Calico Illustrated Classics: The Man in the Iron Mask
1 The Prisoner It was a beautiful starry night The steps of three men echoed off the terrace stones and the clinking of the jailer’s keys was heard to the tops of the prison towers On arriving at a door the Bastille’s governor Baisemeaux moved to enter the prisoner’s chamber Aramis stopped him on the threshold The rules do not allow the governor to hear the prisoner’s confession said Aramis Baisemeaux bowed and made way for Aramis to take the lantern and enter Aramis motioned for them to close the door behind him He saw a young man stretched upon his bed with his face half concealed by his arms 4
The young man raised his head and asked What is it Didn’t you want a confessor because you are ill replied Aramis I am better I have no longer the same need of a confessor Not even from the priest of which the note you found in your bread informed you Not to hear an important revelation Aramis asked If it be so I am listening said the young man Do you remember seeing a gentleman and a lady in black silk with flame-colored ribbons in her hair in the village where you spent your early years asked Aramis Yes said the young man They told me he called himself Abbé d’Herblay I was astonished that the abbé had such a warlike manner They replied he was one of Louis XIII’s Musketeers That Musketeer and abbé is now bishop of Vannes and your confessor Aramis said 5
I recognized you I must add that if the king were to know of the presence of this bishop here said Aramis that bishop would the executioner’s ax glitter tomorrow see My enemy must be powerful to be able to shut up in the Bastille a child such as I was then said the young man He is You had a tutor in your early years Do you know who was the son of King Henry IV asked Aramis Louis XIII answered the youth slightly reddening Well the king died young and unhappy Did he die childless asked the young man No but he was without a child for a long time He was in the depths of despair when his wife Anne of Austria announced an interesting event There was great joy On the fifth of September 1638 she gave birth to a son Aramis looked at his companion and thought he observed him turning pink He continued 6
