The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [248]
He went to the door and opened it suddenly.
“Send for Mr. Felton,” he said. “Wait another moment, and I will recommend you to him.”
A strange silence came over these two personages, during which the sound of slow and regular footsteps was heard aproaching. Soon, in the shadows of the corridor, a human form loomed up, and the young lieutenant whose acquaintance we have already made stopped on the threshold, awaiting the baron’s orders.
“Come in, my dear John,” said Lord de Winter, “come in and close the door.”
The young officer came in.
“Now,” said the baron, “look at this woman. She is young, she is beautiful, she has every earthly seduction—well! but she is a monster, who, at the age of twenty-five, has been guilty of as many crimes as you could read about for a year in the archives of our courts. Her voice is prepossessing, her beauty serves as bait for her victims, her body even pays what she has promised—we must do her that justice. She will try to seduce you; she may even try to kill you. I brought you out of poverty, Felton, I had you made lieutenant, I saved your life once, you know on which occasion; I am not only a protector for you, but a friend; not only a benefactor, but a father. This woman has come back to England in order to conspire against my life; I have this serpent in my hands. Well, so I have sent for you, and I say to you: Felton, my friend, John, my boy, protect me, and above all protect yourself, from this woman. Swear on your salvation to save her for the punishment she deserves. John Felton, I trust in your word; John Felton, I believe in your loyalty.”
“Milord,” said the young officer, filling his pure gaze with all the hatred he could find in his heart, “Milord, I swear to you that it will be as you wish.”
Milady took this gaze like a resigned victim: it was impossible to see a more submissive and gentle expression than that which then reigned over her beautiful face. Lord de Winter himself could hardly recognize the tigress he had prepared himself to fight a moment before.
“She is never to leave this room, you understand, John,” the baron continued, “she is to correspond with no one, she is to speak only with you, if you indeed wish to do her the honor of addressing her.”
“Enough, Milord, I have sworn.”
“And now, Madame, try to make your peace with God, for you have already been judged by men.”
Milady hung her head, as if she felt herself crushed by this judgment. Lord de Winter went out, making a gesture to Felton, who followed him out and closed the door.
A moment later from the corridor came the heavy tread of a marine who was standing watch, his axe in his belt and his musket in his hand.
Milady remained in the same position for a few minutes, for she thought someone might be looking at her through the keyhole. Then she slowly raised her head, which had again taken on a formidable expression of menace and defiance, ran to listen at the door, looked out the window, and going back to bury herself in a vast armchair, fell to thinking.
LI
OFFICER
Meanwhile, the cardinal was awaiting news from England, but the only news that came was either irritating or menacing.
Well invested as La Rochelle was, certain as success might seem, thanks to the precautions taken and above all to the dike, which no longer allowed any ship to get to the besieged town, the blockade might nevertheless go on for a long time yet; and that was a great affront to the king’s arms and a great annoyance for M. le cardinal, who, it is true, no longer had to set the king against Anne d’Autriche, for the thing was done, but to reconcile M. de Bassompierre, who had broken with the duc d’Angoulême.
As for Monsieur, who had begun the siege, he left to the cardinal the task of finishing it.
The town, despite the incredible perseverance of its mayor,177 had attempted a sort of mutiny in order to surrender. The mayor had had the rebels hanged. This execution calmed even the hottest heads, who then resolved to let themselves die of hunger. Such a death at least seemed slower and less certain than to die by strangulation.