After a moment of silence employed by Milady in observing theyoung man who listened to her, Milady continued her recital.

"It was nearly three days since I had eaten or drunk anything. Isuffered frightful torments. At times there passed before meclouds which pressed my brow, which veiled my eyes; this wasdelirium.

"When the evening came I was so weak that every time I fainted Ithanked God, for I thought I was about to die.

"In the midst of one of these swoons I heard the door open.Terror recalled me to myself.

"He entered the apartment followed by a man in a mask. He wasmasked likewise; but I knew his step, I knew his voice, I knewhim by that imposing bearing which hell has bestowed upon hisperson for the curse of humanity.

"'Well,' said he to me, 'have you made your mind up to take theoath I requested of you?'

"'You have said Puritans have but one word. Mine you have heard,and that is to pursue you - on earth to the tribunal of men, inheaven to the tribunal of God.'

"'You persist, then?'

"'I swear it before the God who hears me. I will take the wholeworld as a witness of your crime, and that until I have found anavenger.'

"'You are a prostitute,' said he, in a voice of thunder, 'and youshall undergo the punishment of prostitutes! Branded in the eyesof the world you invoke, try to prove to that world that you areneither guilty nor mad!'

"Then, addressing the man who accompanied him, 'Executioner,'said he, 'do your duty.'"

"Oh, his name, his name!" cried Felton. "His name, tell it me!"

"Then in spite of my cries, in spite of my resistance - for Ibegan to comprehend that there was a question of something worsethan death - the executioner seized me, threw me on the floor,fastened me with his bonds, and suffocated by sobs, almostwithout sense, invoking God, who did not listen to me, I utteredall at once a frightful cry of pain and shame. A burning fire, ared-hot iron, the iron of the executioner, was imprinted on myshoulder."

Felton uttered a groan.

"Here," said Milady, rising with the majesty of a queen, "here,Felton, behold the new martyrdom invented for a pure young girl,the victim of the brutality of a villain. Learn to know theheart of men, and henceforth make yourself less easily theinstrument of their unjust vengeance."

Milady, with a rapid gesture, opened her robe, tore the cambricthat covered her bosom, and red with feigned anger and simulatedshame, showed the young man the ineffaceable impression whichdishonored that beautiful shoulder.

"But," cried Felton, "that is a FLEUR-DE-LIS which I see there."

"And therein consisted the infamy," replied Milady. "The brandof England! - it would be necessary to prove what tribunal hadimposed it on me, and I could have made a public appeal to allthe tribunals of the kingdom; but the brand of France! - oh, bythat, by THAT I was branded indeed!"

This was too much for Felton.

Pale, motionless, overwhelmed by this frightful revelation,dazzled by the superhuman beauty of this woman who unveiledherself before him with an immodesty which appeared to himsublime, he ended by falling on his knees before her as the earlyChristians did before those pure and holy martyrs whom thepersecution of the emperors gave up in the circus to thesanguinary sensuality of the populace. The brand disappeared;the beauty alone remained.

"Pardon! Pardon!" cried Felton, "oh, pardon!"

Milady read in his eyes LOVE! LOVE!

"Pardon for what?" asked she.

"Pardon me for having joined with your persecutors."

Milady held out her hand to him.

"So beautiful! so young!" cried Felton, covering that hand withhis kisses.

Milady let one of those looks fall upon him which make a slave ofa king.

Felton was a Puritan; he abandoned the hand of this woman to kissher feet.

He no longer loved her; he adored her.

When this crisis was past, when Milady appeared to have resumedher self-possession, which she had never lost; when Felton hadseen her recover with the veil of chastity those treasures oflove which were only concealed from him to make him desire themthe more ardently, he said, "Ah, now! I have only one thing toask of you; that is, the name of your true executioner. For tome there is but one; the other was an instrument, that was all."

"What, brother!" cried Milady, "must I name him again? Have younot yet divined who he is?"

"What?" cried Felton, "he - again he - always he? What - the trulyguilty?"

"The truly guilty," said Milady, "is the ravager of England, thepersecutor of true believers, the base ravisher of the honor ofso many women - he who, to satisfy a caprice of his corrupt heart,is about to make England shed so much blood, who protects theProtestants today and will betray them tomorrow - "

"Buckingham! It is, then, Buckingham!" cried Felton, in a highstate of excitement.

Milady concealed her face in her hands, as if she could notendure the shame which this name recalled to her.

"Buckingham, the executioner of this angelic creature!" criedFelton. "And thou hast not hurled thy thunder at him, my God!And thou hast left him noble, honored, powerful, for the ruin ofus all!"

"God abandons him who abandons himself," said Milady.

"But he will draw upon his head the punishment reserved for thedamned!" said Felton, with increasing exultation. "He wills thathuman vengeance should precede celestial justice."

"Men fear him and spare him."

"I," said Felton, "I do not fear him, nor will I spare him."

The soul of Milady was bathed in an infernal joy.

"But how can Lord de Winter, my protector, my father," askedFelton, "possibly be mixed up with all this?"

"Listen, Felton," resumed Milady, "for by the side of base andcontemptible men there are often found great and generousnatures. I had an affianced husband, a man whom I loved, and wholoved me - a heart like yours, Felton, a man like you. I went tohim and told him all; he knew me, that man did, and did not doubtan instant. He was a nobleman, a man equal to Buckingham inevery respect. He said nothing; he only girded on his sword,wrapped himself in his cloak, and went straight to BuckinghamPalace.

"Yes, yes," said Felton; "I understand how he would act. Butwith such men it is not the sword that should be employed; it isthe poniard."

"Buckingham had left England the day before, sent as ambassadorto Spain, to demand the hand of the Infanta for King Charles I,who was then only Prince of Wales. My affianced husbandreturned.

"'Hear me,' said he; 'this man has gone, and for the moment hasconsequently escaped my vengeance; but let us be united, as wewere to have been, and then leave it to Lord de Winter tomaintain his own honor and that of his wife.'"

"Lord de Winter!" cried Felton.

"Yes," said Milady, "Lord de Winter; and now you can understandit all, can you not? Buckingham remained nearly a year absent.A week before his return Lord de Winter died, leaving me his soleheir. Whence came the blow? God who knows all, knows withoutdoubt; but as for me, I accuse nobody."

"Oh, what an abyss; what an abyss!" cried Felton.

"Lord de Winter died without revealing anything to his brother.The terrible secret was to be concealed till it burst, like aclap of thunder, over the head of the guilty. Your protector hadseen with pain this marriage of his elder brother with aportionless girl. I was sensible that I could look for nosupport from a man disappointed in his hopes of an inheritance.I went to France, with a determination to remain there for therest of my life. But all my fortune is in England.Communication being closed by the war, I was in want ofeverything. I was then obliged to come back again. Six daysago, I landed at Portsmouth."

"Well?" said Felton.

"Well; Buckingham heard by some means, no doubt, of my return.He spoke of me to Lord de Winter, already prejudiced against me,and told him that his sister-in-law was a prostitute, a brandedwoman. The noble and pure voice of my husband was no longer hereto defend me. Lord de Winter believed all that was told him withso much the more ease that it was his interest to believe it. Hecaused me to be arrested, had me conducted hither, and placed meunder your guard. You know the rest. The day after tomorrow hebanishes me, he transports me; the day after tomorrow he exilesme among the infamous. Oh, the train is well laid; the plot isclever. My honor will not survive it! You see, then, Felton, Ican do nothing but die. Felton, give me that knife!"

And at these words, as if all her strength was exhausted, Miladysank, weak and languishing, into the arms of the young officer,who, intoxicated with love, anger, and voluptuous sensationshitherto unknown, received her with transport, pressed heragainst his heart, all trembling at the breath from that charmingmouth, bewildered by the contact with that palpitating bosom.

"No, no," said he. "No, you shall live honored and pure; youshall live to triumph over your enemies."

Milady put him from her slowly with her hand, while drawing himnearer with her look; but Felton, in his turn, embraced her moreclosely, imploring her like a divinity.

"Oh, death, death!" said she, lowering her voice and her eyelids,"oh, death, rather than shame! Felton, my brother, my friend, Iconjure you!"

"No," cried Felton, "no; you shall live and you shall beavenged."

"Felton, I bring misfortune to all who surround me! Felton,abandon me! Felton, let me die!"

"Well, then, we will live and die together!" cried he, pressinghis lips to those of the prisoner.

Several strokes resounded on the door; this time Milady reallypushed him away from her.

"Hark," said she, "we have been overheard! Someone is coming!All is over! We are lost!"

"No," said Felton; it is only the sentinel warning me that theyare about to change the guard."

"Then run to the door, and open it yourself."

Felton obeyed; this woman was now his whole thought, his wholesoul.

He found himself face to face with a sergeant commanding a watch-patrol.

"Well, what is the matter?" asked the young lieutenant.

"You told me to open the door if I heard anyone cry out," saidthe soldier; "but you forgot to leave me the key. I heard youcry out, without understanding what you said. I tried to openthe door, but it was locked inside; then I called the sergeant."

"And here I am," said the sergeant.

Felton, quite bewildered, almost mad, stood speechless.

Milady plainly perceived that it was now her turn to take part inthe scene. She ran to the table, and seizing the knife whichFelton had laid down, exclaimed, "And by what right will youprevent me from dying?"

"Great God!" exclaimed Felton, on seeing the knife glitter in herhand.

At that moment a burst of ironical laughter resounded through thecorridor. The baron, attracted by the noise, in his chambergown, his sword under his arm, stood in the doorway.

"Ah," said he, "here we are, at the last act of the tragedy. Yousee, Felton, the drama has gone through all the phases I named;but be easy, no blood will flow."

Milady perceived that all was lost unless she gave Felton animmediate and terrible proof of her courage.

"You are mistaken, my Lord, blood will flow; and may that bloodfall back on those who cause it to flow!"

Felton uttered a cry, and rushed toward her. He was too late;Milady had stabbed herself.

But the knife had fortunately, we ought to say skillfully, comein contact with the steel busk, which at that period, like acuirass, defended the chests of women. It had glided down it,tearing the robe, and had penetrated slantingly between the fleshand the ribs. Milady's robe was not the less stained with bloodin a second.

Milady fell down, and seemed to be in a swoon.

Felton snatched away the knife.

"See, my Lord," said he, in a deep, gloomy tone, "here is a womanwho was under my guard, and who has killed herself!"

"Be at ease, Felton," said Lord de Winter. "She is not dead;demons do not die so easily. Be tranquil, and go wait for me inmy chamber."

"But, my Lord - "

"Go, sir, I command you!"

At this injunction from his superior, Felton obeyed; but in goingout, he put the knife into his bosom.

As to Lord de Winter, he contented himself with calling the womanwho waited on Milady, and when she was come, he recommended theprisoner, who was still fainting, to her care, and left themalone.

Meanwhile, all things considered and notwithstanding hissuspicions, as the wound might be serious, he immediately sentoff a mounted man to find a physician.