riend, I have one thing to confess
to you."

"What's that?"

"It is that as I was cruelly bored, as you say, and as I had the
seventy-five pistoles in my pocket which you had distributed to me, in
order to amuse myself I invited a gentleman who was traveling this way
to walk up, and proposed a cast of dice. He accepted my challenge, and,
my faith, my seventy-five pistoles passed from my pocket to his, without
reckoning my horse, which he won into the bargain. But you, my dear
d'Artagnan?"

"What can you expect, my dear Porthos; a man is not privileged in all
ways," said d'Artagnan. "You know the proverb 'Unlucky at play, lucky
in love.' You are too fortunate in your love for play not to take its
revenge. What consequence can the reverses of fortune be to you? Have
you not, happy rogue that you are--have you not your duchess, who cannot
fail to come to your aid?"

"Well, you see, my dear d'Artagnan, with what ill luck I play," replied
Porthos, with the most careless air in the world. "I wrote to her
to send me fifty louis or so, of which I stood absolutely in need on
account of my accident."

"Well?"

"Well, she must be at her country seat, for she has not answered me."

"Truly?"

"No; so I yesterday addressed another epistle to her, still more
pressing than the first. But you are here, my dear fellow, let us speak
of you. I confess I began to be very uneasy on your account."

"But your host behaves very well toward you, as it appears, my dear
Porthos," said d'Artagnan, directing the sick man's attention to the
full stewpans and the empty bottles.

"So, so," replied Porthos. "Only three or four days ago the impertinent
jackanapes gave me his bill, and I was forced to turn both him and his
bill out of the door; so that I am here something in the fashion of a
conqueror, holding my position, as it were, my conquest. So you see,
being in constant fear of being forced from that position, I am armed to
the teeth."

"And yet," said d'Artagnan, laughing, "it appears to me that from time
to time you must make SORTIES." And he again pointed to the bottles and
the stewpans.

"Not I, unfortunately!" said Porthos. "This miserable strain confines
me to my bed; but Mousqueton forages, and brings in provisions. Friend
Mousqueton, you see that we have a reinforcement, and we must have an
increase of supplies."

"Mousqueton," said d'Artagnan, "you must render me a service."

"What, monsieur?"

"You must give your rec