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As Lord de Winter had thought, Milady's wound was not dangerous. So soon as she was left alone with the woman whom the baron had summoned to her assistance she opened her eyes. It was, however, necessary to affect weakness and pain not a very difficult task for so finished an actress as Milady.
The little apartment was charming for its taste and neatness; but in spite of himself, his eyes were directed to that door which Kitty said led to Milady's chamber. Kitty guessed what was passing in the mind of the young man, and heaved a deep sigh. "You love my mistress, then, very dearly, Monsieur Chevalier?" said she. "Oh, more than I can say, Kitty! I am mad for her!"
"I will, Lieutenant," said the soldier. Felton entered Milady's apartment. Milady arose. "You are here!" said she. "I promised to come," said Felton, "and I have come." "You promised me something else." "What, my God!" said the young man, who in spite of his self-command felt his knees tremble and the sweat start from his brow.
Milady frowned slightly; a scarcely visible cloud passed over her brow, and so peculiar a smile appeared upon her lips that the young man, who saw and observed this triple shade, almost shuddered at it. The brother did not perceive this; he had turned round to play with Milady's favorite monkey, which had pulled him by the doublet.
Is she going to fall in love with me, by chance, this fair inconstant; and will she be disposed to give me myself another sapphire like that which she gave me for de Wardes?" D'Artagnan rapidly drew his seat nearer to Milady's. "Well, now," she said, "let us see what you would do to prove this love of which you speak." "All that could be required of me. Order; I am ready." "For everything?"
The fanged dogs of war, once turned loose upon the man who dared to think, have left as sole successor only a fat and harmless poodle, known as Social Ostracism. This poodle is old, toothless and given over to introspection; it has to be fed on pap; its only exercise is to exploit the horse-blocks, doze in milady's lap, and dream of a long-lost canine paradise.
The next day, when Felton entered Milady's apartment he found her standing, mounted upon a chair, holding in her hands a cord made by means of torn cambric handkerchiefs, twisted into a kind of rope one with another, and tied at the ends. At the noise Felton made in entering, Milady leaped lightly to the ground, and tried to conceal behind her the improvised cord she held in her hand.
"There is nothing but a wainscot between my chamber and Milady's; every word that is uttered in one can be heard in the other." "That's exactly the reason I won't go," said d'Artagnan. "What!" said Kitty, blushing. "Or, at least, I will go later." He drew Kitty to him. She had the less motive to resist, resistance would make so much noise. Therefore Kitty surrendered.
The doctor comes up; singularly enough Lady Ruth has just bethought herself of her fan, and the military figure of the stalwart Briton is seen passing through the door-way upon a wild-goose chase for the much maligned article of ladies' warfare, which has played its part in many a bit of diplomacy, and which he will never find, as it is at that moment resting in the folds of milady's dress, cleverly hidden from view.
He had been informed at seven o'clock in the morning that a rope ladder floated from one of the windows of the castle; he had hastened to Milady's chamber, had found it empty, the window open, and the bars filed, had remembered the verbal caution d'Artagnan had transmitted to him by his messenger, had trembled for the duke, and running to the stable without taking time to have a horse saddled, had jumped upon the first he found, had galloped off like the wind, had alighted below in the courtyard, had ascended the stairs precipitately, and on the top step, as we have said, had encountered Felton.
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