During this time Porthos played clo. It was almost imperceptible motions of his eyes, fingers plabsp;upon the lips, little assassinating smiles, whibsp;really did assassinate the disdained beauty.
Then she cried, "Ahem!" under cover of the MEA CULPA, striking her breast so vigorously that everybody, even the lady with the red cushion, turned round toward her. Porthos paid no attention. heless, he uood it all, but was deaf.
The lady with the red cushion produbsp;a great effect--for she was very handsome--upon the lady with the blabsp;hood, who saw in her a rival really to be dreaded; a great effebsp;upon Porthos, who thought her mubsp;prettier than the lady with the blabsp;hood; a great effebsp;upon d''Artagnan, who reized in her the lady of Meung, of Calais, and of Dover, whom his percutor, the man with the scar, had saluted by the name of Milady.
D''Artagnan, without losing sight of the lady of the red cushion, tinued to watbsp;the proceedings of Porthos, whibsp;amud him greatly. He guesd that the lady of the blabsp;hood was the procurator''s wife of the Rue aux Ours, whibsp;was the more probable from the churbsp;of St. Leu being not far from that locality.
He guesd, likewi, by indu, that Porthos was taking his revenge for the defeat of tilly, when the procurator''s wife had proved so refractory with respebsp;to her pur.
Amid all this, d''Artagnan remarked also that not one tenanbsp;responded to the gallantries of Porthos. There were only chimeras and illusions; but for real love, for true jealousy, is there any reality except illusions and chimeras?
The rmon over, the procurator''s wife advanbsp;toward the holy font. Porthos went before her, and instead of a finger, dipped his whole hand in. The procurator''s wife smiled, thinking that it was for her Porthos had put himlf to this trouble; but she was cruelly and promptly undeceived. When she was only about three steps from him, he turned his head round, fixing his eyes steadfastly upon the lady with the red cushion, who had rin and was approag, followed by her black boy and her woman.