Part 21 (2/2)
”In that case I a's feet”
”But, Baisemeaux, I can hardly believe what you tellfifty thousand francs a year, why have you not tried to screw one hundred thousand out of it?”
”Because I anan, and because my prisoners are fed like aet out of your difficulties; give yourself a good attack of indigestion with your excellent living, and put yourself out of the way between this and h to laugh?”
”Nay, you really afflict e me your word of honor, do so, that you will not open your lips to any one about what I a to say to you”
”Never, never!”
”You wish to put your hands on Arao and see where M Fouquet is”
”Why, what connection can there be-”
”How stupid you are! Don't you know that Vannes is in the diocese of Belle-Isle, or Belle-Isle in the diocese of Vannes? Belle-Isle belongs to M Fouquet, and M Fouquet nominated M d'Herblay to that bishopric!”
”I see, I see; you restore ain”
”So much the better Go and tell M Fouquet very simply that you wish to speak to M d'Herblay”
”Of course, of course,” exclainan, checking hiive you my sacred word of honor,” replied the little ?”
”To M Fouquet's house”
”It is useless doing that; M Fouquet is playing at cards with the king All you can do is to pay M Fouquet a visit early to-”
”I will do so Thank you”
”Good luck attend you,” said D'Artagnan
”Thank you”
”This is a strange affair,” nan, as he slowly ascended the staircase after he had left Baise Baisemeaux in this manner? Well, I suppose we shall learn so's Card-Table
Fouquet was present, as D'Artagnan had said, at the king's card-table It seeham's departure had shed a bal Monsieur, radiant with delight, ns to his mother The Count de Guiche could not separate hi, conversed with hihahtful, and kind in his manner, like a man who has adopted a resolution, listened to the count, and froret and hopeless affection at Madame The princess, in the midst of her elation of spirits, divided her attention between the king, as playing with her, Monsieur, who quietly joked her about her enorant delight Of Buckinghaitive, this exile, was now siht hearts are thus constituted; while they thehly break off with every one who may possibly interfere with their little calculations of self cohahs while he was present; but as the good of sighing, s at a distance? Can one tell in what direction the winds in the Channel, which toss hs as these? The duke could not fail to e, and his heart was cruelly hurt Of a sensitive character, proud and susceptible of deep attachment, he cursed the day on which such a passion had entered his heart The looks he cast, frorees at the chilling cohts He could hardly yet despair, but he was strong enough to impose silence upon the tumultuous outcries of his heart In exact proportion, however, as Mada, she redoubled her activity to regain the ray of light she was about to lose; her timid and indecisive mind was displayed in brilliant flashes of wit and humor At any cost she felt that sheand every one, even above the king hi their dignity, and the king, despite the respect which etiquette required, were all eclipsed by her The queens, stately and cerehter Madame Henriette, the queen-mother, was dazzled by the brilliancy which cast distinction upon her fahter of Henry IV The king, jealous, as a young man and as a monarch, of the superiority of those who surrounded hi hihly French in its nature, whose energy lish humor Like a child, he was captivated by her radiant beauty, which her witWit and humor escaped from her scarlet lips like persuasion from the lips of Nestor of old The whole court, subdued by her enchanting grace, noticed for the first tireatest monarch in the world, like people who merited their appellation of the wittiest and most polished people in Europe
Mada, achieved and enjoyed a success capable of bewildering all not born to those altitudes termed thrones; which, in spite of their elevation, are sheltered froed Madaarded her as a coquette deserving the cruelest tortures, and De Guiche looked upon her as a divinity; the courtiers as a star whose light ht some day become the focus of all favor and power And yet Louis XIV, a few years previously, had not even condescended to offer his hand to that ”ugly girl” for a ballet; and Buckingham had worshi+pped this coquette ”on both knees” De Guiche had once looked upon this divinity as a mere woman; and the courtiers had not dared to extol this star in her upward progress, fearful to disgust the monarch whom such a dull star had for place during thisqueen, although Spanish by birth, and the niece of Anne of Austria, loved the king, and could not conceal her affection Anne of Austria, a keen observer, like all women, and imperious, like every queen, was sensible of Madame's power, and acquiesced in it i queen to raise the siege and retire to her apart hardly paid any attention to her departure, notwithstanding the pretended syed by the rules of etiquette, which he had begun to introduce at the court as an element of every relation of life, Louis XIV did not disturb hi at Monsieur his brother, and led the young princess to the door of her apartments It was remarked, that at the threshold of the door, his majesty, freed frohed very deeply The ladies present-nothing escapes a wolance-Mademoiselle Montalais, for instance-did not fail to say to each other, ”the king sighed,” and ”Madahed very noiselessly, but with an acco's repose Mada her beautiful black eyes, next opening them, and then, laden, as they were, with an indescribable mournfulness of expression, she had raised thehtened in color The consequence of these blushes, of those interchanged sighs, and of this royal agitation, was, that Montalais had committed an indiscretion which had certainly affected her cohted, perhaps, turned pale when the king blushed; and her attendance being required upon Mada of taking the gloves, which court etiquette required her to do True it is that the young country girlseeaged in closing the door, had involuntarily fixed her eyes upon the king, who, as he retired backwards, had his face towards it The king returned to the room where the card-tables were set out He wished to speak to the different persons there, but it was easy to see that his ether, which was taken advantage of by some of the noblemen who had retained those habits since the tiood calculator In this way, Monsieur Manicahtless and absent air-for M Manicamp was the honestest man in the world, appropriated twenty thousand francs, which were littering the table, and which did not see to any person in particular In the same way, Monsieur de Wardes, whose head was doubtless a little bewildered by the occurrences of the evening, soot to leave behind him the sixty double louis which he had won for the Duke of Buckingha his hands with coin of any sort, had left lying on the table before hiree at the moment that Monsieur Colbert, who had been narrowly observant for soreat respect, yet with much perseverance, whispered a counsel of so, at the suggestion, listened with renewed attention and i around hier here?”
”Yes, sire, I aed with Buckingha, who advanced a step towards hiive me,” said Louis, ”if I interrupt your conversation; but I claim your attention wherever I 's service,” replied Fouquet
”And your cash-box, too,” said the king, laughing with a false s else,” said Fouquet, coldly
”The fact is, I wish to give a fete at Fontainebleau-to keep open house for fifteen days, and I shall require-” and he stopped, glancing at Colbert Fouquet waited without showing disco Colbert's icy smile, ”four million francs”
”Fourprofoundly And his nails, buried in his bosom, were thrust into his flesh, but the tranquil expression of his face remained unaltered ”When will they be required, sire?”
”Take your time,-I mean-no, no; as soon as possible”
”A certain time will be necessary, sire”
”Time!” exclaimed Colbert, triumphantly
”The tihtiest disdain, ”sihed in a day”
”Four days, then,” said Colbert
”My clerks,” replied Fouquet, addressing hi, ”will perform wonders on his majesty's service, and the sum shall be ready in three days”
It was for Colbert now to turn pale Louis looked at him astonished Fouquet withdreithout any parade or weakness, s at his numerous friends, in whose countenances alone he read the sincerity of their friendshi+p-an interest partaking of coed by his smile, for, in reality, he felt as if he had been stricken by death Drops of blood beneath his coat stained the fine linen that clothed his chest His dress concealed the blood, and his se which devoured him His domestics perceived, by the e, that their master was not in the best of humors: the result of their discernment was, that his orders were executed with that exactitude of maneuver which is found on board aa store, therefore, did not si-it flew Fouquet had hardly ti the drive; on his arrival he went at once to Araht As for Porthos, he had supped very agreeably off a roast leg of mutton, two pheasants, and a perfect heap of cray-fish; he then directed his body to be anointed with perfumed oils, in the manner of the wrestlers of old; and when this anointment was completed, he had himself wrapped in flannels and placed in a warm bed Aramis, as we have already said, had not retired Seated at his ease in a velvet dressing-gown, he wrote letter after letter in that fine and hurried handwriting, a page of which contained a quarter of a volume The door was thrown hurriedly open, and the superintendent appeared, pale, agitated, anxious Ara look detected his host's sadness and disordered state of ood as histhe conversation
Fouquet threw himself upon a couch, and then pointed to the door to the servant who had followed him; when the servant had left he said, ”Excellent”
Aramis, who had followed every movement with his eyes, noticed that he stretched himself upon the cushi+ons with a sort of feverish impatience ”You have lost as usual?” inquired Aramis, his pen still in his hand
”Even more than usual,” replied Fouquet
”You kno to support losses?”
”Sometimes”
”What, Monsieur Fouquet a bad player!”
”There is play and play, Monsieur d'Herblay”
”How ht uneasiness
Fouquet collected hihtest e has cost h drowned the last vibration of these words