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"The same as this one, then," said Aramis, who had continued turning over the leaves, and who had stopped at one of the names which followed Martinier. "Yes, the same as that one." "Is that Marchiali an Italian?" said Aramis, pointing with his finger to the name which had attracted his attention. "Hush!" said Baisemeaux. "Why hush?" said Aramis, involuntarily clenching his white hand.
And while he composed his face, and continued to smile cheerfully on the governor, he was considering how Baisemeaux, who was not aware of his address, knew, however, that Vannes was his residence. "I shall clear all this up," he said to himself, and then speaking aloud, added, "Well, my dear governor, shall we now arrange our little accounts?"
"Come into the courtyard with me; it's a beautiful moonlit night; we will walk up and down, arm in arm, under the trees, while you tell me your pitiful tale." He drew the doleful governor into the courtyard, took him by the arm as he had said, and, in his rough, good-humored way, cried: "Out with it, rattle away, Baisemeaux; what have you got to say?" "It's a long story."
A courier came in about eight o'clock as Francois brought in the fifth bottle, and, although the courier made a great noise, Baisemeaux heard nothing. "The devil take him," said Aramis. "What! who?" asked Baisemeaux. "I hope 'tis neither the wine you drank nor he who is the cause of your drinking it." "No; it is a horse, who is making noise enough in the court for a whole squadron."
"Come, come," said Aramis, after a long silence, during which the governor of the Bastile had slowly recovered his senses, "do not lead me to believe, dear Baisemeaux, that the presence of the general of the order is as terrible as His, and that men die merely from having seen Him. Take courage, rouse yourself; give me your hand obey."
"And," continued Aramis, "you, a high and powerful nobleman as you are, forgetful that courtiers now exist you have been to the king, I suppose, and told him what you thought of his conduct?" "Yes, you have guessed right." "So that," said Baisemeaux, trembling at having supped so familiarly with a man who had fallen into disgrace with the king; "so that, monsieur le comte "
Overcome by so great a mark of confidence, Baisemeaux unhesitatingly wrote out an acknowledgment of a debt of one hundred and fifty thousand francs, payable at the pleasure of the prelate. Aramis, who had, by glancing over the governor's shoulder, followed the pen as he wrote, put the acknowledgment into his pocket without seeming to have read it, which made Baisemeaux perfectly easy.
"Wait until I have summoned the jailer," said Baisemeaux, as he struck the bell twice, at which summons a man appeared. "I am going to visit the towers," said the governor. "No guards, no drums, no noise at all." "If I were not to leave my cloak here," said Aramis, pretending to be alarmed; "I should really think I was going to prison on my own account."
You hear them when the window is open?" "But too well, and that disturbs me. You understand?" "Nevertheless I am suffocated. Francois." Francois entered. "Open the windows, I pray you, Master Francois," said Aramis. "You will allow him, dear M. Baisemeaux?" "You are at home here," answered the governor. The window was opened.
Baisemeaux replied merely by a nod of the head, while Aramis, with a respect, arising perhaps from the sight of such misfortune, saluted the prisoner profoundly. They left the room, Baisemeaux closing the door behind them. "Well," said Baisemeaux, as they descended the staircase, "what do you think of it all?" "I have discovered the secret, my dear governor," he said.
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