, too. But you were not born a greatlord."
"No more was M. Porthos," murmured Planchet.
"But he has become so, my good fellow; his income has been a hundredthousand francs a year for the last twenty years, and for the last fiftyyears has been the owner of a couple of fists and a backbone, which arenot to be matched throughout the whole realm of France. Porthos is a manof the very greatest consequence compared to you, and ... well, I needsay no more, for I know you are an intelligent fellow."
"No, no, monsieur, explain what you mean."
"Look at your orchard, how stripped it is, how empty your larder, yourbedstead broken, your cellar almost exhausted, look too ... at MadameTruechen--"
"Oh! my good gracious!" said Planchet.
"Madame Truechen is an excellent person," continued D'Artagnan, "but keepher for yourself, do you understand?" and he slapped him on theshoulder.
Planchet at this moment perceived Porthos and Truechen sitting closetogether in an arbor: Truechen, with a grace and manner peculiarlyFlemish, was making a pair of earrings for Porthos out of a doublecherry, while Porthos was laughing as amorously as Samson did withDelilah. Planchet pressed D'Artagnan's hand, and ran toward the arbor.We must do Porthos the justice to say that he did not move as theyapproached, and very likely, he did not think he was doing any harm. Norindeed did Truechen move either, which rather put Planchet out; but he,too, had been so accustomed to see fashionable people in his shop, thathe found no difficulty in putting a good countenance on what wasdisagreeable to him. Planchet seized Porthos by the arm, and proposed togo and look at the horses, but Porthos pretended he was tired. Planchetthen suggested that the Baron de Valon should taste some noveau of hisown manufacture, which was not to be equaled anywhere; an offer whichthe baron immediately accepted; and, in this way, Planchet managed toengage his enemy's attention during the whole of the day, by dint ofsacrificing his cellar, in preference to his _amour propre_. Two hoursafterward D'Artagnan returned.
"Everything is arranged," he said: "I saw his majesty at the very momenthe was setting off for the chase: the king expects us this evening."
"The king expects me!" cried Porthos, drawing himself up. It is a sadthing to have to confess, but a man's heart is like a restless billow;for, from that very moment, Porthos ceased to look at Madame Truechen inthat touching manner which had so softened her heart. Planchetencouraged these ambitious leanings in the best way he could. He talkedover, or rather gave exaggerated accounts of all the splendors of thelast reign, its battles, sieges and grand court ceremonies. He spoke ofthe luxurious display which the English made; the prizes which the threebrave companions had won, and how D'Artagnan, who at the beginning hadbeen the humblest of the three, had finished by becoming the head. Hefired Porthos with a generous feeling of enthusiasm, by reminding him ofhis early youth now passed away; he boasted as much as he could of themoral life this great lord had led, and how religiously he respected theties of friendship; he was eloquent and skillful in his choice ofsubjects. He delighted Porthos, frightened Truechen, and made D'Artagnanthink. At six o'clock, the musketeer ordered the horses to be broughtround, and told Porthos to get ready. He thanked Planchet for his kindhospitality, whispered a few words about a post he might succeed inobtaining for him at court, which immediately raised Planchet inTruechen's estimation, where the poor grocer--so good, so generous, sodevoted--had become much lowered ever since the appearance andcomparison with him of the two great gentlemen. Such, however, iswoman's nature; they are anxious to possess what they have not got, anddisdain it as soon as it is acquired. After having rendered this serviceto his friend Planchet, D'Artagnan said in a low tone of voice toPorthos: "That is a very beautiful ring you have on your finger."
"Its worth three hundred pistoles," said Porthos.
"Madame Truechen will remember you better if you leave her that ring,"replied D'Artagnan, a suggestion which Porthos seemed to hesitate toadopt.
"You think it is not beautiful enough perhaps," said the musketeer. "Iunderstand your feelings; a great lord as you are would not think ofaccepting the hospitality of an old servant without paying him mosthandsomely for it; but I am sure that Planchet is too good-hearted afellow to remember that you have an income of a hundred thousand francsa year."
"I have more than half a mind," said Porthos, flattered by the remark,"to make Madame Truechen a present of my little farm at Bracieux: it hastwelve acres."
"It is too much, my good Porthos, too much just at present.... Keep itfor a future occasion." He then took the ring off Porthos' finger, andapproaching Truechen, said to her: "Madame, Monsieur le Baron hardlyknows how to entreat you, out of your regard for him, to accept thislittle ring. M. de Valon is one of the most generous and discreet men ofmy acquaintance. He wished to offer you a farm that he has at Bracieux,but I dissuaded him from it."
"Oh!" said Truechen, looking eagerly at the diamond.
"Monsieur le Baron!" exclaimed Planchet, quite overcome.
"My good friend," stammered out Porthos, delighted at having been sowell represented by D'Artagnan. These several exclamations, uttered atthe same moment, made quite a pathetic winding-up of a day which mighthave finished in a very ridiculous manner. But D'Artagnan was there,and, on every occasion, wherever D'Artagnan had exercised any control,matters had ended only just in the way he wished and desired. There weregeneral embracings; Truechen, whom the baron's munificence had restoredto her proper position, very timidly, and blushing all the while,presented her forehead to the great lord with whom she had been on suchvery excellent terms the evening before. Planchet himself was overcomeby a feeling of the deepest humility. Still, in the same generosity ofdisposition, Porthos would have emptied his pockets into the hands ofthe cook and of Celestin; but D'Artagnan stopped him.
"No," he said, "it is now my turn." And he gave one pistole to the womanand two to the man; and the benedictions which were showered down uponthem would have rejoiced the heart of Harpagon himself, and haverendered, even him, prodigal of his money.
D'Artagnan made Planchet lead them to the chateau, and introducedPorthos into his own apartment, where he arrived safely without havingbeen perceived by those he was afraid of meeting.