"And Baisemeaux an accomplice in it?"
"Why not? there are worse accomplices than he. May I depend, then, upon the five thousand pistoles to-morrow?"
"Do you want them this evening?"
"It would be better, for I wish to start early; poor Baisemeaux will not be able to imagine what has become of me, and must be upon thorns."
"You shall have the amount in an hour. Ah, D'Herblay, the interest of your one hundred and fifty thousand francs will never pay my four millions for me."
"Why, not, monseigneur?"
"Good-night, I have business to transact with my clerks before I retire."
"A good night's rest, monseigneur."
"D'Herblay, you wish that which is impossible."
"Shall I have my fifty thousand francs this evening?"
"Yes."
"Go to sleep, then, in perfect safety — it is I who tell you to do so." Notwithstanding this assurance, and the tone in which it was given, Fouquet left the room shaking his head and heaving a sigh.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MONSIEUR BAISEMEAUX DE MONTLEZUN'S ACCOUNTS.
The clock of St. Paul's was striking seven as Aramis, on horseback, dressed as a simple citizen, that is to say, in colored suit, with no distinctive mark about him, except a kind of hunting-knife by his side, passed before the Street du Petit Muse, and stopped opposite the Street des Tourelles, at the gate of the Bastile. Two sentinels were on duty at the gate; they raised no difficulty about admitting Aramis, who entered without dismounting, and they pointed out the way he was to go by a long passage with buildings on both sides. This passage led to the drawbridge, or, in other words, to the real entrance. The drawbridge was down, and the duty of the day was about being entered upon. The sentinel on duty at the outer guardhouse stopped Aramis' 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 de Montlezun had occasioned his visit. The first sentinel then summoned a second sentinel, sta-
