wo regiments, to
enter Scotland, which you have just pacified: to give to the people the
franchises which the revolution promised them, and in which it has not,
in all cases, kept its word. I should advise him to command in person
this little army, which would, believe me, increase, and to die,
standard in hand, and sword in sheath, saying, 'Englishmen! I am the
third king of my race you have killed; beware of the justice of God!'"

Monk hung down his head, and mused for an instant. "If he succeeded,"
said he, "which is very improbable, but not impossible--for everything
is possible in this world--what would you advise him to do?"

"To think that by the will of God he lost his crown, by the good will of
men he recovered it."

An ironical smile passed over the lips of Monk.

"Unfortunately, monsieur," said he, "kings do not know how to follow
good advice."

"Ah, my lord, Charles II. is not a king," replied Athos, smiling in his
turn, but with a very different expression from Monk.

"Let us terminate this, monsieur le comte,--that is your desire, is it
not?"

Athos bowed.

"I shall give orders to have these two casks transported whither you
please. Where are you lodging, monsieur?"

"In a little hamlet at the mouth of the river, your honor."

"Oh, I know the hamlet; it consists of five or six houses, does it not?"

"Exactly. Well, I inhabit the first,--two net-makers occupy it with me;
it is their bark which brought me ashore."

"But your own vessel, monsieur?"

"My vessel is at anchor, a quarter of a mile at sea, and waits for me."

"You do not think, however, of setting out immediately?"

"My lord, I shall try once more to convince your honor."

"You will not succeed," replied Monk; "but it is of consequence that you
should depart from Newcastle without leaving of your passage the least
suspicion that might prove injurious to me or you. To-morrow my officers
think Lambert will attack me. I, on the contrary, am convinced he will
not stir; it is in my opinion impossible. Lambert leads an army devoid
of homogeneous principles, and there is no possible army with such
elements. I have taught my soldiers to consider my authority subordinate
to another, therefore, after me, round me, and beneath me, they still
look for something. It would result that if I were dead, whatever might
happen, my army would not be demoralized all at once; it results, that
if I choose to absent myself, for instance, as it does ple