The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [284]
At six o’clock Lord Winter entered, armed to the teeth. This man, who hitherto had always seemed to her but a plain somewhat witless gentleman, had become an admirable jailer. Apparently he could foresee, divine and anticipate everything. One glance at Milady told him what was on her mind.
“I see,” he said, “I see! But you shall not kill me today. You have no weapon now and besides I am on my guard. You had begun to pervert my poor Felton. He was yielding to your infernal influence. But I will save him. He will never see you again. All is over. Get your belongings together and pack them up. Tomorrow you go! I had arranged for you to sail on the twenty-fourth but I have decided that the sooner you go the better and safer for all concerned. Tomorrow, by twelve o’clock, I shall have the order for your exile, signed, Buckingham. If you utter one word to anyone before boarding the vessel my sergeant will blow your brains out. He has received orders to do so. If, once aboard, you utter one word to anyone before the captain permits you, he will have you tossed into the sea. This has all been agreed upon.
“Au revoir, then! That is all I have to say today. Tomorrow I will see you again to take my leave of you and bid you farewell.”
Milady had listened to the whole menacing tirade with a smile of disdain on her lips but with rage in her heart. Now she saw him bow and leave the room. Supper was served. Milady ate heartily, for she felt that she stood in need of all her strength. Anything—a miracle or a catastrophe—might well happen during this night which was approaching so menacingly. Great clouds rolled across the sky; distant flashes heralded a fierce storm.
The storm burst at about ten o’clock. Milady derived a consolation of sorts as she saw Nature partaking in the disorders of her heart. The thunder growled in the air like the anger and fury in her mind. It was as if the blast, whirring across the earth to bow the branches of the trees and to strip them of their leaves, were lashing her and disheveling the very hairs on her head. She too howled like the hurricane as her voice was lost in the great voice of Nature which seemed to Milady to be wailing for despair, like herself.
Suddenly she heard a tap at her window and, as the lightning flashed, discerned a man’s face behind the bars. She ran to the window and opened it.
“Felton!” she cried. “I am saved!”
“Yes,” said Felton, “but hush, hush! I must have time to saw the bars. You make sure that they do not see you through the grating.”
“They cannot, Felton, and there is another proof that the Lord is on our side! They have boarded up the grating.”
“Capital! God in His Wisdom has made them witless!”
“But what must I do?”
“Nothing, My Lady, nothing. Just shut the window. Go to bed or at least get into bed with all your clothes on. When I have finished, I shall rap at the window. But will you be able to follow me?”
“Oh, yes!”
“Your wound?”
“It troubles me. But I can walk!”
“Then stand by for the first signal.”
Milady shut the window, blew out the lamp and, obeying Felton’s injunctions, curled up in bed. Amid the roars and moans of the storm, she could distinguish the steady grinding of the file upon the bars and by the light of every flash she perceived Felton’s shadow across the panes. She spent a whole hour breathless, panting, a cold sweat pearling her brow, her heart wrung by excruciating anguish each time she heard a move in the corridor. Time crawled by. There are moments which last a lifetime.
An hour later, Felton rapped again. Milady sprang out of bed and opened the window. The removal of two small bars formed an opening through which a man could pass comfortably.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Shall I take anything with me?”
“Money, if you have some!”
“Yes! Thank God, they left me the money I had.”
“So much the better. I have spent all mine in chartering a vessel.”
“Take this,” Milady urged, placing a bag full of louis in Felton’s hands. Felton took the bag and dropped it to the