“General, if I am not mistaken, the middle causeway leads
straight to the abbey.”
“That is right; but we shall want lights to guide us in the
vaults.” Monk turned round.
“Ah! I thought Digby was following us!” said he. “So much
the better; he will procure us what we want.”
“Yes, general, there is a man yonder who has been walking
behind us for some time.”
“Digby!” cried Monk. “Digby! come here, if you please.”
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But, instead of obeying, the shadow made a motion of
surprise, and, retreating instead of advancing, it bent down
and disappeared along the jetty on the left, directing its
course towards the lodging of the fishermen.
“It appears not to be Digby,” said Monk.
Both had followed the shadow which had vanished. But it was
not so rare a thing for a man to be wandering about at
eleven o’clock at night, in a camp in which are reposing ten
or eleven thousand men, as to give Monk and Athos any alarm
at his disappearance.
“As it is so,” said Monk, “and we must have a light, a
lantern, a torch, or something by which we may see where to
set our feet, let us seek this light.”
“General, the first soldier we meet will light us.”
“No,” said Monk, in order to discover if there were not any
connivance between the Comte de la Fere and the fisherman.
“No, I should prefer one of these French sailors who came
this evening to sell me their fish. They leave to-morrow,
and the secret will be better kept by them; whereas, if a
report should be spread in the Scotch army, that treasures
are to be found in the abbey of Newcastle, my Highlanders
will believe there is a million concealed beneath every
slab, and they will not leave stone upon stone in the
building.”
“Do as you think best, general,” replied Athos in a natural
tone of voice, making evident that soldier or fisherman was
the same to him, and that he had no preference.
Monk approached the causeway behind which had disappeared
the person he had taken for Digby, and met a patrol who,
making the tour of the tents, was going towards
headquarters; he was stopped with his companion, gave the
password, and went on. A soldier, roused by the noise,
unrolled his plaid, and looked up to see what was going
forward. “Ask him,” said Monk to Athos, “where the fishermen
are; if I were to speak to him, he would know me.”
Athos went up to the soldier, who pointed out the tent to
him; immediately Monk and Athos turned towards it. It
appeared to the general that at the moment they came up, a
shadow like that they had already seen glided into this
tent; but on drawing nearer he perceived he must have been
mistaken, for all of them were asleep pele mele, and nothing
was seen but arms and legs joined, crossed, and mixed.
Athos, fearing lest he should be suspected of connivance
with some of his compatriots, remained outside the tent.
“Hola!” said Monk, in French, “wake up here.” Two or three
of the sleepers got up.
“I want a man to light me,” continued Monk.
“Your honor may depend upon us,” said a voice which made
Athos start. “Where do you wish us to go?”
“You shall see. A light! come, quickly!”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Yes, your honor. Does it please your honor that I should
accompany you?”
“You or another, it is of very little consequence, provided
I have a light.”
“It is strange!” thought Athos, “what a singular voice that
man has!”
“Some fire, you fellows!” cried the fisherman; “come, make
haste!”
Then addressing his companion nearest to him in a low voice:
— “Get a light, Menneville,” said he, “and hold yourself
ready for anything.”
One of the fishermen struck light from a stone, set fire to
some tinder, and by the aid of a match lit a lantern. The
light immediately spread all over the tent.
“Are you ready, monsieur?” said Monk to Athos, who had
turned away, not to expose his face to the light.