s all Charles is to me. He has fought
battles here which he has lost, he is therefore a bad captain; he has
succeeded in no negotiation, he is therefore a bad diplomatist; he has
paraded his wants and his miseries in all the courts of Europe, he has
therefore a weak and pusillanimous heart. Nothing noble, nothing great,
nothing strong has hitherto emanated from that genius which aspires to
govern one of the greatest kingdoms of the earth. I know this Charles,
then, under none but bad aspects, and you would wish me, a man of good
sense, to go and make myself gratuitously the slave of a creature who
is inferior to me in military capacity, in politics, and in dignity! No,
monsieur. When some great and noble action shall have taught me to value
Charles, I shall perhaps recognize his rights to a throne from which
we have cast the father because he wanted the virtues which his son has
hitherto lacked, but, in fact of rights, I only recognize my own; the
revolution made me a general, my sword will make me protector, if I wish
it. Let Charles show himself, let him present himself, let him enter the
competition open to genius, and, above all, let him remember that he
is of a race from whom more will be expected than from any other.
Therefore, monsieur, say no more about him. I neither refuse nor accept:
I reserve myself--I wait."

Athos knew Monk to be too well informed of all concerning Charles to
venture to urge the discussion further; it was neither the time nor the
place. "My lord," then said he, "I have nothing to do but to thank you."

"And why, monsieur? Because you have formed a correct opinion of me,
or because I have acted according to your judgment? Is that, in truth,
worthy of thanks? This gold which you are about to carry to Charles
will serve me as a test for him, by seeing the use he will make of it. I
shall have an opinion which now I have not."

"And yet does not your honor fear to compromise yourself by allowing
such a sum to be carried away for the service of your enemy?"

"My enemy, say you? Eh, monsieur, I have no enemies. I am in the service
of the parliament, which orders me to fight General Lambert and Charles
Stuart--its enemies, and not mine. I fight them. If the parliament, on
the contrary, ordered me to unfurl my standards on the port of London,
and to assemble my soldiers on the banks to receive Charles II.----"

"You would obey?" cried Athos, joyfully.

"Pardon me," said Monk, smiling, "I was g