understand anything."

"Well, well!"

"Try, now; let us see!"

"That is what I am going to do."

"If, on the contrary, you are one of the members of this society, you
will immediately answer me--yes or no."

"Begin your questions," continued Baisemeaux, trembling.

"You will agree, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," continued Aramis, with
the same impassibility, "that it is evident a man cannot be a member of
a society, it is evident that he cannot enjoy the advantages it offers
to the affiliated, without being himself bound to certain little
services."

"In short," stammered Baisemeaux, "that would be intelligible, if--"

"Well," resumed Aramis, "there is in the society of which I speak, and
of which, as it seems you are not a member--"

"Allow me," said Baisemeaux. "I should not like to say absolutely."

"There is an engagement entered into by all the governors and captains
of fortresses affiliated to the order." Baisemeaux grew pale.

"Now the engagement," continued Aramis firmly, "is of this nature."

Baisemeaux rose, manifesting unspeakable emotion: "Go on, dear M.
d'Herblay: go on," said he.

Aramis then spoke, or rather recited the following paragraph, in the
same tone as if he had been reading it from a book: "The aforesaid
captain or governor of a fortress shall allow to enter, when need shall
arise, and on demand of the prisoner, a confessor affiliated to the
order." He stopped. Baisemeaux was quite distressing to look at,
being so wretchedly pale and trembling. "Is not that the text of the
agreement?" quietly asked Aramis.

"Monseigneur!" began Baisemeaux.

"Ah! well, you begin to understand, I think."

"Monseigneur," cried Baisemeaux, "do not trifle so with my unhappy mind!
I find myself as nothing in your hands, if you have the malignant desire
to draw from me the little secrets of my administration."

"Oh! by no means; pray undeceive yourself, dear M. Baisemeaux; it is not
the little secrets of your administration, but those of your conscience
that I aim at."

"Well, then, my conscience be it, dear M. d'Herblay. But have some
consideration for the situation I am in, which is no ordinary one."

"It is no ordinary one, my dear monsieur," continued the inflexible
Aramis, "if you are a member of this society; but it is a quite natural
one if free from all engagement. You are answerable only to the king."

"Well, monsieur, well! I obey only the king, and whom else would you
have a French no