Ten Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part one

impossible to refuse the attention and respect they merit;

you are a brave gentleman, monsieur — I say so, and I am a

judge. You just now spoke of a deposit which the late king

transmitted through you to his son — are you, then, one of

those Frenchmen who, as I have heard, endeavored to carry

off Charles I. from Whitehall?”

“Yes, my lord, it was I who was beneath the scaffold during

the execution; I, who had not been able to redeem it,

received upon my brow the blood of the martyred king. I

received, at the same time, the last word of Charles I., it

was to me he said, `Remember!’ and in saying, `Remember!’ he

alluded to the money at your feet, my lord.”

“I have heard much of you, monsieur,” said Monk, “but I am

happy to have, in the first place, appreciated you by my own

observations, and not by my remembrances. I will give you,

then, explanations that I have given to no other, and you

will appreciate what a distinction I make between you and

the persons who have hitherto been sent to me.”

Athos bowed, and prepared to absorb greedily the words which

fell, one by one, from the mouth of Monk, — those words

rare and precious as the dew in the desert.

“You spoke to me,” said Monk, “of Charles II.; but pray,

monsieur, of what consequence to me is that phantom of a

king? I have grown old in a war and in a policy which are

nowadays so closely linked together, that every man of the

sword must fight in virtue of his rights or his ambition

with a personal interest, and not blindly behind an officer,

as in ordinary wars. For myself, I perhaps desire nothing,

but I fear much. In the war of to-day rests the liberty of

England, and, perhaps, that of every Englishman. How can you

expect that I, free in the position I have made for myself,

should go willingly and hold out my hands to the shackles of

a stranger? That is all Charles is to me. He has fought

battles here which he has lost, he is therefore a bad

captain; he has succeeded in no negotiation, he is therefore

a bad diplomatist; he has paraded his wants and his miseries

in all the courts of Europe, he has therefore a weak and

pusillanimous heart. Nothing noble, nothing great, nothing

strong has hitherto emanated from that genius which aspires

to govern one of the greatest kingdoms of the earth. I know

this Charles, then, under none but bad aspects, and you

would wish me, a man of good sense, to go and make myself

gratuitously the slave of a creature who is inferior to me

in military capacity, in politics, and in dignity! No,

monsieur. When some great and noble action shall have taught

me to value Charles, I shall perhaps recognize his rights to

a throne from which we have cast the father because he

wanted the virtues which his son has hitherto lacked, but,

in fact of rights, I only recognize my own; the revolution

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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later

made me a general, my sword will make me protector, if I

wish it. Let Charles show himself, let him present himself,

let him enter the competition open to genius, and, above

all, let him remember that he is of a race from whom more

will be expected than from any other. Therefore, monsieur,

say no more about him. I neither refuse nor accept: I

reserve myself — I wait.”

Athos knew Monk to be too well informed of all concerning

Charles to venture to urge the discussion further; it was

neither the time nor the place. “My lord,” then said he, “I

have nothing to do but to thank you.”

“And why, monsieur? Because you have formed a correct

opinion of me, or because I have acted according to your

judgment? Is that, in truth, worthy of thanks? This gold

which you are about to carry to Charles will serve me as a

test for him, by seeing the use he will make of it. I shall

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