d to look at him for nearly ten
minutes, and in these ten minutes the immovable guardian never turned
round once.

She then thought that Lord de Winter would come, and by his presence
give fresh strength to her jailer. Her first trial was lost; she acted
like a woman who reckons up her resources. As a result she raised her
head, opened her eyes, and sighed deeply.

At this sigh Felton turned round.

"Ah, you are awake, madame," he said; "then I have nothing more to do
here. If you want anything you can ring."

"Oh, my God, my God! how I have suffered!" said Milady, in that
harmonious voice which, like that of the ancient enchantresses, charmed
all whom she wished to destroy.

And she assumed, upon sitting up in the armchair, a still more graceful
and abandoned position than when she reclined.

Felton arose.

"You will be served, thus, madame, three times a day," said he. "In the
morning at nine o'clock, in the day at one o'clock, and in the evening
at eight. If that does not suit you, you can point out what other hours
you prefer, and in this respect your wishes will be complied with."

"But am I to remain always alone in this vast and dismal chamber?" asked
Milady.

"A woman of the neighbourhood has been sent for, who will be tomorrow at
the castle, and will return as often as you desire her presence."

"I thank you, sir," replied the prisoner, humbly.

Felton made a slight bow, and directed his steps toward the door. At the
moment he was about to go out, Lord de Winter appeared in the corridor,
followed by the soldier who had been sent to inform him of the swoon of
Milady. He held a vial of salts in his hand.

"Well, what is it--what is going on here?" said he, in a jeering voice,
on seeing the prisoner sitting up and Felton about to go out. "Is this
corpse come to life already? Felton, my lad, did you not perceive that
you were taken for a novice, and that the first act was being performed
of a comedy of which we shall doubtless have the pleasure of following
out all the developments?"

"I thought so, my lord," said Felton; "but as the prisoner is a woman,
after all, I wish to pay her the attention that every man of gentle
birth owes to a woman, if not on her account, at least on my own."

Milady shuddered through her whole system. These words of Felton's
passed like ice through her veins.

"So," replied de Winter, laughing, "that beautiful hair so skillfully
disheveled, that white skin, and that l