Ten Years Later Chapter 23 - M. Baisemeaux de Montlezun's Accounts

In which the prelate Aramis undertakes a discreet and ceremonious visit to the Bastille, navigating its strict protocol to meet the governor, M. Baisemeaux de Montlezun, with whom he engages in a detailed discourse on the peculiar economy and social hierarchy of the prison’s captives. The dialogue unveils the governor’s diligent yet troubled administration over the prisoners, revealing a world where food and rank intertwine in curious and almost charitable customs amidst the austere walls.