agnan.

Besides, she had a thousand precautions to take, a thousand counsels to
give to her defender, in order that he might avoid explanations with
the count before witnesses. All this was answered by an expression of
d'Artagnan's. "Tomorrow," said he, "you will be avenged, or I shall be
dead."

"No," said she, "you will avenge me; but you will not be dead. He is a
coward."

"With women, perhaps; but not with men. I know something of him."

"But it seems you had not much reason to complain of your fortune in
your contest with him."

"Fortune is a courtesan; favorable yesterday, she may turn her back
tomorrow."

"Which means that you now hesitate?"

"No, I do not hesitate; God forbid! But would it be just to allow me to
go to a possible death without having given me at least something more
than hope?"

Milady answered by a glance which said, "Is that all?--speak, then." And
then accompanying the glance with explanatory words, "That is but too
just," said she, tenderly.

"Oh, you are an angel!" exclaimed the young man.

"Then all is agreed?" said she.

"Except that which I ask of you, dear love."

"But when I assure you that you may rely on my tenderness?"

"I cannot wait till tomorrow."

"Silence! I hear my brother. It will be useless for him to find you
here."

She rang the bell and Kitty appeared.

"Go out this way," said she, opening a small private door, "and come
back at eleven o'clock; we will then terminate this conversation. Kitty
will conduct you to my chamber."

The poor girl almost fainted at hearing these words.

"Well, mademoiselle, what are you thinking about, standing there like
a statue? Do as I bid you: show the chevalier out; and this evening at
eleven o'clock--you have heard what I said."

"It appears that these appointments are all made for eleven o'clock,"
thought d'Artagnan; "that's a settled custom."

Milady held out her hand to him, which he kissed tenderly.

"But," said he, as he retired as quickly as possible from the reproaches
of Kitty, "I must not play the fool. This woman is certainly a great
liar. I must take care."

37 MILADY'S SECRET

D'Artagnan left the hotel instead of going up at once to Kitty's
chamber, as she endeavored to persuade him to do--and that for two
reasons: the first, because by this means he should escape reproaches,
recriminations, and prayers; the second, because he was not sorry to
have an opportunity of reading his own thoughts a