Porthos colored as he said, "Yes; but that was all that he did." "Exactly, and my own opinion is that it was no very great affair after all." "That is mine, too." "Very good; I am delighted we are of the same opinion." "He never even came to Belle-Isle," said Porthos. "There now, you see." "It was I who went to Vannes, as you may have seen." "Say, rather, as I did see. Well, that is precisely the state of the case, my dear Porthos. Aramis, who only drew the plans, wishes to pass himself off as the engineer, while you, who, stone by stone, built the wall, the citadel, and the bastions, he wishes to reduce to the rank of a mere builder." "By builder, you mean mason, perhaps?" "Mason; the very word." "Plasterer, in fact?" "Precisely." "A laborer?" "Exactly." "Oh! oh! my dear Aramis, you seem to think you are only five-and-twenty years of age still." "Yes, and that is not all, for he believes you are fifty." "I should have amazingly liked to have seen him at work." "Yes, indeed." "A fellow who has got the gout!" "Yes." "Who has lost three of his teeth!" "Four." "While I, look at mine." And Porthos, opening his large mouth very wide, displayed two rows of teeth rather less white than snow, but as even, hard, and sound as ivory. "You can hardly believe, Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "what a fancy the king has for good teeth. Yours decide me; I will present you to the king myself." "You?" "Why not? Do you think I have less credit at court than Aramis?" "Oh no!" "Do you think that I have the slightest pretensions upon the fortifications at Belle-Isle?" "Certainly not." "It is your own interest alone which would induce me to do it." "I don't doubt it in the least." "Well! I am the intimate friend of the king; and a proof of that is, that whenever there is anything disagreeable to tell him, it is I who have to do it." "But, dear D'Artagnan, if you present me--" "Well!" "Aramis will be angry." "With me?" "No, with me." "Bah! whether he or I present you, since you are to be presented, what does it matter?" "They were going to get me some clothes made." "Your own are splendid." "Oh! those I had ordered were far more beautiful." "Take care; the king likes simplicity." "In that case, I will be simple. But what will M. Fouquet say, when he learns that I have left?" "Are you a prisoner, then, on parole?" "No, not quite that. But I promised him I would not leave without letting him know." "Wait a minute, we shall return to that presently. Have you anything to do here?" "I, nothing; nothing of any importance, at least." "Unless, indeed, you are Aramis' representative for something of importance." "By no means." "What I tell you, pray understand that, is out of interest for you. I suppose, for instance, that you are commissioned to send messages and letters to him?" "Ah! letters, yes. I send certain letters to him." "Where?" "To Fontainebleau." "Have you any letters, then?" "But--"