"How can your lordship imagine that you could ever inconvenience me?"

"Confess you were going in search of money."

"No," stammered out Baisemeaux, "no! I assure you I was going to--"

"Does the governor still intend to go to M. Fouquet?" suddenly called
out the major from below. Baisemeaux ran to the window like a madman.
"No, no," he exclaimed in a state of desperation, "who the deuce is
speaking of M. Fouquet? are you drunk below there? why am I interrupted
when I am engaged on business?"

"You were going to M. Fouquet's," said Aramis, biting his lips, "to M.
Fouquet, the abbe, or the superintendent?"

Baisemeaux almost made up his mind to tell an untruth, but he could not
summon courage to do so. "To the superintendent," he said.

"It is true, then, that you were in want of money, since you were going
to a person who gives it away!"

"I assure you, my lord--"

"You were afraid?"

"My dear lord, it was the uncertainty and ignorance in which I was as to
where you were to be found."

"You would have found the money you require at M. Fouquet's, for he is a
man whose hand is always open."

"I swear that I should never have ventured to ask M. Fouquet for money.
I only wished to ask him for your address."

"To ask M. Fouquet for my address?" exclaimed Aramis, opening his eyes
in real astonishment.

"Yes," said Baisemeaux, greatly disturbed by the glance which the
prelate fixed upon him,--"at M. Fouquet's certainly."

"There is no harm in that, dear M. Baisemeaux, only I would ask, why ask
my address of M. Fouquet?"

"That I might write to you."

"I understand," said Aramis smiling, "but that is not what I meant; I do
not ask you what you required my address for: I only ask why you should
go to M. Fouquet for it?"

"Oh!" said Baisemeaux, "as Belle-Isle is the property of M. Fouquet,
and as Belle-Isle is in the diocese of Vannes, and as you are bishop of
Vannes--"

"But, my dear Baisemeaux, since you knew I was bishop of Vannes, you had
no occasion to ask M. Fouquet for my address."

"Well, monsieur," said Baisemeaux, completely at bay, "if I have acted
indiscreetly, I beg your pardon most sincerely."

"Nonsense," observed Aramis calmly: "how can you possibly have acted
indiscreetly?" And while he composed his face, and continued to smile
cheerfully on the governor, he was considering how Baisemeaux, who was
not aware of his address, knew, however, that Vannes was his residence.
"I shall clear all