Aramis was generally temperate; but on this occasion, whiletaking every care of his constitution, he did ample justiceto Baisemeaux's breakfast, which, in all respects, was mostexcellent. The latter, on his side, was animated with thewildest gayety; the sight of the five thousand pistoles,which he glanced at from time to time, seemed to open hisheart. Every now and then he looked at Aramis with anexpression of the deepest gratitude; while the latter,leaning back in his chair, took a few sips of wine from hisglass, with the air of a connoisseur. "Let me never hear anyill words against the fare of the Bastile," said he, halfclosing his eyes; "happy are the prisoners who can get onlyhalf a bottle of such Burgundy every day."

"All those at fifteen francs drink it," said Baisemeaux. "Itis very old Volnay."

"Does that poor student, Seldon, drink such good wine?"

"Oh, no!"

"I thought I heard you say he was boarded at fifteenfrancs."

"He! no, indeed; a man who makes districts - distichs, Imean - at fifteen francs! No, no! it is his neighbor who isat fifteen francs."

"Which neighbor?"

"The other, second Bertaudiere."

"Excuse me, my dear governor; but you speak a language whichrequires quite an apprenticeship to understand."

"Very true," said the governor. "Allow me to explain: secondBertaudiere is the person who occupies the second floor ofthe tower of the Bertaudiere."

"So that Bertaudiere is the name of one of the towers of theBastile? The fact is, I think I recollect hearing that eachtower has a name of its own. Whereabouts is the one you arespeaking of?"

"Look," said Baisemeaux, going to the window. "It is thattower to the left - -the second one."

"Is the prisoner at fifteen francs there?"

"Yes."

"Since when?"

"Seven or eight years, nearly."

"What do you mean by nearly? Do you not know the dates moreprecisely?"

"It was not in my time, M. d'Herblay."

"But I should have thought that Louviere or Tremblay wouldhave told you."

"The secrets of the Bastile are never handed over with thekeys of the governorship."

"Indeed! Then the cause of his imprisonment is a mystery - a state secret."

"Oh no! I do not suppose it is a state secret, but a secret- like everything else that happens at the Bastile."

"But," said Aramis, "why do you speak more freely of Seldonthan of second Bertaudiere?"

"Because, in my opinion, the crime of the man who writes adistich is not so great as that of the man who resembles- - "

"Yes, yes, I understand you. Still, do not the turnkeys talkwith your prisoners?"

"Of course."

"The prisoners, I suppose, tell them they are not guilty?"

"They are always telling them that; it is a matter ofcourse; the same song over and over again."

"But does not the resemblance you were speaking about justnow strike the turnkeys?"

"My dear M. d'Herblay, it is only for men attached to thecourt, as you are, to take trouble about such matters."

"You're right, you're right, my dear M. Baisemeaux. Let megive you another taste of this Volnay."

"Not a taste merely, a full glass; fill yours too."

"Nay, nay! You are a musketeer still, to the very tips ofyour fingers, while I have become a bishop. A taste for me;a glass for yourself."

"As you please." And Aramis and the governor nodded to eachother, as they drank their wine. "But," said Aramis, lookingwith fixed attention at the ruby-colored wine he had raisedto the level of his eyes, as if he wished to enjoy it withall his senses at the same moment, "but what you might calla resemblance, another would not, perhaps, take any noticeof."

"Most certainly he would, though, if it were any one whoknew the person he resembles."

"I really think, dear M. Baisemeaux, that it can be nothingmore than a resemblance of your own creation."

"Upon my honor, it is not so."

"Stay," continued Aramis, "I have seen many persons verylike the one we are speaking of; but, out of respect, no oneever said anything about it."

"Very likely; because there is resemblance and resemblance.This is a striking one, and, if you were to see him, youwould admit it to be so."

"If I were to see him, indeed," said Aramis, in anindifferent tone; "but in all probability I never shall."

"Why not?"

"Because if I were even to put my foot inside one of thosehorrible dungeons, I should fancy I was buried thereforever."

"No, no; the cells are very good places to live in."

"I really do not, and cannot believe it, and that is afact."

"Pray do not speak ill of second Bertaudiere. It is really agood room, very nicely furnished and carpeted. The youngfellow has by no means been unhappy there; the best lodgingthe Bastile affords has been his. There is a chance foryou."

"Nay, nay," said Aramis, coldly; "you will never make mebelieve there are any good rooms in the Bastile; and, as foryour carpets, they exist only in your imagination. I shouldfind nothing but spiders, rats, and perhaps toads, too."

"Toads?" cried Baisemeaux.

"Yes, in the dungeons."

"Ah! I don't say there are not toads in the dungeons,"replied Baisemeaux. "But - will you be convinced by yourown eyes?" he continued, with a sudden impulse.

"No, certainly not."

"Not even to satisfy yourself of the resemblance which youdeny, as you do the carpets?"

"Some spectral-looking person, a mere shadow; an unhappy,dying man."

"Nothing of the kind - as brisk and vigorous a young fellowas ever lived."

"Melancholy and ill-tempered, then?"

"Not at all; very gay and lively."

"Nonsense; you are joking."

"Will you follow me?" said Baisemeaux.

"What for?"

"To go the round of the Bastile."

"Why?"

"You will then see for yourself - see with your own eyes."

"But the regulations?"

"Never mind them. To-day my major has leave of absence; thelieutenant is visiting the post on the bastions; we are solemasters of the situation."

"No, no, my dear governor; why, the very idea of the soundof the bolts makes me shudder. You will only have to forgetme in second or fourth Bertaudiere, and then - - "

"You are refusing an opportunity that may never presentitself again. Do you know that, to obtain the favor Ipropose to you gratis, some of the princes of the blood haveoffered me as much as fifty thousand francs."

"Really! he must be worth seeing, then?"

"Forbidden fruit, my lord, forbidden fruit. You who belongto the church ought to know that."

"Well, if I had any curiosity, it would be to see the poorauthor of the distich."

"Very well, we will see him, too; but if I were at allcurious, it would be about the beautiful carpeted room andits lodger."

"Furniture is very commonplace; and a face with noexpression in it offers little or no interest."

"But a boarder at fifteen francs is always interesting."

"By the by, I forgot to ask you about that. Why fifteenfrancs for him, and only three francs for poor Seldon?"

"The distinction made in that instance was a truly nobleact, and one which displayed the king's goodness of heart togreat advantage."

"The king's, you say."

"The cardinal's, I mean. `This unhappy man,' said M.Mazarin, `is destined to remain in prison forever.'"

"Why so?"

"Why, it seems that his crime is a lasting one, and,consequently, his punishment ought to be so, too."

"Lasting?"

"No doubt of it, unless he is fortunate enough to catch thesmall-pox, and even that is difficult, for we never get anyimpure air here."

"Nothing can be more ingenious than your train of reasoning,my dear M. de Baisemeaux. Do you, however, mean to say thatthis unfortunate man must suffer without interruption ortermination?"

"I did not say he was to suffer, my lord, a fifteen-francboarder does not suffer."

"He suffers imprisonment, at all events."

"No doubt; there is no help for that, but this suffering issweetened for him. You must admit that this young fellow wasnot born to eat all the good things he does eat; forinstance, such things as we have on the table now; thispasty that has not been touched, these crawfish from theRiver Marne, of which we have hardly taken any, and whichare almost as large as lobsters; all these things will atonce be taken to second Bertaudiere, with a bottle of thatVolnay which you think so excellent. After you have seen ityou will believe it, I hope."

"Yes, my dear governor, certainly; but all this time you arethinking only of your very happy fifteen-franc prisoner, andyou forget poor Seldon, my protege."

"Well, out of consideration for you, it shall be a gala dayfor him; he shall have some biscuits and preserves with thissmall bottle of port."

"You are a good-hearted fellow; I have said so already, andI repeat it, my dear Baisemeaux."

"Well, let us set off, then," said the governor, a littlebewildered, partly from the wine he had drunk, and partlyfrom Aramis's praises.

"Do not forget that I only go to oblige you," said theprelate.

"Very well; but you will thank me when you get there."

"Let us go, then."

"Wait until I have summoned the jailer," said Baisemeaux, ashe struck the bell twice, at which summons a man appeared."I am going to visit the towers," said the governor. "Noguards, 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 goingto prison on my own account."

The jailer preceded the governor, Aramis walking on hisright hand; some of the soldiers who happened to be in thecourtyard drew themselves up in line, as stiff as posts, asthe governor passed along. Baisemeaux led the way downseveral steps which conducted to a sort of esplanade; thencethey arrived at the draw-bridge, where the sentinels on dutyreceived the governor with the proper honors. The governorturned toward Aramis, and, speaking in such a tone that thesentinels could not lose a word, he observed, - "I hope youhave a good memory, monsieur?"

"Why?" inquired Aramis.

"On account of your plans and your measurements, for youknow that no one is allowed, not architects even, to enterwhere the prisoners are, with paper, pens or pencil."

"Good," said Aramis to himself, "it seems I am an architect,then. It sounds like one of D'Artagnan's jokes, whoperceived in me the engineer of Belle-Isle." Then he addedaloud: "Be easy on that score, monsieur; in our profession,a mere glance and a good memory are quite sufficient."

Baisemeaux did not change countenance, and the soldiers tookAramis for what he seemed to be. "Very well; we will firstvisit la Bertaudiere, "said Baisemeaux, still intending thesentinels to hear him. Then, turning to the jailer, headded: "You will take the opportunity of carrying to No. 2the few dainties I pointed out."

"Dear M. de Baisemeaux," said Aramis, "you are alwaysforgetting No. 3."

"So I am," said the governor; and upon that, they began toascend. The number of bolts, gratings, and locks for thissingle courtyard would have sufficed for the safety of anentire city. Aramis was neither an imaginative nor asensitive man; he had been somewhat of a poet in his youth,but his heart was hard and indifferent, as the heart ofevery man of fifty-five years of age is, who has beenfrequently and passionately attached to women in hislifetime, or rather who has been passionately loved by them.But when he placed his foot upon the worn stone steps, alongwhich so many unhappy wretches had passed, when he felthimself impregnated, as it were, with the atmosphere ofthose gloomy dungeons, moistened with tears, there could bebut little doubt he was overcome by his feelings, for hishead was bowed and his eyes became dim, as he followedBaisemeaux without a syllable.