queen is sacred, and if anyone speaks of her, let it be respectfully.”
“Porthos, you are as vain as Narcissus; I plainly tell you so,” replied Aramis. “You know I hate moralizing, except when it is done by Athos. As to you, good sir, you wear too magnificent a baldric to be strong on that head. I will be an abbé if it suits me. In the meanwhile I am a musketeer; in that quality I say what I please, and at this moment it pleases me to say that you weary me.”
“Aramis!”
“Porthos!”
“Gentlemen! Gentlemen!” cried the surrounding group.
“Monsieur de Tréville awaits M. d’Artagnan,” cried a servant, throwing open the door of the cabinet.
At this announcement, during which the door remained open, everyone became mute, and amid the general silence the young man crossed part of the length of the antechamber, and entered the apartment of the captain of the musketeers, congratulating himself with all his heart at having so narrowly escaped the end of this strange quarrel.