During the passage, Monk only spoke to D'Artagnan in casesof urgent necessity. Thus, when the Frenchman hesitated tocome and take his meals, poor meals, composed of salt fish,biscuit, and Hollands gin, Monk called him, saying, - "Totable, monsieur, to table!"

This was all. D'Artagnan, from being himself on all greatoccasions extremely concise, did not draw from the general'sconciseness a favorable augury of the result of his mission.Now, as D'Artagnan had plenty of time for reflection, hebattered his brains during this time in endeavoring to findout how Athos had seen King Charles, how he had conspiredhis departure with him, and lastly, how he had enteredMonk's camp; and the poor lieutenant of musketeers plucked ahair from his mustache every time he reflected that thehorseman who accompanied Monk on the night of the famousabduction must have been Athos.

At length, after a passage of two nights and two days, thepatron Keyser touched at the point where Monk, who had givenall the orders during the voyage, had commanded they shouldland. It was exactly at the mouth of the little river, nearwhich Athos had chosen his abode.

Daylight was waning, a splendid sun, like a red steelbuckler, was plunging the lower extremity of its discbeneath the blue line of the sea. The felucca was makingfair way up the river, tolerably wide in that part, butMonk, in his impatience, desired to be landed, and Keyser'sboat set him and D'Artagnan upon the muddy bank, amidst thereeds. D'Artagnan, resigned to obedience, followed Monkexactly as a chained bear follows his master; but theposition humiliated him not a little, and he grumbled tohimself that the service of kings was a bitter one, and thatthe best of them was good for nothing. Monk walked with longand hasty strides; it might be thought that he did not yetfeel certain of having reached English land. They hadalready begun to perceive distinctly a few of the cottagesof the sailors and fishermen spread over the little quay ofthis humble port, when, all at once, D'Artagnan cried out,- "God pardon me, there is a house on fire!"

Monk raised his eyes, and perceived there was, in fact, ahouse which the flames were beginning to devour. It hadbegun at a little shed belonging to the house, the roof ofwhich had caught. The fresh evening breeze agitated thefire. The two travelers quickened their steps, hearing loudcries, and seeing, as they drew nearer, soldiers with theirglittering arms pointing towards the house on fire. It wasdoubtless this menacing occupation which had made themneglect to signal the felucca. Monk stopped short for aninstant, and, for the first time, formulated his thoughtsinto words. "Eh! but," said he, "perhaps they are not mysoldiers, but Lambert's."

These words contained at once a sorrow, an apprehension, anda reproach perfectly intelligible to D'Artagnan. In fact,during the general's absence, Lambert might have givenbattle, conquered, and dispersed the parliament's army, andtaken with his own the place of Monk's army, deprived of itsstrongest support. At this doubt, which passed from the mindof Monk to his own, D'Artagnan reasoned in this manner: "Oneof two things is going to happen; either Monk has spokencorrectly, and there are no longer any but Lambertists inthe country - that is to say, enemies, who would receive mewonderfully well, since it is to me they owe their victory;or nothing is changed, and Monk, transported with joy atfinding his camp still in the same place, will not prove toosevere in his settlement with me." Whilst thinking thus, thetwo travelers advanced, and began to mingle with a littleknot of sailors, who looked on with sorrow at the burninghouse, but did not dare to say anything on account of thethreats of the soldiers.

Monk addressed one of these sailors: - "What is going onhere?" asked he.

"Sir," replied the man, not recognizing Monk as an officer,under the thick cloak which enveloped him, "that house wasinhabited by a foreigner, and this foreigner becamesuspected by the soldiers. They wanted to get into his houseunder pretense of taking him to the camp; but he, withoutbeing frightened by their number, threatened death to thefirst who should cross the threshold of his door, and asthere was one who did venture, the Frenchman stretched himon the earth with a pistol-shot."

"Ah! he is a Frenchman, is he?" said D'Artagnan, rubbing hishands. "Good!"

"How good?" replied the fisherman.

"No, I don't mean that. - What then - my tongue slipped."

"What then, sir - why, the other men became as enraged asso many lions: they fired more than a hundred shots at thehouse; but the Frenchman was sheltered by the wall, andevery time they tried to enter by the door they met with ashot from his lackey, whose aim is deadly, d'ye see? Everytime they threatened the window, they met with a pistol-shotfrom the master. Look and count - there are seven men down.

"Ah! my brave countryman," cried D'Artagnan, "wait a little,wait a little. I will be with you, and we will settle withthis rabble."

"One instant, sir," said Monk, "wait."

"Long?"

"No; only the time to ask a question." Then, turning towardsthe sailor, "My friend," asked he with an emotion which, inspite of all his self-command, he could not conceal, "whosesoldiers are these, pray tell me?"

"Whose should they be but that madman, Monk's?"

"There has been no battle, then?"

"A battle, ah, yes! for what purpose? Lambert's army ismelting away like snow in April. All come to Monk, officersand soldiers. In a week Lambert won't have fifty men left."

The fisherman was interrupted by a fresh discharge directedagainst the house, and by another pistol-shot which repliedto the discharge and struck down the most daring of theaggressors. The rage of the soldiers was at its height. Thefire still continued to increase, and a crest of flame andsmoke whirled and spread over the roof of the house.D'Artagnan could no longer contain himself. "Mordioux!" saidhe to Monk, glancing at him sideways: "you are a general,and allow your men to burn houses and assassinate people,while you look on and warm your hands at the blaze of theconflagration? Mordioux! you are not a man."

"Patience, sir, patience!" said Monk, smiling.

"Patience! yes, until that brave gentleman is roasted - isthat what you mean?" And D'Artagnan rushed forward.

"Remain where you are, sir," said Monk, in a tone ofcommand. And he advanced towards the house, just as anofficer had approached it, saying to the besieged: "Thehouse is burning, you will be roasted within an hour! Thereis still time - come, tell us what you know of GeneralMonk, and we will spare your life. Reply, or by SaintPatrick - - "

The besieged made no answer; he was no doubt reloading hispistol.

"A reinforcement is expected," continued the officer; "in aquarter of an hour there will be a hundred men around yourhouse."

"I reply to you," said the Frenchman. "Let your men be sentaway; I will come out freely and repair to the camp alone,or else I will be killed here!"

"Mille tonnerres!" shouted D'Artagnan; "why that's the voiceof Athos! Ah, canailles!" and the sword of D'Artagnanflashed from its sheath. Monk stopped him and advancedhimself, exclaiming, in a sonorous voice: "Hola! what isgoing on here? Digby, whence this fire? why these cries?"

"The general!" cried Digby, letting the point of his swordfall.

"The general!" repeated the soldiers.

"Well, what is there so astonishing in that?" said Monk, ina calm tone. Then, silence being re-established - "Now,"said he, "who lit this fire?"

The soldiers hung their heads.

"What! do I ask a question, and nobody answers me?" saidMonk. "What! do I find a fault, and nobody repairs it? Thefire is still burning, I believe."

Immediately the twenty men rushed forward, seizing pails,buckets, jars, barrels, and extinguishing the fire with asmuch ardor as they had, an instant before employed inpromoting it. But already, and before all the rest,D'Artagnan had applied a ladder to the house crying, "Athos!it is I, D'Artagnan! Do not kill me my dearest friend!" Andin a moment the count was clasped in his arms.

In the meantime, Grimaud, preserving his calmness,dismantled the fortification of the ground-floor, and afterhaving opened the door, stood with his arms folded quietlyon the sill. Only, on hearing the voice of D'Artagnan, heuttered an exclamation of surprise. The fire beingextinguished, the soldiers presented themselves, Digby attheir head.

"General," said he, "excuse us; what we have done was forlove of your honor, whom we thought lost."

"You are mad, gentlemen. Lost! Is a man like me to be lost?Am I not permitted to be absent, according to my pleasure,without giving formal notice? Do you, by chance, take me fora citizen from the city? Is a gentleman, my friend, myguest, to be besieged, entrapped, and threatened with death,because he is suspected? What signifies that word,suspected? Curse me if I don't have every one of you shotlike dogs that the brave gentleman has left alive!"

"General," said Digby, piteously, "there were twenty-eightof us, and see, there are eight on the ground."

"I authorize M. le Comte de la Fere to send the twenty tojoin the eight," said Monk, stretching out his hand toAthos. "Let them return to camp. Mr. Digby, you willconsider yourself under arrest for a month."

"General - - "

"That is to teach you, sir, not to act, another time,without orders."

"I had those of the lieutenant, general."

"The lieutenant has no such orders to give you, and he shallbe placed under arrest, instead of you, if he has reallycommanded you to burn this gentleman."

"He did not command that, general; he commanded us to bringhim to the camp; but the count was not willing to followus."

"I was not willing that they should enter and plunder myhouse," said Athos to Monk, with a significant look.

"And you were quite right. To the camp, I say." The soldiersdeparted with dejected looks. "Now we are alone," said Monkto Athos, "have the goodness to tell me, monsieur, why youpersisted in remaining here, whilst you had your felucca- - "

"I waited for you, general," said Athos. "Had not your honorappointed to meet me in a week?"

An eloquent look from D'Artagnan made it clear to Monk thatthese two men, so brave and so loyal, had not acted inconcert for his abduction. He knew already it could not beso.

"Monsieur," said he to D'Artagnan, "you were perfectlyright. Have the kindness to allow me a moment's conversationwith M. le Comte de la Fere?"

D'Artagnan took advantage of this to go and ask Grimaud howhe was. Monk requested Athos to conduct him to the chamberhe lived in.

This chamber was still full of smoke and rubbish. More thanfifty balls had passed through the windows and mutilated thewalls. They found a table, inkstand, and materials forwriting. Monk took up a pen, wrote a single line, signed it,folded the paper, sealed the letter with the seal of hisring, and handed over the missive to Athos, saying,"Monsieur, carry, if you please, this letter to King CharlesII., and set out immediately, if nothing detains you hereany longer."

"And the casks?" said Athos.

"The fisherman who brought me hither will assist you intransporting them on board. Depart, if possible, within anhour."

"Yes, general," said Athos.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan!" cried Monk, from the window.D'Artagnan ran up precipitately

"Embrace your friend and bid him adieu, sir; he is returningto Holland."

"To Holland!" cried D'Artagnan; "and I?"

"You are at liberty to follow him, monsieur, but I requestyou to remain," said Monk. "Will you refuse me?"

"Oh, no, general; I am at your orders."

D'Artagnan embraced Athos, and only had time to bid himadieu. Monk watched them both. Then he took upon himself thepreparations for the departure, the transportation of thecasks on board, and the embarking of Athos; then, takingD'Artagnan by the arm, who was quite amazed and agitated, heled him towards Newcastle. Whilst going along, the generalleaning on his arm, D'Artagnan could not help murmuring tohimself, - "Come, come, it seems to me that the shares ofthe firm of Planchet and Company are rising."