At nine o’clock in the morning Aramis, this time in attendance on Bishop Juxon, was once more in the king’s room.

“Sire,” he said, “you are saved!  The London executioner has vanished, and there is no executioner nearer at hand than Bristol.  The Count de la Fere is two feet below you; take the poker from the fireplace, and strike three times on the floor.  He will answer you.  He has the path ready for your majesty to escape by.”

The king did as Aramis suggested, and in reply came three dull knocks from below.

“The Count de la Fere,” said Aramis.

All was ready; nothing as far as D’Artagnan and Athos could see, had been overlooked; twenty-four hours hence would see the king beyond the reach of his adversaries.

And then just as Charles had satisfied himself that his life was saved, a Parliamentary officer and a file of soldiers entered the king’s room to announce his immediate execution.

“Then it is for to-day?” asked the king.

“Were not you warned that it was to take place this morning?”

“Then I must die like a common criminal by the hand of the London executioner?”

“The London executioner has disappeared, but a man has offered his services instead.  The execution will, therefore, take place at the appointed hour.”

A fanatical Puritan, nephew of Lord de Winter—­whom he slew at Newcastle—­and a trusted lieutenant of Cromwell’s did the work of the headsman, and upon Athos, waiting in concealment beneath the scaffold, fell drops of the king’s blood.

When all was over the four hastened away in deep dejection to the skiff at Greenwich, and so to France.  But when they had landed at Dunkirk it was plain to D’Artagnan that their troubles were not yet at an end.

“Porthos and I were sent by Cardinal Mazarin to fight for Cromwell; instead of fighting for Cromwell, we have served Charles I.; that’s not the same thing at all.”

However, D’Artagnan and Porthos, on their return to Paris, rendered such signal service to Mazarin and to the queen, by guarding them from the violence of the mob, and by quelling a riot, that D’Artagnan received his commission as captain of musketeers, and Porthos his barony.

The four old friends met once more in Paris before they separated.  Aramis was returning to his convent, Athos and Porthos to their estates.  As war had just broken out in Flanders, D’Artagnan made ready to go thither.

Then all four embraced, with tears in their eyes.  And after that they departed on their various ways, not knowing whether they were ever to see each other again.