  Electric susceptibility of a laser-dressed atomic medium is calculated for a
model Lambda - like system including two lower states and a continuum
structured by a presence of an autoionizing state or a continuum with a
laser-induced structure. Depending on the strength of a control field it is
possible to obtain a significant reduction of the light velocity in a narrow
frequency window in the conditions of a small absorption. A smooth transition
is shown between the case of a flat continuum and that of a discrete state
serving as the upper state of a Lambda system.
