Chapter 24

Chapter XXIV:
The Breakfast at Monsieur de Baisemeaux's.

Aramis was generally temperate; but on this occasion, while taking 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
animated with the wildest gayety; the sight 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 Aramis with an expression of the
deepest gratitude; while the latter, leaning back in his chair, took a
few sips of wine from his glass, with the air of a connoisseur. "Let me
never hear any ill words against 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 mean - at fifteen
francs! No, no! it is his neighbor who is at fifteen francs."

"Which neighbor?"

"The other, second Bertaudiere."

"Excuse me, my dear governor; but you speak a language which requires
quite an apprenticeship 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 name of
its own. Whereabouts is the one you are speaking of?"

"Look," said Baisemeaux, going to the window. "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 my time, M. d'Herblay."

"But I should have thought that Louviere or Tremblay would have told
you."

"The secrets of the Bastile are never handed over with the keys of the
governorship."

"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 crime of the man who writes a distich is not
so great as that of the man who resembles - "

"Yes, yes; I understand you. Still, do not the turnkeys talk