Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/205

Rh THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE. 1 93 gener.il is the victim of some conspiracy, for, if he had in- tended to leave the camp he would have told me so.' Seek, then, search the land, search the sea; the general has not gone with his own good will." The lieutenant made a sign to the two other officers. ''No, monsieur," said he, "no; in your turn you go too far. The general has nothing to suffer from these events, and, no doubt, has directed them. What Monk is now doing he has often done before. We are wrong in alarming ourselves; his absence will, doubtless, be of short duration; therefore, let us beware, lest by a pusillanimity which the general would consider a crime, of making his absence pub- lic; and by that means demoralizing the army. The general gives a striking proof of his confidence in us; let us show ourselves worthy of it. Gentlemen, let the most profound silence cover all this with an impenetrable veil; we will de- tain this gentleman, not from mistrust of him with regard to the crime, but to assure more effectively the secrecy of the absence of the general, and the concentrating of it among tfurselves; therefore, until fresh orders, the gentle- man will remain at headquarters." "Gentlemen," said Athos, "you forget that last night the general confided to me a deposit over which I am bound to watch. Give me whatever guard you like, enchain me if you like, but leave me the house I inhabit for my prison. The general, on his return, would reproach you, I swear on the honor of a gentleman, for having displeased him in this." "So be it, monsieur," said the lieutenant; "return to your abode." Then they placed over Athos a guard of fifty men, who surrounded bis house, without losing sight of him for a minute. The secret remained secure, but hours, days, passed away without the general's returning, or without anything being heard of him. CHAPTEK XXVIII. SMUGGLING. Two days after the events we have just related, and while every instant General Monk was looked for in the camp to which he did not return, a little Dutch felucca,