et, hope for dispensation to commit a crime,
shall not I, the friend of your bishop, have dispensation for eating
meat at the call of my stomach? Make yourself agreeable with me, Bazin,
or by heavens! I will complain to the king, and you shall never confess.
Now you know that the nomination of bishops rests with the king,--I have
the king, I am the stronger."

Bazin smiled hypocritically. "Ah, but we have monsieur le surintendant,"
said he.

"And you laugh at the king, then?"

Bazin made no reply; his smile was sufficiently eloquent.

"My supper," said D'Artagnan, "it is getting towards seven o'clock."

Bazin turned round and ordered the eldest of the pupils to inform the
cook. In the meantime, D'Artagnan surveyed the presbytery.

"Phew!" said he, disdainfully, "monseigneur lodged his grandeur very
meanly here."

"We have the Chateau de Vaux," said Bazin.

"Which is perhaps equal to the Louvre?" said D'Artagnan, jeeringly.

"Which is better," replied Bazin, with the greatest coolness imaginable.

"Ah, ah!" said D'Artagnan.

He would perhaps have prolonged the discussion, and maintained the
superiority of the Louvre, but the lieutenant perceived that his horse
remained fastened to the bars of a gate.

"The devil!" said he. "Get my horse looked after; your master the bishop
has none like him in his stables."

Bazin cast a sidelong glance at the horse, and replied, "Monsieur le
surintendant gave him four from his own stables; and each of the four is
worth four of yours."

The blood mounted to the face of D'Artagnan. His hand itched and his eye
glanced over the head of Bazin, to select the place upon which he should
discharge his anger. But it passed away; reflection came, and D'Artagnan
contented himself with saying,--

"The devil! the devil! I have done well to quit the service of the
king. Tell me, worthy Master Bazin," added he, "how many musketeers does
monsieur le surintendant retain in his service?"

"He could have all there are in the kingdom with his money," replied
Bazin, closing his book, and dismissing the boys with some kindly blows
of his cane.

"The devil! the devil!" repeated D'Artagnan, once more, as if to annoy
the pedagogue. But as supper was now announced, he followed the cook,
who introduced him into the refectory, where it awaited him. D'Artagnan
placed himself at the table, and began a hearty attack upon his fowl.

"It appears to me," said D'Artagnan, biting with all his might at