67. The Man in the Mask.
The snow was falling thick and icy. Aramis was the next to come in andto discover Athos almost insensible. But at the first words he utteredthe comte roused himself from the kind of lethargy in which he had sunk.
"Well," said Aramis, "beaten by fate!"
"Beaten!" said Athos. "Noble and unhappy king!"
"Are you wounded?" cried Aramis.
"No, this is his blood."
"Where were you, then?"
"Where you left me--under the scaffold."
"Did you see it all?"
"No, but I heard all. God preserve me from another such hour as I havejust passed."
"Then you know that I did not leave him?"
"I heard your voice up to the last moment."
"Here is the order he gave me and the cross I took from his hand; hedesired they should be returned to the queen."
"Then here is a handkerchief to wrap them in," replied Athos, drawingfrom his pocket the one he had steeped in the king's blood.
"And what," he continued, "has been done with the poor body?"
"By order of Cromwell royal honors will be accorded to it. The doctorsare embalming the corpse, and when it is ready it will be placed in alighted chapel."
"Mockery," muttered Athos, savagely; "royal honors to one whom they havemurdered!"
"Well, cheer up!" said a loud voice from the staircase, which Porthoshad just mounted. "We are all mortal, my poor friends."
"You are late, my dear Porthos."
"Yes, there were some people on the way who delayed me. The wretcheswere dancing. I took one of them by the throat and three-quartersthrottled him. Just then a patrol rode up. Luckily the man I had hadmost to do with was some minutes before he could speak, so I tookadvantage of his silence to walk off."
"Have you seen D'Artagnan?"
"We got separated in the crowd and I could not find him again."
"Oh!" said Athos, satirically, "I saw him. He was in the front row ofthe crowd, admirably placed for seeing; and as on the whole the sightwas curious, he probably wished to stay to the end."
"Ah Comte de la Fere," said a calm voice, though hoarse with running,"is it your habit to calumniate the absent?"
This reproof stung Athos to the heart, but as the impression produced byseeing D'Artagnan foremost in a coarse, ferocious crowd had been verystrong, he contented himself with replying:
"I am not calumniating you, my friend. They were anxious about you here;I simply told them where you were. You didn't know King Charles; to youhe was only a foreigner and you were not obliged to love him."
So saying, he stretched out his hand, but the other pretended not to seeit and he let it drop again slowly by his side.
"Ugh! I am tired," cried D'Artagnan, sitting down.
"Drink a glass of port," said Aramis; "it will refresh you."
"Yes, let us drink," said Athos, anxious to make it up by hobnobbingwith D'Artagnan, "let us drink and get away from this hateful country.The felucca is waiting for us, you know; let us leave to-night, we havenothing more to do here."
"You are in a hurry, sir count," said D'Artagnan.
"But what would you have us to do here, now that the king is dead?"
"Go, sir count," replied D'Artagnan, carelessly; "you see nothing tokeep you a little longer in England? Well, for my part, I, abloodthirsty ruffian, who can go and stand close to a scaffold, in orderto have a better view of the king's execution--I remain."
Athos turned pale. Every reproach his friend uttered struck deeply inhis heart.
"Ah! you remain in London?" said Porthos.
"Yes. And you?"
"Hang it!" said Porthos, a little perplexed between the two, "I suppose,as I came with you, I must go away with you. I can't leave you alone inthis abominable country."
"Thanks, my worthy friend. So I have a little adventure to propose toyou when the count is gone. I want to find out who was the man in themask, who so obligingly offered to cut the king's throat."
"A man in a mask?" cried Athos. "You did not let the executioner escape,then?"
"The executioner is still in the cellar, where, I presume, he has had aninterview with mine host's bottles. But you remind me. Mousqueton!"
"Sir," answered a voice from the depths of the earth.
"Let out your prisoner. All is over."
"But," said Athos, "who is the wretch that has dared to raise his handagainst his king?"
"An amateur headsman," replied Aramis, "who however, does not handle theaxe amiss."
"Did you not see his face?" asked Athos.
"He wore a mask."
"But you, Aramis, who were close to him?"
"I could see nothing but a gray beard under the fringe of the mask."
"Then it must be a man of a certain age."
"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, "that matters little. When one puts on a mask, itis not difficult to wear a beard under it."
"I am sorry I did not follow him," said Porthos.
"Well, my dear Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "that's the very thing it cameinto my head to do."
Athos understood all now.
"Pardon me, D'Artagnan," he said. "I have distrusted God; I could themore easily distrust you. Pardon me, my friend."
"We will see about that presently," said D'Artagnan, with a slightsmile.
"Well, then?" said Aramis.
"Well, while I was watching--not the king, as monsieur le comte thinks,for I know what it is to see a man led to death, and though I ought tobe accustomed to the sight it always makes me ill--while I was watchingthe masked executioner, the idea came to me, as I said, to find out whohe was. Now, as we are wont to complete ourselves each by all the restand to depend on one another for assistance, as one calls his other handto aid the first, I looked around instinctively to see if Porthos wasthere; for I had seen you, Aramis, with the king, and you, count, I knewwould be under the scaffold, and for that reason I forgive you," headded, offering Athos his hand, "for you must have suffered much. I waslooking around for Porthos when I saw near me a head which had beenbroken, but which, for better or worse, had been patched with plasterand with black silk. 'Humph!' thought I, 'that looks like my handiwork;I fancy I must have mended that skull somewhere or other.' And, in fact,it was that unfortunate Scotchman, Parry's brother, you know, on whomGroslow amused himself by trying his strength. Well, this man was makingsigns to another at my left, and turning around I recognized the honestGrimaud. 'Oh!' said I to him. Grimaud turned round with a jerk,recognized me, and pointed to the man in the mask. 'Eh!' said he, whichmeant, 'Do you see him?' 'Parbleu!' I answered, and we perfectlyunderstood one another. Well, everything was finished as you know. Themob dispersed. I made a sign to Grimaud and the Scotchman, and we allthree retired into a corner of the square. I saw the executioner returninto the king's room, change his clothes, put on a black hat and a largecloak and disappear. Five minutes later he came down the grandstaircase."
"You followed him?" cried Athos.
"I should think so, but not without difficulty. Every few minutes heturned around, and thus obliged us to conceal ourselves. I might havegone up to him and killed him. But I am not selfish, and I thought itmight console you all a little to have a share in the matter. So wefollowed him through the lowest streets in the city, and in half anhour's time he stopped before a little isolated house. Grimaud drew outa pistol. 'Eh?' said he, showing it. I held back his arm. The man in themask stopped before a low door and drew out a key; but before he placedit in the lock he turned around to see if he was being followed. Grimaudand I got behind a tree, and the Scotchman having nowhere to hidehimself, threw himself on his face in the road. Next moment the dooropened and the man disappeared."
"The scoundrel!" said Aramis. "While you have been returning hither hewill have escaped and we shall never find him."
"Come, now, Aramis," said D'Artagnan, "you must be taking me for someone else."
"Nevertheless," said Athos, "in your absence----"
"Well, in my absence haven't I put in my place Grimaud and theScotchman? Before he had taken ten steps beyond the door I had examinedthe house on all sides. At one of the doors, that by which he hadentered, I placed our Scotchman, making a sign to him to follow the manwherever he might go, if he came out again. Then going around the houseI placed Grimaud at the other exit, and here I am. Our game is beatenup. Now for the tally-ho."
Athos threw himself into D'Artagnan's arms.
"Friend," he said, "you have been too good in pardoning me; I was wrong,a hundred times wrong. I ought to have known you better by this time;but we are all possessed of a malignant spirit, which bids us doubt."
"Humph!" said Porthos. "Don't you think the executioner might be MasterCromwell, who, to make sure of this affair, undertook it himself?"
"Ah! just so. Cromwell is stout and short, and this man thin and lanky,rather tall than otherwise."
"Some condemned soldier, perhaps," suggested Athos, "whom they havepardoned at the price of regicide."
"No, no," continued D'Artagnan, "it was not the measured step of a footsoldier, nor was it the gait of a horseman. If I am not mistaken we haveto do with a gentleman."
"A gentleman!" exclaimed Athos. "Impossible! It would be a dishonor toall the nobility."
"Fine sport, by Jove!" cried Porthos, with a laugh that shook thewindows. "Fine sport!"
"Are you still bent on departure, Athos?" asked D'Artagnan.
"No, I remain," replied Athos, with a threatening gesture that promisedno good to whomsoever it was addressed.
"Swords, then!" cried Aramis, "swords! let us not lose a moment."
The four friends resumed their own clothes, girded on their swords,ordered Mousqueton and Blaisois to pay the bill and to arrangeeverything for immediate departure, and wrapped in their large cloaksleft in search of their game.
The night was dark, snow was falling, the streets were silent anddeserted. D'Artagnan led the way through the intricate windings andnarrow alleys of the city and ere long they had reached the house inquestion. For a moment D'Artagnan thought that Parry's brother haddisappeared; but he was mistaken. The robust Scotchman, accustomed tothe snows of his native hills, had stretched himself against a post, andlike a fallen statue, insensible to the inclemency of the weather, hadallowed the snow to cover him. He rose, however, as they approached.
"Come," said Athos, "here's another good servant. Really, honest men arenot so scarce as I thought."
"Don't be in a hurry to weave crowns for our Scotchman. I believe thefellow is here on his own account, for I have heard that these gentlemenborn beyond the Tweed are very vindictive. I should not like to beGroslow, if he meets him."
"Well?" said Athos, to the man, in English.
"No one has come out," he replied.
"Then, Porthos and Aramis, will you remain with this man while we goaround to Grimaud?"
Grimaud had made himself a kind of sentry box out of a hollow willow,and as they drew near he put his head out and gave a low whistle.
"Soho!" cried Athos.
"Yes," said Grimaud.
"Well, has anybody come out?"
"No, but somebody has gone in."
"A man or a woman?"
"A man."
"Ah! ah!" said D'Artagnan, "there are two of them, then!"
"I wish there were four," said Athos; "the two parties would then beequal."
"Perhaps there are four," said D'Artagnan.
"What do you mean?"
"Other men may have entered before them and waited for them."
"We can find out," said Grimaud. At the same time he pointed to awindow, through the shutters of which a faint light streamed.
"That is true," said D'Artagnan, "let us call the others."
They returned around the house to fetch Porthos and Aramis.
"Have you seen anything?" they asked.
"No, but we are going to," replied D'Artagnan, pointing to Grimaud, whohad already climbed some five or six feet from the ground.
All four came up together. Grimaud continued to climb like a cat andsucceeded at last in catching hold of a hook, which served to keep oneof the shutters back when opened. Then resting his foot on a small ledgehe made a sign to show all was right.
"Well?" asked D'Artagnan.
Grimaud showed his closed hand, with two fingers spread out.
"Speak," said Athos; "we cannot see your signs. How many are there?"
"Two. One opposite to me, the other with his back to me."
"Good. And the man opposite to you is----
"The man I saw go in."
"Do you know him?"
"I thought I recognized him, and was not mistaken. Short and stout."
"Who is it?" they all asked together in a low tone.
"General Oliver Cromwell."
The four friends looked at one another.
"And the other?" asked Athos.
"Thin and lanky."
"The executioner," said D'Artagnan and Aramis at the same time.
"I can see nothing but his back," resumed Grimaud. "But wait. He ismoving; and if he has taken off his mask I shall be able to see. Ah----"
And as if struck in the heart he let go the hook and dropped with agroan.
"Did you see him?" they all asked.
"Yes," said Grimaud, with his hair standing on end.
"The thin, spare man?"
"Yes."
"The executioner, in short?" asked Aramis.
"Yes."
"And who is it?" said Porthos.
"He--he--is----" murmured Grimaud, pale as a ghost and seizing hismaster's hand.
"Who? He?" asked Athos.
"Mordaunt," replied Grimaud.
D'Artagnan, Porthos and Aramis uttered a cry of joy.
Athos stepped back and passed his hand across his brow.
"Fatality!" he muttered.