snorted and pranced along delightedly. Porthos and Planchet began to
talk about hay-crops. Planchet admitted to Porthos that in the advanced
years of his life, he had certainly neglected agricultural pursuits for
commerce, but that his childhood had been passed in Picardy in the
beautiful meadows where the grass grew as high as the knees, and where he
had played under the green apple-trees covered with red-cheeked fruit; he
went on to say, that he had solemnly promised himself that as soon as he
should have made his fortune, he would return to nature, and end his
days, as he had begun them, as near as he possibly could to the earth
itself, where all men must sleep at last.

"Eh, eh!" said Porthos; "in that case, my dear Monsieur Planchet, your
retirement is not far distant."

"How so?"

"Why, you seem to be in the way of making your fortune very soon."

"Well, we are getting on pretty well, I must admit," replied Planchet.

"Come, tell me what is the extent of your ambition, and what is the
amount you intend to retire upon?"

"There is one circumstance, monsieur," said Planchet, without answering
the question, "which occasions me a good deal of anxiety."

"What is it?" inquired Porthos, looking all round him as if in search of
the circumstance that annoyed Planchet, and desirous of freeing him from
it.