replied D'Artagnan; "for the most difficult part now remains to be
done, and I will think over that difficult part."

"Bah!" said Planchet; "I have such great confidence in you, M.
d'Artagnan, that I would not give my hundred thousand livres for ninety
thousand livres down."

"And devil take me if I don't think you are right!" Upon which
D'Artagnan took a candle and went up to his bedroom.

Chapter XXI. In which D'Artagnan prepares to travel for the Firm of
Planchet & Company.

D'Artagnan reflected to such good purpose during the night that his
plan was settled by morning. "This is it," said he, sitting up in bed,
supporting his elbow on his knee, and his chin in his hand;--"this is
it. I shall seek out forty steady, firm men, recruited among people a
little compromised, but having habits of discipline. I shall promise
them five hundred livres for a month if they return; nothing if they
do not return, or half for their kindred. As to food and lodging, that
concerns the English, who have cattle in their pastures, bacon in their
bacon-racks, fowls in their poultry-yards, and corn in their barns. I
will present myself to General Monk with my little body of troops. He
will receive me. I shall win his confidence, and take advantage of it,
as soon as possible."

But without going further, D'Artagnan shook his head and interrupted
himself. "No," said he; "I should not dare to relate this to Athos;
the way is therefore not honorable. I must use violence," continued
he,--"very certainly I must, but without compromising my loyalty. With
forty men I will traverse the country as a partisan. But if I fall
in with, not forty thousand English, as Planchet said, but purely and
simply with four hundred, I shall be beaten. Supposing that among my
forty warriors there should be found at least ten stupid ones--ten who
will allow themselves to be killed one after the other, from mere
folly? No; it is, in fact, impossible to find forty men to be depended
upon--they do not exist. I must learn how to be contented with thirty.
With ten men less I should have the right of avoiding any armed
encounter, on account of the small number of my people; and if the
encounter should take place, my chance is better with thirty men than
forty. Besides, I should save five thousand francs; that is to say, the
eighth of my capital; that is worth the trial. This being so, I should
have thirty men. I shall divide them into three bands,--we will spread