Part 73 (1/2)
Charles was perceived through the door, lying dressed upon his bed, at the head of which Parry was seated, reading in a low voice a chapter from the Bible
A candle of coarse tallow on a black table lighted up the handso and that of his faithful retainer, far less cal, whose eyes were closed, was really asleep, but Charles would open his eyes and say with a s”
Groslow advanced to the door of the king's room, replaced on his head the hat he had taken off to receive his guests, looked for ascene, then turning to D'Artagnan, assumed an air of triumph at what he had achieved
”Capital!” cried the Gascon, ”you would eneral”
”And do you think,” asked Groslow, ”that Stuart will ever escape while I anan; ”unless, forsooth, the sky rains friends upon hihtened
It is impossible to say whether Charles, who kept his eyes constantly closed, had noticed the insolence of the Puritan captain, but the nan's voice his eyelids rose, in spite of hi
”What are you thinking about?” said the king; ”go on, ood Parry, unless you are tired”
Parry resuhted candles, cards, two dice-boxes, and dice
”Gentle you will take your places I will sit facing Stuart, whom I like so much to see, especially where he now is, and you, Monsieur d'Artagnan, opposite to nan frowned at hinan; ”you, Monsieur le Coht of Monsieur Groslow You, Chevalier d'Herblay, to his left Du Vallon next entlenan could nudge Porthos with his knee and ns with his eyes to Athos and Aramis
At the names Comte de la Fere and Chevalier d'Herblay, Charles opened his eyes, and raising his noble head, in spite of hilance at all the actors in the scene
At that moment Parry turned over several leaves of his Bible and read with a loud voice this verse in Jeremiah: ”God said, 'Hear ye the words of the prophets my servants, wholances The words that Parry had read assured the and was assigned to its real nan's eyes sparkled with joy
”You askedsome twenty pistoles upon the table ”Well, in my turn I advise you to keep a sharp lookout on your treasure, my dear Monsieur Groslow, for I can tell you we shall not leave this without robbing you of it”
”Not withoutit,” said Groslow
”So ht, ht You know or you don't know, that that is e ask of you”
”Oh! yes,” said Groslow, bursting with his usual coarse laugh, ”I know you French but cuts and bruises”
Charles had heard and understood it all A slight color mounted to his cheeks The soldiers then saw him stretch his limbs, little by little, and under the pretense of much heat throw off the Scotch plaid which covered hiht to find that the king was lying with his clothes on
The ga won some hundred pistoles, was in the merriest possible humor
Porthos, who had lost the fifty pistoles he had won the night before and thirty nan with a nudge of the knee as to whether it would not soon be tianan reuard going its rounds
”Howmore pistoles from his pocket
”Five,” answered Groslow, ”one every two hours”
D'Artagnan glanced at Athos and Arae of the knee by a nudge responsive Meanwhile, the soldiers whose duty it was to re's room, attracted by that love of play so powerful in all men, had stolen little by little toward the table, and standing on tiptoe, lounged, watching the ganan and Porthos Those on the other side had followed their exa the views of the four friends, who preferred having the them about the chamber The two sentinels at the door still had their swords unsheathed, but they were leaning on therow calm as the critical moment approached With his white, aristocratic hands he played with the louis, bending and straightening theain, as if they were made of pewter Aramis, less self-controlled, fumbled continually with his hidden poniard Porthos, iorous play with his knee
D'Artagnan turned, ures of two soldiers he could see Parry standing up and Charles leaning on his elboith his hands clasped and apparently offering a fervent prayer to God
D'Artagnan saw that the lance at Athos and Aramis, who slyly pushed their chairs a little back so as to leave theave Porthos a second nudge of the knee and Porthos got up as if to stretch his legs and took care at the same time to ascertain that his sword could be drawn snan, ”another twenty pistoles lost Really, Captain Groslow, you are too much in fortune's way This can't last,” and he drew another twenty from his pocket ”One more turn, captain; twenty pistoles on one throw--only one, the last”
”Done for twenty,” replied Groslow
And he turned up two cards as usual, a king for D'Artagnan and an ace for hiood o”
And in spite of his extraordinary self-control there was a strange vibration in the Gascon's voice whichthe cards one after another If he turned up an ace first he won; if a king he lost
He turned up a king
”At last!” cried D'Artagnan
At this word Athos and Araers and swords were just about to shi+ne, when suddenly the door was thrown open and Harrison appeared in the doorway, accoe cloak Behind thismuskets of half a dozen soldiers
Groslow ju surprised in the midst of wine, cards, and dice But Harrison paid not the least attention to hi's room, followed by his companion: ”Charles Stuart,” said he, ”an order has coht Prepare yourself, then, to start at once”
”And by who
”By General Oliver Croht it and is charged with its execution”
”Mordaunt!” nan swept up the e pocket Athos and Aramis placed themselves behind hinized theht
”I'nan to his friend
”Not yet,” replied Porthos
”Colonel, colonel,” cried Mordaunt, ”you are betrayed These four Frenchmen have escaped fro Arrest the his sword, ”that is an order sooner given than executed Fly, friends, fly!” he added, whirling his sword around him
The next moment he darted to the door and knocked doo of the soldiers who guarded it, before they had time to cock their ht up the rear, and before soldiers, officers, or colonel had time to recover their surprise all four were in the street
”Fire!” cried Mordaunt; ”fire upon them!”