Part 78 (1/2)
”Does your majesty wish to know my opinion?”
”Yes”
”Thank him, sire--”
”Ah!” said the queen
”But do not accept,” continued Fouquet
”And why not?” asked the queen
”You have yourself said why, ht not to receive presents fro remained silent between these two contrary opinions
”But forty millions!” said Anne of Austria, in the same tone as that in which, at a later period, poor Marie Antoinette replied, ”You will tell , ”forty ood round sum,--such a sum as could almost tempt a royal conscience”
”But,the king not to receive this present, recall to his majesty's mind, you, whose duty it is, that these forty millions are a fortune to him”
”It is precisely, madame, because these forty , 'Sire, if it be not decent for a king to accept from a subject six horses, worth twenty thousand livres, it would be disgraceful for him to owe a fortune to another subject, more or less scrupulous in the choice of theup of that fortune'”
”It ill beco a lesson,” said Anne of Austria; ”better procure for him fortyshall have them whenever he wishes,” said the superintendent of finances, bowing
”Yes, by oppressing the people,” said the queen
”And were they not oppressed, madame,” replied Fouquet, ”when they were iven by this deed? Furtheriven it; if his majesty ask my concurrence, it will be the same”
”Nonsense! accept, my son, accept,” said Anne of Austria ”You are above reports and interpretations”
”Refuse, sire,” said Fouquet ”As long as a king lives, he has no other e than his own desires; but when dead, he has posterity, which applauds or accuses”
”Thank you,respectfully to the queen
”Thank you Monsieur, Fouquet,” said he, dis the superintendent civilly
”Do you accept?” asked Anne of Austria, onceat Fouquet
Chapter XLVIII Agony
The day that the deed of gift had been sent to the king, the cardinal caused hi and the court followed him thither The last flashes of this torch still cast splendor enough around to absorb all other lights in its rays Besides, as it has been seen, the faithful satellite of hisLouis XIV, ravitation The disease, as Guenaud had predicted, had becoout, it was an attack of death; then there was another thing which itation brought into his , and which, according to Colbert, the king ought to send back unaccepted to the cardinal The cardinal had, as we have said, great faith in the predictions of his secretary; but the suenius of Colbert, froht to hiht possibly have been mistaken, and there was at least asda back hisback, the ht that forty millions orth a little risk, particularly of so hypothetic a thing as the soul Mazarin, in his character of cardinal and prime minister, was almost an atheist, and quite a materialist
Every time that the door opened, he turned sharply round towards that door, expecting to see the return of his unfortunate donation; then, deceived in his hope, he fell back again with a sigh, and found his pains so otten them for an instant
Anne of Austria had also followed the cardinal; her heart, though age hadto so to others She had, in so countenance beforehand, and all the court wore it as she did