“This time, however, monsieur, the circumstance is more
grave than any you may have been placed in. The safety of
the whole army is at stake. Reflect, the general has
disappeared, and our search for him has been vain. Is this
disappearance natural? Has a crime been committed? Are we
not bound to carry our investigations to extremity? Have we
any right to wait with patience? At this moment, everything,
monsieur, depends upon the words you are about to
pronounce.”
“Thus questioned, gentlemen, I no longer hesitate,” said
Athos. “Yes, I came hither to converse confidentially with
General Monk, and ask him for an answer regarding certain
interests; yes, the general being, doubtless, unable to
pronounce before the expected battle, begged me to remain a
week in the house I inhabit, promising me that in a week I
should see him again. Yes, all this is true, and I swear it
by the God who is the absolute master of my life and yours.”
Athos pronounced these words with so much grandeur and
solemnity, that the three officers were almost convinced.
Nevertheless, one of the colonels made a last attempt.
“Monsieur,” said he, “although we may be now persuaded of
the truth of what you say, there is yet a strange mystery in
all this. The general is too prudent a man to have thus
abandoned his army on the eve of a battle without having at
least given notice of it to one of us. As for myself, I
cannot believe but that some strange event has been the
cause of this disappearance. Yesterday some foreign
fishermen came to sell their fish here; they were lodged
yonder among the Scots; that is to say, on the road the
general took with this gentleman, to go to the abbey, and to
return from it. It was one of those fishermen that
accompanied the general with a light. And this morning, bark
and fishermen have all disappeared, carried away by the
night’s tide.”
“For my part,” said the lieutenant, “I see nothing in that
that is not quite natural, for these people were not
prisoners.”
“No, but I repeat it was one of them who lighted the general
and this gentleman to the abbey, and Digby assures us that
the general had strong suspicions concerning those people.
Now, who can say whether these people were not connected
with this gentleman; and that, the blow being struck, the
gentleman, who is evidently brave, did not remain to
reassure us by his presence, and to prevent our researches
being made in a right direction?”
This speech made an impression upon the other two officers.
“Sir,” said Athos, “permit me to tell you, that your
reasoning, though specious in appearance, nevertheless wants
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consistency, as regards me. I have remained, you say, to
divert suspicion. Well! on the contrary, suspicions arise in
me as well as in you; and I say, it is impossible,
gentlemen, that the general, on the eve of a battle, should
leave his army without saying anything to at least one of
his officers. Yes, there is some strange event connected
with this; instead of being idle and waiting, you must
display all the activity and all the vigilance possible. I
am your prisoner, gentlemen, upon parole or otherwise. My
honor is concerned in ascertaining what has become of
General Monk, and to such a point, that if you were to say
to me, `Depart!’ I should reply `No, I will remain!’ And if
you were to ask my opinion, I should add: `Yes, the general
is the victim of some conspiracy, for, if he had intended to
leave the camp he would have told me so.’ Seek then, search
the land, search the sea; the general has not gone of his
own good will.”
The lieutenant made a sign to the other two officers.
“No, monsieur,” said he, “no; in your turn you go too far.
The general has nothing to suffer from these events, and, no
doubt, has directed them. What Monk is now doing he has
often done before. We are wrong in alarming ourselves; his
absence will, doubtless, be of short duration; therefore,