the battle, from a presentiment perhaps of the turn which
things would take on the morrow, I concealed it in the
principal vault of the convent of Newcastle, in the tower
whose summit you now see silvered by the moonbeams. My
treasure has then remained interred there, and I have come
to entreat your honor to permit me to withdraw it before,
perhaps, the battle turning that way, a mine or some other
war engine has destroyed the building and scattered my gold,
or rendered it so apparent that the soldiers will take
possession of it.”
Monk was well acquainted with mankind, he saw in the
physiognomy of this gentleman all the energy, all the
reason, all the circumspection possible, he could therefore
only attribute to a magnanimous confidence the revelation
the Frenchman had made him, and he showed himself profoundly
touched by it.
“Monsieur,” said he, “you have augured well of me. But is
the sum worth the trouble to which you expose yourself? Do
you even believe that it can be in the place where you left
it?”
“It is there, monsieur, I do not doubt.”
“That is a reply to one question; but to the other. I asked
you if the sum was so large as to warrant your exposing
yourself thus.”
“It is really large; yes, my lord, for it is a million I
inclosed in two barrels.”
“A million!” cried Monk, at whom this time, in turn, Athos
looked earnestly and long. Monk perceived this, and his
mistrust returned.
Page 151
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Here is a man,” said he, “who is laying a snare for me. So
you wish to withdraw this money, monsieur,” replied he, “as
I understand?”
“If you please, my lord.”
“To-day?”
“This very evening, and that on account of the circumstances
I have named.”
“But, monsieur,” objected Monk, “General Lambert is as near
the abbey where you have to act as I am. Why, then, have you
not addressed yourself to him?”
“Because, my lord, when one acts in important matters, it is
best to consult one’s instinct before everything. Well,
General Lambert does not inspire me with so much confidence
as you do.”
“Be it so, monsieur. I shall assist you in recovering your
money, if, however, it can still be there; for that is far
from likely. Since 1648 twelve years have rolled away, and
many events have taken place.” Monk dwelt upon this point to
see if the French gentleman would seize the evasions that
were open to him, but Athos did not hesitate.
“I assure you, my lord,” he said firmly, “that my conviction
is, that the two barrels have neither changed place nor
master.” This reply had removed one suspicion from the mind
of Monk, but it had suggested another. Without doubt this
Frenchman was some emissary sent to entice into error the
protector of the parliament; the gold was nothing but a
lure; and by the help of this lure they thought to excite
the cupidity of the general. This gold might not exist. It
was Monk’s business, then, to seize the Frenchman in the act
of falsehood and trick, and to draw from the false step
itself in which his enemies wished to entrap him, a triumph
for his renown. When Monk was determined how to act, —
“Monsieur,” said he to Athos, “without doubt you will do me
the honor to share my supper this evening?”
“Yes, my lord,” replied Athos, bowing, “for you do me an
honor of which I feel myself worthy, by the inclination
which drew me towards you.”
“It is so much the more gracious on your part to accept my
invitation with such frankness, as my cooks are but few and
inexperienced, and my providers have returned this evening
empty-handed; so that if it had not been for a fisherman of
your nation who strayed into our camp, General Monk would
have gone to bed without his supper to-day; I have, then,
some fresh fish to offer you, as the vendor assures me.”
“My lord, it is principally for the sake of having the honor
to pass another hour with you.”
After this exchange of civilities, during which Monk had
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