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Michon, seamstress, Tours. ""Lackeys?" grumbled the cardinal.
"Othersbesides
you have undergone such, Monsieur Athos, and have repliedthereto. "There can
be no doubtwe would all be broken on the wheel; but for God's sake, donot
forget, as you yourself said, Athos, that we only writeto him concerning a
family affair; that we only write to himto entreat that as soon as Milady
arrives in London he willput it out of her power to injure us. ""But this is a
frightful abuse of power!""No high-sounding words! Let us sit down and chat
quietly, asbrother and sister ought to do.
On the sixteenth day, in particular,
these signs were sostrong in d'Artagnan and his two friends that they could
notremain quiet in one place, and wandered about like ghosts onthe road by
which Planchet was expected. These were all who were left ofthe little
troop.
"Good God!" cried he, laughing, "I quite despair of my poorMichon; she
will never write like Monsieur de Voiture. "Why," replied Athos, carelessly,
"she is probably going towrite to the cardinal that a damned Musketeer, named
Athos,has taken her safe-conduct from her by force; she willadvise him in the
same letter to get rid of his two friends,Aramis and Porthos, at the same
time.
I have the price"; andd'Artagnan threw the bag upon the table. "The
cardinal became as pale as death; lightning darted from hiseyes.
"That's all
that is necessary," said Athos; "now for myidea.
If we go from thisplace we
shall never find another so suitable. "Officer!" cried Grimaud. Nothing makes
the futurelook so bright as surveying it through a glass ofchambertin. ""I will
follow you, then, sir.
M. ""Well, but then you will not be able to fulfill
yourcommission," said d'Artagnan.
Let us sell the diamond.
A familyaffair
was not subject to the investigation of the cardinal;a family affair concerned
nobody.
The eight oars fell at once into the sea, making but a singlesound,
giving but a single stroke, and the boat seemed to flyover the surface of the
water.
Before fifteendays are gone by I shall be away from here. ""My first
husband!" cried Milady, looking at Lord de Winter witheyes almost starting from
their sockets. Fourlarge vessels, recently built, had just been launched.
"Look out!" cried d'Artagnan, "I see black points and redpoints moving yonder.
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