g
in each hand,--"This money is very embarrassing, my dear Planchet," said
he. "Do you know this weighs thirty pounds?"

"Bah! your horse will carry that like a feather."

D'Artagnan shook his head. "Don't tell me such things, Planchet: a
horse overloaded with thirty pounds, in addition to the rider and his
portmanteau, cannot cross a river so easily--cannot leap over a wall or
ditch so lightly; and the horse failing, the horseman fails. It is true
that you, Planchet, who have served in the infantry, may not be aware of
all that."

"Then what is to be done, monsieur?" said Planchet, greatly embarrassed.

"Listen to me," said D'Artagnan. "I will pay my army on its return home.
Keep my half of twenty thousand livres, which you can use during that
time."

"And my half?" said Planchet.

"I shall take that with me."

"Your confidence does me honor," said Planchet: "but supposing you
should not return?"

"That is possible, though not very probable. Then, Planchet, in case I
should not return--give me a pen; I will make my will." D'Artagnan took
a pen and some paper, and wrote upon a plain sheet,--"I, D'Artagnan,
possess twenty thousand livres, laid up cent per cent during thirty
years that I have been in the service of his majesty the king of France.
I leave five thousand to Athos, five thousand to Porthos, and five
thousand to Aramis, that they may give the said sums in my name and
their own to my young friend Raoul, Vicomte de Bragelonne. I give the
remaining five thousand to Planchet, that he may distribute the fifteen
thousand with less regret among my friends. With which purpose I sign
these presents.--D'ARTAGNAN."

Planchet appeared very curious to know what D'Artagnan had written.

"Here," said the musketeer, "read it."

On reading the last lines the tears came into Planchet's eyes. "You
think, then, that I would not have given the money without that? Then I
will have none of your five thousand francs."

D'Artagnan smiled. "Accept it, accept it, Planchet; and in that way you
will only lose fifteen thousand francs instead of twenty thousand, and
you will not be tempted to disregard the signature of your master and
friend, by losing nothing at all."

How well that dear Monsieur d'Artagnan knew the hearts of men and
grocers! They who have pronounced Don Quixote mad because he rode out
to the conquest of an empire with nobody but Sancho his squire, and they
who have pronounced Sancho mad because he accompa