“Monsieur, when a man has had the honor to belong to you, he knows nothing of fear; and when he has had the advantage of being bound up in interests with you, he holds his tongue.”

“Very well; that is more your affair than mine, seeing that in a week I shall be in England.”

“Depart, monsieur, depart — the sooner the better.”

“Is the money, then, ready?”

“It will be to-morrow; to-morrow you shall receive it from my own hands.  Will you have gold or silver?”

“Gold; that is most convenient.  But how are we going to arrange this?  Let us see.”

“Oh, good Lord! in the simplest way possible.  You shall give me a receipt, that is all.”

“No, no,” said D’Artagnan, warmly; “we must preserve order in all things.”

“That is likewise my opinion; but with you, M. d’Artagnan — "

“And if I should die yonder — if I should be killed by a musket-ball — if I should burst from drinking beer?”

“Monsieur, I beg you to believe that in that case I should be so much afflicted at your death, that I should not think about the money.”

“Thank you, Planchet; but no matter.  We shall, like two lawyers’ clerks, draw up together an agreement, a sort of act, which may be called a deed of company.”

“Willingly, monsieur.”

“I know it is difficult to draw such a thing up, but we can try.”

“Let us try, then.”  And Planchet went in search of pens, ink, and paper.  D’Artagnan took the pen and wrote:  — “Between Messire d’Artagnan, ex-lieutenant of the king’s musketeers, at present residing in the Rue Tiquetonne, Hotel de la Chevrette; and the Sieur Planchet, grocer, residing in the Rue des Lombards, at the sign of the Pilon d’Or, it has been agreed as follows:  — A company, with a capital of forty thousand livres, and formed for the purpose of carrying out an idea conceived by M. d’Artagnan, and the said Planchet approving of it in all points, will place twenty thousand livres in the hands of M. d’Artagnan.  He will require neither repayment nor interest before the return of M. d’Artagnan from a journey he is about to take into England.  On his part, M. d’Artagnan undertakes it to find twenty thousand livres, which he will join to the twenty thousand already laid down by the Sieur Planchet.  He will employ the said sum of forty thousand livres according to his judgment in an undertaking which is described below.  On the day when M. d’Artagnan shall have re-established, by whatever means, his majesty King Charles II. upon the throne of England, he will pay into the hands of M. Planchet the sum of — "

“The sum of a hundred and fifty thousand livres,” said Planchet, innocently, perceiving that D’Artagnan hesitated.

“Oh, the devil, no!” said D’Artagnan, “the division cannot be made by half; that would not be just.”

“And yet, monsieur, we each lay down half,” objected Planchet, timidly.