LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. 439 "Well, we shall come to an understanding presently." "Let us see," said Baisemeaux; "let us see." "Now drink your glass of muscat, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," said Aramis. "What the devil! you look quite scared." "No, no; not the least in the world — no." "Drink, then." Baisemeaux drank, but he swallowed the wrong way. "Well," resumed Aramis, "if I say you are not a member of a secret or mysterious society, which you like to call it, the epithet is of no consequence; if I say you are not a member of a society similar to that I wish to designate, well, then, you will not understand a word of what I am going to say. That is all." "Oh! be sure beforehand that I shall not understand any- thing." "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, trem- bling. "You will agree, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," con- tinued Aramis, with the same impassibility, "that it is evi- dent 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 in- telligible, 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 gover- nors and captains of the 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 Monsieur d'Herblay; go on," said he. Aramis then spoke, or rather, recited the following para- graph, in the same tone as if he had been reading it from a book:
