you that the man we had to carry off was the treasurer of
General Monk.”
This word treasurer produced a certain effect on his army.
D’Artagnan observed that the eyes of Menneville alone did
not evince perfect faith. “This treasurer,” he continued, “I
conveyed to a neutral territory, Holland; I forced him to
sign the treaty; I have even reconducted him to Newcastle,
and as he was obliged to be satisfied with our proceedings
towards him — the deal coffer being always carried without
jolting, and being lined softly, I asked for a gratification
for you. Here it is.” He threw a respectable-looking purse
upon the cloth; and all involuntarily stretched out their
hands. “One moment, my lambs,” said D’Artagnan; “if there
are profits, there are also charges.”
“Oh! oh!” murmured they.
“We are about to find ourselves, my friends, in a position
that would not be tenable for people without brains. I speak
plainly: we are between the gallows and the Bastile.”
“Oh! oh!” said the chorus.
“That is easily understood. It was necessary to explain to
General Monk the disappearance of his treasurer. I waited,
for that purpose, till the very unhopedfor moment of the
restoration of King Charles II., who is one of my friends.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
The army exchanged a glance of satisfaction in reply to the
sufficiently proud look of D’Artagnan. “The king being
restored, I restored to Monk his man of business, a little
plucked, it is true, but, in short, I restored him. Now,
General Monk, when he pardoned me, for he has pardoned me,
could not help repeating these words to me, which I charge
every one of you to engrave deeply there, between the eyes,
under the vault of the cranium: — `Monsieur, the joke has
been a good one, but I don’t naturally like jokes; if ever a
word of what you have done’ (you understand me, Menneville)
`escapes from your lips, or the lips of your companions, I
have, in my government of Scotland and Ireland, seven
hundred and forty-one wooden gibbets, of strong oak, clamped
with iron, and freshly greased every week. I will make a
present of one of these gibbets to each of you, and observe
well, M. d’Artagnan,’ added he (observe it also, M.
Menneville), `I shall still have seven hundred and thirty
left for my private pleasure. And still further —- ‘”
“Ah! ah!” said the auxiliaries, “is there more still?”
“A mere trifle. `Monsieur d’Artagnan, I send to the king of
France the treaty in question, with a request that he will
cast into the Bastile provisionally, and then send to me,
all who have taken part in this expedition; and that is a
prayer with which the king will certainly comply.'”
A cry of terror broke from all corners of the table.
“There! there! there,” said D’Artagnan, “this brave M. Monk
has forgotten one thing, and that is he does not know the
name of any one of you, I alone know you, and it is not I,
you may well believe, who will betray you. Why should I? As
for you — I cannot suppose you will be silly enough to
denounce yourselves, for then the king, to spare himself the
expense of feeding and lodging you, will send you off to
Scotland, where the seven hundred and forty-one gibbets are
to be found. That is all, messieurs; I have not another word
to add to what I have had the honor to tell you. I am sure
you have understood me perfectly well, have you not, M.
Menneville?”
“Perfectly,” replied the latter.
“Now the crowns!” said D’Artagnan. “Shut the doors,” he
cried, and opened the bag upon the table, from which rolled
several fine gold crowns. Every one made a movement towards
the floor.
“Gently!” cried D’Artagnan. “Let no one stoop, and then I
shall not be out in my reckoning.” He found it all right,
gave fifty of those splendid crowns to each man, and
received as many benedictions as he bestowed pieces. “Now,”
said he, “if it were possible for you to reform a little, if
you could become good and honest citizens —- “