them."

"Impossible!" cried the king, "the Scotch sell their king for two
hundred thousand pounds! And who is the Judas who has concluded this
infamous bargain?"

"Lord Leven."

"Are you certain of it, sir?"

"I heard it with my own ears."

The king sighed deeply, as if his heart would break, and then buried his
face in his hands.

"Oh! the Scotch," he exclaimed, "the Scotch I called 'my faithful,' to
whom I trusted myself when I could have fled to Oxford! the Scotch, my
brothers! But are you well assured, sir?"

"Lying behind the tent of Lord Leven, I raised it and saw all, heard
all!"

"And when is this to be consummated?"

"To-day--this morning; so your majesty must perceive there is no time to
lose!"

"To do what? since you say I am sold."

"To cross the Tyne, reach Scotland and rejoin Lord Montrose, who will
not sell you."

"And what shall I do in Scotland? A war of partisans, unworthy of a
king."

"The example of Robert Bruce will absolve you, sire."

"No, no! I have fought too long; they have sold me, they shall give me
up, and the eternal shame of treble treason shall fall on their heads."

"Sire," said Athos, "perhaps a king should act thus, but not a husband
and a father. I have come in the name of your wife and daughter and
of the children you have still in London, and I say to you, 'Live,
sire,'--it is the will of Heaven."

The king raised himself, buckled on his belt, and passing his
handkerchief over his moist forehead, said:

"Well, what is to be done?"

"Sire, have you in the army one regiment on which you can implicitly
rely?"

"Winter," said the king, "do you believe in the fidelity of yours?"

"Sire, they are but men, and men are become both weak and wicked. I
will not answer for them. I would confide my life to them, but I should
hesitate ere I trusted them with your majesty's."

"Well!" said Athos, "since you have not a regiment, we are three
devoted men. It is enough. Let your majesty mount on horseback and place
yourself in the midst of us; we will cross the Tyne, reach Scotland, and
you will be saved."

"Is this your counsel also, Winter?" inquired the king.

"Yes, sire."

"And yours, Monsieur d'Herblay?"

"Yes, sire."

"As you wish, then. Winter, give the necessary orders."

Winter then left the tent; in the meantime the king finished his toilet.
The first rays of daybreak penetrated the aperture of the tent as Winter
re-entered it.

"All is ready, sire,