[Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas Pere]@TWC D-Link bookTen Years Later CHAPTER XXIV 6/8
You must admit that this young fellow was not born to eat all the good things he does eat; for instance, such things as we have on the table now; this pasty that has not been touched, these crawfish from the River Marne, of which we have hardly taken any, and which are almost as large as lobsters; all these things will at once be taken to second Bertaudiere, with a bottle of that Volnay which you think so excellent. After you have seen it you will believe it, I hope." "Yes, my dear governor, certainly; but all this time you are thinking only of your very happy fifteen-franc prisoner, and you forget poor Seldon, my _protege_." "Well, out of consideration for you, it shall be a gala day for him; he shall have some biscuits and preserves with this small bottle of port." "You are a good-hearted fellow; I have said so already, and I repeat it, my dear Baisemeaux." "Well, let us set off, then," said the governor, a little bewildered, partly from the wine he had drunk, and partly from Aramis's praises. "Do not forget that I only go to oblige you," said the prelate. "Very well; but you will thank me when you get there." "Let us go, then." "Wait until I have summoned the jailer," said Baisemeaux, as he struck the bell twice; at which summons a man appeared.
"I am going to visit the towers," said the governor.
"No guards, no drums, no noise at all." "If I were not to leave my cloak here," said Aramis, pretending to be alarmed, "I should really think I was going to prison on my own account." The jailer preceded the governor, Aramis walking on his right hand; some of the soldiers who happened to be in the courtyard drew themselves up in a line, as stiff as posts, as the governor passed along.
Baisemeaux led the way down several steps which conducted to a sort of esplanade; thence they arrived at the drawbridge, where the sentinels on duty received the governor with the proper honors.
The governor turned toward Aramis, and, speaking in such a tone that the sentinels could not lose a word, he observed,--"I hope you have a good memory, monsieur ?" "Why ?" inquired Aramis. "On account of your plans and your measurements, for you know that no one is allowed, not architects even, to enter where the prisoners are, with paper, pens or pencil." "Good," said Aramis to himself, "it seems I am an architect, then.
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