Part 24 (2/2)
”No, no! It is he who-” and Baise a sort of ear-trumpet of his hands, and whispered: ”It is he who presumes to resemble the-”
”Yes, yes,” said Aramis; ”I now remember you already spoke about it last year to ht, do you say?”
”Or rather, so involuntary”
”My lord, it is not involuntarily that such a reseotten it But, ister, ”if I am not ister, hastily restored it to its place in the closet, which he locked, and put the key in his pocket ”Will it be agreeable to your lordshi+p to breakfast now?” said he; ”for you are right in supposing that breakfast was announced”
”assuredly, -room
Chapter XXIV The Breakfast at Monsieur de Baiseenerally te every care of his constitution, he did ample justice to Baisemeaux's breakfast, which, in all respects, was most excellent The latter on his side, was aniht of the five thousand pistoles, which he glanced at from time to time, seemed to open his heart Every now and then he looked at Araratitude; while the latter, leaning back in his chair, took a few sips of wine frolass, with the air of a connoisseur ”Let ainst the fare of the Bastile,” said he, half closing his eyes; ”happy are the prisoners who can get only half a bottle of such Burgundy every day”
”All those at fifteen francs drink it,” said Baisemeaux ”It is very old Volnay”
”Does that poor student, Seldon, drink such good wine?”
”Oh, no!”
”I thought I heard you say he was boarded at fifteen francs”
”He! no, indeed; a man who makes districts-distichs I hbor who is at fifteen francs”
”Which neighbor?”
”The other, second Bertaudiere”
”Excuse e which requires quite an apprenticeshi+p to understand”
”Very true,” said the governor ”Allow me to explain: second Bertaudiere is the person who occupies the second floor of the tower of the Bertaudiere”
”So that Bertaudiere is the name of one of the towers of the Bastile? The fact is, I think I recollect hearing that each tower has a na of?”
”Look,” said Baise to the”It is that tower 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 more precisely?”
”It was not in ht that Louviere or Tremblay would have told you”
”The secrets of the Bastile are never handed over with the keys of the governorshi+p”
”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 that happens at the Bastile”
”But,” said Aramis, ”why do you speak more freely of Seldon than of second Bertaudiere?”
”Because, in my opinion, the crireat as that of the man who resembles-”
”Yes, yes; I understand you Still, do not the turnkeys talk with your prisoners?”
”Of course”
”The prisoners, I suppose, tell the the over and over again”
”But does not the rese about just now strike the turnkeys?”
”My dear M d'Herblay, it is only for men attached to the court, as you are, to take trouble about such ht, ive you another taste of this Volnay”
”Not a taste lass; fill yours too”
”Nay, nay! You are a ers, while I have becolass for yourself”
”As you please” And Araovernor nodded to each other, as they drank their wine ”But,” said Ara with fixed attention at the ruby-colored wine he had raised to the level of his eyes, as if he wished to enjoy it with all his senses at the saht call a resemblance, another would not, perhaps, take any notice of”
”Most certainly he would, though, if it were any one who knew the person he resembles”
”I really think, dear M Baise more than a resemblance of your own creation”
”Upon my honor, it is not so”
”Stay,” continued Aramis ”I have seenof; but, out of respect, no one ever said anything about it”
”Very likely; because there is rese one, and, if you were to see him, you would admit it to be so”
”If I were to see him, indeed,” said Aramis, in an indifferent tone; ”but in all probability I never shall”