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candid and tell me whether you are not some saint descended upon the earth.โ€

โ€œWhy so?โ€

โ€œFor the simple reason that he makes you a present of anything. Did you not say that he intended to make you a present of some appointment in the kingโ€™s household?โ€

โ€œI beg your pardon, count; but, if I succeed in obtaining the appointment, you, and not he, will have bestowed it on me.โ€

โ€œBesides he will not have given it to you for nothing, I suppose. Stay, I have it;โ€”there is a Malicorne at Orleans who lends money to the prince.โ€

โ€œI think that must be my father, monsieur.โ€

โ€œAh! the prince has the father, and that terrible dragon of a Manicamp has the son. Take care, monsieur, I know him. He will fleece you completely.โ€

โ€œThe only difference is, that I lend without interest,โ€ said Malicorne, smiling.

โ€œI was correct in saying you were either a saint or very much resembled one. M. Malicorne, you shall have the post you want, or I will forfeit my name.โ€

โ€œAh! monsieur le comte, what a debt of gratitude shall I not owe you?โ€ said Malicorne, transported.

โ€œLet us go to the prince, my dear M. Malicorne.โ€ And De Guiche proceeded toward the door, desiring Malicorne to follow him. At the very moment they were about to cross the threshold, a young man appeared on the other side. He was from twenty-four to twenty-five years of age, of pale complexion, bright eyes and brown hair and eyebrows. โ€œGood-day,โ€ said he, suddenly, almost pushing De Guiche back into the courtyard again.

โ€œIs that you, De Wardes?โ€”What! and booted, spurred and whip in hand, too?โ€

โ€œThe most befitting costume for a man about to set off for Le Havre. There will be no one left in Paris to-morrow.โ€ And hereupon he saluted Malicorne with great ceremony, whose handsome dress gave him the appearance of a prince.

โ€œM. Malicorne,โ€ said De Guiche to his friend. De Wardes bowed.

โ€œM. de Wardes,โ€ said Guiche to Malicorne, who bowed in return. โ€œBy the by, De Wardes,โ€ continued De Guiche, โ€œyou who are so well acquainted with these matters, can you tell us, probably, what appointments are still vacant at the court; or rather in the princeโ€™s household?โ€

โ€œIn the princeโ€™s household,โ€ said De Wardes looking up with an air of consideration, โ€œlet me seeโ€”the appointment of the master of the horse is vacant, I believe.โ€

โ€œOh,โ€ said Malicorne, โ€œthere is no question of such a post as that, monsieur; my ambition is not nearly so exalted.โ€

De Wardes had a more penetrating observation than De Guiche, and fathomed Malicorne immediately. โ€œThe fact is,โ€ he said, looking at him from head to foot, โ€œa man must be either a duke or a peer to fill that post.โ€

โ€œAll I solicit,โ€ said Malicorne, โ€œis a very humble appointment; I am of little importance, and I do not rank myself above my position.โ€

โ€œM. Malicorne, whom you see here,โ€ said De Guiche to De Wardes, โ€œis a very excellent fellow, whose only misfortune is that of not being of gentle birth. As far as I am concerned, you know, I attach little value to those who have but gentle birth to boast of.โ€

โ€œAssuredly,โ€ said De Wardes; โ€œbut will you allow me to remark, my dear count, that, without rank of some sort, one can hardly hope to belong to his royal highnessโ€™s household?โ€

โ€œYou are right,โ€ said the count, โ€œcourt etiquette is absolute. The devil!โ€”we never so much as gave it a thought.โ€

โ€œAlas! a sad misfortune for me, monsieur le comte,โ€ said Malicorne, changing color.

โ€œYet not without remedy, I hope,โ€ returned De Guiche.

โ€œThe remedy is found easily enough,โ€ exclaimed De Wardes; โ€œyou can be created a gentleman. His Eminence, the Cardinal Mazarin, did nothing else from morning till night.โ€

โ€œHush, hush, De Wardes,โ€ said the count; โ€œno jests of that kind; it ill becomes us to turn such matters into ridicule. Letters of nobility, it is true, are purchasable; but that is a sufficient misfortune without the nobles themselves laughing at it.โ€

โ€œUpon my word, De Guiche, youโ€™re quite a Puritan, as the English say.โ€

At this moment the Vicomte de Bragelonne was announced by one of the servants in the courtyard, in precisely the same manner as he would have done in a room.

โ€œCome here, my dear Raoul. What! you, too, booted and spurred? You are setting off, then?โ€

Bragelonne approached the group of young men, and saluted them with that quiet and serious manner peculiar to him. His salutation was principally addressed to De Wardes, with whom he was unacquainted, and whose features, on his perceiving Raoul, had assumed a strange sternness of expression. โ€œI have come, De Guiche,โ€ he said, โ€œto ask your companionship. We set off for Le Havre, I presume.โ€

โ€œThis is admirableโ€”delightful. We shall have a most enjoyable journey. M. Malicorne, M. Bragelonneโ€”ah! M. de Wardes, let me present you.โ€ The young men saluted each other in a restrained manner. Their very natures seemed, from the beginning, disposed to take exception to each other. De Wardes was pliant, subtle, full of dissimulation; Raoul was calm, grave, and upright. โ€œDecide between usโ€”between De Wardes and myself, Raoul.โ€

โ€œUpon what subject?โ€

โ€œUpon the subject of noble birth.โ€

โ€œWho can be better informed on that subject than a De Gramont?โ€

โ€œNo compliments; it is your opinion I ask.โ€

โ€œAt least, inform me of the subject under discussion.โ€

โ€œDe Wardes asserts that the distribution of titles is abused; I, on the contrary, maintain that a title is useless to the man on whom it is bestowed.โ€

โ€œAnd you are correct,โ€ said Bragelonne, quietly.

โ€œBut, monsieur le vicomte,โ€ interrupted De Wardes, with a kind of obstinacy, โ€œI affirm that it is I who am correct.โ€

โ€œWhat was your opinion, monsieur?โ€

โ€œI was saying that everything is done in France at the present moment, to humiliate men of family.โ€

โ€œAnd by whom?โ€

โ€œBy the king himself. He surrounds himself with people who cannot show four quarterings.โ€

โ€œNonsense,โ€ said De Guiche, โ€œwhere could you possibly have seen that, De Wardes?โ€

โ€œOne example will suffice,โ€ he returned, directing his look fully upon Raoul.

โ€œState it then.โ€

โ€œDo you know who has just been nominated captain-general of the musketeers?โ€”an appointment more

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