Two Varieties of Demons

           "Ah,"criedMiladyandRocheforttogether,"itisyou!"

           "Yes,itisI."

           "Andyoucome?"askedMilady.

           "FromLaRochelle;andyou?"

           "FromEngland."

           "Buckingham?"

           "Deadordesperatelywounded,asIleftwithouthavingbeenabletohearanythingofhim.Afanatichasjustassassinatedhim."

           "Ah,"saidRochefort,withasmile;"thisisafortunatechance—onethatwilldelighthisEminence!Haveyouinformedhimofit?"

           "IwrotetohimfromBoulogne.Butwhatbringsyouhere?"

           "HisEminencewasuneasy,andsentmetofindyou."

           "Ionlyarrivedyesterday."

           "Andwhathaveyoubeendoingsinceyesterday?"

           "Ihavenotlostmytime."

           "Oh,Idon’tdoubtthat."

           "DoyouknowwhomIhaveencounteredhere?"

           "No."

           "Guess."

           "HowcanI?"

           "Thatyoungwomanwhomthequeentookoutofprison."

           "Themistressofthatfellowd’Artagnan?"

           "Yes;MadameBonacieux,withwhoseretreatthecardinalwasunacquainted."

           "Well,well,"saidRochefort,"hereisachancewhichmaypairoffwiththeother!MonsieurCardinalisindeedaprivilegedman!"

           "Imaginemyastonishment,"continuedMilady,"whenIfoundmyselffacetofacewiththiswoman!"

           "Doessheknowyou?"

           "No."

           "Thenshelooksuponyouasastranger?"

           Miladysmiled."Iamherbestfriend."

           "Uponmyhonor,"saidRochefort,"ittakesyou,mydearcountess,toperformsuchmiracles!"

           "AnditiswellIcan,Chevalier,"saidMilady,"fordoyouknowwhatisgoingonhere?"

           "No."