Lord de Winter rose, saluted her ironically, and went out.

Milady breathed again. She had still four days before her. Four days
would quite suffice to complete the seduction of Felton.

A terrible idea, however, rushed into her mind. She thought that Lord de
Winter would perhaps send Felton himself to get the order signed by the
Duke of Buckingham. In that case Felton would escape her--for in order
to secure success, the magic of a continuous seduction was necessary.
Nevertheless, as we have said, one circumstance reassured her. Felton
had not spoken.

As she would not appear to be agitated by the threats of Lord de Winter,
she placed herself at the table and ate.

Then, as she had done the evening before, she fell on her knees and
repeated her prayers aloud. As on the evening before, the soldier
stopped his march to listen to her.

Soon after she heard lighter steps than those of the sentinel, which
came from the end of the corridor and stopped before her door.

"It is he," said she. And she began the same religious chant which had
so strongly excited Felton the evening before.

But although her voice--sweet, full, and sonorous--vibrated as
harmoniously and as affectingly as ever, the door remained shut. It
appeared however to Milady that in one of the furtive glances she darted
from time to time at the grating of the door she thought she saw the
ardent eyes of the young man through the narrow opening. But whether
this was reality or vision, he had this time sufficient self-command not
to enter.

However, a few instants after she had finished her religious song,
Milady thought she heard a profound sigh. Then the same steps she had
heard approach slowly withdrew, as if with regret.

55 CAPTIVITY: THE FOURTH DAY

The next day, when Felton entered Milady's apartment he found her
standing, mounted upon a chair, holding in her hands a cord made by
means of torn cambric handkerchiefs, twisted into a kind of rope
one with another, and tied at the ends. At the noise Felton made in
entering, Milady leaped lightly to the ground, and tried to conceal
behind her the improvised cord she held in her hand.

The young man was more pale than usual, and his eyes, reddened by want
of sleep, denoted that he had passed a feverish night. Nevertheless, his
brow was armed with a severity more austere than ever.

He advanced slowly toward Milady, who had seated herself, and taking an
end of the murderous rope which by n