f the most insinuating lady's men, one of the softest
whisperers of interesting nothings of his day; the BONNES FORTUNES of de
Treville were talked of as those of M. de Bassompierre had been talked
of twenty years before, and that was not saying a little. The captain
of the Musketeers was therefore admired, feared, and loved; and this
constitutes the zenith of human fortune.

Louis XIV absorbed all the smaller stars of his court in his own vast
radiance; but his father, a sun PLURIBUS IMPAR, left his personal
splendor to each of his favorites, his individual value to each of his
courtiers. In addition to the leeves of the king and the cardinal, there
might be reckoned in Paris at that time more than two hundred smaller
but still noteworthy leeves. Among these two hundred leeves, that of
Treville was one of the most sought.

The court of his hotel, situated in the Rue du Vieux-Colombier,
resembled a camp from by six o'clock in the morning in summer and eight
o'clock in winter. From fifty to sixty Musketeers, who appeared to
replace one another in order always to present an imposing number,
paraded constantly, armed to the teeth and ready for anything. On one
of those immense staircases, upon whose space modern civilization would
build a whole house, ascended and descended the office seekers of Paris,
who ran after any sort of favor--gentlemen from the provinces anxious
to be enrolled, and servants in all sorts of liveries, bringing and
carrying messages between their masters and M. de Treville. In the
antechamber, upon long circular benches, reposed the elect; that is
to say, those who were called. In this apartment a continued buzzing
prevailed from morning till night, while M. de Treville, in his office
contiguous to this antechamber, received visits, listened to complaints,
gave his orders, and like the king in his balcony at the Louvre, had
only to place himself at the window to review both his men and arms.

The day on which d'Artagnan presented himself the assemblage was
imposing, particularly for a provincial just arriving from his province.
It is true that this provincial was a Gascon; and that, particularly
at this period, the compatriots of d'Artagnan had the reputation of
not being easily intimidated. When he had once passed the massive door
covered with long square-headed nails, he fell into the midst of a troop
of swordsmen, who crossed one another in their passage, calling out,
quarreling, and playing tri