hat occurred to
Milady's mind was that she had been betrayed by Kitty, and that she had
recounted to the baron the selfish aversion toward himself of which she
had imprudently allowed some marks to escape before her servant. She
also recollected the furious and imprudent attack she had made upon
d'Artagnan when he spared the life of her brother.

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

"Oh, my God, no!" said Lord de Winter, with apparent good nature. "You
wish to see me, and you come to England. I learn this desire, or rather
I suspect that you feel it; and in order to spare you all the annoyances
of a nocturnal arrival in a port and all the fatigues of landing, I send
one of my officers to meet you, I place a carriage at his orders, and he
brings you hither to this castle, of which I am governor, whither I come
every day, and where, in order to satisfy our mutual desire of
seeing each other, I have prepared you a chamber. What is there more
astonishing in all that I have said to you than in what you have told
me?"

"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, on
entering the roadstead, sent forward, in order to obtain permission to
enter the port, a little boat bearing his logbook and the register of
his voyagers? I am commandant of the port. They brought me that book.
I recognized your name in it. My heart told me what your mouth has just
confirmed--that is to say, with what view you have exposed yourself to
the dangers of a sea so perilous, or at least so troublesome at this
moment--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 saw
on the jetty this evening as we arrived?"

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

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

"Is he not your friend?"