on,
and freshly greased every week. I will make a present of one of these
gibbets to each of you, and observe well, M. d'Artagnan,' added he
(observe it also, M. Menneville), 'I shall still have seven hundred and
thirty left for my private pleasure. And still further----'"

"Ah! ah!" said the auxiliaries, "is there more still?"

"A mere trifle. 'Monsieur d'Artagnan, I send to the king of France the
treaty in question, with a request that he will cast into the Bastile
provisionally, and then send to me, all who have taken part in this
expedition; and that is a prayer with which the king will certainly
comply.'"

A cry of terror broke from all corners of the table.

"There! there! there," said D'Artagnan, "this brave M. Monk has
forgotten one thing, and that is he does not know the name of any one of
you, I alone know you, and it is not I, you may well believe, who will
betray you. Why should I? As for you--I cannot suppose you will be silly
enough to denounce yourselves, for then the king, to spare himself the
expense of feeding and lodging you, will send you off to Scotland, where
the seven hundred and forty-one gibbets are to be found. That is all,
messieurs; I have not another word to add to what I have had the honor
to tell you. I am sure you have understood me perfectly well, have you
not, M. Menneville?"

"Perfectly," replied the latter.

"Now the crowns!" said D'Artagnan. "Shut the doors," he cried, and
opened the bag upon the table, from which rolled several fine gold
crowns. Every one made a movement towards the floor.

"Gently!" cried D'Artagnan. "Let no one stoop, and then I shall not
be out in my reckoning." He found it all right, gave fifty of those
splendid crowns to each man, and received as many benedictions as he
bestowed pieces. "Now," said he, "if it were possible for you to reform
a little, if you could become good and honest citizens----"

"That is rather difficult," said one of the troop.

"What then, captain?" said another.

"Because I might be able to find you again, and, who knows what other
good fortune?" He made a sign to Menneville, who listened to all he
said with a composed air. "Menneville," said he, "come with me. Adieu my
brave fellows! I need not warn you to be discreet."

Menneville followed him, whilst the salutations of the auxiliaries were
mingled with the sweet sound of the money clinking in their pockets.

"Menneville," said D'Artagnan, when they were once in the stre