The evening so impatiently waited for by Porthos and byD'Artagnan at last arrived.

As was his custom, D'Artagnan presented himself at Milady'sat about nine o'clock. He found her in a charming humor.Never had he been so well received. Our Gascon knew, by thefirst glance of his eye, that his billet had been delivered,and that this billet had had its effect.

Kitty entered to bring some sherbet. Her mistress put on acharming face, and smiled on her graciously; but alas! thepoor girl was so sad that she did not even notice Milady'scondescension.

D'Artagnan looked at the two women, one after the other, andwas forced to acknowledge that in his opinion Dame Naturehad made a mistake in their formation. To the great ladyshe had given a heart vile and venal; to the SOUBRETTE shehad given the heart of a duchess.

At ten o'clock Milady began to appear restless. D'Artagnanknew what she wanted. She looked at the clock, rose,reseated herself, smiled at D'Artagnan with an air whichsaid, "You are very amiable, no doubt, but you would becharming if you would only depart."

D'Artagnan rose and took his hat; Milady gave him her handto kiss. The young man felt her press his hand, andcomprehended that this was a sentiment, not of coquetry, butof gratitude because of his departure.

"She loves him devilishly," he murmured. Then he went out.

This time Kitty was nowhere waiting for him; neither in theantechamber, nor in the corridor, nor beneath the greatdoor. It was necessary that D'Artagnan should find alonethe staircase and the little chamber. She heard him enter,but she did not raise her head. The young man went to herand took her hands; then she sobbed aloud.

As D'Artagnan had presumed, on receiving his letter, Miladyin a delirium of joy had told her servant everything; and byway of recompense for the manner in which she had this timeexecuted the commission, she had given Kitty a purse.

Returning to her own room, Kitty had thrown the purse into acorner, where it lay open, disgorging three or four goldpieces on the carpet. The poor girl, under the caresses ofD'Artagnan, lifted her head. D'Artagnan himself wasfrightened by the change in her countenance. She joined herhands with a suppliant air, but without venturing to speak aword. As little sensitive as was the heart of D'Artagnan,he was touched by this mute sorrow; but he held tootenaciously to his projects, above all to this one, tochange the program which he had laid out in advance. He didnot therefore allow her any hope that he would flinch; onlyhe represented his action as one of simple vengeance.

For the rest this vengeance was very easy; for Milady,doubtless to conceal her blushes from her lover, had orderedKitty to extinguish all the lights in the apartment, andeven in the little chamber itself. Before daybreak M. deWardes must take his departure, still in obscurity.

Presently they heard Milady retire to her room. D'Artagnanslipped into the wardrobe. Hardly was he concealed when thelittle bell sounded. Kitty went to her mistress, and didnot leave the door open; but the partition was so thin thatone could hear nearly all that passed between the two women.

Milady seemed overcome with joy, and made Kitty repeat thesmallest details of the pretended interview of the soubrettewith De Wardes when he received the letter; how he hadresponded; what was the expression of his face; if he seemedvery amorous. And to all these questions poor Kitty, forcedto put on a pleasant face, responded in a stifled voicewhose dolorous accent her mistress did not however remark,solely because happiness is egotistical.

Finally, as the hour for her interview with the countapproached, Milady had everything about her darkened, andordered Kitty to return to her own chamber, and introduce DeWardes whenever he presented himself.

Kitty's detention was not long. Hardly had D'Artagnan seen,

through a crevice in his closet, that the whole apartmentwas in obscurity, than he slipped out of his concealment, atthe very moment when Kitty reclosed the door ofcommunication.

"What is that noise?" demanded Milady.

"It is I," said D'Artagnan in a subdued voice, "I, the Comtede Wardes."

"Oh, my God, my God!" murmured Kitty, "he has not evenwaited for the hour he himself named!"

"Well," said Milady, in a trembling voice, "why do you notenter? Count, Count," added she, "you know that I wait foryou."

At this appeal D'Artagnan drew Kitty quietly away, andslipped into the chamber.

If rage or sorrow ever torture the heart, it is when a loverreceives under a name which is not his own protestations oflove addressed to his happy rival. D'Artagnan was in adolorous situation which he had not foreseen. Jealousygnawed his heart; and he suffered almost as much as poorKitty, who at that very moment was crying in the nextchamber.

"Yes, Count," said Milady, in her softest voice, andpressing his hand in her own, "I am happy in the love whichyour looks and your words have expressed to me every time wehave met. I also - I love you. Oh, tomorrow, tomorrow, Imust have some pledge from you which will prove that youthink of me; and that you may not forget me, take this!" andshe slipped a ring from her finger onto D'Artagnan's.D'Artagnan remembered having seen this ring on the finger ofMilady; it was a magnificent sapphire, encircled withbrilliants.

The first movement of D'Artagnan was to return it, butMilady added, "No, no! Keep that ring for love of me.Besides, in accepting it," she added, in a voice full ofemotion, "you render me a much greater service than youimagine."

"This woman is full of mysteries," murmured D'Artagnan tohimself. At that instant he felt himself ready to revealall. He even opened his mouth to tell Milady who he was,and with what a revengeful purpose he had come; but sheadded, "Poor angel, whom that monster of a Gascon barelyfailed to kill."

The monster was himself.

"Oh," continued Milady, "do your wounds still make yousuffer?"

"Yes, much," said D'Artagnan, who did not well know how toanswer.

"Be tranquil," murmured Milady; "I will avenge you - andcruelly!"

"PESTE!" said D'Artagnan to himself, "the moment forconfidences has not yet come."

It took some time for D'Artagnan to resume this littledialogue; but then all the ideas of vengeance which he hadbrought with him had completely vanished. This womanexercised over him an unaccountable power; he hated andadored her at the same time. He would not have believedthat two sentiments so opposite could dwell in the sameheart, and by their union constitute a passion so strange,and as it were, diabolical.

Presently it sounded one o'clock. It was necessary toseparate. D'Artagnan at the moment of quitting Milady feltonly the liveliest regret at the parting; and as theyaddressed each other in a reciprocally passionate adieu,another interview was arranged for the following week.

Poor Kitty hoped to speak a few words to D'Artagnan when hepassed through her chamber; but Milady herself reconductedhim through the darkness, and only quit him at thestaircase.

The next morning D'Artagnan ran to find Athos. He wasengaged in an adventure so singular that he wished forcounsel. He therefore told him all.

"Your Milady," said he, "appears to be an infamous creature,but not the less you have done wrong to deceive her. In onefashion or another you have a terrible enemy on your hands."

While thus speaking Athos regarded with attention thesapphire set with diamonds which had taken, on D'Artagnan'sfinger, the place of the queen's ring, carefully kept in acasket.

"You notice my ring?" said the Gascon, proud to display sorich a gift in the eyes of his friends.

"Yes," said Athos, "it reminds me of a family jewel."

"It is beautiful, is it not?" said D'Artagnan.

"Yes," said Athos, "magnificent. I did not think twosapphires of such a fine water existed. Have you traded itfor your diamond?"

"No. It is a gift from my beautiful Englishwoman, or ratherFrenchwoman - for I am convinced she was born in France,though I have not questioned her."

"That ring comes from Milady?" cried Athos, with a voice inwhich it was easy to detect strong emotion.

"Her very self; she gave it me last night. Here it is,"replied D'Artagnan, taking it from his finger.

Athos examined it and became very pale. He tried it on hisleft hand; it fit his finger as if made for it.

A shade of anger and vengeance passed across the usuallycalm brow of this gentleman.

"It is impossible it can be she," said be. "How could thisring come into the hands of Milady Clarik? And yet it isdifficult to suppose such a resemblance should exist betweentwo jewels."

"Do you know this ring?" said D'Artagnan.

"I thought I did," replied Athos; "but no doubt I wasmistaken." And he returned D'Artagnan the ring without,however, ceasing to look at it.

"Pray, D'Artagnan," said Athos, after a minute, "either takeoff that ring or turn the mounting inside; it recalls suchcruel recollections that I shall have no head to conversewith you. Don't ask me for counsel; don't tell me you areperplexed what to do. But stop! let me look at thatsapphire again; the one I mentioned to you had one of itsfaces scratched by accident."

D'Artagnan took off the ring, giving it again to Athos.

Athos started. "Look," said he, "is it not strange?" and hepointed out to D'Artagnan the scratch he had remembered.

"But from whom did this ring come to you, Athos?"

"From my mother, who inherited it from her mother. As Itold you, it is an old family jewel."

"And you - sold it?" asked D'Artagnan, hesitatingly.

"No," replied Athos, with a singular smile. "I gave it awayin a night of love, as it has been given to you."

D'Artagnan became pensive in his turn; it appeared as ifthere were abysses in Milady's soul whose depths were darkand unknown. He took back the ring, but put it in hispocket and not on his finger.

"D'Artagnan," said Athos, taking his hand, "you know I loveyou; if I had a son I could not love him better. Take myadvice, renounce this woman. I do not know her, but a sortof intuition tells me she is a lost creature, and that thereis something fatal about her."

"You are right," said D'Artagnan; "I will have done withher. I own that this woman terrifies me."

"Shall you have the courage?" said Athos.

"I shall," replied D'Artagnan, "and instantly."

"In truth, my young friend, you will act rightly," said thegentleman, pressing the Gascon's hand with an affectionalmost paternal; "and God grant that this woman, who hasscarcely entered into your life, may not leave a terribletrace in it!" And Athos bowed to D'Artagnan like a man whowishes it understood that he would not be sorry to be leftalone with his thoughts.

On reaching home D'Artagnan found Kitty waiting for him. Amonth of fever could not have changed her more than this onenight of sleeplessness and sorrow.

She was sent by her mistress to the false De Wardes. Hermistress was mad with love, intoxicated with joy. Shewished to know when her lover would meet her a second night;and poor Kitty, pale and trembling, awaited D'Artagnan'sreply. The counsels of his friend, joined to the cries ofhis own heart, made him determine, now his pride was savedand his vengeance satisfied, not to see Milady again. As areply, he wrote the following letter:

Do not depend upon me, madame, for the next meeting. Sincemy convalescence I have so many affairs of this kind on myhands that I am forced to regulate them a little. When yourturn comes, I shall have the honor to inform you of it. Ikiss your hands.

Comte de Wardes

Not a word about the sapphire. Was the Gascon determined tokeep it as a weapon against Milady, or else, let us befrank, did he not reserve the sapphire as a last resourcefor his outfit? It would be wrong to judge the actions ofone period from the point of view of another. That whichwould now be considered as disgraceful to a gentleman was atthat time quite a simple and natural affair, and the youngersons of the best families were frequently supported by theirmistresses. D'Artagnan gave the open letter to Kitty, whoat first was unable to comprehend it, but who became almostwild with joy on reading it a second time. She couldscarcely believe in her happiness; and D'Artagnan was forcedto renew with the living voice the assurances which he hadwritten. And whatever might be - considering the violentcharacter of Milady - the danger which the poor girl incurredin giving this billet to her mistress, she ran back to thePlace Royale as fast as her legs could carry her.

The heart of the best woman is pitiless toward the sorrowsof a rival.

Milady opened the letter with eagerness equal to Kitty's inbringing it; but at the first words she read she becamelivid. She crushed the paper in her band, and turning withflashing eyes upon Kitty, she cried, "What is this letter?"

"The answer to Madame's," replied Kitty, all in a tremble.

"Impossible!" cried Milady. "It is impossible a gentlemancould have written such a letter to a woman." Then all atonce, starting, she cried, "My God! can he have - " and shestopped. She ground her teeth; she was of the color ofashes. She tried to go toward the window for air, but shecould only stretch forth her arms; her legs failed her, andshe sank into an armchair. Kitty, fearing she was ill,hastened toward her and was beginning to open her dress; butMilady started up, pushing her away. "What do you want withme?" said she, "and why do you place your hand on me?"

"I thought that Madame was ill, and I wished to bring herhelp," responded the maid, frightened at the terribleexpression which had come over her mistress's face.

"I faint? I? I? Do you take me for half a woman? When I aminsulted I do not faint; I avenge myself!"

And she made a sign for Kitty to leave the room.