e?"

At the moment a great jingling of spurs was heard on the stairs.
Some voices passed and faded away, and the sound of a single footstep
approached the door.

"That person is here, madame," said the officer, leaving the entrance
open, and drawing himself up in an attitude of respect.

At the same time the door opened; a man appeared on the threshold. He
was without a hat, carried a sword, and flourished a handkerchief in his
hand.

Milady thought she recognized this shadow in the gloom; she supported
herself with one hand upon the arm of the chair, and advanced her head
as if to meet a certainty.

The stranger advanced slowly, and as he advanced, after entering into
the circle of light projected by the lamp, Milady involuntarily drew
back.

Then when she had no longer any doubt, she cried, in a state of stupor,
"What, my brother, is it you?"

"Yes, fair lady!" replied Lord de Winter, making a bow, half courteous,
half ironical; "it is I, myself."

"But this castle, then?"

"Is mine."

"This chamber?"

"Is yours."

"I am, then, your prisoner?"

"Nearly so."

"But this is a frightful abuse of power!"

"No high-sounding words! Let us sit down and chat quietly, as brother
and sister ought to do."

Then, turning toward the door, and seeing that the young officer was
waiting for his last orders, he said. "All is well, I thank you; now
leave us alone, Mr. Felton."

50 CHAT BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER

During the time which Lord de Winter took to shut the door, close a
shutter, 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 glance
as long as she was ignorant into whose hands she had fallen. She knew
her brother-in-law to be a worthy gentleman, a bold hunter, an intrepid
player, enterprising with women, but by no means remarkable for his
skill in intrigues. How had he discovered her arrival, and caused her to
be seized? Why did he detain her?

Athos had dropped some words which proved that the conversation she
had with the cardinal had fallen into outside ears; but she could not
suppose that he had dug a countermine so promptly and so boldly. She
rather feared that her preceding operations in England might have been
discovered. Buckingham might have guessed that it was she who had cut
off the two studs, and avenge himself for that little tre