appeared to merit so great an interest
that he made a sign to his friends to be silent, remaining himself bent
with his ear directed to the opening of the lower orifice.

"Listen, Milady," said the cardinal, "the affair is important. Sit down,
and let us talk it over."

"Milady!" murmured Athos.

"I listen to your Eminence with greatest attention," replied a female
voice which made the Musketeer start.

"A small vessel with an English crew, whose captain is on my side,
awaits you at the mouth of Charente, at fort of the Point. He will set
sail tomorrow morning."

"I must go thither tonight?"

"Instantly! That is to say, when you have received my instructions.
Two men, whom you will find at the door on going out, will serve you as
escort. You will allow me to leave first; then, after half an hour, you
can go away in your turn."

"Yes, monseigneur. Now let us return to the mission with which you wish
to charge me; and as I desire to continue to merit the confidence of
your Eminence, deign to unfold it to me in terms clear and precise, that
I may not commit an error."

There was an instant of profound silence between the two interlocutors.
It was evident that the cardinal was weighing beforehand the terms in
which he was about to speak, and that Milady was collecting all her
intellectual faculties to comprehend the things he was about to say, and
to engrave them in her memory when they should be spoken.

Athos took advantage of this moment to tell his two companions to fasten
the door inside, and to make them a sign to come and listen with him.

The two Musketeers, who loved their ease, brought a chair for each of
themselves and one for Athos. All three then sat down with their heads
together and their ears on the alert.

"You will go to London," continued the cardinal. "Arrived in London, you
will seek Buckingham."

"I must beg your Eminence to observe," said Milady, "that since the
affair of the diamond studs, about which the duke always suspected me,
his Grace distrusts me."

"Well, this time," said the cardinal, "it is not necessary to steal
his confidence, but to present yourself frankly and loyally as a
negotiator."

"Frankly and loyally," repeated Milady, with an unspeakable expression
of duplicity.

"Yes, frankly and loyally," replied the cardinal, in the same tone. "All
this negotiation must be carried on openly."

"I will follow your Eminence's instructions to the letter. I only wait
till yo