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Rh LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. 311 ''Precisely, her husband; yes, monsieur.*' "Poor fellow!" said Fouquet, with an expression of great interest. "He wishes to be everything that you have been, mon- sieur," said De Gourville, "and to do everything that you have done." "It is very agreeable; tell us all about it. La Fontaine." "It is very simple. I see him occasionally, and a short time ago I met him, walking about on the Place de la Bastile, at the very moment when I was about to take the email carriage to come down here to St. Mande." "He must have been watching his wife," interrupted Loret. "Oh, no!" said La Fontaine, "he is far from being jealous. He accosted me, embraced me, and took me to the inn called L'Image St. Fiacre, and told me all about his troubles." "He has his troubles, then?" "Yes; his wife wants to make him ambitious." "Well, and he told you " "That some one had spoken to him about a post in parlia- ment, that Monsieur Fouquet's name had been mentioned, that ever since, Madame Vanel dreams of nothing else than being called Madame la Procureuse-Geuerale, and that it makes her ill and keeps her awake every night she does not dream of it." "The deuce!" "Poor woman!" said Fouquet. "Wait a moment. Conrart is always telling me that I do not know how to conduct matters of business; you will see how I managed this one." "Well, go on." " 'I suppose you know,' said I to Vanel, 'that the value of a post such as that which Monsieur Fouquet holds is by no means trifling.' " 'How much do you imagine it to be?' he said. " 'Monsieur Fouquet, I know, has refused seventeen hun- dred thousand francs.' " 'My wife,' replied Vanel, 'had estimated it at about fourteen hundred thousand.' " 'Eeady money?' I said. " 'Yes; she has sold some property of hers in Guienne, and has received the purchase money.' " "That's a pretty sum to touch all at once," said the Abbe Fouquet, who had not hitherto said a word.