we shall depart, if you
please. You can go and thank his majesty, ask if he has any commands,
and in six days we may be able to get sight of the towers of Notre
Dame."

"My friend, I am most anxious to be off, and will go at once and pay my
respects to the king."

"I," said Athos, "am going to call upon some friends in the city, and
shall then be at your service."

"Will you lend me Grimaud?"

"With all my heart. What do you want to do with him?"

"Something very simple, and which will not fatigue him; I shall only beg
him to take charge of my pistols, which lie there on the table near that
coffer."

"Very well!" replied Athos, imperturbably.

"And he will not stir, will he?"

"Not more than the pistols themselves."

"Then I shall go and take leave of his majesty. Au revoir!"

D'Artagnan arrived at St. James's, where Charles II. who was busy
writing, kept him in the ante-chamber a full hour. Whilst walking about
in the gallery, from the door to the window, from the window to the
door, he thought he saw a cloak like Athos's cross the vestibule; but at
the moment he was going to ascertain if it were he, the usher summoned
him to his majesty's presence. Charles II. rubbed his hands while
receiving the thanks of our friend.

"Chevalier," said he, "you are wrong to express gratitude to me; I have
not paid you a quarter of the value of the history of the box into which
you put the brave general--the excellent Duke of Albemarle, I mean." And
the king laughed heartily.

D'Artagnan did not think it proper to interrupt his majesty, and bowed
with much modesty.

"A propos," continued Charles, "do you think my dear Monk has really
pardoned you?"

"Pardoned me! yes, I hope so, sire!"

"Eh!--but it was a cruel trick! Odds fish! to pack up the first
personage of the English revolution like a herring. In your place I
would not trust him, chevalier."

"But, sire----"

"Yes, I know very well that Monk calls you his friend, but he has too
penetrating an eye not to have a memory, and too lofty a brow not to be
very proud, you know grande supercilium."

"I shall certainly learn Latin," said D'Artagnan to himself.

"But stop," cried the merry monarch, "I must manage your reconciliation;
I know how to set about it; so----"

D'Artagnan bit his mustache. "Will your majesty permit me to tell you
the truth?"

"Speak, chevalier, speak."

"Well, sire, you alarm me greatly. If your majesty undertakes the
affair, as y