Part 75 (1/2)
”Fools,” said Charles, ”do they take me for a coward, like themselves? You have done well to warnfollowed his guards out of the hall As he passed the table on which the axe was laid, he stopped, and turning with a senious device, and orthy of those who know not what a gentlehtenit with the cane which he held in his hand, ”and I strike you noaiting patiently and Christianly for you to return the blow”
And shrugging his shoulders with unaffected contempt he passed on When he reached the door a streaet into the house and to make amends had collected to see hi the looks
”How ht he, ”and not one true friend”
And as he uttered these words of doubt and depression within his mind, a voice beside hi turned quickly around, with tears in his eyes and heart It was an old soldier of the guards who could not see his king pass captive before hie But the next moment the unfortunate man was nearly killed with heavy blows of sword-hilts, and anized Captain Groslow
”Alas!” said Charles, ”that is a severe chastise fault”
He continued his walk, but he had scarcely gone a hundred paces, when a furious fellow, leaning between two soldiers, spat in the king's face, as once an infamous and accursed Jew spit in the face of Jesus of Nazareth Loud roars of laughter and sullen ain, undulating like a stor in the ht eyes of Athos
Charles wiped his face and said with a sad smile: ”Poor wretch, for half a crown he would do aswas notwith the throng, were taking a last look at the
When the soldier saluted Charles, Athos's heart bounded for joy; and that unfortunate, on coentleman had slipped into his pocket But when the cowardly insulter spat in the face of the captive nan stopped his hand and in a hoarse voice cried, ”Wait!”
Athos stopped D'Artagnan, leaning on Athos, n to Porthos and Aramis to keep near them and then placed hihing at his own vile pleasantry and receiving the congratulations of several others
The man took his way toward the city The four friends followed hi a butcher, descended a little steep and isolated street, looking on to the river, with two of his friends Arrived at the bank of the river the three men perceived that they were followed, turned around, and looking insolently at the Frenchmen, passed solish, Athos,” said D'Artagnan; ”but you know it and will interpret fortheir steps they passed the three ht up to the butcher and touching hier, said to Athos: ”Say this to hilish: 'You are a coward You have insulted a defenselessYou host, repeated these words to the , put himself in an attitude of defense Aramis, at this nan, ”no steel Steel is for gentle the butcher by the throat: ”Porthos,” said he, ”kill this fellow for le blow”
Porthos raised his terrible fist, which whistled through the air like a sling, and the portentous mass fell with a smothered crash on the insulter's skull and crushed it The man fell like an ox beneath the poleaxe His companions, horror-struck, could neither move nor cry out
”Tell thenan; ”thus shall all die who forget that a captivedoubly represents the Lord”
Athos repeated D'Artagnan's words
The fellows looked at the body of their cos together, ran screa his forehead
”And now,” said D'Artagnan to Athos, ”entertain no further doubts about ”
64 Whitehall
The parliaht have been foreseen Political judgenerally vain forive rise to the accusation ordain to the condeic of revolutions
Although our friends were expecting that condenan, whose mind was never encies, swore again that he would try all conceivable edy But by what means? As yet he could form no definite plan; all must depend on circumstances Meanwhile, it was necessary at all hazards, in order to gain time, to put so day--the day appointed by the judges The only way of doing that was to cause the disappearance of the London executioner The headsman out of the way, the sentence could not be executed True, they could send for the headsained, and a day nan took upon hi, not less essential, was to warn Charles Stuart of the atteht assist his rescuers asto thwart their efforts Arae Charles Stuart had asked that Bishop Juxon ht be permitted to visit hi to apprise hi and also of Cromwell's perh fear or by persuasion, consent that he should enter in the bishop's place, and clad in his sacerdotal robes, the prison at Whitehall
Finally, Athos undertook to provide, in any event, the land--in case either of failure or of success
The night having come they made an appointment to meet at eleven o'clock at the hotel, and each started out to fulfill his dangerous uarded by three regiments of cavalry and by the fierce anxiety of Croents continually Alone in his usual rooazed sadly on the luxury of his past greatness, just as at the last hour one sees the ies of life more mildly brilliant than of yore
Parry had not quitted his master, and since his conde on a table, was gazing at afirst for Juxon, then for entleues fabulous and unreal, like the forms that appear in dreams In fact, he so to him was not a dream, or at least the delirium of a fever He rose and took a few steps as if to rouse hilittering below hiuards He was thereupon constrained to admit that he was indeed awake and that his bloody dream was real
Charles returned in silence to his chair, rested his elbow on the table, bowed his head upon his hand and reflected
”Alas!” he said to hihts of the church, whose soul has sounded all the reatness, perhaps his utterance would overawe the voice that wails within ar mind, whose career and fortune I have ruined by my misfortune He will speak tothat this one leaves his throne to an usurper, his children to the cold contempt of public charity”
And he raised the ht A neighboring church clock slowly struck the hour The flickering light of the two candles showed fitful phantom shadows in the lofty roo back dimly in their tarnished frames
An awful sadness enveloped the heart of Charles He buried his brow in his hands and thought of the world, so beautiful when one is about to leave it; of the caresses of children, so pleasing and so sweet, especially when one is parting froain; then of his wife, the noble and courageous woman who had sustained him to the last moment He drew from his breast the diamond cross and the star of the Garter which she had sent hienerous Frenchmen; he kissed it, and then, as he reflected, that she would never again see those things till he lay cold and mutilated in the tomb, there passed over him one of those icy shi+vers which may be called forerunners of death
Then, in that chamber which recalled to him so many royal souvenirs, whither had coe, alone with a despairing servant, whose feeble soul could afford no support to his own, the king at last yielded to sorrow, and his courage sank to a level with that feebleness, those shadows, and that wintry cold That king, as so grand, so subli his fate with a sloomy hour wiped away a tear which had fallen on the table and quivered on the gold embroidered cloth
Suddenly the door opened, an ecclesiastic in episcopal robes entered, followed by two guards, to whouards retired; the room resumed its obscurity
”Juxon!” cried Charles, ”Juxon, thank you,in the ingle-nook
”Co, ”cease your tears”
”If it's Parry,” said the bishop, ”I have nothing to fear; so allow me to salute your majesty and to tell you who I aht and this voice Charles was about to cry out, when Ara of England
”The chevalier!” mur his voice, ”Bishop Juxon, the faithful knight of Christ, obedient to your majesty's wishes”
Charles clasped his hands, aners, without other motive than that which their conscience imposed on them, thus co
”You!” he said, ”you! how did you penetrate hither? If they recognize you, you are lost”
”Care not for me, sire; think only of yourself You see, your friends are wakeful I know not e shall do yet, but four determinedthat happens; prepare yourself for every eency”