The Vicomte de Bragelonne
by Alexandre Dumas

Chapter I:
The Letter.

Towards the middle of the month of May, in the year 1660, at nine o'clock
in the morning, when the sun, already high in the heavens, was fast
absorbing the dew from the ramparts of the castle of Blois, a little
cavalcade, composed of three men and two pages, re-entered the city by
the bridge, without producing any other effect upon the passengers of the
quay beyond a first movement of the hand to the head, as a salute, and a
second movement of the tongue to express, in the purest French then
spoken in France: "There is Monsieur returning from hunting." And that
was all.

Whilst, however, the horses were climbing the steep acclivity which leads
from the river to the castle, several shop-boys approached the last
horse, from whose saddle-bow a number of birds were suspended by the beak.

On seeing this, the inquisitive youths manifested with rustic freedom
their contempt for such paltry sport, and, after a dissertation among
themselves upon the disadvantages of hawking, they returned to their
occupations; one only of the curious party, a stout, stubby, cheerful
lad, having demanded how it was that Monsieur, who, from his great
revenues, had it in his power to amuse himself so much better, could be
satisfied with such mean diversions.

"Do you not know," one of the standers-by replied, "that Monsieur's
principal amusement is to weary himself?"