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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 199 at Prostate Health
absolve you, sire."
"No, no! I have fought too long; they have sold me, they
shall give 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 come in the name of your wife
and daughter 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 himself, buckled on his belt, and passing
his handkerchief over his moist forehead, said:
"Well, what is to be done?"
"Sire, have you in the army one regiment on which you can
implicitly rely?"
"Winter," said the king, "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
majestys."
"Well!" said Athos, "since you have not a regiment, we are
three devoted men. It is enough. Let your majesty mount on
horseback and place yourself in the midst of us; we will
cross the Tyne, reach Scotland, and you will be saved."
"Is this your counsel also, Winter?" inquired the king.
"Yes, sire."
"And yours, Monsieur dHerblay?"
"Yes, sire."
"As you wish, then. Winter, give the necessary orders."
Winter then left the tent; in the meantime the king finished
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.
"Grimaud and Blaisois are holding your horses, ready
saddled."
"In that case," exclaimed Athos, "let us not lose an
instant, but set off."
"Come," added the king.
"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 me, and two of a
weeks standing, whom I shall never forget. Come, gentlemen,
come!"
The king quitted his tent and found his horse ready waiting
for him. It was a chestnut that the king had ridden for
three years and of which he was very fond.
The horse neighed with pleasure at seeing him.
"Ah!" said the king, "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 kings 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 himself into the
saddle, and turning to Athos, Aramis and Winter, said:
"Now, gentlemen, I am at your service."
But Athos was standing with his eyes fixed on a black line
which bordered the banks of the Tyne and seemed to extend
double the length 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 must be the fog rising from the river," said the king.
"Sire, it is something more opaque than the fog."
"Indeed!" said Winter, "it appears to me like a bar of red
color."
"It is the enemy, who have made a sortie from Newcastle and
are surrounding us!" exclaimed Athos.
"The enemy!" cried the king.
"Yes, the enemy. It is too late. Stop a moment; does not
that sunbeam yonder, just by the side of the town, glitter
on the Ironsides?"
This was the name given the cuirassiers, whom Cromwell had
made his body-guard.
"Ah!" said the king, "we shall soon see whether my
Highlanders have betrayed me or not."
"What are you going to do?" exclaimed Athos.
"To give them the order to charge, and run down these
miserable rebels."
And the king, putting spurs to his horse, set off to the
tent of Lord Leven.
"Follow him," said Athos.
"Come!" exclaimed Aramis.
"Is the king wounded?" cried Lord Winter. "I see spots of
blood on the ground." And he set off to follow the two
friends.
He was stopped by Athos.
"Go and call out your regiment," said he; "I can foresee
that we shall have need of it directly."
Winter turned his horse and the two friends rode on. It had
taken but two minutes for the king to reach the tent of the
Scottish commander; he dismounted and entered.
The general was there, surrounded by the more prominent
chiefs.
"The king!" they exclaimed, as all rose in bewilderment.
Charles was indeed
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