and above all, that d’Artagnan would also be lost to her forever. This last thought of love counseled her to make this last sacrifice.
D’Artagnan, on his part, had gained the summit of all his wishes. It was no longer a rival who was beloved; it was himself who was apparently beloved. A secret voice whispered to him, at the bottom of his heart, that he was but an instrument of vengeance, that he was only caressed till he had given death; but pride, but self-love, but madness silenced this voice and stifled its murmurs. And then our Gascon, with that large quantity of conceit which we know he possessed, compared himself with de Wardes, and asked himself why, after all, he should not be beloved for himself?
He was absorbed entirely by the sensations of the moment. Milady was no longer for him that woman of fatal intentions who had for a moment terrified him; she was an ardent, passionate mistress, abandoning herself to love which she also seemed to feel. Two hours thus glided away. When the transports of the two lovers were calmer, Milady, who had not the same motives for forgetfulness that d’Artagnan had, was the first to return to reality, and asked the young man if the means which were on the morrow to bring on the encounter between him and de Wardes were already arranged in his mind.
But d’Artagnan, whose ideas had taken quite another course, forgot himself like a fool, and answered gallantly that it was too late to think about duels and sword thrusts.
This coldness toward the only interests that occupied her mind terrified Milady, whose questions became more pressing.
Then d’Artagnan, who had never seriously thought of this impossible duel, endeavored to turn the conversation; but he could not succeed. Milady kept him within the limits she had traced beforehand with her irresistible spirit and her iron will.
D’Artagnan fancied himself very cunning when advising Milady to renounce, by pardoning de Wardes, the furious projects she had formed.
But at the first word the young woman started, and exclaimed in a sharp, bantering tone, which sounded strangely in the darkness, “Are you afraid, dear Monsieur d’Artagnan?”
“You cannot think so, dear love!” replied d’Artagnan; “but now, suppose this poor Comte de Wardes were less guilty than you think him?”
“At all events,” said Milady, seriously, “he has deceived me, and from the moment he deceived me, he merited death.”
“He shall die, then, since you condemn him!” said d’Artagnan, in so firm a tone that it appeared to Milady an undoubted proof of devotion. This reassured her.
We cannot say how long the night seemed to Milady, but d’Artagnan believed it to be hardly two hours before the daylight peeped through the window blinds, and invaded the chamber with its paleness. Seeing d’Artagnan about to leave her, Milady recalled his promise to avenge her on the Comte de Wardes.
“I am quite ready,” said d’Artagnan; “but in the first place I should like to be certain of one thing.”
“And what is that?” asked Milady.
“That is, whether you really love me?”
“I have given you proof of that, it seems to me.”
“And I am yours, body and soul!”
“Thanks, my brave lover; but as you are satisfied of my love, you must, in your turn, satisfy me of yours. Is it not so?”
“Certainly; but if you love me as much as you say,” replied d’Artagnan, “do you not entertain a little fear on my account?”
“What have I to fear?”
“Why, that I may be dangerously wounded—killed even.”
“Impossible!” cried Milady, “you are such a valiant man, and such an expert swordsman.”
“You would not, then, prefer a method,” resumed d’Artagnan, “which would equally avenge you while rendering the combat useless?”
Milady looked at her lover in silence. The pale light of the first rays of day gave to her clear eyes a strangely frightful expression.
“Really,” said she, “I believe you now begin to hesitate.”
“No, I do not hesitate; but I really pity this poor Comte de Wardes, since you have ceased to love him. I think that a man must be so severely punished by the loss of your love that he stands in need of no other chastisement.”
“Who told you that I loved him?” asked Milady, sharply.
“At least, I am now at liberty to believe, without too much fatuity, that you love another,” said the young man, in a caressing tone, “and I repeat that I am really interested for the count.”
“You?” asked Milady.
“Yes, I.”
“And why YOU?”
“Because I alone know—”
“What?”
“That he is far from being, or rather having been, so guilty toward you as he appears.”
“Indeed!” said Milady, in an anxious tone; “explain yourself, for I really cannot tell what you mean.”
And she looked at d’Artagnan, who embraced her tenderly, with eyes which seemed to burn themselves away.
“Yes; I am a man of honor,” said d’Artagnan, determined to come to an end, “and since your love is mine, and I am satisfied I possess it—for I do possess it, do I not?”
“Entirely; go on.”
“Well, I feel as if transformed—a confession weighs on my mind.”
“A confession!”
“If I had the least doubt of your love I would not make it, but you love me, my beautiful mistress, do you not?”
“Without doubt.”
“Then if through excess of love I have rendered myself culpable toward you, you will pardon me?”
“Perhaps.”
D’Artagnan tried with his sweetest smile to touch his lips to Milady’s, but she evaded him.
“This confession,” said she, growing paler, “what is this confession?”
“You gave de Wardes a meeting on Thursday last in this very room, did you not?”
“No, no! It is not true,” said Milady, in a tone of voice so firm, and with a countenance so unchanged, that if d’Artagnan had not been in such perfect possession of the fact, he would have doubted.
“Do not lie, my angel,” said d’Artagnan, smiling; “that would be useless.”
“What do you mean? Speak! you kill me.”
“Be satisfied; you are not guilty toward me, and I have already pardoned you.”
“What next? what next?”
“De Wardes cannot boast of anything.”
“How is that? You told me yourself that that ring—”
“That ring I have! The Comte de Wardes of Thursday and the d’Artagnan of today are the same person.”
The imprudent young man expected a surprise, mixed with shame—a slight storm which would resolve itself into tears; but he was strangely deceived, and his error was not of long duration.
Pale and trembling, Milady repulsed d’Artagnan’s attempted embrace by a violent blow on the chest, as she sprang out of bed.
It was almost broad daylight.
D’Artagnan detained her by her night dress of fine India linen, to implore her pardon; but she, with a strong movement, tried to escape. Then the cambric was torn from her