lf, and rising above her livid
countenance as if alive.

All eyes were turned towards this man--for to all except Athos he was
unknown.

Even Athos looked at him with as much stupefaction as the others, for he
knew not how he could in any way find himself mixed up with the horrible
drama then unfolded.

After approaching Milady with a slow and solemn step, so that the table
alone separated them, the unknown took off his mask.

Milady for some time examined with increasing terror that pale face,
framed with black hair and whiskers, the only expression of which was
icy impassibility. Then she suddenly cried, "Oh, no, no!" rising and
retreating to the very wall. "No, no! it is an infernal apparition! It
is not he! Help, help!" screamed she, turning towards the wall, as if
she would tear an opening with her hands.

"Who are you, then?" cried all the witnesses of this scene.

"Ask that woman," said the man in the red cloak, "for you may plainly
see she knows me!"

"The executioner of Lille, the executioner of Lille!" cried Milady, a
prey to insensate terror, and clinging with her hands to the wall to
avoid falling.

Every one drew back, and the man in the red cloak remained standing
alone in the middle of the room.

"Oh, grace, grace, pardon!" cried the wretch, falling on her knees.

The unknown waited for silence, and then resumed, "I told you well that
she would know me. Yes, I am the executioner of Lille, and this is my
history."

All eyes were fixed upon this man, whose words were listened to with
anxious attention.

"That woman was once a young girl, as beautiful as she is today. She was
a nun in the convent of the Benedictines of Templemar. A young priest,
with a simple and trustful heart, performed the duties of the church of
that convent. She undertook his seduction, and succeeded; she would have
seduced a saint.

"Their vows were sacred and irrevocable. Their connection could not last
long without ruining both. She prevailed upon him to leave the country;
but to leave the country, to fly together, to reach another part
of France, where they might live at ease because unknown, money was
necessary. Neither had any. The priest stole the sacred vases, and sold
them; but as they were preparing to escape together, they were both
arrested.

"Eight days later she had seduced the son of the jailer, and escaped.
The young priest was condemned to ten years of imprisonment, and to be
branded. I was execution