These conditions being agreed to, Porthos took leave of Mme. Coquenard. The latter wished to detain him by darting certain tender glances; but Porthos urged the commands of duty, and the procurator’s wife was obliged to give place to the king.
The Musketeer returned home hungry and in bad humor.
Chapter XXXIII.
SOUBRETTE AND MISTRESS
Meantime, as we have said, despite the cries of his conscience and the wise counsels of Athos, D’Artagnan became hourly more in love with Milady. Thus he never failed to pay his diurnal court to her; and the self-satisfied Gascon was convinced that sooner or later she could not fail to respond.
One day, when he arrived with his head in the air, and as light at heart as a man who awaits a shower of gold, he found the soubrette under the gateway of the hôtel; but this time the pretty Kitty was not contented with touching him as he passed, she took him gently by the hand.
“Good!” thought D’Artagnan, “She is charged with some message for me from her mistress; she is about to appoint some rendezvous of which she had not courage to speak.” And he looked down at the pretty girl with the most triumphant air imaginable.
“I wish to say three words to you, Monsieur Chevalier,” stammered the soubrette.
“Speak, my child, speak,” said D’Artagnan; “I listen.”
“Here? Impossible! That which I have to say is too long, and above all, too secret.”
“Well, what is to be done?”