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84 - Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas · Twenty Years After

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Strength and sagacity continued. Supper was eaten in silence, but
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: not in sadness, for from time to time one of
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  Speaker 1: those sweet smiles which were habitual to him in moments
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: of good humor, illumined the face of d'Artagnan. Not a
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: scintilla of these was lost on Porthos, and at every
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  Speaker 1: one he uttered an exclamation which betrayed to his friend
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  Speaker 1: that he had not lost sight of the idea which
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  Speaker 1: possessed his brain. At dessert, d'Artagnan reposed in his chair,
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: crossed one leg over the other, and lounged about like
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  Speaker 1: a man perfectly at his ease. Porthos rested his chin
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  Speaker 1: on his hands, placed his elbows on the table, and
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  Speaker 1: looked at d'Artagnan with an expression of confidence which imparted
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  Speaker 1: to that colossus an admirable appearance of good fellowship. Well,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: said d'Artagnan. At last, well, repeated Porthos, you are saying,
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  Speaker 1: my dear friend, No, I said nothing. Yes, you were
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  Speaker 1: saying you wished to leave this place. Ah. Indeed, the
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  Speaker 1: will was never wanting to get away. You would not mind,
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: you added, knocking down a door or a wall. Tis true,
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  Speaker 1: I said, so, and I say it again, and I
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  Speaker 1: answered you, Porthos, that it was not a good plan
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  Speaker 1: that we couldn't go a hundred steps without being recaptured
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  Speaker 1: because we were without clothes to disguise ourselves and arms
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  Speaker 1: to defend ourselves. That is true, we should need clothes
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  Speaker 1: and arms, well, said d'atayne, rising. We have them, friend, Porthos,
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  Speaker 1: and even something better, bah, said Porthos, looking round, useless
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  Speaker 1: to look. Everything will come to us when wanted. At
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  Speaker 1: about what time did we see the two Swiss guards
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  Speaker 1: walking yesterday? An hour after sunset? If they go out
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  Speaker 1: to day as they did yesterday, we shall have the
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  Speaker 1: honor then of seeing them in half an hour. In
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: a quarter of an hour at most. Your arm is
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  Speaker 1: still strong enough, is it not, porthos. Porthos unbuttoned his sleeve,
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  Speaker 1: raised his shirt and looked complacently on his strong arm,
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  Speaker 1: as large as the leg of any ordinary man. Yes, indeed,
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: said he, I believe so so that you could without
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: trouble convert these tongs into a hoop and yonder shovel
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: into a corkscrew. Certainly, and the giant took up these
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: two articles, and without any apparent effort, produced in them
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: the metamorphoses suggested by his companion. There he cried capital
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: exclaimed the gascon. Really, Porthos, you are a gifted individual.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: I have heard speak, said Porthos of a certain Milo
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  Speaker 1: of Coretona, who performed wonderful feats such as binding his
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  Speaker 1: forehead with a cord and bursting it, of killing an
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  Speaker 1: ox with a blow of his fist and carrying it
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  Speaker 1: home on his shoulders, et cetera. I used to learn
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  Speaker 1: all these feats by harm Yonder done at Pierrefont, and
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  Speaker 1: I have done all that he did, except breaking a
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  Speaker 1: cord by the corrugation of my temples. Because your strength
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  Speaker 1: is not in your head, Porthos, said his friend. No,
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  Speaker 1: it is in my arms and shoulders, answered Porthos with
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  Speaker 1: gratified navety. Well, my dear friend, let us approach the window,
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  Speaker 1: and there you can match your strength against that of
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  Speaker 1: an iron bar. Porthos went to the window, took a
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  Speaker 1: bar in his hands, clung to it, and bent it
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  Speaker 1: like a bow, so that the two ends came out
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  Speaker 1: of the sockets of stone in which for thirty years
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  Speaker 1: they had been fixed. Well, friend, the cardinal, although such
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  Speaker 1: a genius could never have done that shall I take
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  Speaker 1: out any more of them, asked Porthos. No, that is sufficient.
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  Speaker 1: A man can pass through that. Porthos tried and passed
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  Speaker 1: the upper portion of his body through. Yes, he said,
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  Speaker 1: Now pass your arm through this opening. Why you will know?
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  Speaker 1: Presently pass it. Porthos obeyed with military promptness and passed
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  Speaker 1: his arm through the opening. Admirable, said d'Artagnan. The scheme
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  Speaker 1: goes forward. It seems on wheels. Dear friend, good, what
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  Speaker 1: shall I do now? Nothing? It is finished? Then? No,
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  Speaker 1: not yet, I should like to understand, said Porthos. Listen,
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  Speaker 1: my dear friend, in two words, you will know all.
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  Speaker 1: The door of the guard house opens as you see. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: I see. They are about to send into our court,
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  Speaker 1: which Monsieur de Mazarin crosses on his way to the Orangerie.
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  Speaker 1: The two guards who attend him there. They are coming out.
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  Speaker 1: If only they close the guard house door. Good they
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  Speaker 1: close it? What then silence they may hear? Us, I
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  Speaker 1: don't understand it at all. As you execute, you will understand.
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  Speaker 1: And yet I should have preferred. You will have the
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  Speaker 1: pleasure of the surprise. Ah, that is true. Hush. Porthos
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  Speaker 1: remained silent and motionless. In fact, the two soldiers advanced
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  Speaker 1: on the side where the window was, rubbing their hands
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  Speaker 1: for it was cold, it being the month of February.
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  Speaker 1: At this moment the door of the guard house was
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  Speaker 1: opened and one of the soldiers was summoned away. Now,
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  Speaker 1: said d'Artagnan, I am going to call this soldier and
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  Speaker 1: talk to him. Don't lose a word of what I
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  Speaker 1: am going to say to you, Porthos. Everything lies in
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  Speaker 1: the execution good. The execution of blots is my forte.
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  Speaker 1: I know it well. I depend on you. Look. I
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  Speaker 1: shall turn to the left so that the soldier will
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  Speaker 1: be at your right as soon as he mounts on
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  Speaker 1: the bench to talk to us. But supposing he doesn't mount,
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  Speaker 1: he will rely upon it. As soon as you see
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  Speaker 1: him get up, stretch out your arm and seize him
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  Speaker 1: by the neck, then raising him up, as Tobit raised
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  Speaker 1: the fish by the gills. You must pull him into
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  Speaker 1: the room, taking care to squeeze him so tight that
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  Speaker 1: he can't cry out. Oh, said Porthos. Suppose I happen
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  Speaker 1: to strangle him, to be sure, there would only be
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  Speaker 1: a Swiss the less in the world. But you will
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  Speaker 1: not do so. I hope, lay him down here. We'll
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  Speaker 1: gag him and tie him no matter where, somewhere, so
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  Speaker 1: we shall get from him one uniform and a sword. Marvelous,
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Porthos, looking at the gascon with a most profound admiration. Pooh,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: replied d'Artagnan. Yes, said Porthos, recollecting himself. But one uniform
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  Speaker 1: and one sword will not suffice for two. Well, but
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  Speaker 1: there's his comrade, true, said Porthos. Therefore, when I cough,
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  Speaker 1: stretch out your arm. Good. The two friends then placed
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  Speaker 1: themselves as they had agreed, Porthos being completely hidden in
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  Speaker 1: an angle of the window. Good evening, comrade, said d'Artagnan,
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  Speaker 1: in his most fascinating voice and manner. Good evening, sir,
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: answered the soldier in a strong provincial accent. Tis not
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  Speaker 1: too warm to walk, resumed d'Artagnan. No, sir, and I
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  Speaker 1: think a glass of wine will not be disagreeable to you.
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  Speaker 1: A glass of wine will be extremely welcome. The fish bites.
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  Speaker 1: The fish bites, whispered the gascon to Porthos. I understand,
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  Speaker 1: said Porthos. A bottle, perhaps a whole bottle, Yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: a whole bottle. If you will drink my health willingly,
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: answered the soldier. Come then and take it, friend, said
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  Speaker 1: the gascon with all my heart. How convenient that there's
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  Speaker 1: a bench here again, one would think it had been
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  Speaker 1: placed here on purpose. Get on it, that's it, friend,
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: And d'Artagnan coughed. That instant the arm of Porthos fell.
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  Speaker 1: His hand of iron, grasped, quick as lightning, firm as
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  Speaker 1: a pair of blacksmith's pincers the soldier's throat. He raised him,
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  Speaker 1: almost stifling him as he drew him through the aperture,
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  Speaker 1: at the risk of flaying him in the passage. He
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  Speaker 1: then laid him down on the floor, where d'Artagnan, after
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  Speaker 1: giving him just time enough to draw his breath, gagged
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  Speaker 1: him with his long scarf, and the moment he had
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  Speaker 1: done so, began to undress him with the promptitude and
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  Speaker 1: dexterity of a man who had learned his business on
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  Speaker 1: the field of battle. Then the soldier, gagged and bound,
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  Speaker 1: was placed upon the hearth, the fire of which had
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  Speaker 1: been previously extinguished by the two friends. Here's a sword
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  Speaker 1: and a dress, said Porthos. I take them, said d'Artagnan
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  Speaker 1: for myself. If you want another uniform and sword, you
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  Speaker 1: must play the same trick over again. Stop, I see
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  Speaker 1: the other soldier issue from the guard room and come
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  Speaker 1: toward us, I think, replied Porthos. It would be imprudent
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  Speaker 1: to attempt the same maneuver again. It is said that
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  Speaker 1: no man can succeed twice in the same way, and
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  Speaker 1: a filure would be ruinous. No, I will go down,
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  Speaker 1: seize the man unawares, and bring him to you, ready gagged,
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  Speaker 1: That is better, said the gascon. Be ready, said Porthos,
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  Speaker 1: as he slipped through the opening. He did as he said.
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  Speaker 1: Porthos seized his opportunity, caught the next soldier by his neck,
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  Speaker 1: gagged him and pushed him like a mummy. Threw the
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  Speaker 1: bars into the room and entered after him. Then they
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  Speaker 1: undressed him as they had done the first, laid him
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  Speaker 1: on their bed and bound him with the straps which
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  Speaker 1: composed the bed, the bedstead being of oak, this operation
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  Speaker 1: proved as great a success as the first. There, said d'artagan,
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  Speaker 1: this is capital. Now let me try on the dress
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  Speaker 1: of younger chap Porthos, I doubt if you can wear it,
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  Speaker 1: But should it be too tight? Never mind, you can
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  Speaker 1: wear the breastplate and the hat with the red feathers.
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  Speaker 1: It happened, however, that the second soldier was a Swiss
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  Speaker 1: of gigantic proportions, So save that some few of the
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  Speaker 1: seams split, his uniform fitted porthos perfectly. They then dressed themselves.
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  Speaker 1: Tis done, they both exclaimed at once. As to you, comrades,
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  Speaker 1: they said to the man, nothing will happen to you
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  Speaker 1: if you are discreet, But if you stir, you're a
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  Speaker 1: dead man. The soldiers were complacent. They had found the
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  Speaker 1: grasp of porthos pretty powerful, and that it was no
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  Speaker 1: joke to fight against it. Now, said d'athaian. You wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: be sorry to understand the plot, would you, porthos? Well, no,
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  Speaker 1: not very well, then we shall go down into the court. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: we shall take the place of those two fellows. Well,
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  Speaker 1: we will walk back and forth. That's a good idea,
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  Speaker 1: for it isn't warm. In a moment, the Valet de
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  Speaker 1: Chambre will call the guard, as he did yesterday and
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  Speaker 1: the day before, and we shall answer. No. On the contrary,
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  Speaker 1: we shall not answer as you please. I don't insist
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  Speaker 1: on answering. We will not answer. Then we will simply
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  Speaker 1: settle our heads on our heads, and we will escort
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  Speaker 1: his eminence. Where shall we escort him? Where he is
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: going to visit Athos? Do you think Athos will be
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  Speaker 1: sorry to see us? Oh? Cried Porthos. Oh I understand.
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  Speaker 1: Wait a little, Porthos before crying out, for on my word,
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  Speaker 1: you haven't reached the end, said the gascon in a
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  Speaker 1: jesting tone. What is to happen, said Porthos, follow me,
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  Speaker 1: replied d'Artagnan. The man who lives to see shall see,
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  Speaker 1: And slipping through the aperture, he alighted in the court.
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  Speaker 1: Porthos followed him by the same road, but with more
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  Speaker 1: difficulty and less diligence. They could hear the two soldiers
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  Speaker 1: shivering with fear as they lay bound in the chamber.
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: Scarcely had the two frenchmen touched the ground when a
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  Speaker 1: door opened and the voice of the Valet de Chambre
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  Speaker 1: called out, make ready. At the same moment, the guard
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  Speaker 1: house was opened and a voice called out la briere
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  Speaker 1: and du bartrais march. It seems that I am named
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  Speaker 1: la Briere, remarked d'Artagnan, and I du Bartois, added Porthos,
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  Speaker 1: Where are you, asked the Valet de Chambre, whose eyes,
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  Speaker 1: dazzled by the light could not clearly distinguish our heroes
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: in the gloom. Here we are, said the gascon. What
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  Speaker 1: say you to that, Monsieur de Vallont, he added, in
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  Speaker 1: a low tone, to Porthos, it had but lasts most capital,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: responded Porthos. These two newly ennitted soldiers marched gravely after
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  Speaker 1: the Valet de Chambre, who opened the door of the vestibule,
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  Speaker 1: then another which seemed to be that of a waiting room,
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  Speaker 1: and showing them two stools. Your orders are very simple,
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: he said. Don't allow anybody except one person to enter here.
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  Speaker 1: Do you hear not a single creature obey that person implicitly?
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  Speaker 1: On your return. You cannot make a mistake. You have
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  Speaker 1: only to wait here till I release you. d'Artagnan was
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  Speaker 1: known to this Valet de Chambre, who was no other
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: than Barnud, and he had during the last six or
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: eight months introduced the gascon a dozen times to the Cardinal.
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: The Gascon, therefore, instead of answering, growled out yah yah
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  Speaker 1: in the most German and the least Gascon accent possible.
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: As for Porthos, on whom d'Artagnan had impressed the necessity
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  Speaker 1: of absolute silence, and who did not even now begin
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  Speaker 1: to comprehend the scheme of his friend, which was the
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: fellow Mazarin. In his visit to Athos, he was simply mute.
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  Speaker 1: All that he was allowed to say in case of
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: emergencies was proverbial. Der teufel Bernouin shut the door and
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: went away. When Porthos heard the key turn in the lock,
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: he began to be alarmed, lest they should only have
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: exchanged one prison for another. Porthos, my friend, said d'Artagnan,
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: don't distrust providence. Let me meditate and consider. Meditate and
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: consider as much as you like, replied Porthos, who was
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: now quite out of humor at seeing things. Take this turn.
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  Speaker 1: We have walked eight paces, whispered d'artagan, and gone up
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: six steps. So hereabouts is the pavilion called the pavilion
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: of the Orangerie. The Comte de la fere cannot be
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: far off. Only the doors are locked. That is a
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: slight difficulty, said Porthos, And a good push with the shoulders.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: For God's sake, Porthos, my friend, reserve your feats of strength,
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: or they will not have, when needed, the honor they deserve.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Have you not heard that someone is coming here? Yes? Well,
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: that someone will open the doors. But my dear fellow,
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: if that someone recognizes us, if that someone cries out,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: we are lost. For you don't propose. I imagine that
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: I shall kill that man of the church. That might
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: do if you were dealing with Englishmen or Germans. Oh,
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: may God keep me from it, and you too, said d'Artagnan.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: The young king would perhaps show us some gratitude, but
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: the Queen would never forgive us, and it is she
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: whom we have to consider. And then bes sides the
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: useless blood. Never, no, never, I have my plan. Let
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: me carry it out and we shall laugh so much
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: the better, said Porthos. I feel some need of it. Hush, d'atio,
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: the someone is coming. The sound of a light step
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: was heard in the vestibule. The hinges of the door creaked,
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: and a man appeared in the dress of a cavalier,
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: wrapped in a brown cloak, with a lantern in one
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: hand and a large beaver hat pulled down over his eyes.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: Porthos faithed himself against the wall, but he could not
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: render himself invisible, And the man and the cloak said
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: to him, giving him his lantern light the lamp which
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: hangs from the ceiling. Then, addressing d'Artagnan, you know the watchword,
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: he said, Yah replied the gascon determined to confine himself
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: to this specimen of the German tongue. Tedesco answered the
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: cavalier fabin, and, advancing towards the door opposite to that
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: by which he came in, he opened it and disappeared
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: behind it, shutting it as he went. Now asked Porthos,
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: what are we to do? Now? We shall make use
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: of your shoulder, friend, Porthos. If this door proves to
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: be locked, everything in its proper time, and all comes
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: right to those who know how to wait patiently. But
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: first barricade the first door. Well, then we will follow
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: yonder cavalier. The two friends set to work and crowded
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: the space before the door with all the furniture in
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: the room, as not only to make the passage impassable,
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: but so to block the door that by no means
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: could it open inward. There said Dathaian, we can't be overtaken.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Come forward. End of chapter eighty four,