Tell me your mind; that is all I ask." "An ambitious man," said Aramis, "is one who covets that which is beyond his station." "I covet nothing beyond my station," said the young man, with an assurance of manner which for the second time made the bishop of Vannes tremble.
He was silent.

But to look at the kindling eye, the knitted brow, and the reflective attitude of the captive, it was evident that he expected something more than silence,--a silence which Aramis now broke.

"You lied the first time I saw you," said he.
"Lied!" cried the young man, starting up on his couch, with such a tone in his voice, and such a lightning in his eyes, that Aramis recoiled, in spite of himself.
"I _should_ say," returned Aramis, bowing, "you concealed from me what you knew of your infancy." "A man's secrets are his own, monsieur," retorted the prisoner, "and not at the mercy of the first chance-comer." "True," said Aramis, bowing still lower than before, "'tis true; pardon me, but to-day do I still occupy the place of a chance-comer?
I beseech you to reply, monseigneur." This title slightly disturbed the prisoner; but nevertheless he did not appear astonished that it was given him.

"I do not know you, monsieur," said he.
"Oh, but if I dared, I would take your hand and kiss it!" The young man seemed as if he were going to give Aramis his hand; but the light which beamed in his eyes faded away, and he coldly and distrustfully withdrew his hand again.

"Kiss the hand of a prisoner," he said, shaking his head, "to what purpose ?" "Why did you tell me," said Aramis, "that you were happy here?
Why, that you aspired to nothing?
Why, in a word, by thus speaking, do you prevent me from being frank in my turn ?" The same light shone a third time in the young man's eyes, but died ineffectually away as before.
"You distrust me," said Aramis.
"And why say you so, monsieur ?" "Oh, for a very simple reason; if you know what you ought to know, you ought to mistrust everybody." "Then do not be astonished that I am mistrustful, since you suspect me of knowing what I do not know." Aramis was struck with admiration at this energetic resistance.