Have you traded it for your diamond?"

"No. It is a gift from my beautiful Englishwoman, or rather
Frenchwoman--for I am convinced she was born in France, though I have
not questioned her."

"That ring comes from Milady?" cried Athos, with a voice in which it was
easy to detect strong emotion.

"Her very self; she gave it me last night. Here it is," replied
d'Artagnan, taking it from his finger.

Athos examined it and became very pale. He tried it on his left hand; it
fit his finger as if made for it.

A shade of anger and vengeance passed across the usually calm brow of
this gentleman.

"It is impossible it can be she," said be. "How could this ring come
into the hands of Milady Clarik? And yet it is difficult to suppose such
a resemblance should exist between two jewels."

"Do you know this ring?" said d'Artagnan.

"I thought I did," replied Athos; "but no doubt I was mistaken." And he
returned d'Artagnan the ring without, however, ceasing to look at it.

"Pray, d'Artagnan," said Athos, after a minute, "either take off that
ring or turn the mounting inside; it recalls such cruel recollections
that I shall have no head to converse with you. Don't ask me for
counsel; don't tell me you are perplexed what to do. But stop! let me
look at that sapphire again; the one I mentioned to you had one of its
faces scratched by accident."

D'Artagnan took off the ring, giving it again to Athos.

Athos started. "Look," said he, "is it not strange?" and he pointed out
to d'Artagnan the scratch he had remembered.

"But from whom did this ring come to you, Athos?"

"From my mother, who inherited it from her mother. As I told you, it is
an old family jewel."

"And you--sold it?" asked d'Artagnan, hesitatingly.

"No," replied Athos, with a singular smile. "I gave it away in a night
of love, as it has been given to you."

D'Artagnan became pensive in his turn; it appeared as if there were
abysses in Milady's soul whose depths were dark and unknown. He took
back the ring, but put it in his pocket and not on his finger.

"d'Artagnan," said Athos, taking his hand, "you know I love you; if I
had a son I could not love him better. Take my advice, renounce this
woman. I do not know her, but a sort of intuition tells me she is a lost
creature, and that there is something fatal about her."

"You are right," said d'Artagnan; "I will have done with her. I own that
this woman terrifies me."

"Shall you have the courage?" said