Chapter 23

Chapter XXIII:
M. Baisemeaux de Montlezun's Accounts.

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 no distinctive
mark about him, except a kind of hunting-knife by his side, passed before
the Rue du Petit-Musc, and stopped opposite the Rue des Tournelles, at
the gate of the Bastile. Two sentinels were on duty at the gate; they
made 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 at 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 de Montlezun had
occasioned his visit. The first sentinel then summoned a second
sentinel, stationed within an inner lodge, who showed his face at the
grating, and inspected the new arrival most attentively. Aramis
reiterated the expression of his wish to see the governor; whereupon the
sentinel called to an officer of lower grade, who was walking about in a
tolerably spacious courtyard and who, in turn, on being informed of his
object, ran to seek one of the officers of the governor's staff. The
latter, after having listened to Aramis's request, begged him to wait a
moment, then went away a short distance, but returned to ask his name.
"I cannot tell it you, monsieur," said Aramis; "I need only mention that
I have matters of such importance to communicate to the governor, that I
can only rely beforehand upon one thing, that M. de Baisemeaux will be
delighted to see me; nay, more than that, when you have told him that it
is the person whom he expected on the first of June, I am convinced he
will hasten here himself." The officer could not possibly believe that a
man of the governor's importance should put himself out for a person of
so little importance as the citizen-looking visitor on horseback. "It
happens most fortunately, monsieur," he said, "that the governor is just
going out, and you can perceive his carriage with the horses already
harnessed, in the courtyard yonder; there will be no occasion for him to
come to meet you, as he will see you as he passes by." Aramis bowed to
signify his assent; he did not wish to inspire others with too exalted an
opinion of himself, and therefore waited patiently and in silence,
leaning upon the saddle-bow of his horse. Ten minutes had hardly elapsed
when the governor's carriage was observed to move. The governor appeared