Porthos embraced Madame Truchen, heaving an enormous sigh.

Planchet took both his friends by the hand.
"I am going to show you over the house," he said; "when we arrived last night it was as dark as an oven, and we were unable to see anything; but in broad daylight, everything looks different, and you will be satisfied, I hope." "If we begin by the view you have here," said D'Artagnan, "that charms me beyond everything; I have always lived in royal mansions, you know, and royal personages have tolerably sound ideas upon the selection of points of view." "I am a great stickler for a good view myself," said Porthos.

"At my Chateau de Pierrefonds, I have had four avenues laid out, and at the end of each is a landscape of an altogether different character from the others." "You shall see _my_ prospect," said Planchet; and he led his two guests to a window.
"Ah!" said D'Artagnan, "this is the Rue de Lyon." "Yes, I have two windows on this side, a paltry, insignificant view, for there is always that bustling and noisy inn, which is a very disagreeable neighbor.

I had four windows here, but I bricked up two." "Let us go on," said D'Artagnan.
They entered a corridor leading to the bedrooms, and Planchet pushed open the outside blinds.
"Hollo! what is that out yonder ?" said Porthos.
"The forest," said Planchet.

"It is the horizon,--a thick line of green, which is yellow in the spring, green in the summer, red in the autumn, and white in the winter." "All very well, but it is like a curtain, which prevents one seeing a greater distance." "Yes," said Planchet; "still, one can see, at all events, everything that intervenes." "Ah, the open country," said Porthos.