I hope that my frankness at least will make you my friend; for you are the only young man to whom I have hitherto spoken as I have done to you." Treville said to himself: "If the cardinal has set this young fox upon me, he will certainly not have failed--he, who knows how bitterly I execrate him--to tell his spy that the best means of making his court to me is to rail at him.

Therefore, in spite of all my protestations, if it be as I suspect, my cunning gossip will assure me that he holds his Eminence in horror." It, however, proved otherwise.

D'Artagnan answered, with the greatest simplicity: "I came to Paris with exactly such intentions.

My father advised me to stoop to nobody but the king, the cardinal, and yourself--whom he considered the first three personages in France." D'Artagnan added M.de Treville to the others, as may be perceived; but he thought this addition would do no harm.
"I have the greatest veneration for the cardinal," continued he, "and the most profound respect for his actions.

So much the better for me, sir, if you speak to me, as you say, with frankness--for then you will do me the honor to esteem the resemblance of our opinions; but if you have entertained any doubt, as naturally you may, I feel that I am ruining myself by speaking the truth.