The French gentleman whom Spithead had announced to Monk,and who, closely wrapped in his cloak, had passed by thefishermen who left the general's tent five minutes before heentered it, - the French gentleman went through the variousposts without even casting his eyes around him, for fear ofappearing indiscreet. As the order had been given, he wasconducted to the tent of the general. The gentleman was leftalone in the sort of ante-chamber in front of the principalbody of the tent, where he awaited Monk, who only delayedtill he had heard the report of his people, and observedthrough the opening of the canvas the countenance of theperson who solicited an audience.

Without doubt, the report of those who had accompanied theFrench gentleman established the discretion with which hehad behaved, for the first impression the stranger receivedof the welcome made him by the general was more favorablethan he could have expected at such a moment, and on thepart of so suspicious a man. Nevertheless, according to hiscustom, when Monk found himself in the presence of astranger, he fixed upon him his penetrating eyes, whichscrutiny, the stranger, on his part, sustained withoutembarrassment or notice. At the end of a few seconds, thegeneral made a gesture with his hand and head in sign ofattention.

"My lord," said the gentleman, in excellent English. "I haverequested an interview with your honor, for an affair ofimportance."

"Monsieur," replied Monk, in French, "you speak our languagewell for a son of the continent. I ask your pardon - fordoubtless the question is indiscreet - do you speak Frenchwith the same purity?"

"There is nothing surprising, my lord, in my speakingEnglish tolerably; I resided for some time in England in myyouth, and since then I have made two voyages to thiscountry." These words were spoken in French, and with apurity of accent that bespoke not only a Frenchman, but aFrenchman from the vicinity of Tours.

"And what part of England have you resided in, monsieur?"

"In my youth, London, my lord, then, about 1635, I made apleasure trip to Scotland; and lastly, in 1648, I lived forsome time at Newcastle, particularly in the convent, thegardens of which are now occupied by your army."

"Excuse me, monsieur, but you must comprehend that thesequestions are necessary on my part - do you not?"

"It would astonish me, my lord, if they were not asked."

"Now, then, monsieur, what can I do to serve you? What doyou wish?"

"This, my lord; - but, in the first place, are we alone?"

"Perfectly so, monsieur, except, of course, the post whichguards us." So saying, Monk pulled open the canvas with hishand, and pointed to the soldier placed at ten paces fromthe tent, and who, at the first call could have renderedassistance in a second.

"In that case my lord," said the gentleman, in as calm atone as if he had been for a length of time in habits ofintimacy with his interlocutor, I have made up my mind toaddress myself to you, because I believe you to be an honestman. Indeed, the communication I am about to make to youwill prove to you the esteem in which I hold you."

Monk, astonished at this language, which established betweenhim and the French gentleman equality at least, raised hispiercing eye to the stranger's face, and with a sensibleirony conveyed by the inflection of his voice alone, for nota muscle of his face moved, - "I thank you, monsieur," saidhe; "but, in the first place, to whom have I the honor ofspeaking?"

"I sent you my name by your sergeant, my lord."

"Excuse him, monsieur, he is a Scotchman, - he could notretain it."

"I am called the Comte de la Fere, monsieur," said Athos,bowing.

"The Comte de la Fere?" said Monk, endeavoring to recollectthe name. "Pardon me, monsieur, but this appears to be thefirst time I have ever heard that name. Do you fill any postat the court of France?"

"None; I am a simple gentleman."

"What dignity?"

"King Charles I. made me a knight of the Garter, and QueenAnne of Austria has given me the cordon of the Holy Ghost.These are my only dignities."

"The Garter! the Holy Ghost! Are you a knight of those twoorders, monsieur?"

"Yes."

"And on what occasions have such favors been bestowed uponyou?"

"For services rendered to their majesties."

Monk looked with astonishment at this man, who appeared tohim so simple and so great at the same time. Then, as if hehad renounced endeavoring to penetrate this mystery of asimplicity and grandeur upon which the stranger did not seemdisposed to give him any other information than that whichhe had already received, - "Did you present yourselfyesterday at our advanced posts?"

"And was sent back? Yes, my lord."

"Many officers, monsieur, would permit no one to enter theircamp, particularly on the eve of a probable battle. But Idiffer from my colleagues, and like to leave nothing behindme. Every advice is good to me; all danger is sent to me byGod, and I weigh it in my hand with the energy He has givenme. So, yesterday, you were only sent back on account of thecouncil I was holding. To-day I am at liberty, - speak."

"My lord, you have done much better in receiving me, forwhat I have to say has nothing to do with the battle you areabout to fight with General Lambert, or with your camp; andthe proof is, that I turned away my head that I might notsee your men, and closed my eyes that I might not count yourtents. No, I come to speak to you, my lord, on my ownaccount."

"Speak, then, monsieur," said Monk.

"Just now " continued Athos, "I had the honor of tellingyour lordship that for a long time I lived in Newcastle; itwas in the time of Charles I., and when the king was givenup to Cromwell by the Scots."

"I know," said Monk, coldly.

"I had at that time a large sum in gold, and on the eve ofthe battle, from a presentiment perhaps of the turn whichthings would take on the morrow, I concealed it in theprincipal vault of the convent of Newcastle, in the towerwhose summit you now see silvered by the moonbeams. Mytreasure has then remained interred there, and I have cometo entreat your honor to permit me to withdraw it before,perhaps, the battle turning that way, a mine or some otherwar engine has destroyed the building and scattered my gold,or rendered it so apparent that the soldiers will takepossession of it."

Monk was well acquainted with mankind, he saw in thephysiognomy of this gentleman all the energy, all thereason, all the circumspection possible, he could thereforeonly attribute to a magnanimous confidence the revelationthe Frenchman had made him, and he showed himself profoundlytouched by it.

"Monsieur," said he, "you have augured well of me. But isthe sum worth the trouble to which you expose yourself? Doyou even believe that it can be in the place where you leftit?"

"It is there, monsieur, I do not doubt."

"That is a reply to one question; but to the other. I askedyou if the sum was so large as to warrant your exposingyourself thus."

"It is really large; yes, my lord, for it is a million Iinclosed in two barrels."

"A million!" cried Monk, at whom this time, in turn, Athoslooked earnestly and long. Monk perceived this, and hismistrust returned.

"Here is a man," said he, "who is laying a snare for me. Soyou wish to withdraw this money, monsieur," replied he, "asI understand?"

"If you please, my lord."

"To-day?"

"This very evening, and that on account of the circumstancesI have named."

"But, monsieur," objected Monk, "General Lambert is as nearthe abbey where you have to act as I am. Why, then, have younot addressed yourself to him?"

"Because, my lord, when one acts in important matters, it isbest to consult one's instinct before everything. Well,General Lambert does not inspire me with so much confidenceas you do."

"Be it so, monsieur. I shall assist you in recovering yourmoney, if, however, it can still be there; for that is farfrom likely. Since 1648 twelve years have rolled away, andmany events have taken place." Monk dwelt upon this point tosee if the French gentleman would seize the evasions thatwere open to him, but Athos did not hesitate.

"I assure you, my lord," he said firmly, "that my convictionis, that the two barrels have neither changed place normaster." This reply had removed one suspicion from the mindof Monk, but it had suggested another. Without doubt thisFrenchman was some emissary sent to entice into error theprotector of the parliament; the gold was nothing but alure; and by the help of this lure they thought to excitethe cupidity of the general. This gold might not exist. Itwas Monk's business, then, to seize the Frenchman in the actof falsehood and trick, and to draw from the false stepitself in which his enemies wished to entrap him, a triumphfor his renown. When Monk was determined how to act, -

"Monsieur," said he to Athos, "without doubt you will do methe honor to share my supper this evening?"

"Yes, my lord," replied Athos, bowing, "for you do me anhonor of which I feel myself worthy, by the inclinationwhich drew me towards you."

"It is so much the more gracious on your part to accept myinvitation with such frankness, as my cooks are but few andinexperienced, and my providers have returned this eveningempty-handed; so that if it had not been for a fisherman ofyour nation who strayed into our camp, General Monk wouldhave gone to bed without his supper to-day; I have, then,some fresh fish to offer you, as the vendor assures me."

"My lord, it is principally for the sake of having the honorto pass another hour with you."

After this exchange of civilities, during which Monk hadlost nothing of his circumspection, the supper, or what wasto serve for one, had been laid upon a deal table. Monkinvited the Comte de la Fere to be seated at this table, andtook his place opposite to him. A single dish of boiledfish, set before the two illustrious guests, was moretempting to hungry stomachs than to delicate palates.

Whilst supping, that is, while eating the fish, washed downwith bad ale, Monk got Athos to relate to him the lastevents of the Fronde, the reconciliation of M. de Conde withthe king, and the probable marriage of the infanta of Spain;but he avoided, as Athos himself avoided it, all allusion tothe political interests which united, or rather whichdisunited at this time, England, France and Holland.

Monk, in this conversation, convinced himself of one thing,which he must have remarked after the first words exchanged:that was, that he had to deal with a man of highdistinction. He could not be an assassin, and it wasrepugnant to Monk to believe him to be a spy, but there wassufficient finesse and at the same time firmness in Athos tolead Monk to fancy he was a conspirator. When they hadquitted table, "You still believe in your treasure, then,monsieur?" asked Monk.

"Yes, my lord."

"Quite seriously?"

"Seriously."

"And you think you can find the place again where it wasburied?"

"At the first inspection."

"Well, monsieur, from curiosity I shall accompany you. Andit is so much the more necessary that I should accompanyyou, that you would find great difficulties in passingthrough the camp without me or one of my lieutenants."

"General, I would not suffer you to inconvenience yourselfif I did not, in fact, stand in need of your company; but asI recognize that this company is not only honorable, butnecessary, I accept it."

"Do you desire we should take any people with us?" askedMonk.

"General, I believe that would be useless, if you yourselfdo not see the necessity for it. Two men and a horse willsuffice to transport the two casks on board the feluccawhich brought me hither."

"But it will be necessary to pick, dig and remove the earth,and split stones; you don't intend doing this work yourself,monsieur, do you?"

"General, there is no picking or digging required. Thetreasure is buried in the sepulchral vault of the convent,under a stone in which is fixed a large iron ring and underwhich are four steps leading down. The two casks are there,placed end to end, covered with a coat of plaster in theform of a bier. There is, besides, an inscription, whichwill enable me to recognize the stone; and as I am notwilling, in an affair of delicacy and confidence, to keepthe secret from your honor, here is the inscription: - `Hicjacet venerabilis, Petrus Gulielmus Scott, Canon Honorab.Conventus Novi Castelli. Obiit quarta et decima. Feb. ann.Dom. MCCVIII. Requiescat in pace.'"

Monk did not lose a single word.- He was astonished eitherat the marvelous duplicity of this man and the superiorstyle in which he played his part, or at the good loyalfaith with which he presented his request, in a situation inwhich concerning a million of money, risked against the blowfrom a dagger, amidst an army that would have looked uponthe theft as a restitution.

"Very well," said he; "I shall accompany you; and theadventure appears to me so wonderful, that I shall carry thetorch myself." And saying these words, he girded on a shortsword, placed a pistol in his belt, disclosing in thismovement, which opened his doublet a little, the fine ringsof a coat of mail, destined to protect him from the firstdagger-thrust of an assassin. After which he took a Scotchdirk in his left hand, and then turning to Athos, "Are youready, monsieur?" said he.

"I am."

Athos, as if in opposition to what Monk had done, unfastenedhis poniard, which he placed upon the table; unhooked hissword-belt, which he laid close to his poniard; and, withoutaffectation, opening his doublet as if to look for hishandkerchief, showed beneath his fine cambric shirt hisnaked breast, without weapons either offensive or defensive.

"This is truly a singular man," said Monk; "he is withoutany arms; he has an ambuscade placed somewhere yonder."

"General," said he, as if he had divined Monk's thought,"you wish we should be alone; that is very right, but agreat captain ought never to expose himself with temerity.It is night, the passage of the marsh may present dangers;be accompanied."

"You are right," replied he, calling Digby. The aid-de-campappeared. "Fifty men with swords and muskets," said he,looking at Athos.

"That is too few if there is danger, too many if there isnot."

"I will go alone," said Monk; "I want nobody. Come,monsieur."