The Vicomte de Bragelonne

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER CIII.

  PLANCHET'S INVENTORY.

  Athos, during the visit made to the Luxembourg by Raoul, had gone toPlanchet's residence to inquire after D'Artagnan. The gentleman, onarriving at the Rue des Lombards, found the shop of the grocer in greatconfusion; but it was not the encumberment of a lucky sale, or that ofan arrival of goods. Planchet was not throned, as usual, upon sacks andbarrels. No. A young man with a pen behind his ear, and another with anaccount book in his hand, were setting down a number of figures, while athird counted and weighed. An inventory was being taken. Athos, who hadno knowledge of commercial matters, felt himself a little embarrassed bythe material obstacles and the majesty of those who were thus employed.He saw several customers sent away, and asked himself whether he, whocame to buy nothing, would not be more properly deemed importunate. Hetherefore asked very politely if he could see M. Planchet. The reply,pretty carelessly given, was that M. Planchet was packing his trunks.These words surprised Athos. "How! his trunks!" said he, "is M. Planchetgoing away?"

  "Yes, monsieur, directly."

  "Then, if you please, inform him that M. le Comte de la Fere desires tospeak to him for a moment."

  At the mention of the comte's name, one of the young men, no doubtaccustomed to hear it pronounced with respect, immediately went toinform Planchet. It was at this moment that Raoul, after his painfulscene with Montalais and Guiche, arrived at the grocer's house. Planchetleft his job directly he received the comte's message.

  "Ah! Monsieur le Comte!" exclaimed he, "how glad I am to see you! Whatgood star brings you here?"

  "My dear Planchet," said Athos, pressing the hand of his son, whose sadlook he silently observed--"we are come to learn of you--But in whatconfusion do I find you! You are as white as a miller; where have youbeen rummaging?"

  "Ah, diable! take care, monsieur: don't come near me till I have wellshaken myself."

  "What for? Flour or dust only whitens."

  "No, no; what you see on my arms is arsenic."

  "Arsenic?"

  "Yes; I am making my provision for the rats."

  "Aye, I suppose in an establishment like this the rats play aconspicuous part."

  "It is not with this establishment I concern myself, M. le Comte. Therats have robbed me of more here than they will ever rob me of again."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Why, you may have observed, monsieur, my inventory is being taken."

  "Are you leaving trade, then?"

  "Eh! mon Dieu! yes. I have disposed of my business to one of my youngmen."

  "Bah! you are rich, then. I suppose."

  "Monsieur, I have taken a dislike to the city; I don't know whether itis because I am growing old, and, as M. d'Artagnan one day said, when wegrow old we more often think of the things of our youth; but for sometime past I have felt myself attracted toward the country and gardening;I was a countryman formerly." And Planchet marked this confession with alittle rather pretentious laugh for a man making profession of humility.

  Athos made a gesture of approval, and then added: "You are going to buyan estate then?"

  "I have bought one, monsieur."

  "Ah! that is still better."

  "A little house at Fontainebleau, with something like twenty acres ofland round it."

  "Very well, Planchet! Accept my compliments on your acquisition."

  "But, monsieur, we are not comfortable here; the cursed dust makes youcough. Corbleu! I should not wish to poison the most worthy gentleman inthe kingdom."

  Athos did not smile at this little pleasantry which Planchet had aimedat him, in order to try his strength in mundane facetiousness.

  "Yes," said he, "let us have a little talk by ourselves--in your ownroom, for example. You have a room, have you not?"

  "Certainly, Monsieur le Comte."

  "Upstairs, perhaps?" And Athos, seeing Planchet a little embarrassed,wished to relieve him by going first.

  "It is--but--" said Planchet, hesitating.

  Athos was mistaken in the cause of this hesitation, and, attributing itto a fear the grocer might have of offering humble hospitality--"Nevermind, never mind," said he, still going up, "the dwelling of a tradesmanin this quarter is not expected to be a palace. Come on!"

  Raoul nimbly preceded him, and entered first. Two cries were heardsimultaneously--we may say three. One of these cries dominated over theothers; it was uttered by a woman. The other proceeded from the mouth ofRaoul; it was an exclamation of surprise. He had no sooner made it thanhe shut the door sharply. The third was from fright; Planchet hadproffered it.

  "I ask your pardon!" added he, "Madame is dressing."

  Raoul had, no doubt, seen that what Planchet said was true, for heturned round to go downstairs again.

  "Madame--" said Athos; "Oh! pardon me, Planchet, I did not know that youhad upstairs--"

  "It is Truechen," added Planchet, blushing a little.

  "It is whom you please, my good Planchet; but pardon my rudeness."

  "No, no; go up now, gentlemen."

  "We will do no such thing," said Athos.

  "Oh! madame having notice, has had time--"

  "No, Planchet; farewell!"

  "Eh, gentlemen! you would not disoblige me; thus standing on thestaircase, or by going away without having sat down."

  "If we had known you had a lady upstairs," replied Athos, with hiscustomary coolness, "we would have asked permission to pay our respectsto her."

  Planchet was so disconcerted by this little extravagance, that he forcedthe passage, and himself opened the door to admit the comte and his son.Truechen was quite dressed: costume of the shopkeeper's wife, rich andcoquettish; German eyes attacking French eyes. She ceded the apartmentafter two curtseys, and went down into the shop--but not without havinglistened at the door, to know what Planchet's gentlemen visitors wouldsay of her. Athos suspected that, and therefore turned the conversationaccordingly. Planchet, on his part, was burning to give explanations,which Athos avoided. But, as certain tenacities are stronger than allothers, Athos was forced to hear Planchet recite his idols of felicity,translated into a language more chaste than that of Longus. So Planchetrelated how Truechen had charmed his ripe age, and brought good luck tohis business, as Ruth did to Boaz.

  "You want nothing now, then, but heirs to your property."

  "If I had one, he would have three hundred thousand livres," saidPlanchet.

  "Humph! you must have one then," said Athos, phlegmatically; "if only toprevent your little fortune being lost."

  This word _little fortune_ placed Planchet in his rank, like the voiceof the sergeant when Planchet was but a _piqueur_ in the regiment ofPiedmont, in which Rochefort had placed him. Athos perceived that thegrocer would marry Truechen, and, in spite of fate, establish a family.This appeared the more evident to him when he learned that the young manto whom Planchet was selling his business was her cousin. Having heardall that was necessary of the happy prospects of the retiring grocer,"What is M. d'Artagnan about," said he, "he is not at the Louvre?"

  "Ah! Monsieur le Comte, Monsieur d'Artagnan has disappeared."

  "Disappeared!" said Athos, with surprise.

  "Oh! monsieur, we know what that means."

  "But I do not know."

  "Whenever M. d'Artagnan disappears it is always for some mission or somegreat affair."

  "Has he said anything to you about it?"

  "Never."

  "You were acquainted with his departure for England formerly, were younot?"

  "On account of the speculation," said Planchet, heedlessly.

  "The speculation!"

  "I mean--" interrupted Planchet, quite confused.

  "Well, well; neither your affairs nor those of your master are inquestion: the interest we take in him alone has induced me to apply toyou. Since the captain of the musketeers is not here, and as we cannotlearn from you where we are likely to find M. d'Artagnan, we will takeour leave of you. Au revoir, Planchet, au revoir. Let us begone, Raoul."

>   "Monsieur le Comte, I wish I were able to tell you--"

  "Oh, not at all; I am not the man to reproach a servant withdiscretion."

  This word "servant" struck rudely on the ears of the demi-millionaire,Planchet, but natural respect and bonhomie prevailed over pride. "Thereis nothing indiscreet in telling you. Monsieur le Comte, M. d'Artagnancame here the other day--"

  "Ah, ah!"

  "And remained several hours consulting a geographical chart."

  "You are right, then, my friend; say no more about it."

  "And the chart is there as a proof," added Planchet, who went to fetchfrom the neighboring wall, where it was suspended by a twist, forming atriangle with the bar of the window to which it was fastened--the planconsulted by the captain on his last visit to Planchet. This plan, whichhe brought to the comte, was a map of France, upon which the practicedeye of that gentleman discovered an itinerary, marked out with smallpins; where-ever a pin was missing, a hole denoted its having beenthere. Athos, by following with his eye the pins and holes, saw thatD'Artagnan had taken the direction of the south, and gone as far as theMediterranean, toward Toulon. It was near Cannes that the marks and thepunctured places ceased. The Comte de la Fere puzzled his brains forsome time, to divine what the musketeer could be going to do at Cannes,and what motive could have led him to examine the banks of the Var. Thereflections of Athos suggested nothing. His accustomed perspicacity wasat fault. Raoul's researches were not more successful than his father's.

  "Never mind," said the young man to the comte, who silently, and withhis finger, had made him understand the route of D'Artagnan; "we mustconfess that there is a Providence always occupied in connecting ourdestiny with that of D'Artagnan. There he is on the coast of Cannes, andyou, monsieur, will, at least, conduct me as far as Toulon. Be assuredthat we shall meet with him more easily upon our route than upon thismap."

  Then, taking leave of Planchet, who was scolding his shopmen, even thecousin of Truechen, his successor, the gentlemen set out to pay a visitto M. de Beaufort. On leaving the grocer's shop, they saw a coach, thefuture depositary of the charms of Mademoiselle Truechen and the bags ofcrowns of Planchet.

  "Every one journeys toward happiness by the route he chooses," saidRaoul, in a melancholy tone.

  "Road to Fontainebleau!" cried Planchet to his coachman.