Page:The Man in the Iron Mask.djvu/82

68 "You see, now, one might as well set a blind man free."

"I have a carriage, and will take him wherever he wishes."

"You have an answer for everything. François, tell Monsieur le Major to go and open the cell of Monsieur Seldon, No. 3, Bertaudiere."

"Seldon!" exclaimed Aramis very naturally. "You said Seldon, I think?"

"I said Seldon, of course. ’Tis the name of the man they set free."

"Oh! you mean to say Marchiali?" said Aramis.

"Marchiali? Oh! yes, indeed. No, no; Seldon."

"I think you are making a mistake. Monsieur Baisemeaux."

"I have read the order."

"And I, also."

"And I saw 'Seldon' in letters as large as that," and Baisemeaux held up his finger.

"And I read 'Marchiali,' in characters as large as this," said Aramis, also holding up two fingers.

"To the proof; let us throw a light on the matter," said Baisemeaux, confident he was right. "There is the paper, you have only to read it."

"I read 'Marchiali,'" returned Aramis, spreading out the paper. "Look."

Baisemeaux looked, and his arms dropped suddenly,

"Yes, yes," he said, quite overwhelmed; "yes, Marchiali. "’Tis plainly written Marchiali! Quite true!"

"Ah!"

"How! the man of whom we have talked so much? The man whom they are every day telling me to take such care of?"

"There is 'Marchiali,'" repeated the inflexible Aramis.

"I must own it, monseigneur. But I understand nothing about it."

"You believe your eyes, at any rate."

"To tell me very plainly there is 'Marchiali.'"

"And in a good handwriting, too."

"’Tis a wonder! I still see this order and the name of Seldon, Irishman. I see it. Ah! I even recollect that under this name there was a blot of ink."

"No, there is no ink; no, there is no blot."

"Oh! but there was, though; I know it, because I rubbed the powder that was over the blot."

"In a word, be it how it may, dear Monsieur Baisemeaux," said Aramis, "and whatever you may have seen, the order is signed to release Marchiali, blot or no blot."