D’Artagnan easy with regard to indiscretions from without.
When once at Scheveningen he had felt completely reassured.
His men greatly dreaded any conflict with the lords of the
soil. He had, besides, interested in his cause him who had
morally served him as lieutenant, and whom we have seen
reply to the name of Menneville. The latter, not being a
vulgar spirit, had more to risk than the others, because he
had more conscience. He believed in a future in the service
of D’Artagnan, and consequently would have allowed himself
to be cut to pieces, rather than violate the order given by
his leader. Thus it was that, once landed, it was to him
D’Artagnan had confided the care of the chest and the
general’s breathing. It was he, too, he had ordered to have
the chest brought by the seven men as soon as he should hear
the triple whistle. We have seen that the lieutenant obeyed.
The coffer once in the house, D’Artagnan dismissed his men
with a gracious smile, saying, “Messieurs, you have rendered
a great service to King Charles II., who in less than six
weeks will be king of England. Your gratification will then
be doubled. Return to the boat and wait for me.” Upon which
they departed with such shouts of joy as terrified even the
dog himself.
D’Artagnan had caused the coffer to be brought as far as the
king’s ante-chamber. He then, with great care, closed the
door of this ante-chamber, after which he opened the coffer,
and said to the general:
“General, I have a thousand excuses to make to you; my
manner of acting has not been worthy of such a man as you, I
know very well; but I wished you to take me for the captain
of a bark. And then England is a very inconvenient country
for transports. I hope, therefore, you will take all that
into consideration. But now, general, you are at liberty to
get up and walk.” This said, he cut the bonds which fastened
the arms and hands of the general. The latter got up, and
then sat down with the countenance of a man who expects
death. D’Artagnan opened the door of Charles’s study, and
said, “Sire, here is your enemy, M. Monk; I promised myself
to perform this service for your majesty. It is done; now
order as you please. M. Monk,” added he, turning towards the
prisoner, “you are in the presence of his majesty Charles
II., sovereign lord of Great Britain.”
Monk raised towards the prince his coldly stoical look, and
replied: “I know no king of Great Britain; I recognize even
here no one worthy of bearing the name of gentleman: for it
is in the name of King Charles II. that an emissary, whom I
took for an honest man, came and laid an infamous snare for
me. I have fallen into that snare; so much the worse for me.
Now, you the tempter,” said he to the king, “you the
executor,” said he to D’Artagnan; “remember what I am about
to say to you; you have my body, you may kill it, and I
advise you to do so, for you shall never have my mind or my
will. And now, ask me not a single word, as from this moment
I will not open my mouth even to cry out. I have said.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
And he pronounced these words with the savage, invincible
resolution of the most mortified Puritan. D’Artagnan looked
at his prisoner like a man, who knows the value of every
word, and who fixes that value according to the accent with
which it has been pronounced.
“The fact is,” said he, in a whisper to the king, “the
general is an obstinate man; he would not take a mouthful of
bread, nor swallow a drop of wine, during the two days of
our voyage. But as from this moment it is your majesty who
must decide his fate, I wash my hands of him.”
Monk, erect, pale, and resigned, waited with his eyes fixed
and his arms folded. D’Artagnan turned towards him. “You
will please to understand perfectly,” said he, “that your