Chapter 58 Chapter 56: The Fifth Day of House Arrest

During this period, Milady achieved half the success, and this success multiplied her strength. Just like the good things she has done before, it is really easy to defeat a few men who immediately voluntarily take the bait, and overcome a few men who are quickly drawn into the trap by the court's courteous women's education; She is born well-behaved enough to overcome all obstacles of wisdom. This time, however, she had to fight a man who was naturally withdrawn and emotionally introverted, and made apathetic by severe penance; religion and penance made Felton a hard-hearted man who could resist the usual temptations.So vast were the schemes at work in his agitated mind, and so many were the plans at work, that there was no place left for any love, for that passionate passion bred by idleness and fostered by corruption. or emotional content.But Milady, through her hypocritical morality, through her beauty, has broken a gap in the idea of ​​a man who is prejudiced and madly opposed to her, in the heart and perception of a pure and innocent man.In a word, she found for herself the measure of means hitherto unknown, through the studies which nature and religion could furnish her with the experiments which the most obstinate man has made.

Yet many times each night she was disappointed with fate and herself; we know that she did not appeal to God, but she believed in the power of evil, in that great authority over every aspect of human life, as According to the Arabian fable, one pomegranate seed is enough to rebuild a ruined world. Milady was well prepared to receive Felton, so she could make a plan of action for the next day.She knew she had only two days left, and she knew that once the order had been signed and sealed by Buckingham (since the official document was under a false name and Buckingham was likely not to recognize the woman concerned, easier), the Baron would send her on board at once; and she also knew that all women condemned to exile were far less powerful in wielding their seductive weapons than so-called virtuous women, because The sunshine of high society shines on the beauty of such women, the fashionable voice praises their wisdom, and the refraction of the aristocratic class illuminates them with charming brilliance.A woman condemned to a deplorable and humiliating crime does not affect her own beauty, but it is a lifelong obstacle to regaining her majesty.Like all men of true talent, Milady knew the natural circumstances which suited her means.Poverty repelled her, and baseness made her dignity go away.Milady could only be the queen of queens, and must have at her disposal a pride-satisfied pleasure.Commanding those who are inferior is not so much a pleasure to her as a humiliation.

True, she had not for a moment doubted her return to her native land after exile; but how long might this exile last?For a woman as active and ambitious as Milady, the days not used for progress are ominous times, so find a word for the broken days!For one year, for two years, for three years, that is to say, to go on forever; when d'Artagnan has made a fortune and returned to his hometown, he and his friends will be rewarded by the queen for their service to the queen. When they rewarded her, she would call home again; but these were cruel thoughts intolerable to a woman like Milady!Besides, the turbulent passion in her body and mind doubled her strength, and if her body could match the power of her mind and imagination for a moment, she would shake her body and shake through the walls and come out of the prison.

Then, in the midst of all these thoughts, the thought that haunted her the most was the thought of the cardinal.The cardinal was suspicious, worried, and suspicious; the cardinal was not only her backer, her pillar, her only protector at present, but also her future and revenge. His main tool, he hadn't heard from her for a long time, so what would he think or say?She knew her well, and she knew that after returning from her trip in vain, she even told the story of her imprisonment and boasted about the pain she had endured, but it was of no avail. The cardinal's answer to her must be eccentric , and will be full of suspicion, and say to her softly and forcefully:

You should not have been deceived! So Milady gathered all her energy again, and softly called Felton's name in the depths of her thoughts. This was the only ray of light that could penetrate her body and mind in the depths of hell; she was like a long snake. Coiled and unrolled, to see how much winding power she had left, she first had to use her creative imagination to wrap Felton into her windings. However, time is passing, and every hour that is connected end to end seems to wake up the clock by the way. Every time the bronze hammer strikes, it seems to hit the female prisoner's heart.At nine o'clock Lord Winter made his usual rounds.He glanced first at the windows and their rails, at the floor and walls, at the fireplace and at the doors; and during this long and careful examination, neither he nor Milady said a word.

Presumably both of them understood that the situation had become too serious to waste time with wasted words and fruitless anger. Well, well, said the Baron, leaving Milady, you will not escape to-night! At ten o'clock Felton came to post a sentry; Milady could hear his steps.She guessed Felton now as a mistress guesses her lover, but now Milady hated and despised the cowardly lunatic. The appointed hour had not yet come, and Felton did not enter the room. Two hours later, as twelve o'clock struck midnight, the guards on duty changed. This time it was the appointed hour, and from then on Milady waited anxiously.

The newly appointed sentry began to walk up and down the corridor. Ten minutes later Felton arrived. Milady listened intently. Listen, young man on duty, don't use any excuse to stay away from this door, because you know that a soldier was punished by Lord Winter last night for leaving his post for a while, and after he left for a short time In a short period of time, I was standing guard for him. Yes, I know, said the soldier. So I command you to keep a watchful eye.As for me, he went on, I'm going to check this woman's room a second time, because I'm afraid she's up to something wrong, and I've been ordered to keep an eye on her.

good!murmured Milady, the stern Puritan is beginning to lie! As for the guards on duty, he just smiled. Yo!My captain, said the soldier, you are very lucky to have such a mission, especially if your lordship allows you to see her go to bed all the time. Felton's face was full of fever; in other circumstances he would have reprimanded the soldier for his audacity to make such a joke; but now his heart was crying so loudly that he did not dare to speak. If I call someone, he said, you come; likewise, if someone comes, you call me. Yes, my captain, the soldier replied. Felton entered Milady's room, and Milady rose.

Are you really here?she asked. I promised you to come, said Felton, and here I am. You promised me another thing. What else is there?my God!Although the young man could restrain himself, he still felt his knees tremble and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. You promised to bring me a knife and leave it to me after we talked. Don't mention it, ma'am, said Felton. No matter how serious the situation, a subject of God will not be allowed to commit suicide.I considered that I should never make myself a sinner by such a punishment. ah!You thought about it!Said the prisoner, and sank into her armchair with a contemptuous smile, and I did the same, and I thought about it.

What have you considered? I considered that I have nothing to say to a man who doesn't talk much. Oh my God!Felton murmured. You may go, said Milady, and I shall speak no more. The knife is here!Felton had brought the knife as promised, and he took it out of his pocket, but he hesitated, and did not give it to the female prisoner. let me take a look.Milady says What are you looking at it for? On my honor, I will return it to you immediately, you put it on this table, you stand between me and the knife. Felton reached out and handed the knife to Milady. Milady carefully examined the hardness of the knife, and then tested the edge with her fingers.

Very well, she said, returning the knife to the young officer, a solid steel knife; you are a sure friend, Felton. Felton took the knife again, and put it on the table according to the agreement reached with the female prisoner just now. Milady fixed her eyes and made a gesture of satisfaction. Now, she said, listen to me. This kind of exhortation is superfluous, the young officer is standing in front of her, and is listening greedily. Felton, said Milady with solemn solemnity, Felton, if your sister, your lord's daughter, says to you, I am young, and I happen to be rather pretty, and someone throws me into a trap, But I resisted; there were people who set traps around me and used all kinds of violence, and I also resisted; some people blasphemed my religion and the God I worshiped, because I asked for help from this God and this religion, and I also resisted ;therefore a man who abused me indiscriminately, and as he could not destroy my soul, contrived to shame my body forever; at last at last Milady broke off, a wry smile flitted across her lips. At last, asked Felton, what did they do at last? At last, one night, someone finally resolved to crush my resistance which he could not overcome: that night someone put a strong narcotic in the water I drank;Although I had no unreasonable doubts, I felt a vague fear. I fought against the drowsiness and stood up, intending to run to the window and call for help, but my legs would not work, and it seemed that the roof was falling on my head. Come on, all weight on my body, I stretch out my arms and try to shout, but I can only utter a few inarticulate sounds; an irresistible numbness conquers my whole body, I feel that I am about to fall, and then Clinging to a chair to support my body, but soon my weak arms could not support me, and I fell on one knee, then on both knees; I wanted to shout, but my tongue was stiff; God certainly didn't see I didn't even hear me, so I rolled to the floor, tortured by a drowsiness like death. I have no recollection of the time between this drowsiness and the drowsiness of sleep; the only thing I can recall is that I awoke to find myself lying in a round room with luxurious furniture and the sun A ray of light can penetrate through a hole in the ceiling. In addition, there seems to be no door to enter and exit. It is simply a luxurious prison. It was a long time before I realized where I was, and all these details of which I now spoke, and my mind seemed to have struggled, but in vain, to get rid of this heavy lethargic chaos from which I could not shake; I have a vague feeling that I have traveled through space, I have had a ride in a rolling carriage, and I have had a terrible dream in which my energy is completely exhausted; but all this is so dark and so dark in my mind. so vague that these events seemed not to belong to another life of mine, but to participate in my life through a dangerous double combination. The time I was in made me feel so weird, I thought I was really dreaming, I stumbled to my feet and my clothes were all piled up on a chair next to me, I can't remember I can't remember if I ever took off my clothes, and I can't remember if I slept.At this time, the shameful horror of reality appeared before my eyes; I was no longer in the room where I lived, and I could tell it was so by the sun's rays, because the sun had already set!I fell asleep the night before, so I slept for almost twenty-four hours. What happened during this long sleep? I dressed as quickly as I could, and all my slow, numb movements proved that the effects of the narcotic hadn't quite worn off.Besides, that room was furnished for receiving a woman, and even the most perfect and coquettish woman would have nothing more to wish for if she glanced around the room, because she had seen that everything was as she wanted it to be. wish fulfilled. I am not, of course, the first female prisoner to be imprisoned in that splendid cell; but, you understand, Felton, the more beautiful the cell, the more frightened I am. Yes, it was a cell, because I tried to get out, but there was nothing I could do.I have probed all the walls to find a door, but the feedback from the four walls is muffled. I walked around the room about twenty times, trying to find an exit; but I couldn't find it.Exhausted and terrified, I sank into an armchair. The night was falling fast then, and with it my terrors increased, and I scarcely knew whether I should stand or sit; Move and fall in danger.Although I had eaten nothing since the first day, my fear did not make me hungry. No sound could be heard from outside to enable me to estimate the progress of the time; I could only guess that it might have been seven or eight o'clock in the evening, for it was October and it was quite dark. Suddenly, the sound of a door turning on its hinges made me shudder; from above the glass window in the ceiling, a fire appeared, and a strong beam of light shone directly into my room, and I glimpsed with terror a man standing a few steps from me. steps away. A dining table with two sets, carrying a fully equipped dinner, is magically placed in the center of the suite. This man is the man who has been following me for a year. He once swore to humiliate me. From the first few words I heard from his mouth, I understood that his vow to humiliate me was finally fulfilled the night before. . How despicable!Felton murmured. ah!Yes, that's mean!Milady saw that the young officer who was listening to her was moved by her strange story, and she too cried out, Oh, yes, it's mean!He thought he was content with conquering me in my slumber, and it was a foregone conclusion; he hoped I would accept it after my humiliation, so he gave me his property in exchange for my love . I poured out on that man all the haughty words of contempt and contempt that a woman's heart can contain; Arms still folded across his chest; then, thinking I had finished all I had to say, he leaned forward and approached me; I jumped on the table, picked up a knife casually, and pressed it against my chest. If you go one step closer.I said to him, not only for my insult, but also for my death, which you condemn yourself. In my look, in my voice, in all the manifestations of my personality, there is an unmistakable truth in my gestures, in my gestures and tones, a truth that even the most wicked of souls would believe, Because he stopped. You want to die!He said to me, oh!No, you are too charming a mistress for me to agree to lose you in this way just once, in the happy possession of you.Farewell, my big beauty!I'll come to see you again when you feel better. Having said this, he whistled once, and the spherical light illuminating the room rose and disappeared; I was again in darkness.A door opened and closed with the same sound, and a moment later, the spherical red light was lowered again, and I was still alone. Such moments are terrible; and if I still had many doubts about my unhappiness, these doubts have long since been dulled by a hopeless reality, because I have been possessed by a man who not only I hated him, and I despised him; not only was this man capable of anything, but he had already left me a deadly note with the audacity of his life. But who is that man?asked Felton. I spent the night in a chair, jumping at the slightest sound, for it was about midnight, the lights were out, and I was in darkness again.But the man who persecuted me that night made no new plans; at dawn, the table disappeared, only the knife I still held in my hand. That knife is all my hope. I was exhausted; my eyes were burning from insomnia, because I dared not fall asleep for a moment.The dawn made me feel relieved, I threw myself on the bed, hid the life-saving knife under the pillow and fell asleep. When I woke up, a new table of meals was delivered. This time, despite my mental terror, despite my worries, I felt hungry; I hadn't eaten for forty-eight hours.I ate some bread and some fruit, and afterwards when I remembered that the water I drank had been drugged, I didn't even touch the water that was on the table.I went to get a glass of water from the tap built into the wall in front of the sink. In spite of my caution, however, I still had lingering fears from time to time; but this time my fears were unfounded, for I passed the whole day without anything resembling my fears. In order not to let people see that I was suspicious, I deliberately poured out half of the water in the long-necked and pot-bellied glass bottle. Night fell and darkness came with it; but it was dark anyway, and my eyes were getting used to it.In the darkness I saw the table sink under the floor, and a quarter of an hour later the table came up again with the supper; a moment later my room was illuminated again by the same light. I decided to eat only food that could not be mixed with any hypnotics: two eggs, a few fruits, that was all I had for dinner, and then I drank a glass of water from the tap that protected me. After taking the first few sips, I seemed to feel that the taste of the water was different from that in the morning. I suddenly became suspicious and stopped drinking it, but I had already drunk half a glass. I poured out the rest of the water in horror, and I waited, the sweat of panic dripping from my brow. No doubt someone in the shadows saw me fetching water under the tap and used my confidence to make a stronger determination to damage me mercilessly and continue to destroy me brutally. In less than half an hour, similar symptoms reappeared; but this time I only drank half a glass of water, I could still struggle for a longer period of time, I did not fall asleep completely, but was in a semi-consciousness, barely feeling myself What happened around, but at the same time lost the power of self-defense and escape. I dragged my body and walked towards the bed, looking for the only life-saving knife left for me to defend myself; but before I could reach the bed, I fell to my knees on the ground, clutching tightly with both hands. A bed leg, and then I knew, I was done. Felton's face was terribly pale, and his whole body was trembling convulsively. Even more frightening, Milady went on, in an altered voice that seemed to indicate that she was still going through the same panic of that terrible moment, was that this time I realized the danger was threatening me, that's what I could say My mind is awake to guard my sleeping body; that is, I can see and hear; all this seems to be in a dream, and this makes people more afraid. I saw the light rising, and gradually driving me into darkness; then I heard the very familiar sound of the door, though it had only been opened twice. I felt instinctively that someone was approaching me, as an unfortunate man lost in the American wilderness feels the approach of a snake. I tried to exert my strength, I tried to cry out; with unimaginable tenacity of will, I got up again, but immediately fell to the ground again, and fell into the arms of my persecutor. Please tell me who is that?exclaimed the young officer. Milady saw at a glance that every narrative detail she emphasized produced intolerable pain to Felton;The more deeply she shocked Felton's heart, the more surely Felton would avenge her.So she went on, seemingly deaf to Felton's exclamations of pain, or as if she felt that the time to answer Felton's question was too late. And this time, it's no longer a mindless zombie who the Shameless are fighting for.I told you that I was no longer able to regain the full power of my organism, but was only aware of the danger, and I fought with all my might, no doubt long, in spite of my weakness, because I heard his words cry: These damned Puritans!I only knew that the executioners were exhausted from chopping off their heads, but I didn't expect that they would be so powerful in resisting the men who seduced them. well!This desperate struggle did not last long, and I was exhausted; this time it was not that my sleepiness gave the coward a chance, but that I was fainting. Felton listened, and Milady heard nothing else from him, but a low growl; only his marble brow was dripping with sweat, and his hands under his jacket were tearing. own heart. The first thing I did when I woke up was to find the knife I had hidden under the pillow that I hadn't got; if it wasn't used in self-defense, it could at least be used for atonement! But when I got that knife, Felton, a terrible thought came into my head.I swore to tell you everything, so I will tell you; I promised you to tell the truth, so I will tell the truth, and telling the truth will destroy me, I Also say. All you have is to take revenge on that person, isn't it?Felton asked aloud. Well, exactly!Milady said that such thoughts are not for a Christian, I know; but perhaps it is the eternal enemy in our hearts, the lion that keeps roaring around us, that stirs up this kind of thinking in our heads. idea.Finally, what shall I say to you, Felton?Milady went on in the tone of a confessing woman, "Once I had the idea, I doubtless never got rid of it.It was because of this murderous thought that I was punished today. Go on, go on, said Felton, and I am anxious to see how you get your revenge. oh!I made up my mind to get my vengeance as soon as possible, and I am sure he will come again the next night.During the day, I have nothing to fear. So, when lunch came, I ate and drank without hesitation: I decided to pretend to have dinner and eat nothing, and I had to fight the evening hunger with my morning food. I only hid the glass of water I saved for lunch, because thirst is the most painful thing for me without eating or drinking for forty-eight hours. The day went by without any other effect on me than to strengthen my resolution, though I took care not to reveal any inner thoughts on the surface, for I was convinced that someone was spying on me; several times I felt There was a smile on the lips.Felton, I dare not tell you what I thought I laughed because you would hate me Go on, go on, go on, said Felton, you see very clearly that I am listening to you, and I am anxious to hear your revenge. Another evening came, and the usual business was done; as usual, my supper was brought up in the dark, then the lights came on, and I sat at the table. I only used a few fruits: I pretended to pour water into my glass from a pot-bellied carafe, but I drank the water that was in my glass, and I did this trick very well. As a spy, he wouldn't see any flaws. After dinner, I feigned the same numbness as the night before; but this time, as if exhausted to the core, and as if I were accustomed to danger, I dragged myself to the bed and pretended to sleep. caught. This time, I found the knife under my pillow, and I clenched my fists convulsively while pretending to be asleep. Two hours passed without incident, but this time, oh my God!Who would have expected it to be different from the night before?I'm starting to worry that he won't come. Finally, I found that the light rose slowly, and then disappeared at the top of the ceiling. My room was dark, but I tried my best to keep my eyes open to watch the movement in the darkness. About ten minutes passed.I still didn't hear anything, just my heart beating. I prayed to heaven that he would come. Finally, I heard the familiar sound of the door opening and closing; despite the thick carpet, I heard footsteps on the floor; although the room was dark, I saw a figure walking towards my bed. Say it, say it!Felton urged impatiently, can't you see, every word of yours is like molten lead burning my body and mind! Just then, said Milady again, just then, gathering all my energy, I was reminding myself that the hour of vengeance, or rather the hour of justice, had sounded; I saw myself as another Judy I crouched with the knife in my hand, and when I saw him approaching me, I stretched out my arms to feel the man who had come to die, when, with a last cry of pain and despair, I threw the knife Stabbed at his chest. asshole!He had expected it all: he had chain mail through his inner chest, and the knife was dull. aha!Howling he grabbed my arm and snatched the knife from my hand that didn't do me any favors, you want my life, my Puritan beauty!This act is beyond hatred, it is ungrateful!Come, come, be quiet, my beautiful darling!I thought you were already docile.I am not one of those tyrants who guard women with violence: you do not like me, and I suspected, with my usual self-importance, that you did not love me, and now I believe it.Tomorrow, I will set you free I had only one wish at the time, and that was for him to kill me. Please be careful!Because, I said to him, my freedom is your shame.Yes, because, as soon as I get out of this room, I'll tell everything, I'll say you raped me, I'll say you imprisoned me unlawfully.I will expose all the infamy that has happened in this house; you are high, my lord, but you will tremble!Above you there is the king, and above the king there is God. Although my persecutor seemed very restrained, he couldn't help but act annoyed.I couldn't see the expression on his face, but I could feel him trembling with my hand on his arm. Then I won't let you out of here, he said. That's good, that's good!I cried out, and this place where I was humiliated is my graveyard.All right!Here I die, and you'll see if an accusing ghost is scarier than a menacing living man! No one will leave you with any murder weapon. There is a weapon that the God of Despair has placed within the reach of every man who has the courage to wield it.I will starve myself. We'll see, says the goddamn thing, isn't peace better than such a war?I set you free now, and I declare you a martyr, and I call you Lucrece of England The king's son committed suicide after rape, and thus led to the demise of the Tarquin dynasty.). Then I say you are Sextus of England As I exposed you, I will expose you to the world, and like Lucrece, if necessary, I will sign my indictment with my blood, and I will. aha!That's another matter, said my enemy sneeringly.To be honest, anyway, it's good that you're here, there's nothing you can't want, and it's your fault if you're going to let yourself starve to death. After saying these few words, he walked out, and I heard the door open and close again.Frankly, I've suffered less emotionally than the shame of not having avenged myself. He kept what he said to me.The next day passed all day and all night, and I really didn't see him again.But what I told him was true, I neither ate nor drank; as I told him, I made up my mind to die by hunger strike. I spent my days and nights praying that God would forgive my suicide. The next night the door opened; I was lying on the floor and my strength was starting to leave me. Hearing the sound, I raised my body with one hand supported. How about it?A terrible trembling voice resounded in my ears, I couldn't recognize who it was, how about it, are we a little reconciled?We can make a deal on our liberty with the only tacit promise, right?Hey, I'm a good prince, he added, and though I don't like Puritans, I recognize their just right, and I do the same to Puritan women when they're pretty.Well, cross yourself and make a small oath to me, and I ask of you nothing more. Make the sign of the cross!I got up again and cried out, having regained all my strength at the repulsive sound; make the sign of the sign of the cross!I swear that no promise, no threat, no torture will shut my mouth; make the sign of the cross!I'll expose you everywhere as a murderer, a great liar, and a cruel coward; sign the sign of the cross!In the event that it should ever be possible for me to escape from here, I swear to call upon all mankind to avenge you. Be careful!In a threatening tone I have never heard before, I have the best way to silence you, or at least to make the world believe a word you say, but I won't do it unless it is absolutely necessary. I responded with a burst of laughter with all my strength. He saw that there was going to be an eternal war between me and him, a war to the death. Listen, he said, I'll make you think about it for the rest of the night and the whole of tomorrow, and if you promise to keep your mouth shut, you'll be rich and rich, and if you speak out, I'll ruin you . you!I yelled, you! Forever ruined, ruined ruin that can never be washed away! you!I yelled again.ah!I tell you, Felton, I think he's a crazy fellow! You're right, I'm a crazy guy!By his own admission. well!Please leave me alone, I said to him, if you don't want to see me smash my head against the wall, get out! Well, he said, if you want to be killed, see you tomorrow night! See you tomorrow night, I said as I collapsed involuntarily, biting the rug like crazy Felton leaned against a piece of furniture, and Milady watched with diabolical glee at Felton, which might have become unbearable before her part of the story was finished.