erved."

"Oh!" said Monk, "believe me, I know you well, Monsieur d'Artagnan, and
I appreciate you."

D'Artagnan never took his eyes off Monk; studying all which passed in
the mind of the general, as he prosecuted _his idea_. "But it does not
concern me," resumed he.

"Well, then, who does it concern?" said Monk, who began to grow a little
impatient.

"It relates to the king, who will never restrain his tongue."

"Well! and suppose he should say all he knows?" said Monk, with a degree
of hesitation.

"My lord," replied D'Artagnan, "do not dissemble, I implore you, with
a man who speaks so frankly as I do. You have a right to feel your
susceptibility excited, however benignant it may be. What, the devil!
it is not the place for a man like you, a man who plays with crowns and
scepters as a Bohemian plays with his balls; it is not the place of a
serious man, I said, to be shut up in a box like some freak of natural
history; for you must understand it would make all your enemies ready to
burst with laughter, and you are so great, so noble, so generous, that
you must have many enemies. This secret is enough to set half the human
race laughing, if you were represented in that box. It is not decent to
have the second personage in the kingdom laughed at."

Monk was quite out of countenance at the idea of seeing himself
represented in this box. Ridicule, as D'Artagnan had judiciously
foreseen, acted upon him in a manner which neither the chances of war,
the aspirations of ambition, nor the fear of death had been able to do.

"Good," thought the Gascon, "he is frightened: I am safe."

"Oh! as to the king," said Monk, "fear nothing, my dear Monsieur
d'Artagnan; the king will not jest with Monk, I assure you!"

The momentary flash of his eye was noticed by D'Artagnan. Monk lowered
his tone immediately: "The king," continued he, "is of too noble a
nature, the king's heart is too high to allow him to wish ill to those
who do him good."

"Oh! certainly," cried D'Artagnan. "I am entirely of your grace's
opinion with regard to his heart, but not as to his head--it is good,
but it is trifling."

"The king will not trifle with Monk, be assured."

"Then you are quite at ease, my lord?"

"On that side, at least! yes, perfectly!"

"Oh! I understand you; you are at ease as far as the king is concerned?"

"I have told you I was."

"But you are not so much so on my account?"

"I thought I had told you that I had faith in y