iliated, undoubtedly," repeated Aramis, with the greatest
self-possession. "Are you not a member of a secret society, my dear M.
Baisemeaux!"

"Secret?"

"Secret or mysterious."

"Oh, M. d'Herblay!"

"Consider now, don't deny it."

"But believe me."

"I believe what I know."

"I swear to you."

"Listen to me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; I say yes, you say no; one of us
two necessarily says what is true, and the other, it inevitably follows,
what is false."

"Well, and then?"

"Well, we shall come to an understanding presently."

"Let us see," said Baisemeaux; "let us see."

"Now drink your glass of muscat, dear M. 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 anything."

"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, trembling.

"You will agree, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," continued Aramis, with
the same impassibility, "that it is evident 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 intelligible 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 governors and captains
of 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 M.
d'Herblay; go on," said he.

Aramis then spoke, or rather recited, the following paragraph, in the
same tone as if he had been reading it from a book: "The aforesaid
captain or governor