Planchet admitted to Porthos that in the advanced years of his life, he had certainly neglected agricultural pursuits for commerce, but that his childhood had been passed in Picardy in the beautiful meadows where the grass grew as high as the knees, and where he had played under the green apple-trees covered with red-cheeked fruit; he went on to say, that he had solemnly promised himself that as soon as he should have made his fortune, he would return to nature, and end his days, as he had begun them, as near as he possibly could to the earth itself, where all men must sleep at last.
"Eh, eh!" said Porthos; "in that case, my dear Monsieur Planchet, your retirement is not far distant." "How so ?" "Why, you seem to be in the way of making your fortune very soon." "Well, we are getting on pretty well, I must admit," replied Planchet.
"Come, tell me what is the extent of your ambition, and what is the amount you intend to retire upon ?" "There is one circumstance, monsieur," said Planchet, without answering the question, "which occasions me a good deal of anxiety." "What is it ?" inquired Porthos, looking all round him as if in search of the circumstance that annoyed Planchet, and desirous of freeing him from it.
"Why, formerly," said the grocer, "you used to call me Planchet quite short, and you would have spoken to me then in a much more familiar manner than you do now." "Certainly, certainly, I should have said so formerly," replied the good-natured Porthos, with an embarrassment full of delicacy; "but formerly--" "Formerly I was M.d'Artagnan's lackey; is not that what you mean ?" "Yes." "Well if I am not quite his lackey, I am as much as ever I was his devoted servant; and more than that, since that time--" "Well, Planchet ?" "Since that time, I have had the honor of being in partnership with him." "Oh, oh!" said Porthos.

"What, has D'Artagnan gone into the grocery business ?" "No, no," said D'Artagnan, whom these words had drawn out of his reverie, and who entered into the conversation with that readiness and rapidity which distinguished every operation of his mind and body.

"It was not D'Artagnan who entered into the grocery business, but Planchet who entered into a political affair with me." "Yes," said Planchet, with mingled pride and satisfaction, "we transacted a little business which brought me in a hundred thousand francs and M.d'Artagnan two hundred thousand." "Oh, oh!" said Porthos, with admiration.
"So that, monsieur le baron," continued the grocer, "I again beg you to be kind enough to call me Planchet, as you used to do; and to speak to me as familiarly as in old times.

You cannot possibly imagine the pleasure it would give me." "If that be the case, my dear Planchet, I will do so, certainly," replied Porthos.

And as he was quite close to Planchet, he raised his hand, as if to strike him on the shoulder, in token of friendly cordiality; but a fortunate movement of the horse made him miss his aim, so that his hand fell on the crupper of Planchet's horse, instead; which made the animal's legs almost give way.
D'Artagnan burst out laughing, as he said, "Take care, Planchet; for if Porthos begins to like you so much, he will caress you, and if he caresses you he will knock you as flat as a pancake.