?
Bazin! Hurry up there, you rascal; we are mad with hunger and thirst!"

Bazin entered at that moment carrying a bottle in each hand.

"At last," said Aramis, "we are ready, are we?"

"Yes, monsieur, quite ready," said Bazin; "but it took me some time to
bring up all the----"

"Because you always think you have on your shoulders your beadle's robe,
and spend all your time reading your breviary. But I give you warning
that if in polishing your chapel utensils you forget how to brighten up
my sword, I will make a great fire of your blessed images and will see
that you are roasted on it."

Bazin, scandalized, made a sign of the cross with the bottle in his
hand. D'Artagnan, more surprised than ever at the tone and manners
of the Abbe d'Herblay, which contrasted so strongly with those of the
Musketeer Aramis, remained staring with wide-open eyes at the face of
his friend.

Bazin quickly covered the table with a damask cloth and arranged upon it
so many things, gilded, perfumed, appetizing, that D'Artagnan was quite
overcome.

"But you expected some one then?" asked the officer.

"Oh," said Aramis, "I always try to be prepared; and then I knew you
were seeking me."

"From whom?"

"From Master Bazin, to be sure; he took you for the devil, my dear
fellow, and hastened to warn me of the danger that threatened my soul if
I should meet again a companion so wicked as an officer of musketeers."

"Oh, monsieur!" said Bazin, clasping his hands supplicatingly.

"Come, no hypocrisy! you know that I don't like it. You will do much
better to open the window and let down some bread, a chicken and a
bottle of wine to your friend Planchet, who has been this last hour
killing himself clapping his hands."

Planchet, in fact, had bedded and fed his horses, and then coming back
under the window had repeated two or three times the signal agreed upon.

Bazin obeyed, fastened to the end of a cord the three articles
designated and let them down to Planchet, who then went satisfied to his
shed.

"Now to supper," said Aramis.

The two friends sat down and Aramis began to cut up fowls, partridges
and hams with admirable skill.

"The deuce!" cried D'Artagnan; "do you live in this way always?"

"Yes, pretty well. The coadjutor has given me dispensations from fasting
on the jours maigres, on account of my health; then I have engaged as
my cook the cook who lived with Lafollone--you know the man I mean?--the
friend of the cardinal