“You promised me your protection; you promised to save me from her anger,” said she. “Remember, you are the one who ruined me!”
“Yes, certainly I did,” said D’Artagnan. “Be at ease, Kitty. But what happened after I left?”
“How can I tell?” said Kitty. “The lackeys came when they heard her cries. She was mad with anger. Every imaginable curse she poured forth against you. Then I thought she would remember that you went through my chamber into hers, and that then she would suppose I was your accomplice. So I took what little money I had, and the best of my things, and I ran away.”
“Poor girl! But what can I do with you? I am going away the day after to-morrow.”
“Do what you please, chevalier. Help me out of Paris; help me out of France!”
“I cannot take you, however, to the siege of Rochelle,” said D’Artagnan.
“No; but you can get me a place in the provinces with some lady of your acquaintance—in your own country, for instance.”
“Ah, my dear love, in my country the ladies do without chambermaids. But stop! I can manage it for you—Planchet, go and find M. Aramis. Have him come here immediately. We have something very important to say to him.”
When Aramis arrived the matter was explained to him, and he was told that he must find a place for Kitty with some of his high connections.
Aramis reflected for a minute, and then said, colouring,
“Will it be rendering you a service, D’Artagnan?”
“I shall be grateful to you all my life.”
“Very well. Madame de Bois-Tracy asked me, in behalf of a friend of hers who resides in the provinces, I believe, for a trustworthy chambermaid; and, my dear D’Artagnan, if you can answer for this young girl—”
“O sir, be assured that I shall be entirely devoted to the person who will afford me the means of leaving Paris.”
“Then,” said Aramis, “this turns out all for the best.”
He sat down at the table and wrote a little note, which he sealed with a ring and gave to Kitty.
“And now, my dear girl,” said D’Artagnan, “you know that it is not well for any of us to be here. Therefore let us separate. We shall meet again in better days.”
“And whenever and wherever we meet again,” said Kitty, “you will find that I love you as devotedly as I love you to-day.”
“A gambler’s vow!” said Athos, while D’Artagnan went to conduct Kitty downstairs.
An instant afterwards the three young men separated, agreeing to meet again at four o’clock at Athos’s residence, and leaving Planchet to guard the house.
Aramis returned home, and Athos and D’Artagnan went to see about pawning the sapphire.
As our Gascon had foreseen, they found no difficulty in obtaining three hundred pistoles on the ring. Still further, the Jew told them that he would give five hundred pistoles for it if they would sell it to him, as it would make a magnificent pendant for an earring.
Athos and D’Artagnan, with the activity of two soldiers, and the knowledge of two connoisseurs, spent scarcely three hours in purchasing the musketeer’s entire outfit. Besides, Athos was very easy to please, and a great noble to his fingers’ ends. Whenever anything suited him, he paid the price asked, without any thought of dickering. D’Artagnan would have remonstrated at this, but Athos put his hand on his shoulder with a smile, and D’Artagnan understood that it was all very well for such a little Gascon gentleman as himself to drive a bargain, but not for a man who had the bearing of a prince.
The musketeer found a superb Andalusian horse, black as jet, nostrils of fire, legs clean and elegant, rising six years. He examined him, and found him sound and without blemish. A thousand livres was asked for him.
He might, perhaps, have been bought for less; but while D’Artagnan was discussing the price with the dealer, Athos was counting the hundred pistoles on the table.
Grimaud had a stout, short Picard cob, which cost three hundred livres.
But when the saddle and arms for Grimaud were purchased, Athos had not a sou left of his hundred and fifty pistoles. D’Artagnan offered his friend a part of his share, which he should return when convenient.
But Athos only replied to this proposal by shrugging his shoulders.
“How much did the Jew say he would give for the sapphire if he purchased it?” said Athos.
“Five hundred pistoles.”
“That is to say, two hundred more—a hundred pistoles for you, and a hundred pistoles for me. Well, now, that would be a real fortune to us, my friend; let us go back to the Jew’s again.”
“What! will you—”
“This ring would certainly only recall very bitter remembrances. Then we shall never be masters of three hundred pistoles to redeem it, so that we really should lose two hundred pistoles by the bargain. Go, tell him the ring is his, D’Artagnan, and come back with the two hundred pistoles.”
“Reflect, Athos!”
“We need ready money just now, and we must learn how to make sacrifices. Go, D’Artagnan, go; Grimaud will accompany you with his musketoon.”
Half an hour afterwards D’Artagnan returned with the two thousand livres, and without having met with any accident.
Thus it was that Athos found at home resources which he did not expect.
