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Milady uttered a frightful shriek, and dragged herself along several paces upon her knees toward her judges. Athos stretched out his hand toward her. "Charlotte Backson, Comtesse de la Fere, Milady de Winter," said he, "your crimes have wearied men on earth and God in heaven. If you know a prayer, say it for you are condemned, and you shall die."
"The Milady Dorchester," as she was called among the people, was of the famous line of the Howards, daughter of that Earl of Effingham who refused in 1776 to draw his sword against the liberties of his fellow-subjects in America. At her table many a scathing dissertation on the nobodiness of nobodies had been given the youthful gentry of the Province, a fact not unknown to Germain.
I was presented to him, and he seemed glad to speak English, which was not of the best, but far better than his French. He told me a great deal about his journey, the attractions of Paris, and about his country and family. He answered, "Quite a few, milady." "What does your Highness call a few?" I asked. "Well, I think about forty," he replied, nonchalantly.
Felton made a sign that she should not be disturbed; and when all was arranged, he went out quietly with the soldiers. Milady knew she might be watched, so she continued her prayers to the end; and it appeared to her that the soldier who was on duty at her door did not march with the same step, and seemed to listen. For the moment she wished nothing better.
Toward four o'clock in the morning the doctor arrived; but since the time Milady stabbed herself, however short, the wound had closed. The doctor could therefore measure neither the direction nor the depth of it; he only satisfied himself by Milady's pulse that the case was not serious. She had one hope, which was that Felton would appear at the breakfast hour; but Felton did not come.
"It is not necessary for Milady* to be seen by this fellow," continued the stranger. "She will soon pass; she is already late. I had better get on horseback, and go and meet her. I should like, however, to know what this letter addressed to Treville contains." *We are well aware that this term, milady, is only properly used when followed by a family name.
Felton's orders were, for the rest, executed with a silent rapidity that gave a good idea of the way in which he maintained discipline. At length Felton, who had not yet looked at Milady, turned toward her. "Ah, ah!" said he, "she is asleep; that's well. When she wakes she can sup." And he made some steps toward the door.
Milady had, likewise, the best of passports her beauty, her noble appearance, and the liberality with which she distributed her pistoles.
To these advances the Princess of Mogador returned a gracious and affable salutation, exchanging glances of peculiar meaning with two highly respectable bearded gentlemen who travelled in her suite; and, when asked by milady whereabouts her highness's residence was at Paris, said that her hotel was in the Rue Notre Dame de Lorette: where Lady Kicklebury hoped to have the honor of waiting upon Madame la Princesse de Mogador.
"He is a coward, indeed," grumbled the host, drawing near to d'Artagnan, and endeavoring by this little flattery to make up matters with the young man, as the heron of the fable did with the snail he had despised the evening before. "Yes, a base coward," murmured d'Artagnan; "but she she was very beautiful." "What she?" demanded the host. "Milady," faltered d'Artagnan, and fainted a second time.
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