下载辰思小说免费APP
"Heisamanwhohasasureglancetodiscern，whenashipislaunched，whatarethedefectsandqualitiesofthatship—thatisvaluable，observe！？Natureistrulywhimsical。？Well，thisDestouchesappearedtometobeamanlikelytoproveusefulinmarineaffairs，andheissuperintendingtheconstructionofsixvesselsofseventy—eightguns，whichtheProvincesarebuildingforhismajesty。？Itresultsfromthis，mydearMonsieurd\'Artagnan，thattheking，ifhewishedtoquarrelwiththeProvinces，wouldhaveaveryprettyfleet。？Now，youknowbetterthananybodyelseifthelandarmyisefficient。"
D\'ArtagnanandAramislookedateachother，wonderingatthemysteriouslaborsthismanhadundertakeninsoshortatime。？Colbertunderstoodthem，andwastouchedbythisbestofflatteries。
"Ifwe，inFrance，wereignorantofwhatwasgoingon，"saidD\'Artagnan，"outofFrancestilllessmustbeknown。"
"ThatiswhyItoldmonsieurl\'ambassadeur，"saidColbert，"that，Spainpromisingitsneutrality，Englandhelpingus—"
"IfEnglandassistsyou，"saidAramis，"IpromisetheneutralityofSpain。"
"Itakeyouatyourword，"Colberthastenedtoreplywithhisbluntbonhomie。？"And，？proposofSpain，youhavenotthe\'GoldenFleece，\'Monsieurd\'Alm閐a。？IheardthekingsaytheotherdaythatheshouldliketoseeyouwearthegrandcordonofSt。Michael。"
Aramisbowed。？"Oh！"thoughtD\'Artagnan，"andPorthosisnolongerhere！？Whatellsofribbonswouldtherebeforhimintheselargesses！？DearPorthos！"
"Monsieurd\'Artagnan，"resumedColbert，"betweenustwo，youwillhave，I
wager，aninclinationtoleadyourmusketeersintoHolland。？Canyouswim？"？Andhelaughedlikeamaninhighgoodhumor。
"Likeaneel，"repliedD\'Artagnan。
"Ah！buttherearesomebitterpassagesofcanalsandmarshesyonder，Monsieurd\'Artagnan，andthebestswimmersaresometimesdrownedthere。"
"Itismyprofessiontodieforhismajesty，"saidthemusketeer。？"Only，asitisseldominwarthatmuchwaterismetwithwithoutalittlefire，Ideclaretoyoubeforehand，thatI
willdomybesttochoosefire。？Iamgettingold;waterfreezesme—butfirewarms，MonsieurColbert。"
AndD\'Artagnanlookedsohandsomestillinquasi—juvenilestrengthashepronouncedthesewords，thatColbert，inhisturn，couldnothelpadmiringhim。？D\'Artagnanperceivedtheeffecthehadproduced。？Herememberedthatthebesttradesmanishewhofixesahighpriceuponhisgoods，whentheyarevaluable。？Hepreparedhispriceinadvance。
"So，then，"saidColbert，"wegointoHolland？"
"Yes，"
repliedD\'Artagnan;"only—"
"Only？"
saidM。Colbert。
"Only，"
repeatedD\'Artagnan，"therelurksineverythingthequestionofinterest，thequestionofself—love。？Itisaveryfinetitle，thatofcaptainofthemusketeers;butobservethis:wehavenowtheking\'sguardsandthemilitaryhouseholdoftheking。？Acaptainofmusketeersoughttocommandallthat，andthenhewouldabsorbahundredthousandlivresayearforexpenses。"
"Well！butdoyousupposethekingwouldhagglewithyou？"saidColbert。
"Eh！
monsieur，youhavenotunderstoodme，"repliedD\'Artagnan，sureofcarryinghispoint。？"IwastellingyouthatI，anoldcaptain，formerlychiefoftheking\'sguard，havingprecedenceofthemar閏hauxofFrance—Isawmyselfonedayinthetrencheswithtwootherequals，thecaptainoftheguardsandthecolonelcommandingtheSwiss。？Now，atnopricewillIsufferthat。？Ihaveoldhabits，andIwillstandorfallbythem。"
Colbertfeltthisblow，buthewaspreparedforit。
"Ihavebeenthinkingofwhatyousaidjustnow，"repliedhe。
"Aboutwhat，monsieur？"
"Wewerespeakingofcanalsandmarshesinwhichpeoplearedrowned。"
"Well！"
"Well！iftheyaredrowned，itisforwantofaboat，aplank，orastick。"
"Ofastick，howevershortitmaybe，"saidD\'Artagnan。
"Exactly，"
saidColbert。？"And，therefore，I
neverheardofaninstanceofamar閏halofFrancebeingdrowned。"
D\'Artagnanbecameverypalewithjoy，andinanotveryfirmvoice，"Peoplewouldbeveryproudofmeinmycountry，"saidhe，"ifIwereamar閏halofFrance;butamanmusthavecommandedanexpeditioninchieftoobtaintheb鈚on。"
"Monsieur！"
saidColbert，"hereisinthispocket—bookwhichyouwillstudy，aplanofcampaignyouwillhavetoleadabodyoftroopstocarryoutinthenextspring。"
Transcriber\'snote:Thisparticularcampaigndidnotactuallyoccuruntil1673。—JB
D\'Artagnantookthebook，tremblingly，andhisfingersmeetingthoseofColbert，theministerpressedthehandofthemusketeerloyally。
"Monsieur，"
saidhe，"wehadbotharevengetotake，oneovertheother。？Ihavebegun;itisnowyourturn！"
"Iwilldoyoujustice，monsieur，"repliedD\'Artagnan，"andimploreyoutotellthekingthatthefirstopportunitythatshalloffer，hemaydependuponavictory，ortobeholdmedead—orboth。"
"ThenI
willhavethefleurs—de—lisforyourmar閏hal\'sb鈚onpreparedimmediately，"saidColbert。
Onthemorrow，Aramis，whowassettingoutforMadrid，tonegotiatetheneutralityofSpain，cametoembraceD\'Artagnanathishotel。
"Letusloveeachotherforfour，"saidD\'Artagnan。？"Wearenowbuttwo。"
"Andyouwill，perhaps，neverseemeagain，dearD\'Artagnan，"saidAramis;"ifyouknewhowIhavelovedyou！？Iamold，Iamextinct—ah，Iamalmostdead。"
"Myfriend，"saidD\'Artagnan，"youwilllivelongerthanIshall:
diplomacycommandsyoutolive;but，formypart，honorcondemnsmetodie。"
"Bah！suchmenasweare，monsieurlemar閏hal，"saidAramis，"onlydiesatisfiedwithjoyinglory。"
"Ah！"
repliedD\'Artagnan，withamelancholysmile，"Iassureyou，monsieurleduc，Ifeelverylittleappetiteforeither。"
Theyoncemoreembraced，and，twohoursafter，separated—forever。
TheDeathofD\'Artagnan。？Contrarytothatwhichgenerallyhappens，whetherinpoliticsormorals，eachkepthispromises，anddidhonortohisengagements。
ThekingrecalledM。deGuiche，andbanishedM。leChevalierdeLorraine;sothatMonsieurbecameillinconsequence。？
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