ake my
inferiors respect me. You, sir, know how necessary subordination is in
any large establishment of servants."

D'Artagnan smiled; Porthos wanted to lengthen out his names, Mousqueton
to cut his short.

"Well, my dear Mouston," he said, "rest satisfied. I will call thee
Mouston; and if it makes thee happy I will not 'tutoyer' you any
longer."

"Oh!" cried Mousqueton, reddening with joy; "if you do me, sir, such
honor, I shall be grateful all my life; it is too much to ask."

"Alas!" thought D'Artagnan, "it is very little to offset the unexpected
tribulations I am bringing to this poor devil who has so warmly welcomed
me."

"Will monsieur remain long with us?" asked Mousqueton, with a serene and
glowing countenance.

"I go to-morrow, my friend," replied D'Artagnan.

"Ah, monsieur," said Mousqueton, "then you have come here only to awaken
our regrets."

"I fear that is true," said D'Artagnan, in a low tone.

D'Artagnan was secretly touched with remorse, not at inducing Porthos to
enter into schemes in which his life and fortune would be in jeopardy,
for Porthos, in the title of baron, had his object and reward; but poor
Mousqueton, whose only wish was to be called Mouston--was it not cruel
to snatch him from the delightful state of peace and plenty in which he
was?

He was thinking of these matters when Porthos summoned him to dinner.

"What! to dinner?" said D'Artagnan. "What time is it, then?"

"Eh! why, it is after one o'clock."

"Your home is a paradise, Porthos; one takes no note of time. I follow
you, though I am not hungry."

"Come, if one can't always eat, one can always drink--a maxim of poor
Athos, the truth of which I have discovered since I began to be lonely."

D'Artagnan, who as a Gascon, was inclined to sobriety, seemed not so
sure as his friend of the truth of Athos's maxim, but he did his best to
keep up with his host. Meanwhile his misgivings in regard to Mousqueton
recurred to his mind and with greater force because Mousqueton, though
he did not himself wait on the table, which would have been beneath him
in his new position, appeared at the door from time to time and evinced
his gratitude to D'Artagnan by the quality of the wine he directed to
be served. Therefore, when, at dessert, upon a sign from D'Artagnan,
Porthos had sent away his servants and the two friends were alone:

"Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "who will attend you in your campaigns?"

"Why," replied Porthos, "Mous