Chapter 65 Chapter 63: A Drop of Water

Rochefort had just gone out when Madame Bonacieur entered Milady's room. She found Milady smiling. Well, asked the young woman, what you dreaded has finally happened?Has the Cardinal sent for you this evening or tomorrow? Who told you that, dear?asked Milady. I heard it from the messenger himself. Come, sit beside me, said Milady. OK Wait a minute, I'll see if anyone is listening to us. Why be so cautious? You'll find out later. Milady got up, went to the door and opened it.She glanced down the corridor again, then turned and sat down again beside Madame Bonacieur. So he can really act.

Who are you talking about? It was the man who met the dean as the cardinal's envoy. Was that person acting just now? yes my child. isn't that person That man, said Milady in a low voice, is my brother. your brother!Madame Bonasseur gave an exclamation. As it stands, only you know the secret, my child; and if you spill the truth, whoever you tell it to in the world, it will be my ruin, and perhaps yours too. ah!my God! Listen to me, this is how it happened: my brother came to rescue me, intending to take me from here by force if necessary, but he met the emissary of the cardinal who was also looking for me; My brother followed him to a secluded place in the wilderness, and with his sword in his hand, he ordered the emissary to hand over the papers he was carrying; and when the emissary tried to resist, my brother killed him.

oh!exclaimed Madame Bonacher tremblingly. This is a last resort, you say yes.So my brother decided to substituting outmaneuvering for attacking: he took papers and came here as the cardinal's emissary, and said that in an hour or two, the cardinal will send a carriage to fetch me. I see, that carriage was actually sent by your brother. That's right; but it's not over yet: Do you think that letter you got was from Mrs Scheverus? how? That letter is fake. How could it be fake? Yes, it's fake: it's a trap, and when someone comes for you, you'll be caught without a fight.

It was d'Artagnan who came. You are mistaken, dArtagnan and his friends are left at the siege of La Rochelle. How do you know? My brother met some of the cardinal's emissaries, all of them dressed as musketeers.They would have called you at the gate, and you thought you were joining a friend, so they kidnapped you and took you to Paris. oh!Oh, God!Faced with this unreasonable nonsense, my mind is also confused.I feel that if this goes on, said Madame Bonacieur, rubbing her hands to her brow, I might go mad! please wait how? I heard the clatter of hooves, it was my brother riding off; to say good-bye to him for the last time, you too.

Milady opened the window, and beckoned to Madame Bonacieur to come.The young woman goes to the window. Rochefort was galloping. Good-bye, brother, cried Milady. The knight raised his head and saw two young women standing in front of the window. He made a friendly gesture to Milady as he ran. What a lovely George!She said and closed the window again, her face full of love and sadness. Milady returned to her seat and sat down, seemingly lost in complete self-contemplation. dear lady!exclaimed Madame Bonasseur, forgive me for interrupting your thoughts!Can you tell me what should I do?my god!You have more experience than I do, so just tell me, I'll listen to you.

First, says Milady, or I may be mistaken, d'Artagnan and his friends may indeed come to your rescue. oh!That would be beautiful!exclaimed Madame Bonacieur, but the happiness is not for me! Then you get the idea; it could also be purely a matter of time, a kind of race to see who gets there first.If your friends outpace each other in speed, you're saved; if the cardinal's minions get the upper hand, you're doomed. oh!Yes, yes, it's all over!So what to do?How to do it? There is a very simple and easy way any solution?Say it! That is to hide nearby and wait to confirm who is coming for you.

But where are you waiting? oh!That's not a problem: I'm staying here myself, hiding a few leagues or so, and waiting for my brother to come and fetch me; I'll take you with me, and we'll hide together and wait. But the people in the monastery will not let me go, because I am almost a prisoner here. As they think I am leaving at the Cardinal's behest, they will not believe you to rush off with me. So what to do? What do you do, let the carriage stop at the gate, and you go and say good-bye to me, and you step on the step and give me your last embrace; I told beforehand to my brother's servant who came to fetch me, and he made a sign to the coachman , we galloped off.

But what about d'Artagnan, what about d'Artagnan, if he comes? Can we not know that he is coming? How can you know? It couldn't be easier.We can send my brother's servant to Betuna, I told you, we can trust him; he lives in disguise, opposite the monastery; if the cardinal's emissary comes , he need not move; if it is d'Artagnan and his friends, he will lead them to us. Does he know them? Of course he couldn't fail to see D'Artagnan in my house! oh!Yes, yes, you are right; then everything will go well and everything will be icing on the cake; but let us not hide too far from here.

Seven or eight miles at most, for example, we hide near the border and leave France in case of emergency. But what are we going to do between now and then? wait. But what if they arrive? My brother's carriage must come before them. What if I'm not with you when they pick you up, say for dinner or lunch? You must do one thing now. whats the matter? In order for the two of us to be separated as little as possible, please go and talk to your kind dean and ask her to allow us to eat together. Will she agree? What's the problem? oh!That's good, so we won't be apart for a moment.

In that case, go downstairs to her and ask her!I felt dizzy, so I went for a walk in the garden. Go, but where shall I find you? I'll be back in an hour. oh!You are very kind and I thank you. How can I not care about you?It's just that you are not beautiful or charming, aren't you my best friend? My dear d'Artagnan, oh!How much he will thank you! I hope so.let's go!All said and done, let's go downstairs! You go to the garden? Yes. You go along this corridor and then a small staircase leads directly to the garden. great!Thanks! The two women broke up after exchanging touching smiles.

Milady was telling the truth. She was really dizzy just now, because a series of bad plans she arranged were full of flaws, and she seemed to have fallen into the quagmire of chaos.She needed some solitude to get some order out of her messed up thoughts.She saw dimly the dawn of the future, but she needed a moment of stillness and peace to draw a clear outline, an accurate blueprint, of all her still confused thoughts. Among them, the most urgent thing to do is to take Mrs. Bonasseur away, arrange her in a safe place, and take her as a hostage on the spot if necessary.Milady began to dread the outcome of this decisive battle, in which her foe would be as desperate as she was, and would show an equal amount of fortitude. And, as one feels a storm approaching, she felt that the end was at hand, and that it must be a fight to the death. We have already said that for Milady, the most important thing is to take Madame Bonnacer into her own hands, because Madame Bonnacer is the life of d'Artagnan; more important than his own life, It was the life of the woman he loved; it was a trump card to bargain and secure a good deal in the face of bad luck. And it was a foregone conclusion that Madame Bonacieur would follow her without doubt; just take her to hide in Amentières, and convince her that d'Artagnan would never come to Bertou. Nana is easy.In no more than half a month, Rochefort would return; moreover, during this half month, she would consider everything that must be done to avenge those four friends.She won't be bored, thank God, for she has all sorts of events that can afford a woman of her character the sweetest diversions, and that's what it takes to perfect a sweet revenge. Milady looked round in her meditations, making an exact survey of the topography of the garden in her mind.Like a well-trained general, she can foresee victory and defeat at the same time, and depending on the possibility of combat, she is ready to attack or retreat at any time. At the end of an hour, she heard a soft call called to her, that of Madame Bonacieur.The good priory obliged to all requests, and Milady and Mrs. Poser dined together from the evening onwards. Entering the compound, they heard the sound of a carriage stopping in front of the gate. Did you hear that?asked Milady. I heard the rolling sound of a carriage. It's the carriage my brother sent us. oh!God! Look at you, be brave! Someone rang the bell of the monastery gate, and Milady had guessed correctly. Going upstairs to your own room, she said to Madame Bonacieur, you must have some expensive jewels to take away. I have some letters from him, said Madame Bonacieur. Well, go and get the letter, and meet me in my room, and then we'll have dinner; we'll probably be traveling night and day, so we'll have to recharge our batteries. Great God!Madame Bonasseur put her hand on her chest and said, "My heart is suffocating, I can't go." Be brave, hey, be brave!Think about it, you will be saved in a quarter of an hour, and you have to think about what you are going to do right now, it is for his sake that you are doing it. oh!Yes, everything is for him.You restored my courage with one word; go, I will go to you. Milady immediately went upstairs to her bedroom, found the servant sent by Rochefort in the room, and gave him face-to-face instructions. He had to wait at the gate; and if the musketeers chanced to appear, he drove off as fast as he could, round the abbey, and waited for Milady in a small village on the other side of the grove.In this case, Milady, who, as has been said, knew this part of France like the back of his hand, went on foot through the garden to the village. If the musketeers did not come, things went as planned: Madame Bonacieur boarded the carriage on the pretext of saying goodbye to her, and then Milady took Madame Bonacieur away. At this moment Madame Bonasseur came in, and in order to reassure her of all doubts, if she had any, Milady repeated to the servant her last few points in her presence. Milady asked a few more questions about the carriage: it was a stage coach drawn by three horses, and the driver was the hired postman of the post station; so Rochefort's servants had to lead the way on horseback. Milady feared that Mrs. Bonacieur was suspicious, and she was quite mistaken.The poor young woman was too innocent to suspect that another woman could be so insidious; besides, the title of Lady de Winter, which she had heard from the Abbess herself, was so foreign to her that she could not have known it at all. , a woman can occupy such a fatal and important place in the many misfortunes of her life. You see, she said as soon as the servant went out, everything was ready, the abbot didn't notice, she thought it was the cardinal who sent for me.The man is on his way to give final orders; eat as much as you can, and drink as much wine as you can, and then we'll start. Yes, said Madame Bonacieur instinctively, yes, we are going together. Milady motioned for Madame Bonacieur to sit down before her, poured her a small glass of Spanish wine, and got her a breast of chicken. You see, she said to Madame Bonacieur, everything seems to be helping us, the night is coming; we will be in our hiding-place at dawn tomorrow, and no one expects us to be there.Here, take some courage and eat something. Madame Bonasseur ate a few mouthfuls unconsciously, dipping her lips in the wine glass. Drink, drink, said Milady, lifting her glass to her lips, drink like me. However, just as her wine glass was about to touch her lips, her hand holding the glass stopped in the air: she just heard what seemed to be speeding wheels rolling on the road from far to near; At the same moment, she seemed to hear the neighing of the horse again. The sound brought her back from her complacency, like a hurricane waking her from a sweet dream; she paled and ran to the window, while Madame Bonacieur stood up trembling, holding her chair so that she would not fall. . But they didn't see anything yet, only heard the sound of galloping, which was always getting closer. oh!my Lord!said Mrs. Bonasseur, what is that noise? Is it the voice of our friends or our enemies, Milady explained with terrible coolness, you stay still and I will tell you. Madame Bonacieur still stood there, silent and motionless, her face pale like a wooden sculpture. The noise grew louder, and the galloping horses were perhaps only a hundred and fifty paces away; if they were still missing, it was because the road turned a bend.However, the voice became so clear, and through the patchwork hooves, it seemed as if one could count how many horses there were. Milady stared intently; it was still light enough for her to discern who was coming. Suddenly, at a bend in the road, she saw gleaming and fringed hats, and their feathers fluttering in the wind; she counted first two horses, then five, then eight; The length of the two horses took the lead. Milady gave a low growl.She recognized d'Artagnan as the man in front. oh!God!God!Madame Bonasseur also cried out, what happened? That's the uniform worn by the guards, Monsieur Cardinal; there is no delay!cried Milady, let's run, run! Yes, yes, let us run, repeated Madame Bonacieur; but she was as if nailed in place by too much terror, and could not move a step. They heard a procession of mounted horses pass under the window. Here you come!you come!Milady screamed and tried to drag the young woman by the arm. Thanks to the garden, we can escape. I have the key, but we have to hold on, it will be too late in five minutes. Madame Bonasseur also tried to move her feet, but she took only two steps and fell to her knees. Milady tried to lift her up, to hug her, but in vain. Just then they heard the carriage roll, and it was the driver who, seeing the Musketeers, rode away.Then there were three or four shots. The last time I ask you, do you want to go?asked Milady aloud. oh!my God!my God!You can see clearly that I really have no strength; you can see clearly that I can't go, you can run away alone. Escape alone!leave you here!No!No!Absolutely not!Milady growled. Suddenly, a cold light shot out of her eyes, like a crazy mad woman, she ran to the table, opened the chassis of the ring with strange agility, and poured the contents into Madame Bonacieur's cup. It is a light red particle that dissolves in water. Then, without changing her face, she picked up the wine glass without changing her heart: Please drink it, she said, this wine will strengthen you, drink it. As she spoke, she brought the wine glass to the young woman's mouth, and the young woman drank it unconsciously. ah!This is not my intention of revenge, Milady put the cup on the table with a vicious smile and said, but, what can I do!Do whatever you can! With that, she rushed out of the room. Madame Bonacieur watched her flee, but could not pursue her; like those who dream of being pursued, she tried to flee with steps, but in vain. A few minutes passed, and there was a frightful uproar at the gate; Madame Bonacher was expecting every moment to see Milady in her honor again, but Milady did not come. Several times, no doubt out of fear, Madame Bonacieur's scorching brow broke out in cold sweat. At last she heard the creak of someone opening the iron bars, the clatter of riding boots and spurs on the stairs; there was another loud, complaining voice that came closer and closer, and in the midst of these mixed sounds, she seemed to hear someone calling her name. She gave a sudden exclamation of joy, and rushed to the door, for she recognized d'Artagnan's voice. D'Artagnan!D'Artagnan!she shouted, is that you?I'm here, I'm here! Constance!Constance!The young man replied, where are you?my God! At this very instant the door was not opened but was slammed open; several men burst into the room.Madame Bonacieur sank into an armchair, but could not move. D'Artagnan throws away a pistol still smoking in his hand, and kneels before his mistress; Athos fastens his own pistol in his belt; Porthos and Aramis, swords in hand, At this time, the sword was also put into its sheath. ah!D'Artagnan!My dear d'Artagnan!You're finally here, you didn't lie to me, it's really you! It's me, it's me, Constance!We are reunited again! oh!She said you won't come, it's a waste of words, I've been looking forward to it fondly; I don't want to run away; oh!I really did it right, how lucky I am! Hearing her word, Athos, who had been sitting quietly, stood up abruptly. she!who is she?asked d'Artagnan. My companions; out of friendship to me, she wished to deliver me from my persecutors; because she mistook you for the cardinal's guards, she has just fled. Your companion, cried d'Artagnan, who grew paler than his mistress's white kerchief, what kind of companion do you speak of? I mean the man whose carriage is at the gate, the woman who calls herself your friend, d'Artagnan; the woman to whom you have nothing to say. what is her name?what is her name?cried d'Artagnan, O God!Why don't you even know her name? I know, I know, someone mentioned her to me; it's strange that you wait!my Lord!My head is in such a mess that I can't see anything. Help me, friends, help me!Her hands were cold, cried d'Artagnan, and she was fainting; God!She is unconscious! At this moment, Porthos shouted for help, and Aramis ran to the table to find a glass of water. However, when he found Athos's terribly distorted face, standing motionless at the table, his hair stood on end, indifferent. His eyes were full of panic, staring at one of the wine glasses, as if he was suffering from the most terrible doubt, when he stopped. oh!Athos said, Oh!No, it's impossible!God will not allow such a crime to be committed. Bring water, bring water, cried dArtagnan, bring water! Oh, poor woman, poor woman!murmured Athos with broken heart. Madame Bonacieur opened her eyes again under the kisses of d'Artagnan. She woke up!The young man cried out, oh!My God, my God!thank you! Madame, said Athos, madam, for heaven's sake, tell me whose empty cup is it? It's mine, sir," replied the young woman feebly. But who poured you this glass of wine? she. who is she? ah!I remember, said Madame Bonasseur, Countess de Winter All four friends cried out with one voice, but Athos's voice was louder than all others. At this moment, Mrs. Bonacier's face was ashen, and she was completely crushed by the silent pain. She fell panting on the arms of Porthos and Aramis. D'Artagnan held Athos' hands, with an indescribable pain on his face. What's going on!he said, do you believe His words were smothered in a choke. I believe in everything, said Athos, biting his bleeding lip. D'Artagnan, D'Artagnan!cried Madame Bonasseur, where are you?Don't leave me, you see very clearly that I am going to die soon. D'Artagnan released the hand of Athos, which had been clutched in his contracted hands, and ran up to Madame Bonacieur. Her beautiful face was full of shock, her dull eyes were no longer alive, a convulsive tremor shook her body, and sweat dripped from her forehead. For heaven's sake!Run to the doctor; Porthos, Aramis, find someone to save her! It is useless, said Athos, it is useless, for there is no cure for her poison. Yes, yes, help!help!Madame Bonacieur muttered, help! Then, with all her strength, she gazed at the young man for a moment, clasping his head in her hands, as if all her spirits were in her gaze, and then, with a whimper, pressed her lips against the d'Artagnan's lips. Constance!Constance!d'Artagnan called. A sigh broke through Madame Bonacieur's mouth, and passed d'Artagnan's mouth lightly; this sigh was the soul so pure and so affectionate, returning to heaven. DArtagnan had only a corpse in his arms. The young man cried out and fell down beside his mistress, just like his mistress, his face was so pale, and his whole body was so cold. Porthos wept, Aramis shook his fists in the air, and Athos crossed himself. At this moment, a man appeared at the door. His face was almost as pale as those in the room. He looked around and saw the dead Madame Bonacieur and d'Artagnan who had fainted to the ground. Just at the moment of panic when the disaster was imminent, this unexpected guest appeared. I am not mistaken, said the man who came, this is M. d'Artagnan!And you are his three friends, gentlemen Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The three friends who were called by their first and last names looked at the stranger with surprise, and all three of them seemed familiar. Ladies and gentlemen, the stranger said, you are tracking a woman like me, and he said with a horrifying smile, that woman must have been here, because I saw a dead body here! The three friends were dumbfounded; only the voice and face reminded them that they had seen this man before, but they could not recall on what occasion. Gentlemen, the stranger went on, since you don't want to recognize a man whose life you may have saved twice, I'll just have to introduce myself.I am Lord Winter, the woman's brother-in-law. The three friends let out a cry of surprise. Athos stood up and held out his hand to him: You are welcome, my lord, he said, and you are one of your own. I started from Portsmouth Harbor five hours after the woman had gone, says Lord Winter, and I reached Blaunay three hours after her arrival; at St. Omer I was twenty behind her Minutes; finally at Liller, I lost track of her.While I was making endless inquiries, I saw you galloping, and I recognized M. d'Artagnan.I called you, but you ignored me; I would have followed you, but my mount was too tired to go as fast as yours.But although everyone is on their way at full speed, it seems that it is still too late! You see!As he spoke, Athos pointed out to Lord de Winter the dead Madame Bonacieur, and D'Artagnan, whom Porthos and Aramis were trying to revive. Are they both dead?asked Lord Winter calmly. Happily not, replied Athos, M. d'Artagnan had only fainted. ah!Very good!said Lord Winter. D'Artagnan really opened his eyes at this moment. He broke free from the arms of Porthos and Aramis, and threw himself on the body of his mistress like a madman. Athos arose, approached his friend with slow and solemn steps, and embraced him affectionately; and when d'Artagnan sobbed, he spoke to him in the most sublime and comforting tone. explain: Friend, be a man: women weep for the dead, men avenge the dead! oh!Yes, said d'Artagnan, yes!As long as it is to avenge her, I am ready to go through fire and water with you at any time! Athos, making the most of the occasion, when the hope of vengeance restored his unfortunate friend's courage, signaled Porthos and Aramis to go to the abbot. The two friends met her in the hallway, and she was still very bewildered and bewildered by events.Contrary to the practice of becoming a monk, she called several nuns in the presence of five secular men. Madame, said Athos, taking d'Artagnan's arm, we now entrust the body of this unfortunate woman to your respectful service.Before becoming an angel in heaven, she was an angel on earth.Treat her as one of your sisters; one day we shall return to pray over her grave. D'Artagnan fell on Athos's breast, and wept again, choked with sobs. Weep, said Athos, weep, full of love and youth and life in thy heart!well!I wish I could cry like you did! He walked out with his friend on his arm, like a loving father, a comforting pastor, and a great man who has experienced many vicissitudes. The five men held the bridle in each hand, followed by the servants, and headed towards the city of Betuna, which was already in sight on the outskirts of the city; they stopped in front of the first inn they encountered. So, said d'Artagnan, we are not going after that woman? Take it easy, said Athos, I will take some measures. She will slip from us, said the young man again, she will slip from us, Athos, and it will be your fault. I'm sure she won't get away, said Athos. D'Artagnan was so faithful to what his friend had said, that he went into the inn with his head bowed, and said no more. Porthos and Aramis looked at each other, unable to see what Athos' guarantee meant. Lord Winter thought that Athos said this to ease d'Artagnan's pain. Now, gentlemen, said Athos, after ascertaining that the inn had five vacant rooms, each to his own; d'Artagnan needs to be alone and weep, and you need to sleep.I will take care of everything, so please rest assured. But I feel, said Lord Winter, that if anything is to be done against the countess, I shall intervene, as she is my sister-in-law. And I, said Athos, she is my wife. D'Artagnan trembled with joy, for he knew that, since he had revealed such a secret, he was sure of revenge; Porthos and Aramis looked at each other pale.Lord Winter thought Athos was mad. Come into the chambers, said Athos, and let me do my business.You see very clearly that this matter concerns me as a husband.Only d'Artagnan, if you haven't lost the note that fell from the man's hat, give it to me, which says the name of the city is Ah, said d'Artagnan, I see, she wrote the place-name herself. You see clearly, said Athos, there is a God in heaven!