Over Athos’s objections, d’Artagnan continues to visit Milady daily. After one of his visits, the maidservant, Kitty, takes him by the hand and leads him to her small bedroom. There she warns him to be careful: Milady secretly despises d’Artagnan and wants to hurt him. She shows d’Artagnan a note that Milady has written to the Comte de Wardes. The sight of it makes d'Artagnan furious. He grabs the letter, rips it open, and reads an invitation to an illicit nighttime visit. He is heartbroken at the realization that Milady has chosen another man over him.

During her conversation with d’Artagnan, Kitty admits that she loves him. D'Artagnan, sensing an opportunity to take revenge on Milady, immediately answers that he loves her, as well. He spends the rest of the evening in her room with her, but she refuses to let him touch her.

That night when Milady wants to go to bed, she calls for Kitty to come and help her get ready. Kitty urges d’Artagnan to go home, but instead he hides in the closet and listens to their conversation through the wall. They discuss d’Artagnan, whom Milady calls “a ninny.” She hates him for outwitting her in the intrigue with the Duke of Buckingham and the diamonds. She is also angry at him for not killing her brother-in-law, Lord de Winter, whose death would have made her rich because she is his only heir. D’Artagnan listens in disbelief, amazed that such a beautiful woman is capable of thinking such cruel and cold hearted thoughts.

When Milady goes to bed, Kitty returns and, in whispers, begs d’Artagnan to leave. She says that Milady will hear them if they continue to talk, and then she will get in trouble. D’Artagnan refuses to go, reasoning that Kitty will not be able to refuse his sexual advances if she cannot speak. This plan works out exactly as he expects, and Kitty does what he wants. He remains with her until morning, feeling that “vengeance [is] the pleasure of the gods.”

D’Artagnan’s success with Kitty does not satisfy him, however. Milady has a strong hold over his imagination, and he wants to make her suffer for not loving him. Fortunately for him, Kitty is deeply in love with him. The next time Milady writes to the Comte de Wardes, Kitty brings the letter to d’Artagnan instead.

D’Artagnan can scarcely believe that Milady is making yet another attempt to meet with de Wardes. As revenge, d’Artagnan writes to Milady in de Wardes’s name and promises to meet her that very evening at eleven o’clock. When he tells Kitty to take the note to her mistress, she cries and begs him not to make her do it. He points out that she has no choice but to continue to help him. After all, any mistress would fire a maid who repeatedly delivered love letters to the wrong man. Even as d'Artagnan threatens Kitty, he swears that he loves her. Eventually she agrees to do as he asks.