The Son of Porthos; Or, the Death of Aramis Paperback - 2010

From the publisher

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. TWO OF OUR OLD ACQUAINTANCES. The traveling-carriage which came towards the coach in distress, was about a quarter of a league distant when the affray was going on. It was drawn by four first-class post- horses which sent the showers in sparks from the pebbles of the road. Around the vehicle galloped, not less as an escort than a guard of honor, half-a-dozen strapping footmen, swart and of martial appearance, who carried a sword by the side and musketoons at the saddle-bow. On the back-seat cushions, inside, an old gentleman was seated, who still wore the long hair reaching the shoulders, and the fine moustache and royale, or goatee, of the reign of Louis XIII. This venerable man must have been of remarkable beauty half a century back. He had retained of the good looks the eagle-liks profile: a broad forehead impressed with Majesty acircumsli -ct mouth, by a miracle preserving enviable teeth, a chin of correct outline, albeit prominent and angular; as well as black eyes of piercing lustre, and feet and hands of which many a princess would be proud. He was clad entirely in black velvet, with a small skull-cap apparently to conceal where he had been shaven, like a priest. But hair, chin-tuft and moustaches were blanched into snow. The thin frame seemed near to snapping in two. The yellow complexion would have delighted the lovers of antiques. The features were hooked rather than purely aquiline; the forehead was laden with wrinkles and lips were so thin that the mouth resembled a slit with a knife. Flacced lids drooped to mask the fire of the sight; and the hands had waxen hues and cracked at the knuckles like those of skeletons amid the clouds of rich lace which half smothered them. On the front seat, facing this man in the sere and yellow of age, doz...