Part 58 (1/2)

”It is too little, sire,” replied D'Artagnan, with inimitable seriousness ”In the first place, I do not at all wish to sell it; but your majesty desires me to do so, and that is an order I obey, then, but the respect I owe to the illustrious warrior who hears me, commands me to estimate a third more the reward of my victory I ask then three hundred thousand livres for the sword, or I shall give it to yourit by the point he presented it to the king Charles broke into hilarious laughter

”A gallant man, and a merry companion! Odds fish!+ is he not, duke? is he not, conan, take this” And going to the table, he took a pen and wrote an order upon his treasurer for three hundred thousand livres

D'Artagnan took it, and turning gravely towards Monk: ”I have still asked too little, I know,” said he, ”but believe race, I would rather have died that allow an to laugh again, like the happiest cockney of his kingdoo, chevalier?” said he; ”I shall want to lay in a stock of gayety nowayety as with the duke's sword; I will give it to your nan, whose feet scarcely seeround

”And you, coain, also; I have an ie to confide to you Your hand, duke”

Monk pressed the hand of the king

”Adieu! gentle out each of his hands to the two Frenchmen, who carried them to their lips

”Well,” said Athos, when they were out of the palace, ”are you satisfied?”

”Hush!+” said D'Artagnan, ith joy, ”I have not yet returned from the treasurer's--a shutter may fall upon my head”

Chapter xxxIV Of the Enan lost no ti was suitable and opportune, he paid a visit to the lord treasurer of his e a piece of paper, covered with very ugly writing, for a prodigious nuies of his very gracious nan easily controlled hi a joy which the reader will perhaps coence for a man who, since his birth, had never seen so many pieces and rolls of pieces juxta-placed in an order truly agreeable to the eye The treasurer placed all the rolls in bags, and closed each bag with a staland, a favor which treasurers do not grant to everybody Then, iht to be towards a , he said to D'Artagnan:

”Take away your money, sir” Your money! These words nan, which he had never felt before He had the bags packed in a s deeply A er expect to wear a smooth brorinkle for every hundred thousand livres is not too nan shut himself up, ate no dinner, closed his door to everybody, and, with a lighted laht, ru these lovely crohich fro had passed into his coffers, fro from his coffers into the pockets of any thief whatever The best means discovered by the Gascon was to inclose his treasure, for the present, under locks so solid that no wrist could break them, and so conan relish are masters in o in thebox He did not go far; Master Will Jobson, dwelling in Piccadilly, listened to his propositions, comprehended his wishes, and promised to make him a safety lock that should relieve hiive you,” said he, ”a piece of mechanism entirely new At the first serious attempt upon your lock, an invisible plate will open of itself and voht of a mark--which will knock down the intruder, and not with a loud report

What do you think of it?”

”I think it very ingenuous,” cried D'Artagnan; ”the little copper bullet pleases htily So now, sir ht for the execution, and fifteen hundred livres payable on delivery,” replied the artisan

D'Artagnan's brow darkened A fortnight was delay enough to allow the thieves of London ti box As to the fifteen hundred livres--that would be paying too dear for what a little vigilance would procure hi

”I will think of it,” said he; ”thank you, sir” And he returned home at full speed; nobody had yet touched his treasure That sahtful that he could not help expressing his surprise

”How is this?” said he, ”you are rich and not gay--you, ere so anxious for wealth!”

”My friend, the pleasures to which we are not accustoriefs hich we are familiar Give me your opinion, if you please I can ask you, who have always had money: e have money, what do we do with it?”

”That depends”

”What have you done with yours, seeing that it has not al? For avarice dries up the heart, and prodigality drowns it--is that not so?”

”Fabricius could not have spoken more justly But in truth, my money has never been a burden to me”

”How so? Do you place it out at interest?”