"Alexandre Dumas. The Three Musketeers." - читать интересную книгу автора

from all sides. The host, fearful of consequences, with the help of his
servants carried the wounded man into the kitchen, where some trifling
attentions were bestowed upon him.
As to the gentleman, he resumed his place at the window, and surveyed
the crowd with a certain impatience, evidently annoyed by their remaining
undispersed.
"Well, how is it with this madman?" exclaimed he, turning round as the
noise of the door announced the entrance of the host, who came in to
inquire if he was unhurt.
"Your excellency is safe and sound?" asked the host.
"Oh, yes! Perfectly safe and sound, my good host; and I wish to know
what has become of our young man."
"He is better," said the host, "he fainted quite away."
"Indeed!" said the gentleman.
"But before he fainted, he collected all his strength to challenge
you, and to defy you while challenging you."
"Why, this fellow must be the devil in person!" cried the stranger.
"Oh, no, your Excellency, he is not the devil," replied the host, with
a grin of contempt; "for during his fainting we rummaged his valise and
found nothing but a clean shirt and eleven crowns-- which however, did not
prevent his saying, as he was fainting, that if such a thing had happened
in Paris, you should have cause to repent of it at a later period."
"Then," said the stranger coolly, "he must be some prince in
disguise."
"I have told you this, good sir," resumed the host, "in order that you
may be on your guard."
"Did he name no one in his passion?"
"Yes; he struck his pocket and said, 'We shall see what Monsieur de
Treville will think of this insult offered to his protege.'"
"Monsieur de Treville?" said the stranger, becoming attentive, "he put
his hand upon his pocket while pronouncing the name of Monsieur de
Treville? Now, my dear host, while your young man was insensible, you did
not fail, I am quite sure, to ascertain what that pocket contained. What
was there in it?"
"A letter addressed to Monsieur de Treville, captain of the
Musketeers."
"Indeed!"
"Exactly as I have the honor to tell your Excellency."
The host, who was not endowed with great perspicacity, did not observe
the expression which his words had given to the physiognomy of the
stranger. The latter rose from the front of the window, upon the sill of
which he had leaned with his elbow, and knitted his brow like a man
disquieted.
"The devil!" murmured he, between his teeth. "Can Treville have set
this Gascon upon me? He is very young; but a sword thrust is a sword
thrust, whatever be the age of him who gives it, and a youth is less to be
suspected than an older man," and the stranger fell into a reverie which
lasted some minutes. "A weak obstacle is sometimes sufficient to overthrow
a great design.
"Host," said he, "could you not contrive to get rid of this frantic