His accounts once settled, and his recommendations made,D'Artagnan thought of nothing but returning to Paris as soonas possible. Athos, on his part, was anxious to reach homeand to rest a little. However whole the character and theman may remain after the fatigues of a voyage, the travelerperceives with pleasure, at the close of the day - eventhough the day has been a fine one - that night isapproaching, and will bring a little sleep with it. So, fromBoulogne to Paris, jogging on, side by side, the twofriends, in some degree absorbed each in his individualthoughts, conversed of nothing sufficiently interesting forus to repeat to our readers. Each of them given up to hispersonal reflections, and constructing his future after hisown fashion, was, above all, anxious to abridge the distanceby speed. Athos and D'Artagnan arrived at the gates of Parison the evening of the fourth day after leaving Boulogne.

"Where are you going, my friend?" asked Athos. "I shalldirect my course straight to my hotel."

"And I straight to my partner's."

"To Planchet's?"

"Yes; at the Pilon d'Or."

"Well, but shall we not meet again?"

"If you remain in Paris, yes, for I shall stay here."

"No: after having embraced Raoul, with whom I have appointeda meeting at my hotel, I shall set out immediately for LaFere."

"Well, adieu, then, dear and true friend."

"Au revoir! I should rather say, for why can you not comeand live with me at Blois? You are free, you are rich, Ishall purchase for you, if you like, a handsome estate inthe vicinity of Chiverny or of Bracieux. On the one side youwill have the finest woods in the world, which join those ofChambord; on the other, admirable marshes. You who lovesporting, and who, whether you admit it or not, are a poet,my dear friend, you will find pheasants, rail and teal,without counting sunsets and excursions on the water, tomake you fancy yourself Nimrod and Apollo themselves. Whileawaiting the purchase, you can live at La Fere, and we shallgo together to fly our hawks among the vines, as Louis XIII.used to do. That is a quiet amusement for old fellows likeus."

D'Artagnan took the hands of Athos in his own. "Dear count,"said he, "I shall say neither `Yes' nor `No.' Let me pass inParis the time necessary for the regulation of my affairs,and accustom myself, by degrees, to the heavy and glitteringidea which is beating in my brain and dazzles me. I am rich,you see, and from this moment until the time when I shallhave acquired the habit of being rich, I know myself, and Ishall be an insupportable animal. Now, I am not enough of afool to wish to appear to have lost my wits before a friendlike you, Athos. The cloak is handsome, the cloak is richlygilded, but it is new, and does not seem to fit me."

Athos smiled. "So be it," said he. "But a propos of thiscloak, dear D'Artagnan, will you allow me to offer you alittle advice?"

"Yes, willingly."

"You will not be angry?"

"Proceed."

"When wealth comes to a man late in life or all at once,that man, in order not to change, must most likely become amiser - that is to say, not spend much more money than hehad done before; or else become a prodigal, and contract somany debts as to become poor again."

"Oh! but what you say looks very much like a sophism, mydear philosophic friend."

"I do not think so. Will you become a miser?"

"No, pardieu! I was one already, having nothing. Let uschange."

"Then be prodigal."

"Still less, Mordioux! Debts terrify me. Creditors appear tome, by anticipation like those devils who turn the damnedupon the gridirons, and as patience is not my dominantvirtue, I am always tempted to thrash those devils."

"You are the wisest man I know, and stand in no need ofadvice from any one. Great fools must they be who think theyhave anything to teach you. But are we not at the Rue SaintHonore?"

"Yes, dear Athos."

"Look yonder, on the left, that small, long white house isthe hotel where I lodge. You may observe that it has but twostories; I occupy the first; the other is let to an officerwhose duties oblige him to be absent eight or nine months inthe year, - so I am in that house as in my own home,without the expense."

"Oh! how well you manage, Athos! What order and whatliberality! They are what I wish to unite! But, of what usetrying! that comes from birth, and cannot be acquired."

"You are a flatterer! Well! adieu, dear friend. A propos,remember me to Master Planchet; he was always a brightfellow."

"And a man of heart, too, Athos. Adieu."

And they separated. During all this conversation, D'Artagnanhad not for a moment lost sight of a certain pack-horse, inwhose panniers, under some hay, were spread the sacoches(messenger's bags) with the portmanteau. Nine o'clock wasstriking at Saint-Merri. Planchet's helps were shutting uphis shop. D'Artagnan stopped the postilion who rode thepack-horse, at the corner of the Rue des Lombards, under apenthouse, and calling one of Planchet's boys, he desiredhim not only to take care of the two horses, but to watchthe postilion; after which he entered the shop of thegrocer, who had just finished supper, and who, in his littleprivate room, was, with a degree of anxiety, consulting thecalendar, on which, every evening, he scratched out the daythat was past. At the moment when Planchet, according to hisdaily custom, with the back of his pen, erased another day,D'Artagnan kicked the door with his foot, and the blow madehis steel spur jingle. "Oh! good Lord!" cried Planchet. Theworthy grocer could say no more; he had just perceived hispartner. D'Artagnan entered with a bent back and a dull eye:the Gascon had an idea with regard to Planchet.

"Good God!" thought the grocer, looking earnestly at thetraveler, "he looks sad!" The musketeer sat down.

"My dear Monsieur d'Artagnan!" said Planchet, with ahorrible palpitation of the heart. "Here you are! and yourhealth?"

"Tolerably good, Planchet, tolerably good!" said D'Artagnan,with a profound sigh.

"You have not been wounded, I hope?"

"Phew!"

"Ah, I see," continued Planchet, more and more alarmed, "theexpedition has been a trying one?"

"Yes," said D'Artagnan. A shudder ran down Planchet's back."I should like to have something to drink," said themusketeer, raising his head piteously.

Planchet ran to the cupboard, and poured out to D'Artagnansome wine in a large glass. D'Artagnan examined the bottle.

"What wine is that?" asked he.

"Alas! that which you prefer, monsieur," said Planchet;"that good old Anjou wine, which was one day nearly costingus all so dear."

"Ah!" replied D'Artagnan, with a melancholy smile, "Ah! mypoor Planchet, ought I still to drink good wine?"

"Come! my dear master," said Planchet, making a superhumaneffort, whilst all his contracted muscles, his pallor, andhis trembling, betrayed the most acute anguish. "Come! Ihave been a soldier and consequently have some courage; donot make me linger, dear Monsieur d'Artagnan; our money islost, is it not?"

Before he answered, D'Artagnan took his time, and thatappeared an age to the poor grocer. Nevertheless he didnothing but turn about on his chair.

"And if that were the case," said he, slowly, moving hishead up and down, "if that were the case, what would yousay, my dear friend?"

Planchet, from being pale, turned yellow. It might have beenthought he was going to swallow his tongue, so full becamehis throat, so red were his eyes!

"Twenty thousand livres!" murmured he. "Twenty thousandlivres, and yet - - "

D'Artagnan, with his neck elongated, his legs stretched out,and his hands hanging listlessly, looked like a statue ofdiscouragement. Planchet drew up a sigh from the deepestcavities of his breast.

"Well," said he, "I see how it is. Let us be men! It is allover, is it not? The principal thing is, monsieur, that yourlife is safe."

"Doubtless! doubtless! - life is something - but I amruined!"

"Cordieu! monsieur!" said Planchet, "if it is so, we mustnot despair for that; you shall become a grocer with me; Ishall take you for my partner, we will share the profits,and if there should be no more profits, well, why then weshall share the almonds, raisins and prunes, and we willnibble together the last quarter of Dutch cheese."

D'Artagnan could hold out no longer. "Mordioux!" cried he,with great emotion, "thou art a brave fellow on my honor,Planchet. You have not been playing a part, have you? Youhave not seen the pack-horse with the bags under the shedyonder?"

"What horse? What bags?" said Planchet, whose tremblingheart began to suggest that D'Artagnan was mad.

"Why, the English bags, Mordioux!" said D'Artagnan, allradiant, quite transfigured.

"Ah! good God!" articulated Planchet, drawing back beforethe dazzling fire of his looks.

"Imbecile!" cried D'Artagnan, "you think me mad! Mordioux!On the contrary, never was my head more clear, or my heartmore joyous. To the bags, Planchet, to the bags!"

"But to what bags, good heavens!"

D'Artagnan pushed Planchet towards the window.

"Under the shed yonder, don't you see a horse?"

"Yes."

"Don't you see how his back is laden?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Don't you see your lad talking with the postilion?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Well, you know the name of that lad, because he is yourown. Call him."

"Abdon! Abdon!" vociferated Planchet, from the window.

"Bring the horse!" shouted D'Artagnan.

"Bring the horse!" screamed Planchet.

"Now give ten crowns to the postilion," said D'Artagnan, inthe tone he would have employed in commanding a maneuver;"two lads to bring up the two first bags, two to bring upthe two last, - and move, Mordioux! be lively!"

Planchet rushed down the stairs, as if the devil had been athis heels. A moment later the lads ascended the staircase,bending beneath their burden. D'Artagnan sent them off totheir garrets, carefully closed the door, and addressingPlanchet, who, in his turn, looked a little wild, -

"Now, we are by ourselves," said he, and he spread upon thefloor a large cover, and emptied the first bag into it.Planchet did the same with the second; then D'Artagnan, allin a tremble, let out the precious bowels of the third witha knife. When Planchet heard the provoking sound of thesilver and gold - when he saw bubbling out of the bags theshining crowns, which glittered like fish from the sweep-net- when he felt himself plunging his hands up to the elbowin that still rising tide of yellow and white coins, agiddiness seized him, and like a man struck by lightning, hesank heavily down upon the enormous heap, which his weightcaused to roll away in all directions. Planchet, suffocatedwith joy, had lost his senses. D'Artagnan threw a glass ofwhite wine in his face, which incontinently recalled him tolife.

"Ah! good heavens! good heavens! good heavens!" saidPlanchet, wiping his mustache and beard.

At that time, as they do now, grocers wore the cavaliermustache and the lansquenet beard, only the money baths,already rare in those days, have become almost unknown now.

"Mordieux!" said D'Artagnan, "there are a hundred thousandcrowns for you, partner. Draw your share, if you please, andI will draw mine."

"Oh! the lovely sum! Monsieur d'Artagnan, the lovely sum!"

"I confess that half an hour ago I regretted that I had togive you so much, but I now no longer regret it; thou art abrave grocer, Planchet. There, let us close our accounts,for, as they say, short reckonings make long friends."

"Oh! rather, in the first place, tell me the whole history,"said Planchet; "that must be better than the money."

"Ma foi!" said D'Artagnan, stroking his mustache, "I can'tsay no, and if ever the historian turns to me forinformation, he will be able to say he has not dipped hisbucket into a dry spring. Listen, then, Planchet, I willtell you all about it."

"And I shall build piles of crowns," said Planchet. "Begin,my dear master."

"Well, this is it," said D'Artagnan, drawing breath.

"And that is it," said Planchet, picking up his firsthandful of crowns.