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Rh TEN YEARS LATER. 4G7 "Andthe/e7eP' "Will take place in a month." "He invited himself, you say?" "With a pertinacity in which I detected Colbert's in- fluence. But has not last night removed your illusions?" "What illusions?" "AVith respect to the assistance you may be able to give me in this circumstance." "No; I have passed the night vrriting, and all my orders are given." "Do not conceal it from yourself, D'Herblay, but the fete will cost some millions." "I will give six; do you, on your side, get two or three." "You are a wonderful man, my dear D'Herblay." Aram is smiled. "But," inquired Fouquet, with some remaining uneasi- ness, "how is it that, while now you are squandering mil- lions in this manner, a few days ago you did not pay the fifty thousand francs to Baisemeaux out of your own pocket?" "Because a few days ago I was as poor as Job." "And to-day?" "To-day I am wealthier than the king himself." "Very well," said Fouquet. "I understand men pretty well; I know you are incapable of forfeiting your word; I do not wish to wrest your secret from you, and so let us talk no more about it." At this moment a dull, heavy rumbling was heard, which suddenly burst forth in a violent clap of thunder. "Oh, oh!" said Fouquet, "I was quite right in what I said." "Come," said Aramis, "let us rejoin the carriages." "We shall not have time," said Fouquet, "for here comes the rain." In fact, as he spoke, and as if the heavens were opened, a shower of large drops of rain was suddenly heard falling on the trees about them. "We shall have time," said Aramis, "to reach the car- riage before the foliage becomes saturated." "It will be better," said Fouquet, "to take shelter some- where — in a grotto, for instance." "Yes, but where are we to find a grotto?" inquired Aramis. "I know one," said Fouquet, smiling, "not ten paces from here." Then, looking round about him, he added, "Yes; we are quite right."