"What can that be?" said the duchesse, pretending to be surprised and terrified. "You will learn; indeed, you must know it already, that having once been an affiliated member of the order, it is not easy to leave it; for the secrets that any particular member may have acquired are unwholesome, and carry with them the germs of misfortune for whoever may reveal them." The duchesse paused and reflected for a moment, and then said, "That is more serious, I will think over it." And, notwithstanding the profound obscurity, Aramis seemed to feel a burning glance, like a hot iron, escape from his friend's eyes, and plunge into his heart. "Let us recapitulate," said Aramis, determined to keep himself on his guard, and gliding his hand into his breast, where he had a dagger concealed. "Exactly, let us recapitulate; good accounts make good friends." "The suppression of your pension--" "Forty-eight thousand francs, and that of Laicques twelve, make, together, sixty thousand francs; that is what you mean, I suppose?" "Precisely; and I was trying to find out what would be your equivalent for that." "Five hundred thousand francs, which I shall get from the queen." "Or which you will not get." "I know a means of procuring them," said the duchesse, thoughtlessly. This remark made the chevalier prick up his ears; and from the moment his adversary had committed this error, his mind was so thoroughly on its guard that he seemed every moment to gain the advantage more and more; and she, consequently, to lose it. "I will admit, for argument's sake, that you obtain the money," he resumed; "you will lose the double of it, having a hundred thousand francs' pension to receive instead of sixty thousand, and that for a period of ten years." "Not so, for I shall only be subjected to this reduction of my income during the period of M. Fouquet's remaining in power, a period which I estimate at two months." "Ah!" said Aramis. "I am frank, you see." "I thank you for it, duchesse; but you would be wrong to suppose that after M. Fouquet's disgrace the order would resume the payment of your pension." "I know a means of making the order pay, as I know a means of forcing the queen-mother to concede what I require." "In that case, duchesse, we are all obliged to strike our flags to you. The victory is yours, and the triumph also is yours. Be clement, I entreat you." "But is it possible," resumed the duchesse, without taking notice of the irony, "that you really draw back from a miserable sum of five hundred thousand francs when it is a question of sparing you--I mean your friend--I beg your pardon, I ought rather to say your protector--the disagreeable consequences which a party contest produces?"