Part 64 (1/2)
”I for two hundred thousand pounds! And who is the Judas who has concluded this infaain?”
”Lord Leven”
”Are you certain of it, sir?”
”I heard it with hed deeply, as if his heart would break, and then buried his face in his hands
”Oh! the Scotch,” he exclaimed, ”the Scotch I called 'my faithful,' to whom I trusted myself when I could have fled to Oxford! the Scotch,behind the tent of Lord Leven, I raised it and saw all, heard all!”
”And when is this to be consu; so your majesty must perceive there is no time to lose!”
”To do what? since you say I am sold”
”To cross the Tyne, reach Scotland and rejoin Lord Montrose, ill not sell you”
”And what shall I do in Scotland? A war of partisans, unworthy of a king”
”The example of Robert Bruce will absolve you, sire”
”No, no! I have fought too long; they have sold ive me up, and the eternal shame of treble treason shall fall on their heads”
”Sire,” said Athos, ”perhaps a king should act thus, but not a husband and a father I have cohter and of the children you have still in London, and I say to you, 'Live, sire,'--it is the will of Heaven”
The king raised hi his handkerchief over his moist forehead, said: ”Well, what is to be done?”
”Sire, have you in the ariment on which you can i, ”do you believe in the fidelity of yours?”
”Sire, they are but men, and men are become both weak and wicked I will not answer for them I would confide my life to them, but I should hesitate ere I trusted them with your majesty's”
”Well!” said Athos, ”since you have not a regih Let your majesty mount on horseback and place yourself in the midst of us; ill cross the Tyne, reach Scotland, and you will be saved”
”Is this your counsel also, Winter?” inquired the king
”Yes, sire”
”And yours, Monsieur d'Herblay?”
”Yes, sire”
”As you wish, then Winter, give the necessary orders”
Winter then left the tent; in thefinished his toilet The first rays of daybreak penetrated the aperture of the tent as Winter re-entered it
”All is ready, sire,” said he
”For us, also?” inquired Athos
”Gri your horses, ready saddled”
”In that case,” exclaimed Athos, ”let us not lose an instant, but set off”
”Co
”Sire,” said Aramis, ”will not your majesty acquaint some of your friends of this?”
”Friends!” answered Charles, sadly, ”I have but three--one of twenty years, who has never forgotten et Co quitted his tent and found his horse ready waiting for hi had ridden for three years and of which he was very fond
The horse neighed with pleasure at seeing hi, ”I was unjust; here is a creature that loves me You at least will be faithful to me, Arthur”
The horse, as if it understood these words, bent its red nostrils toward the king's face, and parting his lips displayed all its teeth, as if with pleasure
”Yes, yes,” said the king, caressing it with his hand, ”yes, my Arthur, thou art a fond and faithful creature”
After this little scene Charles threw hi to Athos, Araentle with his eyes fixed on a black line which bordered the banks of the Tyne and seeth of the camp
”What is that line?” cried Athos, whose vision was still rather obscured by the uncertain shades and demi-tints of daybreak ”What is that line? I did not observe it yesterday”
”It
”Sire, it is so”
”Indeed!” said Winter, ”it appears to me like a bar of red color”