Toward midnight Charles heard a great noise beneath hiswindow. It arose from blows of hammer and hatchet, clinkingof pincers and cranching of saws.

Lying dressed upon his bed, the noise awoke him with a startand found a gloomy echo in his heart. He could not endureit, and sent Parry to ask the sentinel to beg the workmen tostrike more gently and not disturb the last slumber of onewho had been their king. The sentinel was unwilling to leavehis post, but allowed Parry to pass.

Arriving at the window Parry found an unfinished scaffold,over which they were nailing a covering of black serge.Raised to the height of twenty feet, so as to be on a levelwith the window, it had two lower stories. Parry, odious aswas this sight to him, sought for those among some eight orten workmen who were making the most noise; and fixed on twomen, who were loosening the last hooks of the iron balcony.

"My friends," said Parry, mounting the scaffold and standingbeside them, "would you work a little more quietly? The kingwishes to get a sleep."

One of the two, who was standing up, was of gigantic sizeand was driving a pick with all his might into the wall,whilst the other, kneeling beside him, was collecting thepieces of stone. The face of the first was lost to Parry inthe darkness; but as the second turned around and placed hisfinger on his lips Parry started back in amazement.

"Very well, very well," said the workman aloud, in excellentEnglish. "Tell the king that if he sleeps badly to-night hewill sleep better to-morrow night."

These blunt words, so terrible if taken literally, werereceived by the other workmen with a roar of laughter. ButParry withdrew, thinking he was dreaming.

Charles was impatiently awaiting his return. At the momenthe re-entered, the sentinel who guarded the door put hishead through the opening, curious as to what the king wasdoing. The king was lying on his bed, resting on his elbow.Parry closed the door and approaching the king, his faceradiant with joy:

"Sire," he said, in a low voice, "do you know who theseworkmen are who are making so much noise?"

"I? No; how would you have me know?"

Parry bent his head and whispered to the king: "It is theComte de la Fere and his friends."

"Raising my scaffold!" cried the king, astounded.

"Yes, and at the same time making a hole in the wall."

The king clasped his hands and raised his eyes to Heaven;then leaping down from his bed he went to the window, andpulling aside the curtain tried to distinguish the figuresoutside, but in vain.

Parry was not wrong. It was Athos he had recognized, andPorthos who was boring a hole through the wall.

This hole communicated with a kind of loft - the spacebetween the floor of the king's room and the ceiling of theone below it. Their plan was to pass through the hole theywere making into this loft and cut out from below a piece ofthe flooring of the king's room, so as to form a kind oftrap-door.

Through this the king was to escape the next night, and,hidden by the black covering of the scaffold, was to changehis dress for that of a workman, slip out with hisdeliverers, pass the sentinels, who would suspect nothing,and so reach the skiff that was waiting for him atGreenwich.

Day gilded the tops of the houses. The aperture was finishedand Athos passed through it, carrying the clothes destinedfor the king wrapped in black cloth, and the tools withwhich he was to open a communication with the king's room.He had only two hours' work to do to open communication withthe king and, according to the calculations of the fourfriends, they had the entire day before them, since, theexecutioner being absent, another must be sent for toBristol.

D'Artagnan returned to change his workman's clothes for hischestnut-colored suit, and Porthos to put on his reddoublet. As for Aramis, he went off to the bishop's palaceto see if he could possibly pass in with Juxon to the king'spresence. All three agreed to meet at noon in WhitehallPlace to see how things went on.

Before leaving the scaffold Aramis had approached theopening where Athos was concealed to tell him that he wasabout to make an attempt to gain another interview with theking.

"Adieu, then, and be of good courage," said Athos. "Reportto the king the condition of affairs. Say to him that whenhe is alone it will help us if he will knock on the floor,for then I can continue my work in safety. Try, Aramis, tokeep near the king. Speak loud, very loud, for they will belistening at the door. If there is a sentinel within theapartment, kill him without hesitation. If there are two,let Parry kill one and you the other. If there are three,let yourself be slain, but save the king."

"Be easy," said Aramis; "I will take two poniards and giveone to Parry. Is that all?"

"Yes, go; but urge the king strongly not to stand on falsegenerosity. While you are fighting if there is a fight, hemust flee. The trap once replaced over his head, you beingon the trap, dead or alive, they will need at least tenminutes to find the hole by which he has escaped. In thoseten minutes we shall have gained the road and the king willbe saved."

"Everything shall be done as you say, Athos. Your hand, forperhaps we shall not see each other again."

Athos put his arm around Aramis's neck and embraced him.

"For you," he said. "Now if I die, say to D'Artagnan that Ilove him as a son, and embrace him for me. Embrace also ourgood and brave Porthos. Adieu."

"Adieu," said Aramis. "I am as sure now that the king willbe saved as I am sure that I clasp the most loyal hand inthe world."

Aramis parted from Athos, went down from the scaffold in histurn and took his way to the hotel, whistling the air of asong in praise of Cromwell. He found the other two friendssitting at table before a good fire, drinking a bottle ofport and devouring a cold chicken. Porthos was cursing theinfamous parliamentarians; D'Artagnan ate in silence,revolving in his mind the most audacious plans.

Aramis related what had been agreed upon. D'Artagnanapproved with a movement of the head and Porthos with hisvoice.

"Bravo!" he said; "besides, we shall be there at the time ofthe flight. What with D'Artagnan, Grimaud and Musqueton, wecan manage to dispatch eight of them. I say nothing aboutBlaisois, for he is only fit to hold the horses. Two minutesa man makes four minutes. Musqueton will lose another,that's five; and in five minutes we shall have galloped aquarter of a league."

Aramis swallowed a hasty mouthful, gulped a glass of wineand changed his clothes.

"Now," said he, "I'm off to the bishop's. Take care of theexecutioner, D'Artagnan."

"All right. Grimaud has relieved Musqueton and has his footon the cellar door."

"Well, don't be inactive."

"Inactive, my dear fellow! Ask Porthos. I pass my life uponmy legs."

Aramis again presented himself at the bishop's. Juxonconsented the more readily to take him with him, as he wouldrequire an assistant priest in case the king should wish tocommunicate. Dressed as Aramis had been the night before,the bishop got into his carriage, and the former, moredisguised by his pallor and sad countenance than hisdeacon's dress, got in by his side. The carriage stopped atthe door of the palace.

It was about nine o'clock in the morning.

Nothing was changed. The ante-rooms were still full ofsoldiers, the passages still lined by guards. The king wasalready sanguine, but when he perceived Aramis his hopeturned to joy. He embraced Juxon and pressed the hand ofAramis. The bishop affected to speak in a loud voice, beforeevery one, of their previous interview. The king repliedthat the words spoken in that interview had borne theirfruit, and that he desired another under the sameconditions. Juxon turned to those present and begged them toleave him and his assistant alone with the king. Every onewithdrew. As soon as the door was closed:

"Sire," said Aramis, speaking rapidly, "you are saved; theLondon executioner has vanished. His assistant broke his leglast night beneath your majesty's window - the cry we heardwas his - and there is no executioner nearer at hand thanBristol."

"But the Comte de la Fere?" asked the king.

"Two feet below you; take the poker from the fireplace andstrike three times on the floor. He will answer you."

The king did so, and the moment after, three muffled knocks,answering the given signal, sounded beneath the floor.

"So," said Charles, "he who knocks down there - - "

"Is the Comte de la Fere, sire," said Aramis. "He ispreparing a way for your majesty to escape. Parry, for hispart, will raise this slab of marble and a passage will beopened."

"Oh, Juxon," said the king, seizing the bishop's two handsin his own, "promise that you will pray all your life forthis gentleman and for the other that you hear beneath yourfeet, and for two others also, who, wherever they may be,are on the watch for my safety."

"Sire," replied Juxon, "you shall be obeyed."

Meanwhile, the miner underneath was heard working awayincessantly, when suddenly an unexpected noise resounded inthe passage. Aramis seized the poker and gave the signal tostop; the noise came nearer and nearer. It was that of anumber of men steadily approaching. The four men stoodmotionless. All eyes were fixed on the door, which openedslowly and with a kind of solemnity.

A parliamentary officer, clothed in black and with a gravitythat augured ill, entered, bowed to the king, and unfoldinga parchment, read the sentence, as is usually done tocriminals before their execution.

"What is this?" said Aramis to Juxon.

Juxon replied with a sign which meant that he knew no morethan Aramis about it.

"Then it is for to-day?" asked the king.

"Was not your majesty warned that it was to take place thismorning?"

"Then I must die like a common criminal by the hand of theLondon executioner?"

"The London executioner has disappeared, your majesty, but aman has offered his services instead. The execution willtherefore only be delayed long enough for you to arrangeyour spiritual and temporal affairs."

A slight moisture on his brow was the only trace of emotionthat Charles evinced, as he learned these tidings. ButAramis was livid. His heart ceased beating, he closed hiseyes and leaned upon the table. Charles perceived it andtook his hand.

"Come, my friend," said he, "courage." Then he turned to theofficer. "Sir, I am ready. There is but little reason why Ishould delay you. Firstly, I wish to communicate; secondly,to embrace my children and bid them farewell for the lasttime. Will this be permitted me?"

"Certainly," replied the officer, and left the room.

Aramis dug his nails into his flesh and groaned aloud.

"Oh! my lord bishop," he cried, seizing Juxon's hands,"where is Providence? where is Providence?"

"My son," replied the bishop, with firmness, "you see Himnot, because the passions of the world conceal Him."

"My son," said the king to Aramis, "do not take it so toheart. You ask what God is doing. God beholds your devotionand my martyrdom, and believe me, both will have theirreward. Ascribe to men, then, what is happening, and not toGod. It is men who drive me to death; it is men who make youweep."

"Yes, sire," said Aramis, "yes, you are right. It is menwhom I should hold responsible, and I will hold themresponsible."

"Be seated, Juxon," said the king, falling upon his knees."I have now to confess to you. Remain, sir," he added toAramis, who had moved to leave the room. "Remain, Parry. Ihave nothing to say that cannot be said before all."

Juxon sat down, and the king, kneeling humbly before him,began his confession.