D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 135: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

124 Darby and Joan. one, and that to suggest you should send off a message to me would expedite you yourself on my track.” “Between you and the great duke nothing is secret! I believe your cave up there is that from which the winds blew in oracles! But what are you going to do?” I)’Artagrnan stamped like ia duelist to feel that his step was sure. “The French Minister's envoy-in-chief will at once go to parley with Braganza, who is, in my eye, among sev- eral pretenders, the one with the strongest bid for the Portuguese throne. He is the heir, look you, Porthos! and the people want one of the old stock! If he is with her, good; if she be alone, also good! I can come to an understanding with her first. Moreover, without her he is the compass card without the needle. Ho, you others, you shall shortly have the good cheer for yourselves and mates! Wait, Porthos, till you hear me whistle the air of ‘Should Henry Give to Me Paris,’ whereupon come as if that wind which we outlived were speeding you!” So, farewelling, he strode up the slope with an alert step, and proudly, too, although his clothes were discol- ored, shrunk and ludicrously awry, his cheek pale and a tremor from exhaustion ran all over his tired frame. As he advanced he sang jauntily the ballad of King Henry IV.’s time, which was to be the cue to his companion: “Should Henry give to me Paris, his great city, For me to quit my love forever, ’twere a pity If I did not reply: ‘Take back vour town! Oh, sire, My love is more than towns—lI love my darling higher!’ ” Spite of all, so distinguished was his bearing that, un- der this worst of aspects, the two ladies in front of the grotto mouth no sooner descried him than they waved their hands to cause the lackeys no longer to stand on the defensive. On the other hand, impressed like their mis- tresses by the martial carriage, they saluted him with their staves on his nearing them, as soldiers do a captain. “Alas, sir,” said the younger lady, sweetly, with instant sympathy, which she did not always so spontaneously express, “have you been castaway? What a dreadful storm! Do you come to ask relief?” “Clearly, I was coming for relief; but,” humorously, “I was going to help myself!” — | EOPNIELIOO KS_(E) im