As far as I am concerned, you know, I attach little value to those who have but gentle birth to boast of." "Assuredly," said De Wardes; "but will you allow me to remark, my dear count, that, without rank of some sort, one can hardly hope to belong to his royal highness's household ?" "You are right," said the count, "court etiquette is absolute.

The devil!--we never so much as gave it a thought." "Alas! a sad misfortune for me, monsieur le comte," said Malicorne, changing color.
"Yet not without remedy, I hope," returned De Guiche.
"The remedy is found easily enough," exclaimed De Wardes; "you can be created a gentleman.

His Eminence, the Cardinal Mazarin, did nothing else from morning till night." "Hush, hush, De Wardes," said the count; "no jests of that kind; it ill becomes us to turn such matters into ridicule.

Letters of nobility, it is true, are purchasable; but that is a sufficient misfortune without the nobles themselves laughing at it." "Upon my word, De Guiche, you're quite a Puritan, as the English say." At this moment the Vicomte de Bragelonne was announced by one of the servants in the courtyard, in precisely the same manner as he would have done in a room.
"Come here, my dear Raoul.

What! you, too, booted and spurred?
You are setting off, then ?" Bragelonne approached the group of young men, and saluted them with that quiet and serious manner peculiar to him.