il of his
country.'

"My lord, you have heard me. To any other but the illustrious man who
listens to me, I would have said: 'My lord, you are poor; my lord, the
king offers you this million as an earnest of an immense bargain; take
it, and serve Charles II. as I served Charles I., and I feel assured
that God, who listens to us, who sees us, who alone reads in your heart,
shut up from all human eyes,--I am assured God will give you a happy
eternal life after death.' But to General Monk, to the illustrious man
of whose standard I believe I have taken measure, I say: 'My lord, there
is for you in the history of peoples and kings a brilliant place, an
immortal, imperishable glory, if alone, without any other interest but
the good of your country and the interests of justice, you become the
supporter of your king. Many others have been conquerors and glorious
usurpers; you, my lord, you will be content with being the most
virtuous, the most honest, and the most incorruptible of men: you will
have held a crown in your hand, and instead of placing it upon your own
brow, you will have deposited it upon the head of him for whom it was
made. Oh, my lord, act thus, and you will leave to posterity the most
enviable of names, in which no human creature can rival you.'"

Athos stopped. During the whole time that the noble gentleman was
speaking, Monk had not given one sign of either approbation or
disapprobation; scarcely even, during this vehement appeal, had his eyes
been animated with that fire which bespeaks intelligence. The Comte
de la Fere looked at him sorrowfully, and on seeing that melancholy
countenance, felt discouragement penetrate to his very heart. At length
Monk appeared to recover, and broke the silence.

"Monsieur," said he, in a mild, calm tone, "in reply to you, I will
make use of your own words. To any other but yourself I would reply by
expulsion, imprisonment, or still worse, for, in fact, you tempt me and
you force me at the same time. But you are one of those men, monsieur,
to whom it is impossible to refuse the attention and respect they merit;
you are a brave gentleman, monsieur--I say so, and I am a judge. You
just now spoke of a deposit which the late king transmitted through you
to his son--are you, then, one of those Frenchmen who, as I have heard,
endeavored to carry off Charles I. from Whitehall?"

"Yes, my lord; it was I who was beneath the scaffold during the
execution; I, who had not been able