either army nor money, as you have heard my
conversation with my brother Louis, has no means of acting against a man
like Monk."

"Yes, sire, that was your opinion, I know very well; but, fortunately,
for you, it was not mine."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That, without an army and without a million, I have done--I,
myself--what your majesty thought could alone be done with an army and a
million."

"How! What do you say? What have you done?"

"What have I done? Eh! well, sire, I went yonder to take this man who is
so troublesome to your majesty."

"In England?"

"Exactly, sire."

"You went to take Monk in England?"

"Should I by chance have done wrong, sire?"

"In truth, you are mad, monsieur!"

"Not the least in the world, sire."

"You have taken Monk?"

"Yes, sire."

"Where?"

"In the midst of his camp."

The king trembled with impatience.

"And having taken him on the causeway of Newcastle, I bring him to your
majesty," said D'Artagnan, simply.

"You bring him to me!" cried the king, almost indignant at what he
considered a mystification.

"Yes, sire," replied D'Artagnan, the same tone, "I bring him to you;
he is down below yonder, in a large chest pierced with holes, so as to
allow him to breathe."

"Good God!"

"Oh! don't be uneasy, sire, we have taken the greatest possible care
of him. He comes in good state, and in perfect condition. Would your
majesty please to see him, to talk with him, or to have him thrown into
the sea?"

"Oh, heavens!" repeated Charles, "oh, heavens! do you speak the truth,
monsieur? Are you not insulting me with some unworthy joke? You have
accomplished this unheard-of act of audacity and genius--impossible!"

"Will your majesty permit me to open the window?" said D'Artagnan,
opening it.

The king had not time to reply, yes on no. D'Artagnan gave a shrill and
prolonged whistle, which he repeated three times through the silence of
the night.

"There!" said he, "he will be brought to your majesty."

CHAPTER 29. In which D'Artagnan begins to fear he has placed his Money
and that of Planchet in the Sinking Fund

The king could not overcome his surprise, and looked sometimes at the
smiling face of the musketeer, and sometimes at the dark window which
opened into the night. But before he had fixed his ideas, eight of
D'Artagnan's men, for two had remained to take care of the bark, brought
to the house, where Parry received him, that object of an