When D'Artagnan was out of the Louvre, and consulted his friendsupon the use he had best make of his share of the forty pistoles,Athos advised him to order a good repast at the Pomme-de-Pin,Porthos to engage a lackey, and Aramis to provide himself with asuitable mistress.

The repast was carried into effect that very day, and the lackeywaited at table. The repast had been ordered by Athos, and thelackey furnished by Porthos. He was a Picard, whom the gloriousMusketeer had picked up on the Bridge Tournelle, making rings andplashing in the water.

Porthos pretended that this occupation was proof of a reflectiveand contemplative organization, and he had brought him thisgentleman, for whom he believed himself to be engaged, had wonPlanchet - that was the name of the Picard. He felt a slightdisappointment, however, when he saw that this place was alreadytaken by a compeer named Mousqueton, and when Porthos signifiedto him that the state of his household, though great, would notsupport two servants, and that he must enter into the service ofD'Artagnan. Nevertheless, when he waited at the dinner given myhis master, and saw him take out a handful of gold to pay for it,he believed his fortune made, and returned thanks to heaven forhaving thrown him into the service of such a Croesus. Hepreserved this opinion even after the feast, with the remnants ofwhich he repaired his own long abstinence; but when in theevening he made his master's bed, the chimeras of Planchet fadedaway. The bed was the only one in the apartment, which consistedof an antechamber and a bedroom. Planchet slept in theantechamber upon a coverlet taken from the bed of D'Artagnan, andwhich D'Artagnan from that time made shift to do without.

Athos, on his part, had a valet whom he had trained in hisservice in a thoroughly peculiar fashion, and who was namedGrimaud. He was very taciturn, this worthy signor. Be itunderstood we are speaking of Athos. During the five or sixyears that he had lived in the strictest intimacy with hiscompanions, Porthos and Aramis, they could remember having oftenseen him smile, but had never heard him laugh. His words werebrief and expressive, conveying all that was meant, and no more;no embellishments, no embroidery, no arabesques. Hisconversation a matter of fact, without a single romance.

Although Athos was scarcely thirty years old, and was of greatpersonal beauty and intelligence of mind, no one knew whether hehad ever had a mistress. He never spoke of women. He certainlydid not prevent others from speaking of them before him, althoughit was easy to perceive that this kind of conversation, in whichhe only mingled by bitter words and misanthropic remarks, wasvery disagreeable to him. His reserve, his roughness, and hissilence made almost an old man of him. He had, then, in ordernot to disturb his habits, accustomed Grimaud to obey him upon asimple gesture or upon a simple movement of his lips. He neverspoke to him, except under the most extraordinary occasions.

Sometimes, Grimaud, who feared his master as he did fire, whileentertaining a strong attachment to his person and a greatveneration for his talents, believed he perfectly understood whathe wanted, flew to execute the order received, and did preciselythe contrary. Athos then shrugged his shoulders, and, withoutputting himself in a passion, thrashed Grimaud. On these days hespoke a little.

Porthos, as we have seen, had a character exactly opposite tothat of Athos. He not only talked much, but he talked loudly,little caring, we must render him that justice, whether anybodylistened to him or not. He talked for the pleasure of talkingand for the pleasure of hearing himself talk. He spoke upon allsubjects except the sciences, alleging in this respect theinveterate hatred he had borne to scholars from his childhood.He had not so noble an air as Athos, and the commencement oftheir intimacy often rendered him unjust toward that gentleman,whom he endeavored to eclipse by his splendid dress. But withhis simple Musketeer's uniform and nothing but the manner inwhich he threw back his head and advanced his foot, Athosinstantly took the place which was his due and consigned theostentatious Porthos to the second rank. Porthos consoledhimself by filling the antechamber of M. de Treville and theguardroom of the Louvre with the accounts of his love scrapes,after having passed from professional ladies to military ladies,from the lawyer's dame to the baroness, there was question ofnothing less with Porthos than a foreign princess, who wasenormously fond of him.

An old proverb says, "Like master, like man." Let us pass, then,from the valet of Athos to the valet of Porthos, from Grimaud toMousqueton.

Mousqueton was a Norman, whose pacific name of Boniface hismaster had changed into the infinitely more sonorous name ofMousqueton. He had entered the service of Porthos upon conditionthat he should only be clothed and lodged, though in a handsomemanner; but he claimed two hours a day to himself, consecrated toan employment which would provide for his other wants. Porthosagreed to the bargain; the thing suited him wonderfully well. Hehad doublets cut out of his old clothes and cast-off cloaks forMousqueton, and thanks to a very intelligent tailor, who made hisclothes look as good as new by turning them, and whose wife wassuspected of wishing to make Porthos descend from hisaristocratic habits, Mousqueton made a very good figure whenattending on his master.

As for Aramis, of whom we believe we have sufficiently explainedthe character - a character which, like that of his lackey wascalled Bazin. Thanks to the hopes which his master entertainedof someday entering into orders, he was always clothed in black,as became the servant of a churchman. He was a Berrichon,thirty-five or forty years old, mild, peaceable, sleek, employingthe leisure his master left him in the perusal of pious works,providing rigorously for two a dinner of few dishes, butexcellent. For the rest, he was dumb, blind, and deaf, and ofunimpeachable fidelity.

And now that we are acquainted, superficially at least, with themasters and the valets, let us pass on to the dwellings occupiedby each of them.

Athos dwelt in the Rue Ferou, within two steps of the Luxembourg.His apartment consisted of two small chambers, very nicely fittedup, in a furnished house, the hostess of which, still young andstill really handsome, cast tender glances uselessly at him.Some fragments of past splendor appeared here and there upon thewalls of this modest lodging; a sword, for example, richlyembossed, which belonged by its make to the times of Francis I,the hilt of which alone, encrusted with precious stones, might beworth two hundred pistoles, and which, nevertheless, in hismoments of greatest distress Athos had never pledged or offeredfor sale. It had long been an object of ambition for Porthos.Porthos would have given ten years of his life to possess thissword.

One day, when he had an appointment with a duchess, he endeavoredeven to borrow it of Athos. Athos, without saying anything,emptied his pockets, got together all his jewels, purses,aiguillettes, and gold chains, and offered them all to Porthos;but as to the sword, he said it was sealed to its place andshould never quit it until its master should himself quit hislodgings. In addition to the sword, there was a portraitrepresenting a nobleman of the time of Henry III, dressed withthe greatest elegance, and who wore the Order of the Holy Ghost;and this portrait had certain resemblances of lines with Athos,certain family likenesses which indicated that this great noble,a knight of the Order of the King, was his ancestor.

Besides these, a casket of magnificent goldwork, with the samearms as the sword and the portrait, formed a middle ornament tothe mantelpiece, and assorted badly with the rest of thefurniture. Athos always carried the key of this coffer abouthim; but he one day opened it before Porthos, and Porthos wasconvinced that this coffer contained nothing but letters andpapers - love letters and family papers, no doubt.

Porthos lived in an apartment, large in size and of verysumptuous appearance, in the Rue du Vieux-Colombier. Every timehe passed with a friend before his windows, at one of whichMousqueton was sure to be placed in full livery, Porthos raisedhis head and his hand, and said, "That is my abode!" But he wasnever to be found at home; he never invited anybody to go up withhim, and no one could form an idea of what his sumptuousapartment contained in the shape of real riches.

As to Aramis, he dwelt in a little lodging composed of a boudoir,an eating room, and a bedroom, which room, situated, as theothers were, on the ground floor, looked out upon a little freshgreen garden, shady and impenetrable to the eyes of hisneighbors.

With regard to D'Artagnan, we know how he was lodged, and we havealready made acquaintance with his lackey, Master Planchet.

D'Artagnan, who was by nature very curious - as people generallyare who possess the genius of intrigue - did all he could to makeout who Athos, Porthos, and Aramis really were (for under thesepseudonyms each of these young men concealed his family name) - Athos in particular, who, a league away, savored of nobility. Headdressed himself then to Porthos to gain information respectingAthos and Aramis, and to Aramis in order to learn something ofPorthos.

Unfortunately Porthos knew nothing of the life of his silentcompanion but what revealed itself. It was said Athos had metwith great crosses in love, and that a frightful treachery hadforever poisoned the life of this gallant man. What could thistreachery be? All the world was ignorant of it.

As to Porthos, except his real name (as was the case with thoseof his two comrades), his life was very easily known. Vain andindiscreet, it was as easy to see through him as through acrystal. The only thing to mislead the investigator would havebeen belief in all the good things he said of himself.

With respect to Aramis, though having the air of having nothingsecret about him, he was a young fellow made up of mysteries,answering little to questions put to him about others, and havinglearned from him the report which prevailed concerning thesuccess of the Musketeer with a princess, wished to gain a littleinsight into the amorous adventures of his interlocutor. "Andyou, my dear companion," said he, "you speak of the baronesses,countesses, and princesses of others?"

"PARDIEU! I spoke of them because Porthos talked of themhimself, because he had paraded all these fine things before me.But be assured, my dear Monsieur D'Artagnan, that if I hadobtained them from any other source, or if they had been confidedto me, there exists no confessor more discreet than myself."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," replied D'Artagnan; "but it seems to methat you are tolerably familiar with coats of arms - a certainembroidered handkerchief, for instance, to which I owe the honorof your acquaintance?"

This time Aramis was not angry, but assumed the most modest airand replied in a friendly tone, "My dear friend, do not forgetthat I wish to belong to the Church, and that I avoid all mundaneopportunities. The handkerchief you saw had not been given tome, but it had been forgotten and left at my house by one of myfriends. I was obliged to pick it up in order not to compromisehim and the lady he loves. As for myself, I neither have, nordesire to have, a mistress, following in that respect the veryjudicious example of Athos, who has none any more than I have."

"But what the devil! You are not a priest, you are a Musketeer!"

"A Musketeer for a time, my friend, as the cardinal says, aMusketeer against my will, but a churchman at heart, believe me.Athos and Porthos dragged me into this to occupy me. I had, atthe moment of being ordained, a little difficulty with - But thatwould not interest you, and I am taking up your valuable time."

"Not at all; it interests me very much," cried D'Artagnan; "andat this moment I have absolutely nothing to do."

"Yes, but I have my breviary to repeat," answered Aramis; "thensome verses to compose, which Madame d'Aiguillon begged of me.Then I must go to the Rue St. Honore in order to purchase somerouge for Madame de Chevreuse. So you see, my dear friend, thatif you are not in a hurry, I am very much in a hurry."

Aramis held out his hand in a cordial manner to his youngcompanion, and took leave of him.

Notwithstanding all the pains he took, D'Artagnan was unable tolearn any more concerning his three new-made friends. He formed,therefore, the resolution of believing for the present all thatwas said of their past, hoping for more certain and extendedrevelations in the future. In the meanwhile, he looked uponAthos as an Achilles, Porthos as an Ajax, and Aramis as a Joseph.

As to the rest, the life of the four young friends was joyousenough. Athos played, and that as a rule unfortunately.Nevertheless, he never borrowed a sou of his companions, althoughhis purse was ever at their service; and when he had played uponhonor, he always awakened his creditor by six o'clock the nextmorning to pay the debt of the preceding evening.

Porthos had his fits. On the days when he won he was insolentand ostentatious; if he lost, he disappeared completely forseveral days, after which he reappeared with a pale face andthinner person, but with money in his purse.

As to Aramis, he never played. He was the worst Musketeer andthe most unconvivial companion imaginable. He had alwayssomething or other to do. Sometimes in the midst of dinner, wheneveryone, under the attraction of wine and in the warmth ofconversation, believed they had two or three hours longer toenjoy themselves at table, Aramis looked at his watch, arose witha bland smile, and took leave of the company, to go, as he said,to consult a casuist with whom he had an appointment. At othertimes he would return home to write a treatise, and requested hisfriends not to disturb him.

At this Athos would smile, with his charming, melancholy smile,which so became his noble countenance, and Porthos would drink,swearing that Aramis would never be anything but a village CURE.

Planchet, D'Artagnan's valet, supported his good fortune nobly.He received thirty sous per day, and for a month he returned tohis lodgings gay as a chaffinch, and affable toward his master.When the wind of adversity began to blow upon the housekeeping ofthe Rue des Fossoyeurs - that is to say, when the forty pistolesof King Louis XIII were consumed or nearly so - he commencedcomplaints which Athos thought nauseous, Porthos indecent, andAramis ridiculous. Athos counseled D'Artagnan to dismiss thefellow; Porthos was of opinion that he should give him a goodthrashing first; and Aramis contended that a master should neverattend to anything but the civilities paid to him.

"This is all very easy for you to say," replied D'Artagnan, "foryou, Athos, who live like a dumb man with Grimaud, who forbid himto speak, and consequently never exchange ill words with him; foryou, Porthos, who carry matters in such a magnificent style, andare a god to your valet, Mousqueton; and for you, Aramis, who,always abstracted by your theological studies, inspire yourservant, Bazin, a mild, religious man, with a profound respect;but for me, who am without any settled means and withoutresources - for me, who am neither a Musketeer nor even aGuardsman, what I am to do to inspire either the affection, theterror, or the respect in Planchet?"

"This is serious," answered the three friends; "it is a familyaffair. It is with valets as with wives, they must be placed atonce upon the footing in which you wish them to remain. Reflectupon it."

D'Artagnan did reflect, and resolved to thrash Planchetprovisionally; which he did with the conscientiousness thatD'Artagnan carried into everything. After having well beatenhim, he forbade him to leave his service without his permission."For," added he, "the future cannot fail to mend; I inevitablylook for better times. Your fortune is therefore made if youremain with me, and I am too good a master to allow you to misssuch a chance by granting you the dismissal you require."

This manner of acting roused much respect for D'Artagnan's policyamong the Musketeers. Planchet was equally seized withadmiration, and said no more about going away.

The life of the four young men had become fraternal. D'Artagnan,who had no settled habits of his own, as he came from hisprovince into the midst of his world quite new to him, felleasily into the habits of his friends.

They rose about eight o'clock in the winter, about six in summer,and went to take the countersign and see how things went on at M.de Treville's. D'Artagnan, although he was not a Musketeer,performed the duty of one with remarkable punctuality. He wenton guard because he always kept company with whoever of hisfriends was on duty. He was well known at the Hotel of theMusketeers, where everyone considered him a good comrade. M. deTreville, who had appreciated him at the first glance and whobore him a real affection, never ceased recommending him to theking.

On their side, the three Musketeers were much attached to theiryoung comrade. The friendship which united these four men, andthe want they felt of seeing another three or four times a day,whether for dueling, business, or pleasure, caused them to becontinually running after one another like shadows; and theInseparables were constantly to be met with seeking one another,from the Luxembourg to the Place St. Sulpice, or from the Rue duVieux-Colombier to the Luxembourg.

In the meanwhile the promises of M. de Treville went onprosperously. One fine morning the king commanded M. deChevalier Dessessart to admit D'Artagnan as a cadet in hiscompany of Guards. D'Artagnan, with a sigh, donned his uniform,which he would have exchanged for that of a Musketeer at theexpense of ten years of his existence. But M. de Trevillepromised this favor after a novitiate of two years - a novitiatewhich might besides be abridged if an opportunity should presentitself for D'Artagnan to render the king any signal service, orto distinguish himself by some brilliant action. Upon thispromise D'Artagnan withdrew, and the next day he began service.

Then it became the turn of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis to mountguard with D'Artagnan when he was on duty. The company of M. leChevalier Dessessart thus received four instead of one when itadmitted D'Artagnan.