The fire being extinguished, the soldiers presented themselves, Digby at their head.
"General," said he, "excuse us; what we have done was for love of your honor, whom we thought lost." "You are mad, gentlemen.

Lost! Is a man like me to be lost?
Am I not permitted to be absent, according to my pleasure, without giving formal notice?
Do you, by chance, take me for a citizen from the city?
Is a gentleman, my friend, my guest, to be besieged, entrapped, and threatened with death, because he is suspected?
What signifies the word, suspected?
Curse me if I don't have every one of you shot like dogs, that the brave gentleman has left alive! "General," said Digby, piteously, "there were twenty-eight of us, and see, there are eight on the ground." "I authorize M.le Comte de la Fere to send the twenty to join the eight," said Monk, stretching out his hand to Athos.

"Let them return to camp.

Mr.Digby, you will consider yourself under arrest for a month." "General--" "That is to teach you, sir, not to act, another time, without orders." "I had those of the lieutenant, general." "The lieutenant had no such orders to give you, and he shall be placed under arrest, instead of you, if he has really commanded you to burn this gentleman." "He did not command that, general; he commanded us to bring him to the camp; but the count was not willing to follow us." "I was not willing that they should enter and plunder my house," said Athos to Monk, with a significant look.
"And you were quite right.

To the camp, I say." The soldiers departed with dejected looks.