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Chapter XXXVI
Chapter XXXVI
Dream Of Vengeance
That evening milady gave orders that when M. D`Artagnan came as usual,
he should be immediately admitted. But he did not come.
The next day Kitty went to see the young man again, and related to him
all that had passed on the preceding evening: D`Artagnan smiled; this jealous
anger of milady was his revenge.
That evening milady was still more impatient than on the preceding one;
she renewed the order relative to the Gascon; but, as before, she expected
him in vain.
The next morning, when Kitty presented herself at D`Artagnan`s
residence, she was no longer joyous and alert, as she had been on the two
preceding days, but on the contrary, as sad as possible.
D`Artagnan asked the poor girl what was the matter with her, but she,
as her only reply, drew a letter from her pocket and gave it to him.
This letter was in milady`s handwriting, only this time it was addressed
to M. D`Artagnan, and not to M. de Wardes.
He opened it, and read as follows:
"Dear Monsieur D`Artagnan: It is wrong thus to neglect your friends,
particularly at the moment you are about to leave them for so long a time.
My brother-in-law and myself expected you yesterday and the day before, but
in vain. Will it be the same this evening?
"Your very grateful
"Lady Clarik."
"That`s all very simple," said D`Artagnan; "I expected this letter. My
credit rises by the fall of that of the Count de Wardes."
"And will you go?" asked Kitty.
"Listen to me, my dear girl," said the Gascon, who sought for an excuse
in his own eyes for breaking the promise he had made Athos; "you must
understand it would be impolitic not to accept such a positive invitation.
Milady, at not seeing me come again, would not be able to understand what
could cause the interruption of my visits, and might suspect something: who
could say how far the vengeance of such a woman would go?"
"Oh dear! oh dear!" said Kitty, "you know how to represent things in
such a way that you are always in the right. You are going now to pay your
court to her again, and if, this time, you succeed in pleasing her in your
own name and with your own face, it will be much worse than before."
Instinct caused poor Kitty to guess a part of what was going to happen.
D`Artagnan reassured her as well as he could, and promised to remain
insensible to the seductions of milady.
He desired Kitty to tell her mistress that he could not be more grateful
for her kindnesses than he was, and that he would be obedient to her orders:
but he did not dare to write, for fear of not being able, to such experienced
eyes as those of milady, to disguise his writing sufficiently.
As nine o`clock struck, D`Artagnan was at the Place Royale. It was
evident that the servants who waited in the antechamber were warned, for as
soon as D`Artagnan appeared, before even he had asked if milady were
invisible, one of them ran to announce him.
"Show him in," said milady, in a quick tone, but so piercing that
D`Artagnan heard her in the antechamber.
He was introduced.
"I am at home to nobody," said milady; "observe, to nobody."
The servant went out.
D`Artagnan cast an inquiring glance at milady. She was pale, and her
eyes looked red, either from tears or want of sleep. The number of lights
had been intentionally diminished, but the young woman could not conceal the
traces of the fever which had devoured her during the last two days.
D`Artagnan approached her with his usual gallantry. She then made an
extraordinary effort to receive him, but never did a more distressed
countenance give the lie to a more amiable smile.
To the questions which D`Artagnan put concerning her health:
"Ill!" replied she, "very ill!"
"Then," replied he, "my visit is ill-timed; you, no doubt, stand in need
of repose, and I will not intrude longer."
"No, no," said milady: "on the contrary. Stay, Monsieur d`Artagnan,
your agreeable company will divert me."
"Oh! oh!" thought D`Artagnan. "She has never been so kind before. I
must be on my guard."
Milady assumed the most agreeable air possible, and conversed with more
than her usual brilliancy. At the same time the fever, which for an instant
abandoned her, returned to give luster to her eyes, color to her cheeks, and
vermilion to her lips. D`Artagnan was again in the presence of the Circe who
had before surrounded him with her enchantments. His love, which he believed
to be extinct, but which was only asleep, awoke again in his heart. Milady
smiled, and D`Artagnan felt that he could damn himself for that smile. There
was a moment at which he felt something like remorse.
By degrees, milady became more communicative She asked D`Artagnan if he
had a mistress.
"Alas!" said D`Artagnan, with the most sentimental air he could assume,
"can you be cruel enough to put such a question to me; to me, who, from the
moment I saw you, have only breathed and sighed by you and for you!"
Milady smiled with a strange smile.
"Then you do love me?" said she.
"Have I any need to tell you so? can you have failed to perceive it?"
"Perhaps I have; but you know, the more hearts are worth the capture,
the more difficult they are to be won."
"Oh! difficulties do not affright me," said D`Artagnan. "I shrink
before nothing but impossibilities."
"Nothing is impossible," replied milady, "to true love."
"Nothing, madame?"
"Nothing," replied milady.
"The devil!" thought D`Artagnan. "The note is changed. Can she be
going to fall in love with me, by chance, this fair inconstant, and be
disposed to give me myself another sapphire like that which she gave me for
De Wardes."
D`Artagnan drew his seat nearer to milady`s.
"Well, now, 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?"
"For everything," cried D`Artagnan, who knew beforehand that he had not
much to risk in engaging himself thus.
"Well, now let us talk a little seriously," said milady, in her turn
drawing her fauteuil nearer to D`Artagnan`s chair.
"I am all attention, madame," said he.
Milady remained thoughtful and undecided for a moment; then, as if
appearing to have formed a resolution:
"I have an enemy," said she.
"You, madame!" said D`Artagnan, effecting surprise; "is that possible?
My God! good and beautiful as you are!"
"A mortal enemy."
"Indeed!"
"An enemy, who has insulted me so cruelly, that between him and me it
is war to the death. May I reckon on you as an auxiliary?"
D`Artagnan at once perceived what the vindictive creature was coming to.
"You may, madame," said he, with emphasis. "My arm and my life are
yours, as my love is."
"Then," said milady, "since you are as generous as you are loving - "
She stopped.
"Well?" demanded D`Artagnan.
"Well," replied milady, after a moment of silence, "from the present
time cease to talk of impossibilities."
"Do not overwhelm me with happiness!" cried D`Artagnan, throwing himself
on his knees, and covering with kisses the hands she did not attempt to
withdraw.
"Avenge me of that infamous De Wardes," said milady to herself, "and I
shall soon know how to get rid of you, double fool, living sword-blade!"
"Fall voluntarily into my arms," said D`Artagnan, likewise to himself,
"after having abused me with such effrontery, hypocritical, dangerous woman,
and afterward I will laugh at you with him whom you wish me to kill."
D`Artagnan lifted up his head.
"I am ready," said he.
"You have understood me, then, dear Monsieur d`Artagnan," said milady.
"I could understand one of your looks."
"Then you would employ on my account your arm, which has already
acquired so much renown?"
"Instantly!"
"But on my part," said milady, "how should I repay such a service? I
know what lovers are; they are men who do nothing for nothing."
"You know the only reply that I desire," said D`Artagnan, "the only one
worthy of you and of me!"
And he drew nearer to her.
She did not retreat.
"Interested man!" cried she, smiling.
"Ah!" cried D`Artagnan, really carried away by the passion this woman
had the power to kindle in him. "Ah! that is because my happiness appears
so impossible to me: and I have such fear that it should fly away from me
like a dream, that I pant to make a reality of it."
"Well! merit this pretended happiness, then!"
"I am at your orders," said D`Artagnan.
"Quite certain?" said milady, with a last doubt.
"Only name to me the base man that has brought tears into your beautiful
eyes!"
"Who told you that I had been weeping?" said shed
"It appeared to me - "
"Such women as I am don`t weep," said milady.
"So much the better! Come, tell me what his name is?"
"Remember that his name is all my secret."
"Yet I must know his name."
"Yes, you must; see what confidence I have in you!"
"You overwhelm me with joy. What is his name?"
"You know him."
"Indeed?"
"Yes."
"It is surely not one of my friends?" replied D`Artagnan, affecting
hesitation, in order to make her believe him ignorant.
"If it were one of your friends, you would hesitate then?" cried milady;
and a threatening glance darted from her eyes.
"Not if it were my own brother!" cried D`Artagnan, as if carried away
by his enthusiasm.
Our Gascon advanced this without risk, for he knew all that was meant.
"I love your devotedness," said milady.
"Alas! do you love nothing else in me?" asked D`Artagnan.
"I love you also, you!" said she, taking his hand.
And the warm pressure made D`Artagnan tremble; as if by the touch, that
fever which consumed milady was communicated to him.
"You love me! you!" cried he. "Oh! if that were so, I should lose my
reason!"
And he folded her in his arms. She made no efforts to remove her lips
from his kisses, only she did not respond to them.
Her lips were cold; it appeared to D`Artagnan that he had embraced a
statue.
He was not the less intoxicated with joy, electrified by love; he almost
believed in the tenderness of milady; he almost believed in the crime of De
Wardes. If De Wardes had at that moment been under his hand, he would have
killed him.
Milady seized the desired moment.
"His name is - " said she, in he turn.
"De Wardes; I know it," cried D`Artagnan.
"And how do you know it?" asked milady, seizing both his hands, and
endeavoring to read with her eyes to the bottom of his heart.
D`Artagnan felt he had allowed himself to be carried away, and that he
had committed an error.
"Tell me! tell me! tell me, I say," repeated milady, "how do you know
it?"
"How do I know it?" said D`Artagnan.
"Yes."
"I know it, because, yesterday, M. de Wardes, in a salon where I was,
showed a ring which he said he had of you."
"Miserable scoundrel!" cried milady.
The epithet, as may be easily understood, resounded to the very bottom
of the heart of D`Artagnan.
"Well?" continued she.
"Well, I will avenge you of this `miserable scoundrel,`" replied
D`Artagnan, giving himself the airs of Don Japhet of Armenia.
"Thanks! my brave friend!" cried milady; "and when shall I be avenged?"
"To-morrow - immediately - when you please!"
Milady was about to cry out, "immediately;" but she reflected that such
precipitation would not be very gracious toward D`Artagnan.
Besides, she had a thousand precautions to take, a thousand counsels to
give to her defender, in order that he might avoid explanations with the
count before witnesses. All this was answered by an expression of
D`Artagnan`s.
"To-morrow," said he, "you will be avenged, or I shall be dead!"
"No!" said she, "you will avenge me; but you will not be dead. He is
a contemptible fellow."
"Toward women he may be, but not toward men. I know something of him."
"But it seems you had not much to complain of your fortune in your
contest with him?"
"Fortune is a courtesan; though favorable yesterday, she may turn her
back to-morrow."
"Which means that you now hesitate?"
"No, I do not hesitate; God forbid! But would it be just to allow me
to go to a possible death, without having given me at least something more
than hope?"
Milady answered by a glance which said, "Is that all, speak then?" And
then accompanying the glance with explanatory words:
"That is but too just," said she tenderly.
"Oh! you are an angel!" exclaimed the young man.
"Then all is agreed?" said she.
"Except that which I ask of you, dear love!"
"But when I tell you that you may rely on my tenderness?"
"I cannot wait till to-morrow."
"Silence! I hear my brother: it will be useless for him to find you
here."
She rang the bell, and Kitty appeared.
"Go out this way," said she, opening a small private door, "and come
back at eleven o`clock; we will then terminate this conversation; Kitty will
conduct you to my chamber."
The poor girl was near fainting at hearing these words.
"Well! mademoiselle! what are you thinking about, standing there like
a statue? Do as I bid you; show the chevalier the way; and this evening, at
eleven o`clock - you have heard what I said."
"It appears that these appointments are all made for eleven o`clock,"
thought D`Artagnan: "that`s a settled custom."
Milady held out her hand to him, which he kissed tenderly.
"But," said he, as he retired as quickly as possible from the reproaches
of Kitty, "but I must not play the fool - this is certainly a very bad woman,
I must be upon my guard."
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