You expose the lives of many others, without referring to your own, which seems to be full of hazard.

Besides, fashions pass away, monsieur, and the fashion of duelling has passed away, without referring in any way to the edicts of his majesty which forbid it.

Therefore, in order to be consistent with your own chivalrous notions, you will at once apologize to M.de Bragelonne; you will tell him how much you regret having spoken so lightly, and that the nobility and purity of his race are inscribed, not in his heart alone, but still more in every action of his life.

You will do and say this, M.de Wardes, as I, an old officer, did and said just now to your boy's moustache." "And if I refuse ?" inquired De Wardes.
"In that case the result will be--" "That which you think you will prevent," said De Wardes, laughing; "the result will be that your conciliatory address will end in a violation of the king's prohibition." "Not so," said the captain, "you are quite mistaken." "What will be the result, then ?" "The result will be that I shall go to the king, with whom I am on tolerably good terms, to whom I have been happy enough to render certain services, dating from a period when you were not born, and who, at my request, has just sent me an order in blank for M.Baisemeaux de Montlezun, governor of the Bastile; and I shall say to the king: 'Sire, a man has in a most cowardly way insulted M.de Bragelonne by insulting his mother; I have written this man's name upon the _lettre de cachet_ which your majesty has been kind enough to give me, so that M.de Wardes is in the Bastile for three years." And D'Artagnan, drawing the order signed by the king from his pocket, held it towards De Wardes.
Remarking that the young man was not quite convinced, and received the warning as an idle threat, he shrugged his shoulders and walked leisurely towards the table, upon which lay a writing-case and a pen, the length of which would have terrified the topographical Porthos.

De Wardes then saw that nothing could well be more seriously intended than the threat in question, for the Bastile, even at that period, was already held in dread.