Part 30 (1/2)

”With pleasure, monsieur”

”A fowl, a bouillon, and a bottle of wine”

”This is Saturday night, monsieur--it is a day of abstinence”

”I have a dispensation,” said D'Artagnan

Bazin looked at him suspiciously

”Ah, ah, master hypocrite!” said the musketeer, ”for whom do you take me? If you, who are the valet, hope for dispensation to commit a crime, shall not I, the friend of your bishop, have dispensation for eating reeable with , and you shall never confess

Now you know that the no, I aer”

Bazin smiled hypocritically ”Ah, but we have h at the king, then?”

Bazin made no reply; his smile was sufficiently eloquent

”My supper,” said D'Artagnan, ”it is getting towards seven o'clock”

Bazin turned round and ordered the eldest of the pupils to infornan surveyed the presbytery

”Phew!” said he, disdainfully, ”randeur very meanly here”

”We have the Chateau de Vaux,” said Bazin

”Which is perhaps equal to the Louvre?” said D'Artagnan, jeeringly

”Which is better,” replied Bazin, with the greatest coolness inan

He would perhaps have prolonged the discussion, and maintained the superiority of the Louvre, but the lieutenant perceived that his horse reate

”The devil!” said he ”Get my horse looked after; your master the bishop has none like hilance at the horse, and replied, ”Monsieur le surintendant gave him four from his own stables; and each of the four is worth four of yours”

The blood nan His hand itched and his eye glanced over the head of Bazin, to select the place upon which he should discharge his anger But it passed away; reflection ca,--

”The devil! the devil! I have done well to quit the service of the king

Tell me, worthy Master Bazin,” added he, ”how many musketeers does monsieur le surintendant retain in his service?”

”He could have all there are in the kingdo his book, and dis the boys with some kindly blows of his cane

”The devil! the devil!” repeated D'Artagnan, once ue But as supper was now announced, he followed the cook, who introduced hinan placed hian a hearty attack upon his fowl

”It appears to h fowl they had served up to hiotten to fatten,--”it appears that I have done wrong in not seeking service with that ly! In good truth, we poor fellows know nothing at the court, and the rays of the sun prevent our seeing the large stars, which are also suns, at a little greater distance frohted, both fros which interested him, he fenced in his best style with Master Bazin, but it was pure loss of time; beyond the tiresome and hyperbolical praises of monsieur le surintendant of the finances, Bazin, who, on his side, was on his guard, afforded nothing but platitudes to the curiosity of D'Artagnan, so that our o to bed as soon as he had supped D'Artagnan was introduced by Bazin into a nan was not fastidious in that respect He had been told that Aramis had taken away the key of his own private apartment, and as he knew Aras to conceal in his aparth it seemed comparatively even harder, attacked the bed as bravely as he had done the fowl; and, as he had as good an inclination to sleep as he had had to eat, he took scarcely longer ti the last bones of the bird