p, the staircases scraped and
cleaned; and the jailers seemed to be carefully engaged in polishing
even the keys themselves. As for the soldiers belonging to the garrison,
they were walking about in the different courtyards, under the pretense
that they were clean enough. The governor, Baisemeaux, received
D'Artagnan with more than ordinary politeness, but he behaved toward him
with so marked a reserve of manner, that all D'Artagnan's tact and
cleverness could not get a syllable out of him. The more he kept himself
within bounds, the more D'Artagnan's suspicion increased. The latter
even fancied he remarked that the governor was acting under the
influence of a recent recommendation. Baisemeaux had not been at the
Palais Royal with D'Artagnan the same cold and impenetrable man which
the latter now found in the Baisemeaux of the Bastille. When D'Artagnan
wished to make him talk about the urgent money matters which had brought
Baisemeaux in search of D'Artagnan, and had rendered him expansive,
notwithstanding what had passed on that evening, Baisemeaux pretended
that he had some orders to give in the prison, and left D'Artagnan so
long alone, waiting for him, that our musketeer, feeling sure that he
should not get another syllable out of him, left the Bastille without
waiting until Baisemeaux returned from his inspection. But D'Artagnan's
suspicions were aroused, and when once that was the case, D'Artagnan
could not sleep or remain quiet for a moment. He was among men what the
cat is among quadrupeds, the emblem of restlessness and impatience at
the same moment. A restless cat no more remains in the same place than a
silk thread does which is wafted idly to and fro with every breath of
air. A cat on the watch is as motionless as death stationed at its place
of observation, and neither hunger nor thirst can possibly draw it away
from its meditation. D'Artagnan who was burning with impatience,
suddenly threw aside the feeling, like a cloak which he felt too heavy
on his shoulders, and said to himself that that which they were
concealing from him was the very thing it was important he should know;
and, consequently, he reasoned that Baisemeaux would not fail to put
Aramis on his guard, if Aramis had given him any particular
recommendation, and which, was, in fact, the very thing that did happen.

Baisemeaux had hardly had time to return from the donjon, than
D'Artagnan placed himself in ambuscade close to the Rue du Petit-Muse