THE VICOMTE t>E BRAGELONNE. 451 for a long time, as you know; so I threw my cassock to the nettles." "But Mazarin is dead." "I know that well enough, parbleu ! Only, at the period of his death, my resignation had been given in and accepted two months. Then, feeling myself free, I set off for Pierre- fonds, to see my friend Porthos. I had heard talk of the happy division you had made of your time, and I wished, for a fortnight, to divide mine after your fashion." "My friend, you know that it is not for a fortnight the house is open to you ; it is for a year — for ten years — for life." "Thank you, Portlios." "Ah! but perhaps you want money — do you?" said Por- thos, making something like fifty louis chink in his pocket. "In that case, you know " "No, thank you; lam not in want of anything. I placed my savings with Planchet, who pays me the interest of them." "Your savings?" "Y s, to be sure," said D'Artagnan. "Why should I mot put by savings, as well as another, Porthos?" "Oh, there is no reason why; on the contrary, I always 1 suspect d you — that is to say, Aram is always suspected you ito have savings. For my own part, d'ye see, I take no con- icern about the management of my household; but I pre- rgurae the savings of a musketeer must be small." "No doubt, relative to yourself, Porthos, who are a mil- lionaire; but i ou shall judge. I had laid by twenty-live ! thousand litres " "That's pretty well," said Porthos, with an affable air. "And,' continued D'Artagnan, "on the 28th of last month I added to it two hundred thousand livres more." Porthos opened his large eyes, which eloquently de- manded of the musketeer, 'Where the devil did you steal such a sum as that, my dear friend?" "Two hundred thousand livres!" cried he, at length. "Yes; which, with the twenty-five I had, and twenty thousand I have about me, complete the sum of two hun-
- dred and forty-five thousand livres."
"But tell me, whence comes this fortune?" "I will tell you all about it presently, dear friend; but as you have, in the first place, many things to tell me your- self, let us place my recital in its proper rank." "Bravo!" said Porthos; "then we are both rich. But what can I have to relate to you?"
