Aramis was somewhat agitated at this remark, and a light flashed from his eyes in the darkness of the room, which he could not conceal from his keen-sighted friend. "M. de Baisemeaux!" he said; "why did D'Artagnan send you to M. de Baisemeaux?" "I cannot tell you." "What can this possibly mean?" said the bishop, summoning all the resources of his mind to his aid, in order to carry on the combat in a befitting manner. "M. de Baisemeaux is greatly indebted to you, D'Artagnan told me." "True, he is so." "And the address of a creditor is as easily ascertained as that of a debtor." "Very true; and so Baisemeaux indicated to you--" "Saint-Mande, where I forwarded a letter to you." "Which I have in my hand, and which is most precious to me," said Aramis, "because I am indebted to it for the pleasure of seeing you here." The duchesse, satisfied at having successfully alluded to the various difficulties of so delicate an explanation, began to breathe freely again, which Aramis, however, could not succeed in doing. "We had got as far as your visit to M. Baisemeaux, I believe?" "Nay," she said, laughing, "farther than that." "In that case we must have been speaking about the grudge you have against the queen-mother." "Further still," she returned--"further still; we were talking of the connection--" "Which existed between you and the Franciscan," said Aramis, interrupting her eagerly; "well, I am listening to you very attentively." "It is easily explained," returned the duchesse. "You know that I am living at Brussels with M. de Laicques?" "I have heard so." "You know that my children have ruined and stripped me of everything." "How terrible, dear duchesse." "Terrible indeed; this obliged me to resort to some means of obtaining a livelihood, and, particularly to avoid vegetating the remainder of my existence away, I had old hatreds to turn to account, old friendships to serve; I no longer had either credit or protectors." "You, too, who had extended protection toward so many persons," said Aramis, softly. "It is always the case, chevalier. Well, at the present time I am in the habit of seeing the king of Spain very frequently." "Ah!" "Who has just nominated a general of the Jesuits, according to the usual custom." "Is it usual, indeed?" "Were you not aware of it?" "I beg your pardon; I was inattentive." "You must be aware of that--you who were on such good terms with the Franciscan." "With the general of the Jesuits, you mean?" "Exactly. Well, then, I have seen the king of Spain, who wished to do me a service, but was unable. He gave me recommendations, however, to Flanders, both for myself and for Laicques too; and conferred a pension on me out of the funds belonging to the order." "Of Jesuits?"