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　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　he　said；　in　a　softened　tone。
　　〃Are　you　not　going　to　put　up　at　the　‘Arms　of　England'？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃Are　you　not　charged　with　a　mission　from　his　eminence；　Cardinal　Mazarin？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃In　that　case；　I　am　the　man　you　have　to　do　with。　I　am　M。　Mordaunt。〃
　　〃Ah！〃　thought　D'Artagnan；　〃the　man　I　am　warned　against　by　Athos。〃
　　〃Ah！〃　thought　Porthos；　〃the　man　Aramis　wants　me　to　strangle。〃
　　They　both　looked　searchingly　at　the　young　man；　who　misunderstood　the　meaning　of　that　inquisition。
　　〃Do　you　doubt　my　word？〃　he　said。　〃In　that　case　I　can　give　you　proofs。〃
　　〃No；　sir；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃and　we　place　ourselves　at　your　orders。〃
　　〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　resumed　Mordaunt；　〃we　must　set　out　without　delay；　to…day　is　the　last　day　granted　me　by　the　cardinal。　My　ship　is　ready；　and　had　you　not　e　I　must　have　set　off　without　you；　for　General　Cromwell　expects　my　return　impatiently。〃
　　〃So！〃　thought　the　lieutenant；　〃'tis　to　General　Cromwell　that　our　dispatches　are　addressed。〃
　　〃Have　you　no　letter　for　him？〃　asked　the　young　man。
　　〃I　have　one；　the　seal　of　which　I　am　not　to　break　till　I　reach　London；　but　since　you　tell　me　to　whom　it　is　addressed；
　　'tis　useless　to　wait　till　then。〃
　　D'Artagnan　tore　open　the　envelope　of　the　letter。　It　was　directed　to　〃Monsieur　Oliver　Cromwell；　General　of　the　Army　of　the　English　Nation。〃
　　〃Ah！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃a　singular　mission。〃
　　〃Who　is　this　Monsieur　Oliver　Cromwell？〃　inquired　Porthos。
　　〃Formerly　a　brewer；〃　replied　the　Gascon。
　　〃Perhaps　Mazarin　wishes　to　make　a　speculation　in　beer；　as　we　did　in　straw；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃e；　e；　gentlemen；〃　said　Mordaunt；　impatiently；　〃let　us　depart。〃
　　〃What！〃　exclaimed　Porthos　〃without　supper？　Cannot　Monsieur　Cromwell　wait　a　little？〃
　　〃Yes；　but　I？〃　said　Mordaunt。
　　〃Well；　you；〃　said　Porthos；　〃what　then？〃
　　〃I　cannot　wait。〃
　　〃Oh！　as　to　you；　that　is　not　my　concern；　and　I　shall　sup　either　with　or　without　your　permission。〃
　　The　young　man's　eyes　kindled　in　secret；　but　he　restrained　himself。
　　〃Monsieur；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃you　must　excuse　famished　travelers。　Besides；　our　supper　can't　delay　you　much。　We　will　hasten　on　to　the　inn；　you　will　meanwhile　proceed　on　foot　to　the　harbor。　We　will　take　a　bite　and　shall　be　there　as　soon　as　you　are。〃
　　〃Just　as　you　please；　gentlemen；　provided　we　set　sail；〃　he　said。
　　〃The　name　of　your　ship？〃　inquired　D'Artagnan。
　　〃The　Standard。〃
　　〃Very　well；　in　half　an　hour　we　shall　be　on　board。〃
　　And　the　friends；　spurring　on　their　horses；　rode　to　the　hotel；　the　〃Arms　of　England。〃
　　〃What　do　you　say　of　that　young　man？〃　asked　D'Artagnan；　as　they　hurried　along。
　　〃I　say　that　he　doesn't　suit　me　at　all；〃　said　Porthos；　〃and　that　I　feel　a　strong　itching　to　follow　Aramis's　advice。〃
　　〃By　no　means；　my　dear　Porthos；　that　man　is　a　messenger　of　General　Cromwell；　it　would　insure　for　us　a　poor　reception；　I　imagine；　should　it　be　announced　to　him　that　we　had　twisted　the　neck　of　his　confidant。〃
　　〃Nevertheless；〃　said　Porthos；　〃I　have　always　noticed　that　Aramis　gives　good　advice。〃
　　〃Listen；〃　returned　D'Artagnan；　〃when　our　embassy　is　finished　　〃
　　〃Well？〃
　　〃If　it　brings　us　back　to　France　　〃
　　〃Well？〃
　　〃Well；　we　shall　see。〃
　　At　that　moment　the　two　friends　reached　the　hotel；　〃Arms　of　England；〃　where　they　supped　with　hearty　appetite　and　then　at　once　proceeded　to　the　port。
　　There　they　found　a　brig　ready　to　set　sail；　upon　the　deck　of　which　they　recognized　Mordaunt　walking　up　and　down　impatiently。
　　〃It　is　singular；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　whilst　the　boat　was　taking　them　to　the　Standard；　〃it　is　astonishing　how　that　young　man　resembles　some　one　I　must　have　known；　but　who　it　was　I　cannot　yet　remember。〃
　　A　few　minutes　later　they　were　on　board；　but　the　embarkation　of　the　horses　was　a　longer　matter　than　that　of　the　men；　and　it　was　eight　o'clock　before　they　raised　anchor。
　　The　young　man　stamped　impatiently　and　ordered　all　sail　to　be　spread。
　　Porthos；　pletely　used　up　by　three　nights　without　sleep　and　a　journey　of　seventy　leagues　on　horseback；　retired　to　his　cabin　and　went　to　sleep。
　　D'Artagnan；　overing　his　repugnance　to　Mordaunt；　walked　with　him　upon　the　deck　and　invented　a　hundred　stories　to　make　him　talk。
　　Musqueton　was　seasick。
　　The　Scotchman
　　And　now　our　readers　must　leave　the　Standard　to　sail　peaceably；　not　toward　London；　where　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　believed　they　were　going；　but　to　Durham；　whither　Mordaunt　had　been　ordered　to　repair　by　the　letter　he　had　received　during　his　sojourn　at　Boulogne；　and　acpany　us　to　the　royalist　camp；　on　this　side　of　the　Tyne；　near　Newcastle。
　　There；　placed　between　two　rivers　on　the　borders　of　Scotland；　but　still　on　English　soil；　the　tents　of　a　little　army　extended。　It　was　midnight。　Some　Highlanders　were　listlessly　keeping　watch。　The　moon；　which　was　partially　obscured　by　heavy　clouds；　now　and　then　lit　up　the　muskets　of　the　sentinels；　or　silvered　the　walls；　the　roofs；　and　the　spires　of　the　town　that　Charles　I。　had　just　surrendered　to　the　parliamentary　troops；　whilst　Oxford　and　Newark　still　held　out　for　him　in　the　hopes　of　ing　to　some　arrangement。
　　At　one　of　the　extremities　of　the　camp；　near　an　immense　tent；　in　which　the　Scottish　officers　were　holding　a　kind　of　council；　presided　over　by　Lord　Leven；　their　mander；　a　man　attired　as　a　cavalier　lay　sleeping　on　the　turf；　his　right　hand　extended　over　his　sword。
　　About　fifty　paces　off；　another　man；　also　appareled　as　a　cavalier；　was　talking　to　a　Scotch　sentinel；　and；　though　a　foreigner；　he　seemed　to　understand　without　much　difficulty　the　answers　given　in　the　broad　Perthshire　dialect。
　　As　the　town　clock　of　Newcastle　struck　one　the　sleeper　awoke；　and　with　all　the　gestures　of　a　man　rousing　himself　out　of　deep　sleep　he　looked　attentively　about　him；　perceiving　that　he　was　alone　he　rose　and　making　a　little　circuit　passed　close　to　the　cavalier　who　was　speaking　to　the　sentinel。　The　former　had　no　doubt　finished　his　questions；　for　a　moment　later　he　said　good…night　and　carelessly　followed　the　same　path　taken　by　the　first　cavalier。
　　In　the　shadow　of　a　tent　the　former　was　awaiting　him。
　　〃Well；　my　dear　friend？〃　said　he；　in　as　pure　French　as　has　ever　been　uttered　between　Rouen　and　Tours。
　　〃Well；　my　friend；　there　is　not　a　moment　to　lose；　we　must　let　the　king　know　immediately。〃
　　〃Why；　what　is　the　matter？〃
　　〃It　would　take　too　long　to　tell　you；　besides；　you　will　hear　it　all　directly　and　the　least　word　dropped　here　might　ruin　all。　We　must　go　and　find　Lord　Winter。〃
　　They　both　set　off　to　the　other　end　of　the　camp；　but　as　it　did　not　cover　more　than　a　surface　of　five　hundred　feet　they　quickly　arrived　at　the　tent　they　were　looking　for。
　　〃Tony；　is　your　master　sleeping？〃　said　one　of　the　two　cavaliers　to　a　servant　who　was　lying　in　the　outer　partment；　which　served　as　a　kind　of　ante…room。
　　〃No；　monsieur　le　te；〃　answered　the　servant；　〃I　think　not；　or　at　least　he　has　not　long　been　so；　for　he　was　pacing　up　and　down　for　more　than　two　hours　after　he　left　the　king；　and　the　sound　of　his　footsteps　has　only　ceased　during　the　last　ten　minutes。　However；　you　may　look　and　see；〃　added　the　lackey；　raising　the　curtained　entrance　of　the　tent。
　　Lord　Winter　was　seated　near　an　aperture；　arranged　as　a　window　to　let　in　the　night　air；　his　eyes　mechanically　following　the　course　of　the　moon；　intermittently　veiled；　as　we　before　observed；　by　heavy　clouds。　The　two　friends　approached　Winter；　who；　with　his　head　on　his　hands；　was　gazing　at　the　heavens；　he　did　not　hear　them　enter　and　remained　in　the　same　attitude　till　he　felt　a　hand　upon　his　shoulder。
　　He　turned　around；　recognized　Athos　and　Aramis　and　held　out　his　hand　to　them。
　　〃Have　you　observed；〃　said　he　to　them；　〃what　a　blood…red　color　the　moon　has　to…night？〃
　　〃No；〃　replied　Athos；　〃I　thought　it　looked　much　the　same　as　usual。〃
　　〃Look；　again；　chevalier；〃　returned　Lord　Winter。
　　〃I　must　own；〃　said　Aramis；　〃I　am　like　the　te　de　la　Fere　　I　can　see　nothing　remarkable　about　it。〃
　　〃My　lord；〃　said　Athos；　〃in　a　position　so　precarious　as　ours　we　must　examine　the　earth　and　not　the　heavens。　Have　you　studied　our　Scotch　troops　and　have　you　confidence　in　them？〃
　　〃The　Scotch？〃　inquired　Winte