Chapter 9 D'Ortagnan Loses His Love But Finds Portos.
D'Ortagnan made his way to his meeting with Constance Bonacieux at a small house on the outskirts of the city.
He arrived on time and waited for her outside.
After a few hours, he decided to look in a lit window on the second floor.
He climbed a tree and was shocked at the sight inside.
The room was a mess, as if there had been a great struggle.
D'Artagnan began to panic.
He was worried that Constance had been kidnapped again.
He ran to a house across the road, where an old man answered the door.
D'Artagnan begged the old man to tell him if anything strange had happened at the house across the street.
The man said that five men had kicked open the door of the house and dragged a young woman out.
She had been screaming.
They carried her to a carriage and drove away.
Only one of the men didn't wear a sword.
He was short and fat, older, nearly bald, the old man said.
The ringleader was a tall man with a mustache and black eyes.
I believe he had a scar on his face.
With a heavy heart, D'Artagnan returned home.
Monsieur Bonacieux was waiting for someone outside and grew nervous when he saw D'Artagnan.
D'Artagnan was suspicious of everyone and studied his landlord closely.
Then he thought, short and fat, older, nearly bald, Monsieur Bonacieux helped kidnap his own wife.
D'Artagnan hurried up to his room where Poirot told him that two messengers had arrived earlier.
One was a letter for Eremus.
The other was for D'Artagnan.
The cardinal wanted to see him immediately.
This is too much, D'Artagnan thought.
Now the cardinal himself is after me personally.
I must escape and find my friends.
D'Artagnan and Poirot gathered several horses and rode out to the inn where they had left Porthos.
Oh, yes, the innkeeper said, when D'Artagnan arrived.
Monsieur Portos is here.
He is in our best room.
In fact, we have been worried about him.
Is he hurt?
D'Artagnan asked.
Oh, we were worried about his expenses, said the innkeeper.
He eats our best food every day, but we haven't been able to get him to pay us.
Whenever we ask, he nearly attacks us.
Everyone here is terrified of him.
He does have a short temper, D'Artagnan said, laughing, especially when he has no money.
You don't need to worry.
He will be able to pay you.
He's under the protection of a fine, wealthy young lady back in Paris.
He has told me this many times.
I'm afraid he hasn't told you everything, then, the innkeeper said.
You see, he gave us a letter for his duchess, and I decided to bring it to her myself.
His young lady is actually well over fifty years old, although she behaves as if she's much younger.
She isn't wealthy or beautiful, D'Artagnan asked.
Unfortunately not, said the innkeeper.
She called him nasty names and said she would not help him until he came to see her, even though he was hurt.
He was injured in his duel, you see.
The man he fought managed to hurt Monsieur Portos quite badly.
After the duel, the man asked for your friend's name.
When he learned it was Portos, the man apologized and said he had been looking for a Monsieur D'Artagnan.
Do you know him?
I've never heard of him, said D'Artagnan carefully.
Please tell me where my friend is and I will make sure you are paid for his stay.
The innkeeper directed D'Artagnan to a room upstairs where Portos and his assistant were playing cards.
D'Artagnan, is that you?
Portos said.
It is good to see you again at last.
I'm afraid I can't stand up to greet you, for I'm still injured.
Have you spoken to the landlord about me?
D'Artagnan didn't want to embarrass his friend, so he said the landlord hadn't said anything about him.
Portos told D'Artagnan that he had easily won his fight with a stranger, but then he had tripped over some rocks and hurt himself.
D'Artagnan knew his friend was too embarrassed to say that he hadn't won the duel.
Why haven't you come back to Paris? he asked.
I was going to return.
I'm very bored here, Porthos said.
Unfortunately, I've had some travelers one night and even though they seem friendly, they stole my money and my horses while I was asleep.
I've been waiting for my beautiful Duchess to send me the money to return.
She's very much in love with me, you understand.
I'm sure she will send the money when she receives my letter.
I know she will, D'Artagnan said.
Then he told Porthos of his adventures since they had last seen each other.
Later that night, D'Artagnan and Prochet left to find Eramis.
Before riding away, D'Artagnan made sure to pay the innkeeper for Porthos.
He also left behind a horse for Porthos to ride home.
When D'Artagnan and Prochet arrived at the inn where they had left Eramis, they couldn't find him anywhere.
They asked around and soon learned that he had been staying with the local priests.
He had decided to give up being a musketeer to become a priest.
"'Is this my friend Eremus?'
D'Artagnan asked when he found him at the church.
"'You look different.'
"'I have changed my musketeer's uniform for a priest's cloak,' Eremus said with a calm, slightly sad voice.
"'I feel quite at peace here.'
I was hoping to bring you back with me, D'Artagnan said.
Our adventure isn't over yet.
The young woman has been kidnapped again.
Oh, I don't think I'll return.
I know you love this young woman, but I must stay here.
I no longer have a place in my life for love, Aramis said.
"'D'Artagnan realized his friend must be heartbroken over someone.
"'Perhaps this letter will change your mind,' he said.
"'It arrived for you the day I left Paris.
"'I believe it is scented with a woman's perfume.'
"'Erimus took the letter from him and opened it quickly.'
Oh, I thought she had forgotten me, he said, and hugged D'Artagnan.
You see, the woman I love was sent away by the Cardinal.
She was trying to help the Queen with a secret plan, and the Cardinal found out.
I thought I would never see her again.
Then D'Artagnan understood.
This was the woman he had seen Madame Bonacieux speaking to the night she visited Aramis's home.
This was the same woman who owned the handkerchief that had caused the fight between him and Eramis so long ago.
So you will come back with me, D'Artagnan asked.
Of course, my friend, Eramis said.
But the next day, when Eramis tried to mount his horse, D'Artagnan saw that his friend was still injured.
Take care of yourself, D'Artagnan said.
I will look for Athos alone.
He left Eremis with one of the new horses and returned to the inn where he had left Othos fighting for his life.
Do you recognize me?
D'Artagnan asked the innkeeper who had accused Othos of being a counterfeiter.
A few weeks ago you charged a friend of mine with trying to use fake money.
Please, monsieur, the innkeeper said.
I made an awful mistake, and I have already paid dearly for it.
I was told that there would be criminals travelling through here, and you and your friend matched their descriptions.
The cardinal himself sent soldiers to help me.
Where is the gentleman?
D'Artagnan asked.
First, let me explain, the innkeeper said.
Your friend fought bravely, for there were seven men attacking him.
In the battle, he retreated to the cellar where I store my food.
Once inside, he closed the door and locked himself in.
When I learned he wasn't a criminal, I tried to tell him that he was safe, but he didn't believe me.
He only opened the door once to allow his assistant in.
They have been there ever since, eating my food.
I'm losing all of my business because of them.
Then you have the punishment you deserve, D'Artagnan said and laughed.
You were tricked by the Cardinal.
Suddenly they heard a loud crash.
The innkeeper led D'Artagnan to the cellar door.
I warn you yelled Athos from the other side of the door.
I will hurt the next person who knocks on that door.
I promise no one will knock without your permission, D'Artagnan said.
Is that you, my friend?
Athos asked and opened the door.
When he saw D'Artagnan, he hugged him like a long-lost brother.
The innkeeper was shocked when he finally entered the cellar.
There was food and broken furniture everywhere.
D'Artagnan offered to give the innkeeper Athos' horse to pay for the damages.
Not to worry, D'Artagnan told Athos.
I have brought a new and far better horse for you.
That night they celebrated being reunited, but then Athos's mood changed.
They had been talking about the women Porthos and Aramis loved.
D'Artagnan had just started to talk about Madame Bonacieux when Athos interrupted.
I also have a story to tell you about love.
This happened to a friend of mine many years ago. he said.
Of course, D'Artagnan replied, although he knew that Athos was speaking about himself.
He knew the story would be too painful for Athos to tell if he admitted it was his own.
My friend was a count in his province.
Then he met a young woman who had traveled to his town with her brother.
My friend and this woman fell deeply in love and were soon married.
One day he learned that she was in fact The man who said he was her brother was actually her partner in crime.
My friend was terribly angry when he confronted her.
She attacked him and tried to kill him.
He fought back, but she escaped, taking a precious family heirloom with her.
He never saw her again.
That's a sad story, D'Artagnan said.
I'm sorry for your friend.
