il. All come to Monk, officers and soldiers. In a week
Lambert won't have fifty men left."

The fisherman was interrupted by a fresh discharge directed against the
house, and by another pistol-shot which replied to the discharge and
struck down the most daring of the aggressors. The rage of soldiers
was at its height. The fire still continued to increase, and a crest
of flame and smoke whirled and spread over the roof of the house.
D'Artagnan could no longer contain himself. "_Mordioux!_" said he to
Monk, glancing at him sideways: "you are a general, and allow your men
to burn houses and assassinate people, while you look on and warm your
hands at the blaze of the conflagration? _Mordioux!_ you are not a man."

"Patience, sir, patience!" said Monk, smiling.

"Patience! yes, until that brave gentleman is roasted--is that what you
mean?" And D'Artagnan rushed forward.

"Remain where you are, sir," said Monk, in a tone of command. And he
advanced towards the house, just as an officer had approached it, saying
to the besieged: "The house is burning, you will be roasted within an
hour! There is still time--come, tell us what you know of General Monk,
and we will spare your life. Reply, or by Saint Patrick--"

The besieged made no answer; he was no doubt reloading his pistol.

"A reinforcement is expected," continued the officer; "in a quarter of
an hour there will be a hundred men around your house."

"I reply to you," said the Frenchman. "Let your men be sent away; I will
come out freely and repair to the camp alone, or else I will be killed
here!"

"_Mille tonnerres!_" shouted D'Artagnan; "why, that's the voice of
Athos! _Ah canailles!_" and the sword of D'Artagnan flashed from its
sheath. Monk stopped him and advanced himself, exclaiming, in a sonorous
voice: "_Hola!_ what is going on here? Digby, whence this fire? why
these cries?"

"The general!" cried Digby, letting the point of his sword fall.

"The general!" repeated the soldiers.

"Well, what is there so astonishing in that?" said Monk, in a calm
tone. Then, silence being re-established,--"Now," said he, "who lit this
fire?"

The soldiers hung their heads.

"What! do I ask a question, and nobody answers me?" said Monk. "What!
do I find a fault, and nobody repairs it? The fire is still burning, I
believe."

Immediately the twenty men rushed forward, seizing pails, buckets, jars,
barrels, and extinguishing the fire with as much ardor as they had, an