Part 66 (2/2)
”And she returned?”
”Ten minutes afterwards”
”And no one could have taken the letter?”
”No one; for no one had entered the room”
”From the outside, but from the interior?”
”From the place where I was secreted, I could see to the very end of the roo fixedly at the lackey; ”if this letter did not reach its proper destination, confess it; for, if a mistake has been made, your head shall be the forfeit”
Toby started, but ineur,” he said, ”I placed the letter on the very place I told you: and I ask only half an hour to prove to you that the letter is in Made you back the letter itself”
Araly Fouquet was ready in placing confidence in people, and for twenty years thisme the proof you speak of” The lackey quitted the room
”Well, what do you think of it?” inquired Fouquet of Aramis
”I think that you must, by some means or another, assure yourself of the truth, either that the letter has, or has not, reached La Valliere; that, in the first case, La Valliereit in your presence; that, in the second, you ain, even were it to cost you a million Come, is not that your opinion?”
”Yes; but still,the importance of the affair”
”Blind, how blind you are!” murmured Aramis
”La Valliere,” returned Fouquet, ”e assu more than a coquette, who hopes that I shall pay my court to her, because I have already done so, and who, now that she has received a confir strings with the letter It is natural enough”
Aramis shook his head
”Is not that your opinion?” said Fouquet
”She is not a coquette,” he replied
”Allow h acquainted omen who are coquettes,” said Arao since I finished hout the centuries”
”True; but e, and you at the present day are farto laugh, he added, ”Co to lovetwo-thirds, do you think the condition acceptable?”
Aramis rose impatiently ”La Valliere,” he said, ”has never loved, and never will love, any one but the king”
”At all events,” said Fouquet, ”ould you do?”
”Ask me rather what I would have done?”
”Well! ould you have done?”
”In the first place, I should not have allowed that man to depart”
”Toby?”
”Yes; Toby is a traitor Nay, I ao until he had told me the truth”
”There is still time I will recall hireed”
”But I assure you it is useless He has been with htest , ”it would have been easy enough for hi I fancy I saw that face, in earnest conversation with one of M Colbert's men”
”Where was that?”
”Opposite the stables”
”Bah! all ers draith that fellow”
”I saw him, I tell you, and his face, which should have been unknown to reeably fa, then, while he was here?”
”Because it is only at this very minute that my memory is clear upon the subject”
”Really,” said Fouquet, ”you alar the bell
”Provided that it is not already too late,” said Ara impatiently The valet usually in attendance appeared ”Toby!” said Fouquet, ”send Toby” The valet again shut the door
”You leave me at perfect liberty, I suppose?”
”Entirely so”
”I may employ all means, then, to ascertain the truth”
”All”
”Intimidation, even?”
”I constitute you public prosecutor in er, but uselessly, and Fouquet, thoroughly out of patience, again rang loudly
”Toby!” he exclai for hiiven hio and see, neur,” replied the valet, as he closed the door Ara the interviealked impatiently, but without a syllable, up and down the cabinet They waited a further tenin a ain presented hi in a way to induce a belief that he was the bearer of bad news