As the door clod after them Kitty rushed toward it. Jealousy, fury, offended pride, all the passions in short that dispute the heart of an ed woman in love, urged her to make a revelation; but she reflected that she would be totally lost if she fesd having assisted in subsp;a maation, and above all, that d''Artagnan would also be lost to her forever. This last thought of love led her to make this last sacrifice.
D''Artagnan, on his part, had gained the summit of all his wishes. It was no longer a rival who was beloved; it was himlf who was apparently beloved. A cret voibsp;whispered to him, at the bottom of his heart, that he was but an instrument of vengeanbsp;that he was only caresd till he had given death; but pride, but lf-love, but madness silenbsp;this voibsp;and stifled its murmurs. And then our Gas, with that large quantity of ceit whibsp;we know he possd, pared himlf with de Wardes, and asked himlf why, after all, he should not be beloved for himlf?
He was absorbed entirely by the nsations of the moment. Milady was no longer for him that woman of fatal iions who had for a moment terrified him; she was an ardent, passionate mistress, abandoning herlf to love whibsp;she also emed to feel. Two hours thus glided away. When the transports of the two lovers were calmer, Milady, who had not the same motives for fetfulness that d''Artagnan had, was the first to return to reality, and asked the young man if the means whibsp;were on the morrow to bring on the enter between him and de Wardes were already arranged in his mind.
But d''Artagnan, who ideas had taken quite another cour, fot himlf like a fool, and answered gallantly that it was too late to think about duels and sword thrusts.
This ess toward the only is that occupied her mind terrified Milady, who questions became more pressing.
Then d''Artagnan, who had never riously thought of this impossible duel, endeavored to turn the versation; but he could not succeed. Milady kept him within the limits she had trabsp;beforehand with her irresistible spirit and her iron will.
D''Artagnan fancied himlf very ing when advising Milady to renounbsp;by pardoning de Wardes, the furious projebsp;she had formed.