Part 127 (1/2)
”Doubtless”
”And yet they say at Paris that the bishopric of Vannes is one of the best in France”
”Ah! you are now speaking of temporal wealth,” said Aramis, with a careless air
”To be sure, I wish to speak of that; I hold by it, on my part”
”In that case, let me speak of it,” said Aramis, with a smile
”You own yourself to be one of the richest prelates in France?”
”My friend, since you ask ive you an account, I will tell you that the bishopric of Vannes is worth about twenty thousand livres a year, neither more nor less It is a diocese which contains a hundred and sixty parishes”
”That is very pretty,” said D'Artagnan
”It is superb!” said Porthos
”And yet,” resu his eyes over Aramis, ”you don't mean to bury yourself here forever?”
”Pardon me Only I do not admit the word bury”
”But it seems to me, that at this distance from Paris aold,” said Araer suit ht to seek calm and meditation I have found them here What is there more beautiful, and stern at the sanan, all that is opposite to what I formerly loved, and that is what inning
A little of my old pleasure of former times still co me from the road of salvation I as me nearer to God”
”Eloquent, wise and discreet; you are an accoratulations”
”But,” said Ara, ”you did not co s you hither? May it be that, in some fashi+on or other, you want nan, ”it is nothing of that kind--I am rich and free”
”Rich!” exclaimed Aramis
”Yes, rich for me; not for you or Porthos, understand I have an income of about fifteen thousand livres”
Aramis looked at hi his friend in such hunan, seeing that the hour of explanations was co the recital he saw, ten tiers work convulsively As to Porthos, it was not adnan; it was enthusiasnan had finished, ”Well!” said Aranan, ”you see, then, I have in England friends and property, in France a treasure If your heart tells you so, I offer them to you That is what I came here for”
However firm was his look, he could not this time support the look of Aramis He allowed, therefore, his eye to stray upon Porthos--like the shich yields to too powerful a pressure, and seeks another road
”At all events,” said the bishop, ”you have assuhtful! I know it is You may understand why I would not travel as a cavalier or a noble; since I became rich, I am miserly”
”And you say, then, you came to Belle-Isle?” said Aranan; ”I knew I should find you and Porthos there”
”Find me!” cried Aramis ”Me! for the last year past I have not once crossed the sea”