Les trois mousquetaires. English

by Alexandre Dumas

  50 CHAT BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER

  During the time which Lord de Winter took to shut the door, close ashutter, and draw a chair near to his sister-in-law's fauteuil, Milady,anxiously thoughtful, plunged her glance into the depths of possibility,and discovered all the plan, of which she could not even obtain a glanceas long as she was ignorant into whose hands she had fallen. She knewher brother-in-law to be a worthy gentleman, a bold hunter, an intrepidplayer, enterprising with women, but by no means remarkable for hisskill in intrigues. How had he discovered her arrival, and caused her tobe seized? Why did he detain her?

  Athos had dropped some words which proved that the conversation she hadwith the cardinal had fallen into outside ears; but she could notsuppose that he had dug a countermine so promptly and so boldly. Sherather feared that her preceding operations in England might have beendiscovered. Buckingham might have guessed that it was she who had cutoff the two studs, and avenge himself for that little treachery; butBuckingham was incapable of going to any excess against a woman,particularly if that woman was supposed to have acted from a feeling ofjealousy.

  This supposition appeared to her most reasonable. It seemed to her thatthey wanted to revenge the past, and not to anticipate the future. Atall events, she congratulated herself upon having fallen into the handsof her brother-in-law, with whom she reckoned she could deal veryeasily, rather than into the hands of an acknowledged and intelligentenemy.

  "Yes, let us chat, brother," said she, with a kind of cheerfulness,decided as she was to draw from the conversation, in spite of all thedissimulation Lord de Winter could bring, the revelations of which shestood in need to regulate her future conduct.

  "You have, then, decided to come to England again," said Lord de Winter,"in spite of the resolutions you so often expressed in Paris never toset your feet on British ground?"

  Milady replied to this question by another question. "To begin with,tell me," said she, "how have you watched me so closely as to be awarebeforehand not only of my arrival, but even of the day, the hour, andthe port at which I should arrive?"

  Lord de Winter adopted the same tactics as Milady, thinking that as hissister-in-law employed them they must be the best.

  "But tell me, my dear sister," replied he, "what makes you come toEngland?"

  "I come to see you," replied Milady, without knowing how much sheaggravated by this reply the suspicions to which d'Artagnan's letter hadgiven birth in the mind of her brother-in-law, and only desiring to gainthe good will of her auditor by a falsehood.

  "Ah, to see me?" said de Winter, cunningly.

  "To be sure, to see you. What is there astonishing in that?"

  "And you had no other object in coming to England but to see me?"

  "No."

  "So it was for me alone you have taken the trouble to cross theChannel?"

  "For you alone."

  "The deuce! What tenderness, my sister!"

  "But am I not your nearest relative?" demanded Milady, with a tone ofthe most touching ingenuousness.

  "And my only heir, are you not?" said Lord de Winter in his turn, fixinghis eyes on those of Milady.

  Whatever command she had over herself, Milady could not help starting;and as in pronouncing the last words Lord de Winter placed his hand uponthe arm of his sister, this start did not escape him.

  In fact, the blow was direct and severe. The first idea that occurred toMilady's mind was that she had been betrayed by Kitty, and that she hadrecounted to the baron the selfish aversion toward himself of which shehad imprudently allowed some marks to escape before her servant. Shealso recollected the furious and imprudent attack she had made upond'Artagnan when he spared the life of her brother.

  "I do not understand, my Lord," said she, in order to gain time and makeher adversary speak out. "What do you mean to say? Is there any secretmeaning concealed beneath your words?"

  "Oh, my God, no!" said Lord de Winter, with apparent good nature. "Youwish to see me, and you come to England. I learn this desire, or ratherI suspect that you feel it; and in order to spare you all the annoyancesof a nocturnal arrival in a port and all the fatigues of landing, I sendone of my officers to meet you, I place a carriage at his orders, and hebrings you hither to this castle, of which I am governor, whither I comeevery day, and where, in order to satisfy our mutual desire of seeingeach other, I have prepared you a chamber. What is there moreastonishing in all that I have said to you than in what you have toldme?"

  "No; what I think astonishing is that you should expect my coming."

  "And yet that is the most simple thing in the world, my dear sister.Have you not observed that the captain of your little vessel, onentering the roadstead, sent forward, in order to obtain permission toenter the port, a little boat bearing his logbook and the register ofhis voyagers? I am commandant of the port. They brought me that book. Irecognized your name in it. My heart told me what your mouth has justconfirmed--that is to say, with what view you have exposed yourself tothe dangers of a sea so perilous, or at least so troublesome at thismoment--and I sent my cutter to meet you. You know the rest."

  Milady knew that Lord de Winter lied, and she was the more alarmed.

  "My brother," continued she, "was not that my Lord Buckingham whom I sawon the jetty this evening as we arrived?"

  "Himself. Ah, I can understand how the sight of him struck you," repliedLord de Winter. "You came from a country where he must be very muchtalked of, and I know that his armaments against France greatly engagethe attention of your friend the cardinal."

  "My friend the cardinal!" cried Milady, seeing that on this point as onthe other Lord de Winter seemed well instructed.

  "Is he not your friend?" replied the baron, negligently. "Ah, pardon! Ithought so; but we will return to my Lord Duke presently. Let us notdepart from the sentimental turn our conversation had taken. You came,you say, to see me?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, I reply that you shall be served to the height of your wishes,and that we shall see each other every day."

  "Am I, then, to remain here eternally?" demanded Milady, with a certainterror.

  "Do you find yourself badly lodged, sister? Demand anything you want,and I will hasten to have you furnished with it."

  "But I have neither my women nor my servants."

  "You shall have all, madame. Tell me on what footing your household wasestablished by your first husband, and although I am only yourbrother-in-law, I will arrange one similar."

  "My first husband!" cried Milady, looking at Lord de Winter with eyesalmost starting from their sockets.

  "Yes, your French husband. I don't speak of my brother. If you haveforgotten, as he is still living, I can write to him and he will send meinformation on the subject."

  A cold sweat burst from the brow of Milady.

  "You jest!" said she, in a hollow voice.

  "Do I look so?" asked the baron, rising and going a step backward.

  "Or rather you insult me," continued she, pressing with her stiffenedhands the two arms of her easy chair, and raising herself upon herwrists.

  "I insult you!" said Lord de Winter, with contempt. "In truth, madame,do you think that can be possible?"

  "Indeed, sir," said Milady, "you must be either drunk or mad. Leave theroom, and send me a woman."

  "Women are very indiscreet, my sister. Cannot I serve you as a waitingmaid? By that means all our secrets will remain in the family."

  "Insolent!" cried Milady; and as if acted upon by a spring, she boundedtoward the baron, who awaited her attack with his arms crossed, butnevertheless with one hand on the hilt of his sword.

  "Come!" said he. "I know you are accustomed to assassinate people; but Iwarn you I shall defend myself, even against you."

  "You are right," said Milady. "You have all the appearance of beingcowardly enough to lift your hand against a woman."

  "Perhaps so; and I have an excuse, for mine would not be the first handof a man that has been placed upon you, I imagine."

&nbs
p; And the baron pointed, with a slow and accusing gesture, to the leftshoulder of Milady, which he almost touched with his finger.

  Milady uttered a deep, inward shriek, and retreated to a corner of theroom like a panther which crouches for a spring.

  "Oh, growl as much as you please," cried Lord de Winter, "but don't tryto bite, for I warn you that it would be to your disadvantage. There arehere no procurators who regulate successions beforehand. There is noknight-errant to come and seek a quarrel with me on account of the fairlady I detain a prisoner; but I have judges quite ready who will quicklydispose of a woman so shameless as to glide, a bigamist, into the bed ofLord de Winter, my brother. And these judges, I warn you, will soon sendyou to an executioner who will make both your shoulders alike."

  The eyes of Milady darted such flashes that although he was a man andarmed before an unarmed woman, he felt the chill of fear glide throughhis whole frame. However, he continued all the same, but with increasingwarmth: "Yes, I can very well understand that after having inherited thefortune of my brother it would be very agreeable to you to be my heirlikewise; but know beforehand, if you kill me or cause me to be killed,my precautions are taken. Not a penny of what I possess will pass intoyour hands. Were you not already rich enough--you who possess nearly amillion? And could you not stop your fatal career, if you did not doevil for the infinite and supreme joy of doing it? Oh, be assured, ifthe memory of my brother were not sacred to me, you should rot in astate dungeon or satisfy the curiosity of sailors at Tyburn. I will besilent, but you must endure your captivity quietly. In fifteen or twentydays I shall set out for La Rochelle with the army; but on the eve of mydeparture a vessel which I shall see depart will take you hence andconvey you to our colonies in the south. And be assured that you shallbe accompanied by one who will blow your brains out at the first attemptyou make to return to England or the Continent."

  Milady listened with an attention that dilated her inflamed eyes.

  "Yes, at present," continued Lord de Winter, "you will remain in thiscastle. The walls are thick, the doors strong, and the bars solid;besides, your window opens immediately over the sea. The men of my crew,who are devoted to me for life and death, mount guard around thisapartment, and watch all the passages that lead to the courtyard. Evenif you gained the yard, there would still be three iron gates for you topass. The order is positive. A step, a gesture, a word, on your part,denoting an effort to escape, and you are to be fired upon. If they killyou, English justice will be under an obligation to me for having savedit trouble. Ah! I see your features regain their calmness, yourcountenance recovers its assurance. You are saying to yourself: 'Fifteendays, twenty days? Bah! I have an inventive mind; before that is expiredsome idea will occur to me. I have an infernal spirit. I shall meet witha victim. Before fifteen days are gone by I shall be away from here.'Ah, try it!"

  Milady, finding her thoughts betrayed, dug her nails into her flesh tosubdue every emotion that might give to her face any expression exceptagony.

  Lord de Winter continued: "The officer who commands here in my absenceyou have already seen, and therefore know him. He knows how, as you musthave observed, to obey an order--for you did not, I am sure, come fromPortsmouth hither without endeavoring to make him speak. What do you sayof him? Could a statue of marble have been more impassive and more mute?You have already tried the power of your seductions upon many men, andunfortunately you have always succeeded; but I give you leave to trythem upon this one. PARDIEU! if you succeed with him, I pronounce youthe demon himself."

  He went toward the door and opened it hastily.

  "Call Mr. Felton," said he. "Wait a minute longer, and I will introducehim to you."

  There followed between these two personages a strange silence, duringwhich the sound of a slow and regular step was heard approaching.Shortly a human form appeared in the shade of the corridor, and theyoung lieutenant, with whom we are already acquainted, stopped at thethreshold to receive the orders of the baron.

  "Come in, my dear John," said Lord de Winter, "come in, and shut thedoor."

  The young officer entered.

  "Now," said the baron, "look at this woman. She is young; she isbeautiful; she possesses all earthly seductions. Well, she is a monster,who, at twenty-five years of age, has been guilty of as many crimes asyou could read of in a year in the archives of our tribunals. Her voiceprejudices her hearers in her favor; her beauty serves as a bait to hervictims; her body even pays what she promises--I must do her thatjustice. She will try to seduce you, perhaps she will try to kill you. Ihave extricated you from misery, Felton; I have caused you to be namedlieutenant; I once saved your life, you know on what occasion. I am foryou not only a protector, but a friend; not only a benefactor, but afather. This woman has come back again into England for the purpose ofconspiring against my life. I hold this serpent in my hands. Well, Icall you, and say to you: Friend Felton, John, my child, guard me, andmore particularly guard yourself, against this woman. Swear, by yourhopes of salvation, to keep her safely for the chastisement she hasmerited. John Felton, I trust your word! John Felton, I put faith inyour loyalty!"

  "My Lord," said the young officer, summoning to his mild countenance allthe hatred he could find in his heart, "my Lord, I swear all shall bedone as you desire."

  Milady received this look like a resigned victim; it was impossible toimagine a more submissive or a more mild expression than that whichprevailed on her beautiful countenance. Lord de Winter himself couldscarcely recognize the tigress who, a minute before, prepared apparentlyfor a fight.

  "She is not to leave this chamber, understand, John," continued thebaron. "She is to correspond with nobody; she is to speak to no one butyou--if you will do her the honor to address a word to her."

  "That is sufficient, my Lord! I have sworn."

  "And now, madame, try to make your peace with God, for you are judged bymen!"

  Milady let her head sink, as if crushed by this sentence. Lord de Winterwent out, making a sign to Felton, who followed him, shutting the doorafter him.

  One instant after, the heavy step of a marine who served as sentinel washeard in the corridor--his ax in his girdle and his musket on hisshoulder.

  Milady remained for some minutes in the same position, for she thoughtthey might perhaps be examining her through the keyhole; she then slowlyraised her head, which had resumed its formidable expression of menaceand defiance, ran to the door to listen, looked out of her window, andreturning to bury herself again in her large armchair, she reflected.