im said:

"Respect to fallen majesty."

The king turned quickly around, with tears in his eyes and heart. It
was an old soldier of the guards who could not see his king pass captive
before him without rendering him this final homage. But the next moment
the unfortunate man was nearly killed with heavy blows of sword-hilts,
and among those who set upon him the king recognized Captain Groslow.

"Alas!" said Charles, "that is a severe chastisement for a very trifling
fault."

He continued his walk, but he had scarcely gone a hundred paces, when a
furious fellow, leaning between two soldiers, spat in the king's face,
as once an infamous and accursed Jew spit in the face of Jesus of
Nazareth. Loud roars of laughter and sullen murmurs arose together. The
crowd opened and closed again, undulating like a stormy sea, and the
king imagined that he saw shining in the midst of this living wave the
bright eyes of Athos.

Charles wiped his face and said with a sad smile: "Poor wretch, for half
a crown he would do as much to his own father."

The king was not mistaken. Athos and his friends, again mingling with
the throng, were taking a last look at the martyr king.

When the soldier saluted Charles, Athos's heart bounded for joy; and
that unfortunate, on coming to himself, found ten guineas that the
French gentleman had slipped into his pocket. But when the cowardly
insulter spat in the face of the captive monarch Athos grasped his
dagger. But D'Artagnan stopped his hand and in a hoarse voice cried,
"Wait!"

Athos stopped. D'Artagnan, leaning on Athos, made a sign to Porthos and
Aramis to keep near them and then placed himself behind the man with
the bare arms, who was still laughing at his own vile pleasantry and
receiving the congratulations of several others.

The man took his way toward the city. The four friends followed him. The
man, who had the appearance of being a butcher, descended a little steep
and isolated street, looking on to the river, with two of his friends.
Arrived at the bank of the river the three men perceived that they were
followed, turned around, and looking insolently at the Frenchmen, passed
some jests from one to another.

"I don't know English, Athos," said D'Artagnan; "but you know it and
will interpret for me."

Then quickening their steps they passed the three men, but turned
back immediately, and D'Artagnan walked straight up to the butcher and
touching him on the chest with the tip of h