Chapter 35 Chapter 33 The Maid and the Master

During this period, as we might expect, d'Artagnan, despite the call of his conscience and the wise advice of Athos, fell more and more in love with Milady from time to time, so every day he lost no time to go to her. Be courteous.The Gascon adventurer was convinced that sooner or later this woman would not forget to reciprocate her affections. One night, he was strutting, carefree and relaxed, as if he was waiting for the golden ocean to fall from the sky, and he met the maid under the doorway of getting in and out of the carriage.But this time, pretty Katie didn't just smile at him as she passed by, but gently shook his hand.

OK!D'Artagnan thought that she was sent by my mistress to deliver a message for me; she had come to make an appointment for me, and her mistress dared not tell me herself. He looked at the pretty girl with the most self-satisfied air he could muster. I should like to say a few words to you, Mr. Chevalier and the maid stammered. Speak, darling, speak, said d'Artagnan, and I listen. Here, no; what I have to tell you is too long, and especially too secret. That's right, what should I do? If Mr. Knight is willing, please come with me.Katie said timidly. Where do you want to go, my pretty girl.

please come. Cathy, who never let go of d'Artagnan's hand, led him up a narrow and dark winding staircase. After walking up fifteen or six steps, she opened a door. Come in, Mr. Knight, she said, it's just the two of us here, and we can talk. What kind of room is this, my pretty girl?asked d'Artagnan. This is my chamber, sir knight; through this door is my mistress' chamber.But don't worry, she can't hear what we say, and she never sleeps until midnight. D'Artagnan glanced around.The cabin was lovely and clean; and yet, for all that, his eyes were fixed on the door which Kitty had spoken of leading to Milady's room.

Kitty guessed what was going on in the young lad's head, and she let out a long sigh. You love my mistress very much, Mr. Knight?she asked. ah!Words cannot express it!I love her like crazy! Katie sighed again. well!Sir, she sighed, sorry! Strange, what on earth did you see so unpleasantly?asked d'Artagnan. For my mistress loves you not at all, sir.Katie replied. Mmm!Perhaps that's what she sent you to tell me, said d'Artagnan? oh!Not at all, sir!It was out of concern for you that I made up my mind to tell you this in advance. Thank you, my good Katie, but I only thank you for your kindness, for secrets are not pleasant things, and you will agree to that in the future.

That means you don't believe what I'm telling you, do you? It's always hard to believe such things, my pretty girl, except out of self-respect. So you don't believe me? Say it from the bottom of your heart, as long as you are willing to provide some evidence for what you said What do you think of this? Katie casually took out a text message from her chest. Is it for me?D'Artagnan hastily seized the letter as he spoke. No, it's for another person. to another person? Yes. who is he!who is he!cried d'Artagnan. You look at the address. Mr. Earl Walder. The memory of the scene at Saint-Germain resurfaced in the mind of the conceited Gascon; he ignored Kitty's cries when he saw that he was about to start, or open the letter, with as quick a response as his thoughts. The move immediately tore the envelope.

oh!my God!Mr. Knight!cried Katie, what do you want? I, do nothing!replied d'Artagnan; and then read from the letter: You did not answer my first letter; are you ill, or have you forgotten the look you gave me at Madame Guise's ball?The time has come, count!Don't miss it. D'Artagnan was pale; his pride was wounded, and he thought his love was wounded. Poor and lovely d'Artagnan!Katie said, shaking the young man's hand again, with pity in her voice. You sympathize with me, what a sweet baby!said d'Artagnan. ah!Yes, I sincerely sympathize with you!Because I know what love is, me!

Do you know what love is?For the first time d'Artagnan looked at her with a certain interest. well!Yes. Well, don't sympathize with me, but help me to avenge your mistress. How do you want to take revenge on her? I want to take her and drive out my rival. I will never do it for you, Mr. Knight!Katie said eagerly. why?asked d'Artagnan. There are two reasons. Which two reasons? The first reason, is that my mistress will never love you. what do you know You broke her heart. I!What could I break her heart about?I, since I have known her, have crouched at her feet like a slave, Speak, I beseech you!

Except for the man who can read my mind, I will never say it! D'Artagnan looked at Kitty for the second time.The girl is juicy and handsome, with a beauty that would make many duchesses give up their titles for it. Katie, said he, I can read your mind if you want; that is all very well, my dear darling. As he spoke, he gave the girl a kiss, which made the poor girl ashamed, and flushed like an acorn cherry. Oh, no!cried Katie, you don't love me!You love my mistress, as you have just said to me. Does it bother you to let me know the second reason? The second reason, Mr. Cavalier, said Katie; she was emboldened by the young man's kiss, and the provocative look in his eyes after it, because love is selfish.

Only then did d'Artagnan recall the melancholy look in Kitty's eyes, the encounters with her in the antechamber, on the stairs, and in the corridors, the touching of his hands whenever he met him, and Her heavy sigh; yet, bent on winning the lady's favor, he snubbed the lady-in-waiting.Yes, how can a falconer care about a sparrow. But this time, our Gascon caught at a glance the love that Kitty had just professed so naively or so boldly: intercepted all letters to Count Walder, set up an eyeliner around the mistress, walked in and out at any time. The hostess adjoins Katie's room.It was evident that the dishonest man was already planning to sacrifice the poor girl, whether others wanted it or not, in order to get Milady.

In that case, he said to the girl, will you wish me to give you a proof of this love you suspect, dear Kitty? Which love is confirmed?the girl asked. Confirm the love that I make you feel anytime. What is that evidence? Would you like me to spend time with you tonight?Usually I hang out with your mistress. oh!OK!Katie clapped her hands and said, very willing. Well, my dear girl, said D'Artagnan, sitting in an arm-chair, come here, and let me tell you, you are the most beautiful maid I have ever seen. He said it to Katie over and over, so beautifully that the poor girl was dying to believe him, and of course she believed what he said.However, to D'Artagnan's great surprise, the pretty girl stubbornly defended herself.

When time passes on offense and defense, it always flies by. The clock struck midnight; almost simultaneously they both heard the doorbell ringing in Milady's bedroom. Oh, God!cried Katie, it was my mistress calling me!You go, go! D'Artagnan got up, took up his hat as if in obedience; then, instead of opening the door leading to the staircase, he hastily opened the door of a wardrobe, slipped in, and hid it in Milady's heap. In dress robes and bathrobes. What are you doing?Katie yelled. D'Artagnan, who had taken the key in advance, shut himself in the wardrobe without answering. Hello!cried Milady shrilly, are you asleep like this?I rang the bell and you still haven't come! D'Artagnan then heard her throw open the connecting door violently. I'm here, ma'am, I'm here.Kitty cried out her assent, and rushed to meet her mistress. The master and servant returned to Milady's bedroom; d'Artagnan could hear Milady scolding her maid for some time, as the communicating door was open; While removing her mistress' make-up, the conversation fell on him. Hi, said Miledy, I have not seen our Gascons this evening. what, madam?Katie asked, and he didn't come!Maybe, he changed his mind before he got happiness? Oh no!He must have been retained by M. de Treville or M. Essar.I know him, Katie, that fellow is in the palm of my hand now. How did the lady treat him? how I treat him!Don't worry, Katie, there is something between this man and me that he doesn't know that he almost made me lose the trust of His Excellency Cardinal Humph!I must take revenge on him! I thought Madame loved him. I love him?I hate him to death!A fool who took Lord Winter's life in his hands without killing him, and who made me lose an annuity of three hundred thousand livres! Yes, said Kitty, your son is his uncle's sole heir, and you could have enjoyed all his property till he came of age. D'Artagnan shivered like a cold wind when he heard this lovely woman accuse him, with undisguised bitterness, of not having killed a man who had done her justice. So, said Milady, I would have avenged him long ago, if the cardinal had not told me to be careful with him, but I don't know why. oh!So it is; but the lady is not discreet with the little girl he loves. oh!You mean the sewing woman in Gravedigger Street, has he not forgotten that she is alive?That revenge was well paid off, I believe it! A stream of cold sweat flowed from d'Artagnan's forehead: this woman is simply a monster. He listened again, but unfortunately, the makeup removal was over. Well, said Milady, go to your room; and try to get an answer to that letter I sent you to-morrow. The letter to Mr. Walder?Katie asked. A letter to him, of course. Here, such a man, said Kitty, seems to me to be different from that poor M. d'Artagnan. Come out, miss, said Milady, I don't like to judge people. D'Artagnan heard the door shut again, and then heard Milady's two iron bolts closing the door of her own room; while Kitty, with the slightest movement possible, turned the key once in the lock.At this moment d'Artagnan pushed open the door of the wardrobe. Oh my God!Katie whispered, what's the matter with you?How pale you are! What a hateful woman!d'Artagnan murmured. Be quiet!Be quiet!Come on, said Katie, there is only one partition between my room and Milady's, and everything that is said on one side can be heard on the other. That's why I can't go.said d'Artagnan. What?Katie asked blushing. Or at least I'm leaving later. He drew Katie close to him; she could resist no longer, and what a noise it would make!Katie obeyed. It was an act of revenge against Milady.D'Artagnan found it plausible to say that there is a divine joy in revenge.Therefore, if d'Artagnan had any conscience, he would have been satisfied with this new conquest; but d'Artagnan had only ambition and pride. However, a few words of praise should be said for him, whose first use of Cathy's influence was to try to understand Madame Bonacieur's situation, but the poor girl looked at the crucifix with the image of Jesus. D'Artagnan swore that she knew absolutely nothing about Madame Bonnacer, that her mistress never revealed all the secrets to her, that she only knew fifty per cent; the only thing she could answer now was that Bonnacer Mrs. Seth was not dead. As to the cause which almost cost Milady the cardinal's confidence, Kitty knew no more; and this time d'Artagnan was better informed than Kitty: when he himself was leaving England, He had glimpsed Milady on a blockaded ship, and he suspected that it must have been about the diamond pendant. What was more evident in all this, however, was Milady's real hatred for him, a gnashing hatred, a deep-rooted hatred, for the fact that he had not killed her brother-in-law. The next day, D'Artagnan came to Milady's house again.Milady was very upset at the time, and d'Artagnan suspected that M. Walder's non-reply had made her so angry.At that moment Katie came in; Milady treated her coldly.Kitty squinted at d'Artagnan, intending to say: You see, I am swallowing my anger for you! But toward evening, the beautiful lioness softened.She listened to dArtagnan's sweet words with a smile on her face, and even stretched out her hand to give him a kiss. DArtagnan was full of thoughts when he went out: but he was not a young man who was easily driven into a swoon, and when he courted Milady he had a little plan in his head. He found Katie at the gate.As on the previous day, he went upstairs to her room to get some news.Katie had been severely scolded by the hostess for being too careless.Milady could not understand why Earl Walder did not answer her letter, so she ordered Katie to come to her at nine o'clock in the morning for the third letter. D'Artagnan made Kitty promise him that she would deliver the letter to his house next morning; the poor daughter's house was so obedient to her lover that she went mad. The rest happened as on the previous night: D'Artagnan hid in her wardrobe, Milady called her to take off her make-up, sent Katie to her room, and closed her door.Also like the previous day, D'Artagnan did not return home until five o'clock in the morning. At eleven o'clock D'Artagnan saw Kitty arrive with a new letter from Milady in her hand.This time, the poor girl did not even intend to quarrel with dArtagnan, but let him have his way; she already belonged wholeheartedly to her handsome soldier. D'Artagnan opened the letter and read: This is the third time I am writing to you to tell you that I love you.Be careful, don't make me write a fourth letter and make me tell you that I hate you. If you regret your treatment of me, the girl who gave you this letter will tell you how a noble and refined man managed to win forgiveness. DArtagnan blushed several times while he read the letter. oh!You have been loving her!said Katie; her eyes never left the young man's face for a moment. No, Kitty, you are mistaken, I no longer love her; I will avenge her contempt. Yes, I know you want revenge; you told me. It's none of your business, Katie!You know very well that all I love is you. How can this be known? Proof by my future contempt for her. Katie let out a long sigh. D'Artagnan took up his pen and wrote: Madam, until now I have doubted that your first two letters were really written for me, because I was confident that I did not deserve such an honor; and because of my poor health, I had to reply late. Today, however, I should believe in your excessive kindness, because not only your own letters, but also your maid, have assured me that I have the honor of being loved by you. Your handmaid need not tell me how a noble and refined man is forgiven.For at eleven o'clock tonight I will go to you to ask your forgiveness.It seems to me that it would be a new offense to you to postpone it for another day now. you made all men the happiest person Earl Walder The letter was first of all an imposter, secondly illicit; and, from the point of view of our present customs, even a vile hoax.But people in that era were less cautious than people today.Besides, d'Artagnan's esteem for Milady, which he knew, by his own admission, was treacherous to some of the leading men, was very shallow.Yet, despite the shallowness of this respect, he felt an insane desire burn for this woman.This is an intoxicating feeling of contempt for others, but whether it is love or desire, the benevolent sees the benevolent and the wise sees wisdom. D'Artagnan's intention was simply to enter into the bedroom of Kitty's mistress through this room of hers; he conquered her by surprise, shame, and horror at the first moment.He may fail, but some things should be risked.The war began in a week's time, and he had to go; d'Artagnan had no time to linger in this perfect love. Here, the young man handed the stern letter to Kitty and said, Send this letter to Milady, and this is Mr. Walder's reply. Poor Kitty, pale as death, guessed what the letter was about. Listen, dear girl, said d'Artagnan, you understand that all this must come to an end anyway; Milady may find that you gave the first letter to my valet instead of the count and she might find two other letters which Mr. Walder should have opened, but I opened them; then Milady will drive you away, and you know what she is, This woman will not give up unless she takes revenge. well!Katie said, Who am I taking these risks for? For me, I know, my beauty, said the young man, so I am grateful to you, I swear to you. But what did your letter say? Milady will tell you. ah!You don't love me!cried Katie, how unlucky I am! To such reproaches there is one answer which always deceives all women; and d'Artagnan answered it in such a way as to lead Kitty into her greatest error. Kitty wept bitterly, however, before making up her mind to give the letter to Milady; but she made up her mind at last, which was what d'Artagnan was after. In addition, he promised Katie that he would come out early in the evening from her mistress, and then go upstairs to her room when he was out of her mistress. This promise at last steadied poor Kitty's heart.