D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 308: what you’re looking at

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

As the Knight, so His Squire. 289 ish, but I am used in my trade to all sorts of outlandish talk. I could make out that he had been a squire of your lordship’s in the French campaigns . “Oh, you have ‘had my squire ask after me “Or your porter; that’s what he said ¥ “It would not be Porthos, would it?” and the captive brightened up as a prisoner would at finding that he was not utterly ignored. “I think I should like to see a famil- lar face.” : “He takes it very cool,” muttered the sergeant, a little set back. “Now, I should jump at the neck of a friend who sought me out in prison! But these monarchs— hard «as nails! Well, sire, he is in the by-lanes. The Spanish tried to drive him away with their halberds, but, being an overgrown moon calf, as I said, he wrenched two staves away and snapped them, the two together, over this clump of a knee as I would a rush. So they let him ‘be, if he would not disturb the sleepers with his lamentations.” ‘So this Porthos has been stupidly hanging about out there all the night?” asked D’Artagnan, coughing, for something out of his breakfast stuck in his throat. “All the morning; he just curled up there like one of those great Pyrenean sheep dogs, big as a ram!” “At the risk of spoiling his—his livery?” ‘His livery—the livery of the court of King Dagobert, where they go without breeches to save wearing them out! Why, the man is long out of place, I think! Heis as soberly clad as the clerk in the priest’s house, where the curate licks his spoon!” “Porthos, in quiet apparel! Only for a great purpose would Du Vallon shed his gorgeous shell and rejoin his old comrade,” thought D’Artagnan. “Captain,” said this mock Don Juan, “I am used to that squire, although he is clumsy compared with a dapper- dandy! He saved my life once in the wars, so I e’en let him dingle-dangle about me. If he were at hand to dress NEN Nebceceneee “Ah, I suppose you great dons can do little with your own ‘hands ?” “Very little,” sighed the musketeer, rolling his eyes. “Well, I wager that ihe will be as glad as you to meet. 33 CORNICE OOO KS (€(©)