x would be accused of having
introduced her lover into the Louvre, that was all. She took the risk
upon herself. Her reputation would be lost, it is true; but of what
value in the world was the reputation of the little wife of a mercer?

Once within the interior of the court, the duke and the young woman
followed the wall for the space of about twenty-five steps. This space
passed, Mme. Bonacieux pushed a little servants' door, open by day but
generally closed at night. The door yielded. Both entered, and found
themselves in darkness; but Mme. Bonacieux was acquainted with all the
turnings and windings of this part of the Louvre, appropriated for the
people of the household. She closed the door after her, took the duke by
the hand, and after a few experimental steps, grasped a balustrade, put
her foot upon the bottom step, and began to ascend the staircase. The
duke counted two stories. She then turned to the right, followed the
course of a long corridor, descended a flight, went a few steps farther,
introduced a key into a lock, opened a door, and pushed the duke into
an apartment lighted only by a lamp, saying, "Remain here, my Lord
Duke; someone will come." She then went out by the same door, which she
locked, so that the duke found himself literally a prisoner.

Nevertheless, isolated as he was, we must say that the Duke of
Buckingham did not experience an instant of fear. One of the salient
points of his character was the search for adventures and a love of
romance. Brave, rash, and enterprising, this was not the first time he
had risked his life in such attempts. He had learned that the pretended
message from Anne of Austria, upon the faith of which he had come to
Paris, was a snare; but instead of regaining England, he had, abusing
the position in which he had been placed, declared to the queen that he
would not depart without seeing her. The queen had at first positively
refused; but at length became afraid that the duke, if exasperated,
would commit some folly. She had already decided upon seeing him and
urging his immediate departure, when, on the very evening of coming to
this decision, Mme. Bonacieux, who was charged with going to fetch the
duke and conducting him to the Louvre, was abducted. For two days no one
knew what had become of her, and everything remained in suspense; but
once free, and placed in communication with Laporte, matters resumed
their course, and she accomplished the perilous enterprise w