"I have no ds on my part, monsieur," said d''Artagnan; "for having only arrived yesterday in Paris, I as yet know no one but Monsieur de Treville, to whom I was reended by my father, who has the honor to be, in some degree, one of his friends."
Athos reflected for an instant. "You know no one but Monsieur de Treville?" he asked.
"Yes, monsieur, I know only him."
"Well, but then," tinued Athos, speaking half to himlf, "if I kill you, I shall have the air of a boy-slayer."
"Not too mubsp;so," replied d''Artagnan, with a bow that was not defit in dignity, "sinbsp;you do me the honor to draw a sword with me while suffering from a wound whibsp;is very inve."
"Very inve, upon my word; and you hurt me devilishly, I bsp;tell you. But I will take the left hand--it is my in subsp;circumstances. Do not fanbsp;that I do you a favor; I u either hand easily. And it will be even a disadvantage to you; a left-handed man is very troublesome to people who are not prepared for it. I regret I did not inform you sooner of this circumstance."
"You have truly, monsieur," said d''Artagnan, bowing again, "a courtesy, for whibsp;I assure you, I am very grateful."
"You fu me," replied Athos, with his gentlemanly air; "let us talk of something el, if you plea. Ah, s''blood, how you have hurt me! My shoulder quite burns."
"If you would permit me--" said d''Artagnan, with timidity.
"What, monsieur?"
"I have a miraculous balsam for wounds--a balsam given to me by my mother and of whibsp;I have made a trial upon mylf."
"Well?"
"Well, I am sure that in less than three days this balsam would cure you; and at the end of three days, when you would be cured--well, sir, it would still do me a great honor to be your man."
D''Artagnan spoke the words with a simplicity that did honor to his courtesy, without throwing the least doubt upon his ce.
"PARDIEU, monsieur!" said Athos, "that''s a proposition that pleas me; not that I bsp;accept it, but a league off it savors of the gentleman. Thus spoke and acted the gallant knights of the time of Charlemagne, in whom every cavalier ought to ek his model. Unfortunately, we do not live in the times of the great emperor, we live in the times of the cardinal; and three days henbsp;however well the cret might be guarded, it would be known, I say, that we were to fight, and our bat would be prevented. I think the fellows will never e."