The snow was falling thick and icy. Aramis was the next tocome in and to discover Athos almost insensible. But at thefirst words he uttered the comte roused himself from thekind of lethargy in which he had sunk.

"Well," said Aramis, "beaten by fate!"

"Beaten!" said Athos. "Noble and unhappy king!"

"Are you wounded?" cried Aramis.

"No, this is his blood."

"Where were you, then?"

"Where you left me - under the scaffold."

"Did you see it all?"

"No, but I heard all. God preserve me from another such houras I have just passed."

"Then you know that I did not leave him?"

"I heard your voice up to the last moment."

"Here is the order he gave me and the cross I took from hishand; he desired they should be returned to the queen."

"Then here is a handkerchief to wrap them in," repliedAthos, drawing from his pocket the one he had steeped in theking's blood.

"And what," he continued, "has been done with the poorbody?"

"By order of Cromwell royal honors will be accorded to it.The doctors are embalming the corpse, and when it is readyit will be placed in a lighted chapel."

"Mockery," muttered Athos, savagely; "royal honors to onewhom they have murdered!"

"Well, cheer up!" said a loud voice from the staircase,which Porthos had just mounted. "We are all mortal, my poorfriends."

"You are late, my dear Porthos."

"Yes, there were some people on the way who delayed me. Thewretches were dancing. I took one of them by the throat andthree-quarters throttled him. Just then a patrol rode up.Luckily the man I had had most to do with was some minutesbefore he could speak, so I took advantage of his silence towalk off."

"Have you seen D'Artagnan?"

"We got separated in the crowd and I could not find himagain."

"Oh!" said Athos, satirically, "I saw him. He was in thefront row of the crowd, admirably placed for seeing; and ason the whole the sight was curious, he probably wished tostay to the end."

"Ah Comte de la Fere," said a calm voice, though hoarse withrunning, "is it your habit to calumniate the absent?"

This reproof stung Athos to the heart, but as the impressionproduced by seeing D'Artagnan foremost in a coarse,ferocious crowd had been very strong, he contented himselfwith replying:

"I am not calumniating you, my friend. They were anxiousabout you here; I simply told them where you were. Youdidn't know King Charles; to you he was only a foreigner andyou were not obliged to love him."

So saying, he stretched out his hand, but the otherpretended not to see it and he let it drop again slowly byhis side.

"Ugh! I am tired," cried D'Artagnan, sitting down.

"Drink a glass of port," said Aramis; "it will refresh you."

"Yes, let us drink," said Athos, anxious to make it up byhobnobbing with D'Artagnan, "let us drink and get away fromthis hateful country. The felucca is waiting for us, youknow; let us leave to-night, we have nothing more to dohere."

"You are in a hurry, sir count," said D'Artagnan.

"But what would you have us to do here, now that the king isdead?"

"Go, sir count," replied D'Artagnan, carelessly; "you seenothing to keep you a little longer in England? Well, for mypart, I, a bloodthirsty ruffian, who can go and stand closeto a scaffold, in order to have a better view of the king'sexecution - I remain."

Athos turned pale. Every reproach his friend uttered struckdeeply in his heart.

"Ah! you remain in London?" said Porthos.

"Yes. And you?"

"Hang it!" said Porthos, a little perplexed between the two,"I suppose, as I came with you, I must go away with you. Ican't leave you alone in this abominable country."

"Thanks, my worthy friend. So I have a little adventure topropose to you when the count is gone. I want to find outwho was the man in the mask, who so obligingly offered tocut the king's throat."

"A man in a mask?" cried Athos. "You did not let theexecutioner escape, then?"

"The executioner is still in the cellar, where, I presume,he has had an interview with mine host's bottles. But youremind me. Musqueton!"

"Sir," answered a voice from the depths of the earth.

"Let out your prisoner. All is over."

"But," said Athos, "who is the wretch that has dared toraise his hand against his king?"

"An amateur headsman," replied Aramis, "who however, doesnot handle the axe amiss."

"Did you not see his face?" asked Athos.

"He wore a mask."

"But you, Aramis, who were close to him?"

"I could see nothing but a gray beard under the fringe ofthe mask."

"Then it must be a man of a certain age."

"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, "that matters little. When one putson a mask, it is not difficult to wear a beard under it."

"I am sorry I did not follow him," said Porthos.

"Well, my dear Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "that's the verything it came into my head to do."

Athos understood all now.

"Pardon me, D'Artagnan," he said. "I have distrusted God; Icould the more easily distrust you. Pardon me, my friend."

"We will see about that presently," said D'Artagnan, with aslight smile.

"Well, then?" said Aramis.

"Well, while I was watching - not the king, as monsieur lecomte thinks, for I know what it is to see a man led todeath, and though I ought to be accustomed to the sight italways makes me ill - while I was watching the maskedexecutioner, the idea came to me, as I said, to find out whohe was. Now, as we are wont to complete ourselves each byall the rest and to depend on one another for assistance, asone calls his other hand to aid the first, I looked aroundinstinctively to see if Porthos was there; for I had seenyou, Aramis, with the king, and you, count, I knew would beunder the scaffold, and for that reason I forgive you," headded, offering Athos his hand, "for you must have sufferedmuch. I was looking around for Porthos when I saw near me ahead which had been broken, but which, for better or worse,had been patched with plaster and with black silk. `Humph!'thought I, `that looks like my handiwork; I fancy I musthave mended that skull somewhere or other.' And, in fact, itwas that unfortunate Scotchman, Parry's brother, you know,on whom Groslow amused himself by trying his strength. Well,this man was making signs to another at my left, and turningaround I recognized the honest Grimaud. `Oh!' said I to him.Grimaud turned round with a jerk, recognized me, and pointedto the man in the mask. `Eh!' said he, which meant, `Do yousee him?' `Parbleu!' I answered, and we perfectly understoodone another. Well, everything was finished as you know. Themob dispersed. I made a sign to Grimaud and the Scotchman,and we all three retired into a corner of the square. I sawthe executioner return into the king's room, change hisclothes, put on a black hat and a large cloak and disappear.Five minutes later he came down the grand staircase."

'You followed him?" cried Athos.

"I should think so, but not without difficulty. Every fewminutes he turned around, and thus obliged us to concealourselves. I might have gone up to him and killed him. But Iam not selfish, and I thought it might console you all alittle to have a share in the matter. So we followed himthrough the lowest streets in the city, and in half anhour's time he stopped before a little isolated house.Grimaud drew out a pistol. `Eh?' said he, showing it. I heldback his arm. The man in the mask stopped before a low doorand drew out a key; but before he placed it in the lock heturned around to see if he was being followed. Grimaud and Igot behind a tree, and the Scotchman having nowhere to hidehimself, threw himself on his face in the road. Next momentthe door opened and the man disappeared."

"The scoundrel!" said Aramis. "While you have been returninghither he will have escaped and we shall never find him."

"Come, now, Aramis," said D'Artagnan, "you must be taking mefor some one else."

"Nevertheless," said Athos, "in your absence - - "

"Well, in my absence haven't I put in my place Grimaud andthe Scotchman? Before he had taken ten steps beyond the doorI had examined the house on all sides. At one of the doors,that by which he had entered, I placed our Scotchman, makinga sign to him to follow the man wherever he might go, if hecame out again. Then going around the house I placed Grimaudat the other exit, and here I am. Our game is beaten up. Nowfor the tally-ho."

Athos threw himself into D'Artagnan's arms.

"Friend," he said, "you have been too good in pardoning me;I was wrong, a hundred times wrong. I ought to have knownyou better by this time; but we are all possessed of amalignant spirit, which bids us doubt."

"Humph!" said Porthos. "Don't you think the executionermight be Master Cromwell, who, to make sure of this affair,undertook it himself?"

"Ah! just so. Cromwell is stout and short, and this man thinand lanky, rather tall than otherwise."

"Some condemned soldier, perhaps," suggested Athos, "whomthey have pardoned at the price of regicide."

"No, no," continued D'Artagnan, "it was not the measuredstep of a foot soldier, nor was it the gait of a horseman.If I am not mistaken we have to do with a gentleman."

"A gentleman!" exclaimed Athos. "Impossible! It would be adishonor to all the nobility."

"Fine sport, by Jove!" cried Porthos, with a laugh thatshook the windows. "Fine sport!"

"Are you still bent on departure, Athos?" asked D'Artagnan.

"No, I remain," replied Athos, with a threatening gesturethat promised no good to whomsoever it was addressed.

"Swords, then!" cried Aramis, "swords! let us not lose amoment."

The four friends resumed their own clothes, girded on theirswords, ordered Musqueton and Blaisois to pay the bill andto arrange everything for immediate departure, and wrappedin their large cloaks left in search of their game.

The night was dark, snow was falling, the streets weresilent and deserted. D'Artagnan led the way through theintricate windings and narrow alleys of the city and erelong they had reached the house in question. For a momentD'Artagnan thought that Parry's brother had disappeared; buthe was mistaken. The robust Scotchman, accustomed to thesnows of his native hills, had stretched himself against apost, and like a fallen statue, insensible to the inclemencyof the weather, had allowed the snow to cover him. He rose,however, as they approached.

"Come," said Athos, "here's another good servant. Really,honest men are not so scarce as I thought."

"Don't be in a hurry to weave crowns for our Scotchman. Ibelieve the fellow is here on his own account, for I haveheard that these gentlemen born beyond the Tweed are veryvindictive. I should not like to be Groslow, if he meetshim."

"Well?" said Athos, to the man, in English.

"No one has come out," he replied.

"Then, Porthos and Aramis, will you remain with this manwhile we go around to Grimaud?"

Grimaud had made himself a kind of sentry box out of ahollow willow, and as they drew near he put his head out andgave a low whistle.

"Soho!" cried Athos.

"Yes," said Grimaud.

"Well, has anybody come out?"

"No, but somebody has gone in."

"A man or a woman?"

"A man."

"Ah! ah!" said D'Artagnan, "there are two of them, then!"

"I wish there were four," said Athos; "the two parties wouldthen be equal."

"Perhaps there are four," said D'Artagnan.

"What do you mean?"

"Other men may have entered before them and waited forthem."

"We can find out," said Grimaud. At the same time he pointedto a window, through the shutters of which a faint lightstreamed.

"That is true," said D'Artagnan, "let us call the others."

They returned around the house to fetch Porthos and Aramis.

"Have you seen anything?" they asked.

"No, but we are going to," replied D'Artagnan, pointing toGrimaud, who had already climbed some five or six feet fromthe ground.

All four came up together. Grimaud continued to climb like acat and succeeded at last in catching hold of a hook, whichserved to keep one of the shutters back when opened. Thenresting his foot on a small ledge he made a sign to show allwas right.

"Well?" asked D'Artagnan.

Grimaud showed his closed hand, with two fingers spread out.

"Speak," said Athos; "we cannot see your signs. How many arethere?"

"Two. One opposite to me, the other with his back to me."

"Good. And the man opposite to you is - -

"The man I saw go in."

"Do you know him?"

"I thought I recognized him, and was not mistaken. Short andstout."

"Who is it?" they all asked together in a low tone.

"General Oliver Cromwell."

The four friends looked at one another.

"And the other?" asked Athos.

"Thin and lanky."

"The executioner," said D'Artagnan and Aramis at the sametime.

"I can see nothing but his back," resumed Grimaud. "Butwait. He is moving; and if he has taken off his mask I shallbe able to see. Ah - - "

And as if struck in the heart he let go the hook and droppedwith a groan.

"Did you see him?" they all asked.

Yes," said Grimaud, with his hair standing on end.

"The thin, spare man?"

"Yes."

"The executioner, in short?" asked Aramis.

"Yes."

"And who is it?" said Porthos.

"He - he - is - - " murmured Grimaud, pale as a ghost andseizing his master's hand.

"Who? He?" asked Athos.

"Mordaunt," replied Grimaud.

D'Artagnan, Porthos and Aramis uttered a cry of joy.

Athos stepped back and passed his hand across his brow.

"Fatality!" he muttered.