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n　a　glass　opposite　to　him　a　figure　which　stood　on　the　threshold　of　the　room。　He　turned　around　and　Mordaunt　stood　before　him。
　　There　was　a　moment　of　frozen　silence　between　these　two。
　　〃Sir；〃　said　De　Winter；　〃I　thought　I　had　already　made　you　aware　that　I　am　weary　of　this　persecution；　withdraw；　then；　or　I　shall　call　and　have　you　turned　out　as　you　were　in　London。　I　am　not　your　uncle；　I　know　you　not。〃
　　〃My　uncle；〃　replied　Mordaunt；　with　his　harsh　and　bantering　tone；　〃you　are　mistaken；　you　will　not　have　me　turned　out　this　time　as　you　did　in　London　　you　dare　not。　As　for　denying　that　I　am　your　nephew；　you　will　think　twice　about　it；　now　that　I　have　learned　some　things　of　which　I　was　ignorant　a　year　ago。〃
　　〃And　how　does　it　concern　me　what　you　have　learned？〃　said　De　Winter。
　　〃Oh；　it　concerns　you　very　closely；　my　uncle；　I　am　sure；　and　you　will　soon　be　of　my　opinion；〃　added　he；　with　a　smile　which　sent　a　shudder　through　the　veins　of　him　he　thus　addressed。　〃When　I　presented　myself　before　you　for　the　first　time　in　London；　it　was　to　ask　you　what　had　bee　of　my　fortune；　the　second　time　it　was　to　demand　who　had　sullied　my　name；　and　this　time　I　e　before　you　to　ask　a　question　far　more　terrible　than　any　other；　to　say　to　you　as　God　said　to　the　first　murderer：　‘Cain；　what　hast　thou　done　to　thy　brother　Abel？'　My　lord；　what　have　you　done　with　your　sister　　your　sister；　who　was　my　mother？〃
　　De　Winter　shrank　back　from　the　fire　of　those　scorching　eyes。
　　〃Your　mother？〃　he　said。
　　〃Yes；　my　lord；　my　mother；〃　replied　the　young　man；　advancing　into　the　room　until　he　was　face　to　face　with　Lord　de　Winter；　and　crossing　his　arms。　〃I　have　asked　the　headsman　of　Bethune；〃　he　said；　his　voice　hoarse　and　his　face　livid　with　passion　and　grief。　〃And　the　headsman　of　Bethune　gave　me　a　reply。〃
　　De　Winter　fell　back　in　a　chair　as　though　struck　by　a　thunderbolt　and　in　vain　attempted　a　reply。
　　〃Yes；〃　continued　the　young　man；　〃all　is　now　explained；　with　this　key　I　open　the　abyss。　My　mother　inherited　an　estate　from　her　husband；　you　have　assassinated　her；　my　name　would　have　secured　me　the　paternal　estate；　you　have　deprived　me　of　it；　you　have　despoiled　me　of　my　fortune。　I　am　no　longer　astonished　that　you　knew　me　not。　I　am　not　surprised　that　you　refused　to　recognize　me。　When　a　man　is　a　robber　it　is　hard　to　call　him　nephew　whom　he　has　impoverished；　when　one　is　a　murderer；　to　recognize　the　man　whom　one　has　made　an　orphan。〃
　　These　words　produced　a　contrary　effect　to　that　which　Mordaunt　had　anticipated。　De　Winter　remembered　the　monster　that　Milady　had　been；　he　rose；　dignified　and　calm；　restraining　by　the　severity　of　his　look　the　wild　glance　of　the　young　man。
　　〃You　desire　to　fathom　this　horrible　secret？〃　said　De　Winter；　〃well；　then；　so　be　it。　Know；　then；　what　manner　of　woman　it　was　for　whom　to…day　you　call　me　to　account。　That　woman　had；　in　all　probability；　poisoned　my　brother；　and　in　order　to　inherit　from　me　she　was　about　to　assassinate　me　in　my　turn。　I　have　proof　of　it。　What　say　you　to　that？〃
　　〃I　say　that　she　was　my　mother。〃
　　〃She　caused　the　unfortunate　Duke　of　Buckingham　to　be　stabbed　by　a　man　who　was；　ere　that；　honest；　good　and　pure。　What　say　you　to　that　crime；　of　which　I　have　the　proof？〃
　　〃She　was　my　mother。〃
　　〃On　our　return　to　France　she　had　a　young　woman　who　was　attached　to　one　of　her　opponents　poisoned　in　the　convent　of　the　Augustines　at　Bethune。　Will　this　crime　persuade　you　of　the　justice　of　her　punishment　　for　of　all　this　I　have　the　proofs？〃
　　〃She　was　my　mother！〃　cried　the　young　man；　who　uttered　these　three　successive　exclamations　with　constantly　increasing　force。
　　〃At　last；　charged　with　murders；　with　debauchery；　hated　by　every　one　and　yet　threatening　still；　like　a　panther　thirsting　for　blood；　she　fell　under　the　blows　of　men　whom　she　had　rendered　desperate；　though　they　had　never　done　her　the　least　injury；　she　met　with　judges　whom　her　hideous　crimes　had　evoked；　and　that　executioner　you　saw　　that　executioner　who　you　say　told　you　everything　　that　executioner；　if　he　told　you　everything；　told　you　that　he　leaped　with　joy　in　avenging　on　her　his　brother's　shame　and　suicide。　Depraved　as　a　girl；　adulterous　as　a　wife；　an　unnatural　sister；　homicide；　poisoner；　execrated　by　all　who　knew　her；　by　every　nation　that　had　been　visited　by　her；　she　died　accursed　by　Heaven　and　earth。〃
　　A　sob　which　Mordaunt　could　not　repress　burst　from　his　throat　and　his　livid　face　became　suffused　with　blood；　he　clenched　his　fists；　sweat　covered　his　face；　his　hair；　like　Hamlet's；　stood　on　end；　and　racked　with　fury　he　cried　out：
　　〃Silence；　sir！　she　was　my　mother！　Her　crimes；　I　know　them　not；　her　disorders；　I　know　them　not；　her　vices；　I　know　them　not。　But　this　I　know；　that　I　had　a　mother；　that　five　men　leagued　against　one　woman；　murdered　her　clandestinely　by　night　　silently　　like　cowards。　I　know　that　you　were　one　of　them；　my　uncle；　and　that　you　cried　louder　than　the　others：　‘She　must　die。'　Therefore　I　warn　you；　and　listen　well　to　my　words；　that　they　may　be　engraved　upon　your　memory；　never　to　be　forgotten：　this　murder；　which　has　robbed　me　of　everything　　this　murder；　which　has　deprived　me　of　my　name　　this　murder；　which　has　impoverished　me　　this　murder；　which　has　made　me　corrupt；　wicked；　implacable　　I　shall　summon　you　to　account　for　it　first　and　then　those　who　were　your　acplices；　when　I　discover　them！〃
　　With　hatred　in　his　eyes；　foaming　at　his　mouth；　and　his　fist　extended；　Mordaunt　had　advanced　one　more　step；　a　threatening；　terrible　step；　toward　De　Winter。　The　latter　put　his　hand　to　his　sword；　and　said；　with　the　smile　of　a　man　who　for　thirty　years　has　jested　with　death：
　　〃Would　you　assassinate　me；　sir？　Then　I　shall　recognize　you　as　my　nephew；　for　you　would　be　a　worthy　son　of　such　a　mother。〃
　　〃No；〃　replied　Mordaunt；　forcing　his　features　and　the　muscles　of　his　body　to　resume　their　usual　places　and　be　calm；　〃no；　I　shall　not　kill　you；　at　least　not　at　this　moment；　for　without　you　I　could　not　discover　the　others。　But　when　I　have　found　them；　then　tremble；　sir。　I　stabbed　to　the　heart　the　headsman　of　Bethune；　without　mercy　or　pity；　and　he　was　the　least　guilty　of　you　all。〃
　　With　these　words　the　young　man　went　out　and　descended　the　stairs　with　sufficient　calmness　to　pass　unobserved；　then　upon　the　lowest　landing　place　he　passed　Tony；　leaning　over　the　balustrade；　waiting　only　for　a　call　from　his　master　to　mount　to　his　room。
　　But　De　Winter　did　not　call；　crushed；　enfeebled；　he　remained　standing　and　with　listening　ear；　then　only　when　he　had　heard　the　step　of　the　horse　going　away　he　fell　back　on　a　chair；　saying：
　　〃My　God；　I　thank　Thee　that　he　knows　me　only。〃
　　Paternal　Affection
　　Whilst　this　terrible　scene　was　passing　at　Lord　de　Winter's；　Athos；　seated　near　his　window；　his　elbow　on　the　table　and　his　head　supported　on　his　hand；　was　listening　intently　to　Raoul's　account　of　the　adventures　he　met　with　on　his　journey　and　the　details　of　the　battle。
　　Listening　to　the　relation　of　those　emotions　so　fresh　and　pure；　the　fine；　noble　face　of　Athos　betrayed　indescribable　pleasure；　he　inhaled　the　tones　of　that　young　voice；　as　harmonious　music。　He　forgot　all　that　was　dark　in　the　past　and　that　was　cloudy　in　the　future。　It　almost　seemed　as　if　the　return　of　this　much　loved　boy　had　changed　his　fears　to　hopes。　Athos　was　happy　　happy　as　he　had　never　been　before。
　　〃And　you　assisted　and　took　part　in　this　great　battle；　Bragelonne！〃　cried　the　former　musketeer。
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃And　it　was　a　fierce　one？〃
　　〃His　highness　the　prince　charged　eleven　times　in　person。〃
　　〃He　is　a　great　mander；　Bragelonne。〃
　　〃He　is　a　hero；　sir。　I　did　not　lose　sight　of　him　for　an　instant。　Oh！　how　fine　it　is　to　be　called　Conde　and　to　be　so　worthy　of　such　a　name！〃
　　〃He　was　calm　and　radiant；　was　he　not？〃
　　〃As　calm　as　at　parade；　radiant　as　at　a　fete。　When　we　went　up　to　the　enemy　it　was　slowly；　we　were　forbidden　to　draw　first　and　we　were　marching　toward　the　Spaniards；　who　were　on　a　height　with　lowered　muskets。　When　we　arrived　about　thirty　paces　from　them　the　prince　turned　around　to　the　soldiers：
　　‘rades；'　he　said；　‘you　are　about　to　suffer　a　furious　discharge；　but　after　that　you　will　make　short　work　with　those　fellows。'　There　was　such　dead　silence　that　friends　and　ene