“I listen on my knees, sire.”
“You are truly at my service, are you not?”
“Your Majesty has seen that I am, too much so.”
“That is well; from a man like you one word suffices. In addition to that word you bring actions. General, have the goodness to follow me. Come with us, M. d’Artagnan.”
D’Artagnan, considerably surprised, prepared to obey. Charles II went out, Monck followed him, d’Artagnan followed Monck. Charles took the path by which d’Artagnan had come to his abode; the fresh sea breezes soon caressed the faces of the three nocturnal travelers, and, at fifty paces from the little gate which Charles opened, they found themselves upon the down in the face of the ocean, which, having ceased to rise, reposed upon the shore like a wearied monster. Charles II walked pensively along, his head hanging down and his hand beneath his cloak. Monck followed him, with crossed arms and an uneasy look. D’Artagnan came last, with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Where is the boat in which you came, gentlemen?” said Charles to the musketeer.
“Yonder, sire; I have seven men and an officer waiting me in that little bark which is lighted by a fire.”
“Yes, I see; the boat is drawn upon the sand; but you certainly did not come from Newcastle in that frail bark?”
“No, sire; I freighted a felucca, at my own expense, which is at anchor within cannon-shot of the downs. It was in that felucca we made the voyage.”
“Sir,” said the king to Monck, “you are free.”
However firm his will, Monck could not suppress an exclamation. The king added an affirmative motion of his head, and continued: “We shall waken a fisherman of the village, who will put his boat to sea immediately, and will take you back to any place you may command him. M. d’Artagnan here will escort your honor. I place M. d’Artagnan under the safeguard of your loyalty, M. Monck.”
Monck allowed a murmur of surprise to escape him, and d’Artagnan a profound sigh. The king, without appearing to notice either, knocked against the deal trellis which enclosed the cabin of the principal fisherman inhabiting the down.
“Hey! Keyser!” cried he, “awake!”
“Who calls me?” asked the fisherman.
“I, Charles the king.”
“Ah, my lord!” cried Keyser, rising ready dressed from the sail in which he slept, as people sleep in a hammock. “What can I do to serve you?”
“Captain Keyser,” said Charles, “you must set sail immediately. Here is a traveler who wishes to freight your bark, and will pay you well; serve him well.” And the king drew back a few steps to allow Monck to speak to the fisherman.
“I wish to cross over into England,” said Monck, who spoke Dutch enough to make himself understood.
“This minute,” said the patron, “this very minute, if you wish it.”
“But will that be long?” said Monck.
“Not half an hour, your honor. My eldest son is at this moment preparing the boat, as we were going out fishing at three o’clock in the morning.”
“Well, is all arranged?” asked the king, drawing near.
“All but the price,” said the fisherman; “yes, sire.”
“That is my affair,” said Charles, “the gentleman is my friend.”
Monck started and looked at Charles on hearing this word.
“Very well, my lord,” replied Keyser. And at that moment they heard Keyser’s son, signaling from the shore with the blast of a bull’s horn.
“Now, gentlemen,” said the king, “depart.”
“Sire,” said d’Artagnan, “will it please Your Majesty to grant me a few minutes? I have engaged men, and I am going without them; I must give them notice.”
“Whistle to them,” said Charles, smiling.
D’Artagnan, accordingly, whistled, whilst the patron Keyser replied to his son; and four men, led by Menneville, attended the first summons.
“Here is some money in account,” said d’Artagnan, putting into their hands a purse containing two thousand five hundred livres in gold. “Go and wait for me at Calais, you know where.” And d’Artagnan heaved a profound sigh, as he let the purse fall into the hands of Menneville.
“What, are you leaving us?” cried the men.
“For a short time,” said d’Artagnan, “or for a long time, who knows? But with 2,500 livres, and the 2,500 you have already received, you are paid according to our agreement. We are quits, then, my friend.”
“But the boat?”
“Do not trouble yourself about that.”
“Our things are on board the felucca.”
“Go and seek them, and then set off immediately.”
“Yes, captain.”
D’Artagnan returned to Monck, saying—“Monsieur, I await your orders, for I understand we are to go together, unless my company be disagreeable to you.”
“On the contrary, Monsieur,” said Monck.
“Come, gentlemen, on board,” cried Keyser’s son.
Charles bowed to the general with grace and dignity, saying—“You will pardon me this unfortunate accident, and the violence to which you have been subjected, when you are convinced that I was not the cause of them.”
Monck bowed profoundly without replying. On his side, Charles affected not to say a word to d’Artagnan in private, but aloud—“Once more, thanks, Monsieur le Chevalier,” said he, “thanks for your services. They will be repaid you by the Lord God, who, I hope, reserves trials and troubles for me alone.”
Monck followed Keyser and his son embarked with them. D’Artagnan came after, muttering to himself—“Poor Planchet! poor Planchet! I am very much afraid we have made a bad speculation.”
30
The Shares of Planchet and Company Rise Again to Par
During the passage, Monck only spoke to d’Artagnan in cases of urgent necessity. Thus, when the Frenchman hesitated to come and take his meals, poor meals, composed of salt fish, biscuit, and Hollands gin, Monck called him, saying—“To table, Monsieur, to table!”
This was all. D’Artagnan, from being himself on all great occasions extremely concise, did not draw from the general’s conciseness a favorable augury of the result of
