For how long a time ?" "For a month." "And that will give us----" "Fifty thousand livres each, profit." "It is monstrous! It is worth while to fight for such interest as that!" "In fact, I believe it will be necessary to fight not a little," said D'Artagnan, with the same tranquillity; "but this time there are two of us, Planchet, and I shall take all the blows to myself." "Oh! monsieur, I will not allow that." "Planchet, you cannot be concerned in it; you would be obliged to leave your business and your family." "The affair is not in Paris, then ?" "No." "Abroad ?" "In England." "A speculative country, that is true," said Planchet,--"a country that I know well.

What sort of an affair, monsieur, without too much curiosity ?" "Planchet, it is a restoration." "Of monuments ?" "Yes, of monuments; we shall restore Whitehall." "That is important.

And in a month, you think ?" "I shall undertake it." "That concerns you, monsieur, and when once you are engaged----" "Yes, that concerns me.

I know what I am about; nevertheless, I will freely consult with you." "You do me great honor; but I know very little about architecture." "Planchet, you are wrong; you are an excellent architect, quite as good as I am, for the case in question." "Thanks, monsieur.

But your old friends of the musketeers ?" "I have been, I confess, tempted to speak of the thing to those gentlemen, but they are all absent from their houses.