登陆注册
5287000000165

第165章 53(2)

"Yes, there are two hundred of them, and each of them will need two, which will make four hundred."

"But four hundred what?"

"Listen!" cried D'Artagnan.

But as there were all kinds of people about, who were in a state of stupefaction at the unexpected arrival of the court, he whispered in his friend's ear.

"I understand," answered Porthos, "I understand you perfectly, on my honor; two hundred louis, each of us, would be making a pretty thing of it; but what will people say?"

"Let them say what they will; besides, how will they know that we are doing it?"

"But who will distribute these things?" asked Porthos.

"Isn't Musqueton there?"

"But he wears my livery; my livery will be known," replied Porthos.

"He can turn his coat inside out."

"You are always in the right, my dear friend," cried Porthos; "but where the devil do you discover all the notions you put into practice?"

D'Artagnan smiled. The two friends turned down the first street they came to. Porthos knocked at the door of a house to the right, whilst D'Artagnan knocked at the door of a house to the left.

"Some straw," they said.

"Sir, we don't keep any," was the reply of the people who opened the doors; "but please ask at the hay dealer's."

"Where is the hay dealer's?"

"At the last large door in the street."

"Are there any other people in Saint Germain who sell straw?"

"Yes; there's the landlord of the Lamb, and Gros-Louis the farmer; they both live in the Rue des Ursulines."

"Very well."

D'Artagnan went instantly to the hay dealer and bargained with him for a hundred and fifty trusses of straw, which he obtained, at the rate of three pistoles each. He went afterward to the innkeeper and bought from him two hundred trusses at the same price. Finally, Farmer Louis sold them eighty trusses, making in all four hundred and thirty.

There was no more to be had in Saint Germain. This foraging did not occupy more than half an hour. Musqueton, duly instructed, was put at the head of this sudden and new business. He was cautioned not to let a bit of straw out of his hands under a louis the truss, and they intrusted to him straw to the amount of four hundred and thirty louis.

D'Artagnan, taking with him three trusses of straw, returned to the chateau, where everybody, freezing with cold and more than half asleep, envied the king, the queen, and the Duke of Orleans, on their camp beds. The lieutenant's entrance produced a burst of laughter in the great drawing-room; but he did not appear to notice that he was the object of general attention, but began to arrange, with so much cleverness, nicety and gayety, his straw bed, that the mouths of all these poor creatures, who could not go to sleep, began to water.

"Straw!" they all cried out, "straw! where is there any to be found?"

"I can show you," answered the Gascon.

And he conducted them to Musqueton, who freely distributed the trusses at the rate of a louis apiece. It was thought rather dear, but people wanted to sleep, and who would not give even two or three louis for a few hours of sound sleep?

D'Artagnan gave up his bed to any one who wanted it, making it over about a dozen times; and since he was supposed to have paid, like the others, a louis for his truss of straw, he pocketed in that way thirty louis in less than half an hour. At five o'clock in the morning the straw was worth eighty francs a truss and there was no more to be had.

D'Artagnan had taken the precaution to set apart four trusses for his own use. He put in his pocket the key of the room where he had hidden them, and accompanied by Porthos returned to settle with Musqueton, who, naively, and like the worthy steward that he was, handed them four hundred and thirty louis and kept one hundred for himself.

Musqueton, who knew nothing of what was going on in the chateau, wondered that the idea had not occurred to him sooner. D'Artagnan put the gold in his hat, and in going back to the chateau settled the reckoning with Porthos, each of them had cleared two hundred and fifteen louis.

Porthos, however, found that he had no straw left for himself. He returned to Musqueton, but the steward had sold the last wisp. He then repaired to D'Artagnan, who, thanks to his four trusses of straw, was in the act of making up and tasting, by anticipation, the luxury of a bed so soft, so well stuffed at the head, so well covered at the foot, that it would have excited the envy of the king himself, if his majesty had not been fast asleep in his own. D'Artagnan could on no account consent to pull his bed to pieces again for Porthos, but for a consideration of four louis that the latter paid him for it, he consented that Porthos should share his couch with him. He laid his sword at the head, his pistols by his side, stretched his cloak over his feet, placed his felt hat on the top of his cloak and extended himself luxuriously on the straw, which rustled under him.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 倚剑执江山

    倚剑执江山

    武龙,生于武学世家,长于灼灼人世。为爱,智计千条;为情,舍身取义。笑看红尘,冷对生死。看故事百转千回,泯恩仇跌宕起伏,写一代传奇,悲沧桑自己。
  • 网游之修道歧路

    网游之修道歧路

    蜀山世界,一路行来,看歧路者如何逆天行事。新书【剑道无双】上传,请筒靴们继续支持。
  • 半壶闲梦

    半壶闲梦

    要分四张:第1章散落记忆;第2章诗情画意;第3章随遇而安;第4章闲来说道。
  • 不可不知的犹太人赚钱智慧

    不可不知的犹太人赚钱智慧

    在人生的道路上,不知要经历多少的坎坷。每一次的成功,也许都要经历唐僧取经般的九九八十一难。如果我们的生命真有无限长的话,即使把所有的路都走一遍都无所谓,但事实是生命有限,人生苦短,人生真正能够做事的时间不过是短短的几十年。鉴于此,我们编著了这套《不可不知丛书》,作为读者朋友面对现实生活的一面旗帜,来感召和激励人生,共同朝着美好的未来前进。
  • 小故事大道理(全集)

    小故事大道理(全集)

    一书在手,尽览人生哲理;触类旁通,领悟成功真谛。一滴水,可以折身太阳的光辉;一本书,可以滋养无数的心灵。本书共收录近1000则小故事,它们涵盖了幸福人生的所有诠释,有习惯养成、职业生涯、财富金钱、潜能激励、爱情婚姻、交际处世、心灵境界等47辑32类。这些精辟的小故事背后,都隐藏着无穷的思想和智慧。如果把一盏灯放进全黑的房间,黑暗会瞬间消失,房间顿时有了光明。这时,如果增加十盏、百盏或千盏明灯,房间就会变得越来越亮。愿书中的这些哲理故事能成为点亮你人生的灯,在它的照耀下,我们可以把不快的忧伤变为沉醉的美酒,把午夜的黑暗化为黎明的曙光,使原本没有意义的人生之旅变得格外轻松、欢快、达观。
  • 结婚后我恋爱了

    结婚后我恋爱了

    她学成归来,没想到被两个包子缠上了,不好意思,我怎么不记得自己生过俩孩?妈咪妈咪地叫着,没过几天,她还真成他们妈了,她也很绝望!颜影后的一次采访:“……影后,您招蜂引蝶。”颜洛笑:“如果你硬是要把我生意伙伴和朋友比作蜜蜂和蝴蝶,那我替他们收下你的赞美。”他这是赞美?“颜影后,您未婚先孕,怎么还敢嫁给君总!”颜洛冷笑:“君清墨还未婚有俩孩呢!你怎么不去说他怎么还敢娶我!”两本结婚证直摔在桌上!就是,他怎么敢娶我!然而,颜洛因为这样,要和君清墨离婚,结果,人家领着俩孩,“抛夫弃子,可耻!”颜洛看两个萌孩,心一软,又留下来。就这样反复被大灰狼牵进陷阱……
  • 创新与发展

    创新与发展

    为了进一步贯彻落实党的十七届五中、六中全会和胡锦涛总书记在省部级主要领导干部社会管理及其创新专题研讨班上的重要讲话和“七一”讲话精神,在更高起点上推进福建科学发展跨越发展,促进福建省哲学社会科学繁荣发展,福建省社科联于2011年4月至12月组织了以“管理创新与创新发展”为主题的福建省社会科学界2011年(第八届)学术年会活动。本届学术年会围绕纪念中国共产党建党90周年、纪念辛亥革命100周年、海峡西岸经济区发展规划以及福建经济社会发展中的热点难点问题和具有全局性、战略性、前瞻性的重大理论和实际问题以及学术前沿问题进行交流和宣传。
  • 杜甫文集4

    杜甫文集4

    深刻反映唐代安史之知己前后20多年的社会全貌。把社会现实与个人生活紧密结合,达到思想内容与艺术形式的完美统一。代表唐代诗歌的最高成就,展现诗人的一生传奇。
  • 五分比丘尼戒本

    五分比丘尼戒本

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大同平叛志

    大同平叛志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。