Page:Ten Years Later 2.djvu/14

"Because I know you well, monsieur; you cannot repent of having drawn your sword for me."
"Well, in that your majesty is deceived, and greatly. Yes, I do repent of having drawn my sword, on account of the results that action produced; the poor men who were hung, sire, were neither your enemies nor mine, and they could not defend themselves."
The king preserved silence for a moment. "And your companion, Monsieur d'Artagnan, does he partake of your repentance?"
"My companion?"
"Yes. You were not alone, I have been told."
"Alone, where?"
"At the Place de Grève."
"No, sire, no," said D'Artagnan, blushing at the idea that the king might have a suspicion that he, D'Artagnan, had wished to engross to himself all the glory that belonged to Raoul; "no, mordioux! and, as your majesty says, I had a companion, and a good companion, too."
"A young man?"
"Yes, sire, a young man. Oh! your majesty must accept my compliments; you are as well informed of things out-of-doors as with things within. It is Monsieur Colbert who makes all these fine reports to the king."
"Monsieur Colbert had said nothing but good of you, Monsieur d'Artagnan, and he would have met with a bad reception if he had come to tell me anything else."
"That is fortunate."
"But he also said much good of that young man."
"And with justice," said the musketeer.
"In short, it appears that this young man is a brave," said Louis, in order to sharpen the sentiment which he mistook for envy.
"A brave! Yes, sire," repeated D'Artagnan, delighted on his part to direct the king's attention to Raoul.
"Do you not know his name?"
"Well, I think——"
"You know him then?"
"I have known him nearly twenty-five years, sire."
"Why, he is scarcely twenty-five years old!" cried the king.
"Well, sire; I have known him ever since his birth, that is all."
"Do you affirm that?"
"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "your majesty questions me