{"product_id":"2940012860194","title":"LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE","description":"Chapter I. Malaga.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring all these long and noisy debates between the opposite ambitions\u003cbr\u003eof politics and love, one of our characters, perhaps the one least\u003cbr\u003edeserving of neglect, was, however, very much neglected, very much\u003cbr\u003eforgotten, and exceedingly unhappy. In fact, D'Artagnan--D'Artagnan,\u003cbr\u003ewe say, for we must call him by his name, to remind our readers of his\u003cbr\u003eexistence--D'Artagnan, we repeat, had absolutely nothing whatever to do,\u003cbr\u003eamidst these brilliant butterflies of fashion. After following the king\u003cbr\u003eduring two whole days at Fontainebleau, and critically observing\u003cbr\u003ethe various pastoral fancies and heroi-comic transformations of his\u003cbr\u003esovereign, the musketeer felt that he needed something more than this to\u003cbr\u003esatisfy the cravings of his nature. At every moment assailed by\u003cbr\u003epeople asking him, \"How do you think this costume suits me, Monsieur\u003cbr\u003ed'Artagnan?\" he would reply to them in quiet, sarcastic tones, \"Why,\u003cbr\u003eI think you are quite as well-dressed as the best-dressed monkey to\u003cbr\u003ebe found in the fair at Saint-Laurent.\" It was just such a compliment\u003cbr\u003eD'Artagnan would choose where he did not feel disposed to pay any other:\u003cbr\u003eand, whether agreeable or not, the inquirer was obliged to be satisfied\u003cbr\u003ewith it. Whenever any one asked him, \"How do you intend to dress\u003cbr\u003eyourself this evening?\" he replied, \"I shall undress myself;\" at which\u003cbr\u003ethe ladies all laughed, and a few of them blushed. But after a couple\u003cbr\u003eof days passed in this manner, the musketeer, perceiving that nothing\u003cbr\u003eserious was likely to arise which would concern him, and that the king\u003cbr\u003ehad completely, or, at least, appeared to have completely forgotten\u003cbr\u003eParis, Saint-Mande, and Belle-Isle--that M. Colbert's mind was occupied\u003cbr\u003ewith illuminations and fireworks--that for the next month, at least,\u003cbr\u003ethe ladies had plenty of glances to bestow, and also to receive in\u003cbr\u003eexchange--D'Artagnan asked the king for leave of absence for a matter of\u003cbr\u003eprivate business. At the moment D'Artagnan made his request, his majesty\u003cbr\u003ewas on the point of going to bed, quite exhausted from dancing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You wish to leave me, Monsieur d'Artagnan?\" inquired the king, with an\u003cbr\u003eair of astonishment; for Louis XIV. could never understand why any one\u003cbr\u003ewho had the distinguished honor of being near him could wish to leave\u003cbr\u003ehim.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sire,\" said D'Artagnan, \"I leave you simply because I am not of the\u003cbr\u003eslightest service to you in anything. Ah! if I could only hold the\u003cbr\u003ebalancing-pole while you were dancing, it would be a very different\u003cbr\u003eaffair.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But, my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan,\" said the king, gravely, \"people\u003cbr\u003edance without balancing-poles.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ah! indeed,\" said the musketeer, continuing his imperceptible tone of\u003cbr\u003eirony, \"I had no idea such a thing was possible.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You have not seen me dance, then?\" inquired the king.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes; but I always thought dancers went from easy to difficult acrobatic\u003cbr\u003efeats. I was mistaken; all the more greater reason, therefore, that I\u003cbr\u003eshould leave for a time. Sire, I repeat, you have no present occasion\u003cbr\u003efor my services; besides, if your majesty should have any need of me,\u003cbr\u003eyou would know where to find me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Very well,\" said the king, and he granted him leave of absence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe shall not look for D'Artagnan, therefore, at Fontainebleau, for to do\u003cbr\u003eso would be useless; but, with the permission of our readers, follow him\u003cbr\u003eto the Rue des Lombards, where he was located at the sign of the Pilon\u003cbr\u003ed'Or, in the house of our old friend Planchet. It was about eight\u003cbr\u003eo'clock in the evening, and the weather was exceedingly warm; there\u003cbr\u003ewas only one window open, and that one belonging to a room on the\u003cbr\u003e_entresol_. A perfume of spices, mingled with another perfume less\u003cbr\u003eexotic, but more penetrating, namely, that which arose from the street,\u003cbr\u003eascended to salute the nostrils of the musketeer. D'Artagnan, reclining\u003cbr\u003ein an immense straight-backed chair, with his legs not stretched out,\u003cbr\u003ebut simply placed upon a stool, formed an angle of the most obtuse form\u003cbr\u003ethat could possibly be seen. Both his arms were crossed over his head,\u003cbr\u003ehis head reclining upon his left shoulder, like Alexander the Great.\u003cbr\u003eHis eyes, usually so quick and intelligent in their expression, were\u003cbr\u003enow half-closed, and seemed fastened, as it were, upon a small corner of\u003cbr\u003eblue sky that was visible behind the opening of the chimneys; there was\u003cbr\u003ejust enough blue, and no more, to fill one of the sacks of lentils, or\u003cbr\u003eharicots, which formed the principal furniture of the shop on the\u003cbr\u003eground floor.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47156326924528,"sku":"2940012860194","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012860194_p0.jpg?v=1763573284","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012860194","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}