At the sound of this voice, the cat took flight, the housekeeper woke up suddenly, and Planchet, assuming a gracious air, introduced his two companions into the room, where the table was already laid.
"Permit me, my dear," he said, "to present to you, Monsieur le Chevalier d'Artagnan, my patron." D'Artagnan took the lady's hand in his in the most courteous manner, and with precisely the same chivalrous air as he would have taken Madame's.
"Monsieur le Baron de Valon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds," added Planchet.
Porthos bowed with a reverence which Anne of Austria would have approved of.
It was then Planchet's turn, and he unhesitatingly embraced the lady in question--not, however, until he had made a sign as if requesting D'Artagnan's and Porthos' permission, a permission which was, of course, frankly conceded.

D'Artagnan complimented Planchet, and said, "You are indeed a man who knows how to make life agreeable." "Life, monsieur," said Planchet, laughing, "is a capital which a man ought to invest as sensibly as he possibly can." "And you get very good interest for yours," said Porthos, with a burst of laughter like a peal of thunder.
Planchet turned to his housekeeper.

"You have before you," he said to her, "the two men who have influenced no small portion of my life.

I have spoken to you about them both very frequently." "And two others as well," said the lady, with a very decided Flemish accent.
"Madame is Dutch ?" inquired D'Artagnan.

Porthos curled his mustache, a circumstance which was not lost upon D'Artagnan, who remarked everything.
"I am from Antwerp," said the lady.
"And her name is Madame Gechter," said Planchet.
"You should not call her madame," said D'Artagnan.
"Why not ?" asked Planchet.
"Because it would make her seem older every time you call her so." "Well, I call her Truechen." "And a very pretty name too," said Porthos.
"Truechen," said Planchet, "came to me from Flanders with her virtue and two thousand florins.