, which is Belle-Ile-en-Mer, I
believe."

"No, madame," said Aramis. "My diocese is Vannes."

"I meant that. I only thought that Belle-Ile-en-Mer--"

"Is a property belonging to M. Fouquet, nothing more."

"Ah! I had been told that Belle-Isle was fortified; besides, I know how
great the military knowledge is you possess."

"I have forgotten everything of the kind since I entered the Church,"
said Aramis, annoyed.

"Suffice it to know that I learned you had returned from Vannes, and
I sent off to one of our friends, M. le Comte de la Fere, who is
discretion itself, in order to ascertain it, but he answered that he was
not aware of your address."

"So like Athos," thought the bishop; "the really good man never
changes."

"Well, then, you know that I cannot venture to show myself here, and
that the queen-mother has always some grievance or other against me."

"Yes, indeed, and I am surprised at it."

"Oh! there are various reasons for it. But, to continue, being obliged
to conceal myself, I was fortunate enough to meet with M. d'Artagnan,
who was formerly one of your old friends, I believe?"

"A friend of mine still, duchesse."

"He gave me certain information, and sent me to M. Baisemeaux, the
governor of the Bastile."

Aramis was somewhat agitated at this remark, and a light flashed from
his eyes in the darkness of the room, which he could not conceal
from his keen-sighted friend. "M. de Baisemeaux!" he said, "why did
D'Artagnan send you to M. de Baisemeaux?"

"I cannot tell you."

"What can this possibly mean?" said the bishop, summoning all the
resources of his mind to his aid, in order to carry on the combat in a
befitting manner.

"M. de Baisemeaux is greatly indebted to you, D'Artagnan told me."

"True, he is so."

"And the address of a creditor is as easily ascertained as that of a
debtor."

"Very true; and so Baisemeaux indicated to you--"

"Saint-Mande, where I forwarded a letter to you."

"Which I have in my hand, and which is most precious to me," said
Aramis, "because I am indebted to it for the pleasure of seeing you
here." The duchesse, satisfied at having successfully overcome the
various difficulties of so delicate an explanation, began to breathe
freely again, which Aramis, however, could not succeed in doing. "We had
got as far as your visit to M. Baisemeaux, I believe?"

"Nay," she said, laughing, "farther than that."

"In that case we must have been speaking about the gru