like to try if it is heroic to pay."

"Do so," said Athos, returning his purse to his pocket.

The two friends then directed their steps towards the port, not,
however, without D'Artagnan's frequently turning round to watch the
transportation of his dear crowns. Night had just spread her thick veil
over the yellow waters of the Thames; they heard those noises of casks
and pulleys, the preliminaries of preparing to sail which had so many
times made the hearts of the musketeers beat when the dangers of the sea
were the least of those they were going to face. This time they were
to embark on board a large vessel which awaited them at Gravesend,
and Charles II., always delicate in small affairs, had sent one of
his yachts, with twelve men of his Scots guard, to do honor to the
ambassador he was sending to France. At midnight the yacht had deposited
its passengers on board the vessel, and at eight o'clock in the
morning, the vessel landed the ambassador and his friend on the wharf at
Boulogne. Whilst the comte, with Grimaud, was busy procuring horses
to go straight to Paris, D'Artagnan hastened to the hostelry where,
according to his orders, his little army was to wait for him. These
gentlemen were at breakfast upon oysters, fish, and spiced brandy, when
D'Artagnan appeared. They were all very gay, but not one of them had
yet exceeded the bounds of reason. A hurrah of joy welcomed the general.
"Here I am," said D'Artagnan, "the campaign is ended. I am come to bring
each his supplement of pay, as agreed upon." Their eyes sparkled.
"I will lay a wager there are not, at this moment, a hundred crowns
remaining in the purse of the richest among you."

"That is true!" cried they in chorus.

"Gentlemen," said D'Artagnan, "then, this is the last order. The treaty
of commerce has been concluded, thanks to our _coup-de-main_ which made
us masters of the most skillful financier of England, for now I am
at liberty to confess to you that the man we had to carry off was the
treasurer of General Monk."

This word treasurer produced a certain effect on his army. D'Artagnan
observed that the eyes of Menneville alone did not evince perfect faith.
"This treasurer," he continued, "I conveyed to a neutral territory,
Holland; I forced him to sign the treaty; I have even reconducted him
to Newcastle, and he was obliged to be satisfied with our proceedings
towards him--the deal coffer being always carried without jolting, and
being lined soft