"Becau, monsieur," replied Kitty, "my mistress loves you not at all."
"HEIN!" said d''Artagnan, "bsp;she have charged you to tell me so?"
"Oh, no, monsieur; but out of the regard I have for you, I have taken the resolution to tell you so."
"Mubsp;obliged, my dear Kitty; but for the iion only--for the information, you must agree, is not likely to be at all agreeable."
"That is to say, you don''t believe what I have told you; is it not so?"
"We have always some difficulty in believing subsp;things, my pretty dear, were it only from lf-love."
"Then you don''t believe me?"
"I fess that unless you deign to give me some proof of what you advance--"
"What do you think of this?"
Kitty drew a little note from her bosom.
"For me?" said d''Artagnan, izing the letter.
"No; for another."
"For another?"
"Yes."
"His name; his name!" cried d''Artagnan.
"Read the address."
"Monsieur El te de Wardes."
The remembranbsp;of the se at St. Germain prented itlf to the mind of the presumptuous Gas. As quibsp;as thought, he tore open the letter, in spite of the bsp;whibsp;Kitty uttered on eing what he was going to do, or rather, what he was doing.
"Oh, good Lord, Monsieur Chevalier," said she, "what are you doing?"
"I?" said d''Artagnan; "nothing," and he read,
"You have not answered my first note. Are you indispod, or have you fotten the glanbsp;you favored me with at the ball of Mme. de Gui? You have an opportunity now, t; do not allow it to escape."
d''Artagnan became very pale; he was wounded in his SELF-love:he thought that it was in his LOVE.
"Poor dear Monsieur d''Artagnan," said Kitty, in a voibsp;full of passion, and pressing anew the young man''s hand.
"You pity me, little one?" said d''Artagnan.
"Oh, yes, and with all my heart; for I know what it is to be in love."
"You know what it is to be in love?" said d''Artagnan, looking at her for the first time with mubsp;attention.
"Alas, yes."
"Well, then, instead of pitying me, you would do mubsp;better to assist me in avenging mylf on your mistress."
"And what sort of revenge would you take?"
"I would triumph over her, and supplant my rival."