ther which drooped upon his shoulder, Buckingham was seen
surrounded by a staff almost as brilliant as himself.

It was one of those rare and beautiful days in winter when England
remembers that there is a sun. The star of day, pale but nevertheless
still splendid, was setting in the horizon, glorifying at once the
heavens and the sea with bands of fire, and casting upon the towers and
the old houses of the city a last ray of gold which made the windows
sparkle like the reflection of a conflagration. Breathing that
sea breeze, so much more invigorating and balsamic as the land is
approached, contemplating all the power of those preparations she was
commissioned to destroy, all the power of that army which she was to
combat alone--she, a woman with a few bags of gold--Milady compared
herself mentally to Judith, the terrible Jewess, when she penetrated the
camp of the Assyrians and beheld the enormous mass of chariots, horses,
men, and arms, which a gesture of her hand was to dissipate like a cloud
of smoke.

They entered the roadstead; but as they drew near in order to cast
anchor, a little cutter, looking like a coastguard formidably armed,
approached the merchant vessel and dropped into the sea a boat which
directed its course to the ladder. This boat contained an officer, a
mate, and eight rowers. The officer alone went on board, where he was
received with all the deference inspired by the uniform.

The officer conversed a few instants with the captain, gave him several
papers, of which he was the bearer, to read, and upon the order of
the merchant captain the whole crew of the vessel, both passengers and
sailors, were called upon deck.

When this species of summons was made the officer inquired aloud the
point of the brig's departure, its route, its landings; and to all these
questions the captain replied without difficulty and without hesitation.
Then the officer began to pass in review all the people, one after the
other, and stopping when he came to Milady, surveyed her very closely,
but without addressing a single word to her.

He then returned to the captain, said a few words to him, and as if
from that moment the vessel was under his command, he ordered a maneuver
which the crew executed immediately. Then the vessel resumed its course,
still escorted by the little cutter, which sailed side by side with it,
menacing it with the mouths of its six cannon. The boat followed in the
wake of the ship, a speck nea