Now, then, all is agreed; let us go down." "You are going into the garden ?" "Yes." "Go along this corridor, down a little staircase, and you are in it." "Excellent; thank you!" And the two women parted, exchanging charming smiles.
Milady had told the truth--her head was confused, for her ill-arranged plans clashed one another like chaos.

She required to be alone that she might put her thoughts a little into order.

She saw vaguely the future; but she stood in need of a little silence and quiet to give all her ideas, as yet confused, a distinct form and a regular plan.
What was most pressing was to get Mme.Bonacieux away, and convey her to a place of safety, and there, if matters required, make her a hostage.
Milady began to have doubts of the issue of this terrible duel, in which her enemies showed as much perseverance as she did animosity.
Besides, she felt as we feel when a storm is coming on--that this issue was near, and could not fail to be terrible.
The principal thing for her, then, was, as we have said, to keep Mme.
Bonacieux in her power.

Mme.Bonacieux was the very life of d'Artagnan.
This was more than his life, the life of the woman he loved; this was, in case of ill fortune, a means of temporizing and obtaining good conditions.
Now, this point was settled; Mme.Bonacieux, without any suspicion, accompanied her.

Once concealed with her at Armentieres, it would be easy to make her believe that d'Artagnan had not come to Bethune.