France -- History -- Louis XIV, 1643-1715 -- Fiction
These words drew a deep sigh from the heart of Planchet. That Avarice
is an ardent counselor; she carries away her man, as Satan did Jesus,
to the mountain, and when once she has shown to an unfortunate all the
kingdoms of the earth, she is able to repose herself, knowing full well
that she has left her companion, Envy, to gnaw his heart. Planchet had
tasted of riches easily acquired, and was never afterwards likely to
stop in his desires; but, as he had a good heart in spite of his
covetousness, as he adored D’Artagnan, he could not refrain from making
him a thousand recommendations, each more affectionate than the others.
He would not have been sorry, nevertheless, to have caught a little
hint of the secret his master concealed so well; tricks, turns,
counsels and traps were all useless, D’Artagnan let nothing
confidential escape him. The evening passed thus. After supper the
portmanteau occupied D’Artagnan, he took a turn to the stable, patted
his horse, and examined his shoes and legs, then, having counted over
his money, he went to bed, sleeping as if only twenty, because he had
neither inquietude nor remorse; he closed his eyes five minutes after
he had blown out his lamp. Many events might, however, have kept him
awake. Thought boiled in his brain, conjectures abounded, and
D’Artagnan was a great drawer of horoscopes; but, with that
imperturbable phlegm which does more than genius for the fortune and
happiness of men of action, he put off reflection till the next day,
for fear, he said, not to be fresh when he wanted to be so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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