The citizen made a fresh pause and continued, “I have a wife who is seamstress to the queen, monsieur, and who is not deficient in either virtue or beauty. I was induced to marry her about three years ago, although she had but very little dowry, because Monsieur Laporte, the queen’s cloak bearer, is her godfather, and befriends her.”
“Well, monsieur?” asked D’Artagnan.
“Well!” resumed the citizen, “well, monsieur, my wife was abducted yesterday morning, as she was coming out of her workroom.”
“And by whom was your wife abducted?”
“I know nothing surely, monsieur, but I suspect someone.”
“And who is the person whom you suspect?”
“A man who has pursued her a long time.”
“The devil!”
“But allow me to tell you, monsieur,” continued the citizen, “that I am convinced that there is less love than politics in all this.”
“Less love than politics,” replied D’Artagnan, with a reflective air; “and what do you suspect?”