“Well, that gentleman is M. Boulingrin.”
“Who is M. Boulingrin?”
“Now we are coming to it. If, when this gentleman is walking with a ruler in his hand, any one should ask me, — ’who is M. Boulingrin?’ I should reply: ‘He is the architect of the house.’ Well! M. Getard is the Boulingrin of M. Fouquet. But he has nothing to do with the fortifications, which are my department alone; do you understand? mine, absolutely mine.”
“Ah! Porthos,” cried D’Artagnan, letting his arms fall as a conquered man gives up his sword; “ah! my friend, you are not only a Herculean topographer, you are, still further, a dialectician of the first water.”