Ten Years Later

by Alexandre Dumas

  The clock of St. Paul was striking seven as Aramis, on horseback,dressed as a simple citizen, that is to say, in colored suit, with nodistinctive mark about him, except a kind of hunting-knife by his side,passed before the Rue du Petit-Muse, and stopped opposite the Rue desTourelles, at the gate of the Bastile. Two sentinels were on duty atthe gate; they made no difficulty about admitting Aramis, who enteredwithout dismounting, and they pointed out the way he was to go by along passage with buildings on both sides. This passage led to thedrawbridge, or, in other words, to the real entrance. The drawbridge wasdown, and the duty of the day was about being entered upon. The sentinelat the outer guardhouse stopped Aramis's further progress, asking him,in a rough tone of voice, what had brought him there. Aramis explained,with his usual politeness, that a wish to speak to M. Baisemeaux deMontlezun had occasioned his visit. The first sentinel then summoned asecond sentinel, stationed within an inner lodge, who showed his faceat the grating, and inspected the new arrival most attentively. Aramisreiterated the expression of his wish to see the governor, whereupon thesentinel called to an officer of lower grade, who was walking about in atolerably spacious courtyard and who, in turn, on being informed of hisobject, ran to seek one of the officers of the governor's staff. Thelatter, after having listened to Aramis's request, begged him to wait amoment, then went away a short distance, but returned to ask his name."I cannot tell it you, monsieur," said Aramis, "I need only mention thatI have matters of such importance to communicate to the governor, thatI can only rely beforehand upon one thing, that M. de Baisemeaux will bedelighted to see me; nay, more than that, when you have told him that itis the person whom he expected on the first of June, I am convinced hewill hasten here himself." The officer could not possibly believe that aman of the governor's importance should put himself out for a person ofso little importance as the citizen-looking visitor on horseback. "Ithappens most fortunately, monsieur," he said, "that the governor is justgoing out, and you can perceive his carriage with the horses alreadyharnessed, in the courtyard yonder; there will be no occasion for him tocome to meet you, as he will see you as he passes by." Aramis bowed tosignify his assent; he did not wish to inspire others with too exaltedan opinion of himself, and therefore waited patiently and in silence,leaning upon the saddle-bow of his horse. Ten minutes had hardly elapsedwhen the governor's carriage was observed to move. The governor appearedat the door, and got into the carriage, which immediately prepared tostart. The same ceremony was observed for the governor himself as witha suspected stranger; the sentinel at the lodge advanced as thecarriage was about to pass under the arch, and the governor opened thecarriage-door, himself setting the example of obedience to orders;so that, in this way, the sentinel could convince himself that no onequitted the Bastile improperly. The carriage rolled along under thearchway, but at the moment the iron-gate was opened, the officerapproached the carriage, which had been again stopped, and saidsomething to the governor, who immediately put his head out ofthe door-way, and perceived Aramis on horseback at the end of thedrawbridge. He immediately uttered almost a shout of delight, and gotout, or rather darted out of his carriage, running towards Aramis, whosehands he seized, making a thousand apologies. He almost embraced him."What a difficult matter to enter the Bastile!" said Aramis. "Is it thesame for those who are sent here against their wills, as for those whocome of their own accord?"

  "A thousand pardons, my lord. How delighted I am to see your Grace!"

  "Hush! What are you thinking of, my dear M. Baisemeaux? What do yousuppose would be thought of a bishop in my present costume?"

  "Pray, excuse me, I had forgotten. Take this gentleman's horse to thestables," cried Baisemeaux.

  "No, no," said Aramis; "I have five thousand pistoles in thesaddle-bags."

  The governor's countenance became so radiant, that if the prisoners hadseen him they would have imagined some prince of the blood royal hadarrived. "Yes, you are right, the horse shall be taken to the governmenthouse. Will you get into the carriage, my dear M. d'Herblay? and itshall take us back to my house."

  "Get into a carriage to cross a courtyard! do you believe I am so greatan invalid? No, no, we will go on foot."

  Baisemeaux then offered his arm as a support, but the prelate didnot accept it. They arrived in this manner at the government house,Baisemeaux rubbing his hands and glancing at the horse from time totime, while Aramis was looking at the bleak bare walls. A tolerablyhandsome vestibule and a staircase of white stone led to the governor'sapartments, who crossed the ante-chamber, the dining-room, wherebreakfast was being prepared, opened a small side door, and closetedhimself with his guest in a large cabinet, the windows of which openedobliquely upon the courtyard and the stables. Baisemeaux installed theprelate with that all-inclusive politeness of which a good man, or agrateful man, alone possesses the secret. An arm-chair, a footstool,a small table beside him, on which to rest his hand, everything wasprepared by the governor himself. With his own hands, too, he placedupon the table, with much solicitude, the bag containing the gold, whichone of the soldiers had brought up with the most respectful devotion;and the soldier having left the room, Baisemeaux himself closed the doorafter him, drew aside one of the window-curtains, and looked steadfastlyat Aramis to see if the prelate required anything further.

  "Well, my lord," he said, still standing up, "of all men of their word,you still continue to be the most punctual."

  "In matters of business, dear M. de Baisemeaux, exactitude is not avirtue only, it is a duty as well."

  "Yes, in matters of business, certainly; but what you have with me isnot of that character; it is a service you are rendering me."

  "Come, confess, dear M. de Baisemeaux, that, notwithstanding thisexactitude, you have not been without a little uneasiness."

  "About your health, I certainly have," stammered out Baisemeaux.

  "I wished to come here yesterday, but I was not able, as I was toofatigued," continued Aramis. Baisemeaux anxiously slipped anothercushion behind his guest's back. "But," continued Aramis, "I promisedmyself to come and pay you a visit to-day, early in the morning."

  "You are really very kind, my lord."

  "And it was a good thing for me I was punctual, I think."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Yes, you were going out." At which latter remark Baisemeaux colored andsaid, "It is true I was going out."

  "Then I prevent you," said Aramis; whereupon the embarrassment ofBaisemeaux became visibly greater. "I am putting you to inconvenience,"he continued, fixing a keen glance upon the poor governor; "if I hadknown that, I should not have come."

  "How can your lordship imagine that you could ever inconvenience me?"

  "Confess you were going in search of money."

  "No," stammered out Baisemeaux, "no! I assure you I was going to----"

  "Does the governor still intend to go to M. Fouquet?" suddenly calledout the major from below. Baisemeaux ran to the window like a madman."No, no," he exclaimed in a state of desperation, "who the deuce isspeaking of M. Fouquet? are you drunk below there? why an I interruptedwhen I am engaged on business?"

  "You were going to M. Fouquet's," said Aramis biting his lips, "to M.Fouquet, the abbe, or the superintendent?"

  Baisemeaux almost made up his mind to tell an untruth, but he could notsummon courage to do so. "To the superintendent," he said.

  "It is true, then, that you were in want of money, since you were goingto a person who gives it away!"

  "I assure you, my lord----"

  "You were afraid?"

  "My dear lord, it was the uncertainty and ignorance in which I was as towhere you were to be found."

  "You would have found the money you require at M. Fouquet's, for he is aman whose hand is always open."

  "I swear that I should never have ventured to ask M. Fouquet for money.I only wished to ask him for your address."

  "To ask M. Fouquet for my address?" exclaimed Aramis, opening his eyesin real astonishment.

  "Yes," said Baisemeaux
, greatly disturbed by the glance which theprelate fixed upon him,--"at M. Fouquet's certainly."

  "There is no harm in that, dear M. Baisemeaux, only I would ask, why askmy address of M. Fouquet?"

  "That I might write to you."

  "I understand," said Aramis, smiling, "but that is not what I meant;I do not ask you what you required my address for; I only ask why youshould go to M. Fouquet for it?"

  "Oh!" said Baisemeaux, "as Belle-Isle is the property of M. Fouquet,and as Belle-Isle is in the diocese of Vannes, and as you are bishop ofVannes----"

  "But, my dear Baisemeaux, since you knew I was bishop of Vannes, you hadno occasion to ask M. Fouquet for my address."

  "Well, monsieur," said Baisemeaux, completely at bay, "if I have actedindiscreetly, I beg your pardon most sincerely."

  "Nonsense," observed Aramis, calmly: "how can you possibly have actedindiscreetly?" And while he composed his face, and continued to smilecheerfully on the governor, he was considering how Baisemeaux, who wasnot aware of his address, knew, however, that Vannes was his residence."I shall clear all this up," he said to himself, and then speakingaloud, added,--"Well, my dear governor, shall we now arrange our littleaccounts?"

  "I am at your orders, my lord; but tell me beforehand, my lord, whetheryou will do me the honor to breakfast with me as usual?"

  "Very willingly, indeed."

  "Thai's well," said Baisemeaux, as he struck the bell before him threetimes.

  "What does that mean?" inquired Aramis.

  "That I have some one to breakfast with me, and that preparations are tobe made accordingly."

  "And you rang thrice. Really, my dear governor, I begin to think you areacting ceremoniously with me."

  "No, indeed. Besides, the least I can do is to receive you in the bestway I can."

  "But why so?"

  "Because not even a prince could have done what you have done for me."

  "Nonsense! nonsense!"

  "Nay, I assure you----"

  "Let us speak of other matters," said Aramis. "Or rather, tell me howyour affairs here are getting on."

  "Not over well."

  "The deuce!"

  "M. de Mazarin was not hard enough."

  "Yes, I see; you require a government full of suspicion--like that ofthe old cardinal, for instance."

  "Yes; matters went on better under him. The brother of his 'grayeminence' made his fortune here."

  "Believe me, my dear governor," said Aramis, drawing closer toBaisemeaux, "a young king is well worth an old cardinal. Youth hasits suspicions, its fits of anger, its prejudices, as old age has itshatreds, its precautions, and its fears. Have you paid your three years'profits to Louviere and Tremblay?"

  "Most certainly I have."

  "So that you have nothing more to give them than the fifty thousandfrancs I have brought with me?"

  "Nothing."

  "Have you not saved anything, then?"

  "My lord, in giving the fifty thousand francs of my own to thesegentlemen, I assure you that I give them everything I gain. I told M.d'Artagnan so yesterday evening."

  "Ah!" said Aramis, whose eyes sparkled for a moment, but becameimmediately afterwards as unmoved as before; "so you have seen my oldfriend D'Artagnan; how was he?"

  "Wonderfully well."

  "And what did you say to him, M. de Baisemeaux?"

  "I told him," continued the governor, not perceiving his ownthoughtlessness, "I told him that I fed my prisoners too well."

  "How many have you?" inquired Aramis, in an indifferent tone of voice.

  "Sixty."

  "Well, that is a tolerably round number."

  "In former times, my lord, there were, during certain years, as many astwo hundred."

  "Still a minimum of sixty is not to be grumbled at."

  "Perhaps not; for, to anybody but myself, each prisoner would bring intwo hundred and fifty pistoles; for instance, for a prince of the bloodI have fifty francs a day."

  "Only you have no prince of the blood; at least, I suppose so," saidAramis, with a slight tremor in his voice.

  "No, thank Heaven!--I mean, no, unfortunately."

  "What do you mean by unfortunately?"

  "Because my appointment would be improved by it. So, fifty francs perday for a prince of the blood, thirty-six for a marechal of France----"

  "But you have as many marechals of France, I suppose, as you haveprinces of the blood?"

  "Alas! no more. It is true lieutenant-generals and brigadiers paytwenty-six francs, and I have two of them. After that, come councilorsof parliament, who bring me fifteen francs, and I have six of them."

  "I did not know," said Aramis, "that councilors were so productive."

  "Yes, but from fifteen francs I sink at once to ten francs; namely, foran ordinary judge, and for an ecclesiastic."

  "And you have seven, you say; an excellent affair."

  "Nay, a bad one, and for this reason. How can I possibly treat thesepoor fellows, who are of some good, at all events, otherwise than as acouncilor of parliament?"

  "Yes, you are right; I do not see five francs difference between them."

  "You understand; if I have a fine fish, I pay four or five francs forit; if I get a fine fowl, it costs me a franc and a half. I fatten agood deal of poultry, but I have to buy grain, and you cannot imaginethe army of rats that infest this place."

  "Why not get half a dozen cats to deal with them?"

  "Cats, indeed; yes, they eat them, but I was obliged to give up the ideabecause of the way in which they treated my grain. I have been obligedto have some terrier dogs sent me from England to kill the rats. Thesedogs, unfortunately, have tremendous appetites; they eat as much as aprisoner of the fifth order, without taking into account the rabbits andfowls they kill."

  Was Aramis really listening or not? No one could have told; his downcasteyes showed the attentive man; but the restless hand betrayed the manabsorbed in thought--Aramis was meditating.

  "I was saying," continued Baisemeaux, "that a good-sized fowl costs mea franc and a half, and that a fine fish costs me four or five francs.Three meals are served at the Bastile, and, as the prisoners, havingnothing to do, are always eating, a ten-franc man costs me seven francsand a half."

  "But did you not say that you treated those at ten francs like those atfifteen?"

  "Yes, certainly."

  "Very well! Then you gain seven francs and a half upon those who pay youfifteen francs."

  "I must compensate myself somehow," said Baisemeaux, who saw how he hadbeen snapped up.

  "You are quite right, my dear governor; but have you no prisoners belowten francs?"

  "Oh, yes! we have citizens and barristers at five francs.

  "And do they eat, too?"

  "Not a doubt about it; only you understand that they do not get fish orpoultry, nor rich wines at every meal; but at all events thrice a weekthey have a good dish at their dinner."

  "Really, you are quite a philanthropist, my dear governor, and you willruin yourself."

  "No, understand me; when the fifteen-franc has not eaten his fowl, orthe ten-franc has left his dish unfinished, I send it to the five-francprisoner; it is a feast for the poor devil, and one must be charitable,you know."

  "And what do you make out of your five-franc prisoners?"

  "A franc and a half."

  "Baisemeaux, you're an honest fellow; in honest truth I say so."

  "Thank you, my lord. But I feel most for the small tradesmen andbailiffs' clerks, who are rated at three francs. They do not often seeRhine carp or Channel sturgeon."

  "But do not the five-franc gentlemen sometimes leave some scraps?"

  "Oh! my lord, do not believe I am so stingy as that; I delight the heartof some poor little tradesman or clerk by sending him a wing of a redpartridge, a slice of venison, or a slice of a truffled pasty, disheswhich he never tasted except in his dreams; these are the leavings ofthe twenty-four franc prisoners; and as he eats and drinks, at desserthe cries 'Long live the King,' a
nd blesses the Bastile; with a coupleof bottles of champagne, which cost me five sous, I made him tipsy everySunday. That class of people call down blessings upon me, and are sorryto leave the prison. Do you know that I have remarked, and it does meinfinite honor, that certain prisoners, who have been set at liberty,have, almost immediately afterwards, got imprisoned again? Why shouldthis be the case, unless it be to enjoy the pleasures of my kitchen? Itis really the fact."

  Aramis smiled with an expression of incredulity.

  "You smile," said Baisemeaux.

  "I do," returned Aramis.

  "I tell you that we have names which have been inscribed on our booksthrice in the space of two years."

  "I must see it before I believe it," said Aramis.

  "Well, I can show it to you, although it is prohibited to communicatethe registers to strangers; and if you really wish to see it with yourown eyes----"

  "I should be delighted, I confess."

  "Very well," said Baisemeaux, and he took out of a cupboard a largeregister. Aramis followed him most anxiously with his eyes, andBaisemeaux returned, placed the register upon the table, and turned overthe leaves for a minute, and stayed at the letter M.

  "Look here," said he, "Martinier, January, 1659; Martinier, June, 1660;Martinier, March, 1661. Mazarinades, etc.; you understand it was onlya pretext; people were not sent to the Bastile for jokes against M.Mazarin; the fellow denounced himself in order to get imprisoned here."

  "And what was his object?"

  "None other than to return to my kitchen at three francs a day."

  "Three francs--poor devil!"

  "The poet, my lord, belongs to the lowest scale, the same style of boardas the small tradesman and bailiff's clerk; but I repeat, it is to thosepeople only that I give these little surprises."

  Aramis mechanically turned over the leaves of the register, continuingto read the names, but without appearing to take any interest in thenames he read.

  "In 1661, you perceive," said Baisemeaux, "eighty entries; and in 1659,eighty also."

  "Ah!" said Aramis. "Seldon; I seem to know that name. Was it not you whospoke to me about a certain young man?"

  "Yes, a poor devil of a student, who made--What do you call that wheretwo Latin verses rhyme together?"

  "A distich."

  "Yes; that is it."

  "Poor fellow; for a distich."

  "Do you know that he made this distich against the Jesuits?"

  "That makes no difference; the punishment seems very severe."

  "Do not pity him; last year you seemed to interest yourself in him."

  "Yes, I did so."

  "Well, as your interest is all-powerful here, my lord, I have treatedhim since that time as a prisoner at fifteen francs."

  "The same as this one, then," said Aramis, who had continued turningover the leaves, and who had stopped at one of the names which followedMartinier.

  "Yes, the same as that one."

  "Is that Marchiali an Italian?" said Aramis, pointing with his finger tothe name which had attracted his attention.

  "Hush!" said Baisemeaux.

  "Why hush?" said Aramis, involuntarily clenching his white hand.

  "I thought I had already spoken to you about that Marchiali."

  "No, it is the first time I ever heard his name pronounced."

  "That may be, but perhaps I have spoken to you about him without naminghim."

  "Is he an old offender?" asked Aramis, attempting to smile.

  "On the contrary, he is quite young."

  "Is his crime, then, very heinous?"

  "Unpardonable."

  "Has he assassinated any one?"

  "Bah!"

  "An incendiary, then?"

  "Bah!"

  "Has he slandered any one?"

  "No, no! It is he who--" and Baisemeaux approached Aramis's ear,making a sort of ear-trumpet of his hands, and whispered: "It is he whopresumes to resemble the----"

  "Yes, yes." said Aramis, "I now remember you already spoke about it lastyear to me; but the crime appeared to me so slight.

  "Slight, do you say?"

  "Or rather, so involuntary."

  "My lord, it is not involuntarily that such a resemblance is detected."

  "Well, the fact is, I had forgotten it. But, my dear host," said Aramis,closing the register, "if I am not mistaken, we are summoned."

  Baisemeaux took the register, hastily restored it to its place in thecloset, which he locked, and put the key in his pocket. "Will it beagreeable to your lordship to breakfast now?" said he; "for you areright in supposing that breakfast was announced."

  "Assuredly, my dear governor," and they passed into the dining-room.

  CHAPTER 99. The Breakfast at Monsieur de Baisemeaux's