Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/203

Rh THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELOHNB. 191 s 'From the general; but we are not dupes." "Beware, gentlemen; it is not to me you are now giving the lie, it is to your leader." The officers again looked at one another. Athos contin- ued: "Before your soldiers the general told me to wait a week, and at the expiration of that week he would give me the answer he had to make me. Have I fled away? No; 1 wait." "He told yoa to wait a week!" cried the lieutenant. "He told me so, clearly so, monsieur, that I have a sloop at the mouth of the river, which I could with ease have joined yesterday, and embarked. Now, if I have remained, it was only in compliance with the desire of your general; his honor having requested me not to depart without a last audience, which he fixed at a week hence. 1 repeat to you, then, I am waiting." The lieutenant turned toward the other officers, and said, in a low voice: "If this gentleman speaks truth, there may still be some hope. The general may be carrying out some negotiations so secret that he thought it imprudent to in- form even us. Then the time limited for his absence would be a week." Then, turning toward Athos: "Monsieur," said he, "your declaration is of the most serious importance; are you willing to repeat it under the seal of an oath?" "Monsieur," replied Athos, "I have always lived in a world where my simple word was regarded as the most .sacred of oaths." "This time, howevej, monsieur, the circumstance is more grave than any you may have been placed in. The safety <of the whole army is at stake. Eeflect: the general has I disappeared, and our search for him has been in vain. Is i this disappearance natural? Has a crime been committed? Are we not bound to carry our investigations to extremity? Have we any right to wait with patience? At this moment, everything, monsieur, depends upon the words you are about to pronounce." "Interrogated thus, monsieur, I no longer hesitate," said Athos. "Yes, I came hither to converse confidentially with General Monk, and to ask of him an answer regarding certain interests; yes, the general being, doubtless, unable to pronounce before the expected battle begged me to re- main a week in the house I inhabit, promising me that in a week I should see him again. Yes, all this is true, and I swear it, by the God who is the absolute master of my life and vours." Athos pronounced these words with so much