“Sire,” replied Porthos, in a stifled voice, but sufficiently intelligible, nevertheless.
“Let those filets d’agneau be handed to Monsieur du Vallon,” said the king; “do you like brown meats, M. du Vallon?”
“Sire, I like everything,” replied Porthos.
D’Artagnan whispered: “Everything your majesty sends me.”
Porthos repeated: “Everything your majesty sends me,” an observation which the king apparently received with great satisfaction.
“People eat well who work well,” replied the king, delighted to have en tete-a-tete a guest who could eat as Porthos did. Porthos received the dish of lamb, and put a portion of it on his plate.
“Well?” said the king.
“Exquisite,” said Porthos, calmly.
“Have you as good mutton in your part of the country, Monsieur du Vallon?” continued the king.
“Sire, I believe that from my own province, as everywhere else, the best of everything is sent to Paris for your majesty’s use; but, on the other hand, I do not eat lamb in the same way your majesty does.”