to the post assigned him, whilst Monk and Athos turned
behind a column at the foot of which, penetrating through a
Page 158
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
crack, was a moonbeam, reflected exactly on the stone which
the Comte de la Fere had come so far in search.
“This is it,” said Athos, pointing out to the general the
Latin inscription.
“Yes,” said Monk.
Then, as if still willing to leave the Frenchman one means
of evasion, —
“Do you not observe that this vault has already been broken
into,” continued he, “and that several statues have been
knocked down?”
“My lord, you have, without doubt, heard that the religious
respect of your Scots loves to confide to the statues of the
dead the valuable objects they have possessed during their
lives. Therefore, the soldiers had reason to think that
under the pedestals of the statues which ornament most of
these tombs, a treasure was hidden. They have consequently
broken down pedestal and statue: but the tomb of the
venerable canon, with which we have to do, is not
distinguished by any monument. It is simple, therefore it
has been protected by the superstitious fear which your
Puritans have always had of sacrilege. Not a morsel of the
masonry of this tomb has been chipped off.”
“That is true,” said Monk.
Athos seized the lever.
“Shall I help you?” said Monk.
“Thank you, my lord; but I am not willing that your honor
should lend your hand to a work of which, perhaps, you would
not take the responsibility if you knew the probable
consequences of it.”
Monk raised his head.
“What do you mean by that, monsieur?”
“I mean — but that man —- ”
“Stop,” said Monk; “I perceive what you are afraid of. I
shall make a trial.” Monk turned towards the fisherman, the
whole of whose profile was thrown upon the wall.
“Come here, friend!” said he in English, and in a tone of
command.
The fisherman did not stir.
“That is well,” continued he: “he does not know English.
Speak to me, then, in English, if you please, monsieur.”
“My lord,” replied Athos, “I have frequently seen men in
certain circumstances have sufficient command over
themselves not to reply to a question put to them in a
language they understood. The fisherman is perhaps more
learned than we believe him to be. Send him away, my lord, I
beg you.”
Page 159
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Decidedly,” said Monk, “he wishes to have me alone in this
vault. Never mind, we shall go through with it; one man is
as good as another man; and we are alone. My friend,” said
Monk to the fisherman, “go back up the stairs we have just
descended, and watch that nobody comes to disturb us.” The
fisherman made a sign of obedience. “Leave your torch,” said
Monk; “it would betray your presence, and might procure you
a musket-ball.”
The fisherman appeared to appreciate the counsel; he laid
down the light, and disappeared under the vault of the
stairs. Monk took up the torch, and brought it to the foot
of the column.
“Ah, ah!” said he; “money, then, is concealed under this
tomb?”
“Yes, my lord; and in five minutes you will no longer doubt
it.”
At the same time Athos struck a violent blow upon the
plaster, which split, presenting a chink for the point of
the lever. Athos introduced the bar into this crack, and
soon large pieces of plaster yielded, rising up like rounded
slabs. Then the Comte de la Fere seized the stones and threw
them away with a force that hands so delicate as his might
not have been supposed capable of having.
“My lord,” said Athos, “this is plainly the masonry of which
I told your honor.”
“Yes; but I do not yet see the casks,” said Monk.
“If I had a dagger,” said Athos, looking round him, “you
should soon see them, monsieur. Unfortunately, I left mine
in your tent.”
“I would willingly offer you mine,” said Monk, “but the
blade is too thin for such work.”
Athos appeared to look around him for a thing of some kind
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199