Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/308

 "What! of all? You do not dream of such a thing! You speak just as the confessor did."

"To make restitution of a part, that is to say, his majesty's part; and that, monseigneur, may have its dan- gers. Your eminenceis too skillful a politician not to know that, at this moment, the king does not possess a hundred and fifty thousand livres clear in his coffers."

"That is not my affair," said Mazarin triumphantly; "that belongs to Monsieur le Surintendant Fouquet, whose accounts I have given you to verify for months past."

Colbert bit his lips at the name only c>f Fouquet. "His majesty," said he, between his teeth, "has no money but that which Monsieur Fouquet collects; your money, mon- seigneur, would afford him a delicious banquet."

"Well, but I am not the surintendant of his majesty's 6nances — I have my purse — certes, I would do much for his majesty's welfare — some legacy — but I cannot disappoint my family."

"The legacy of a part would dishonor you and offend the king. Leaving a part to his majesty is to avow that that part has inspired you with doubts as not being acquired legitimately."

"Monsieur Colbert!"

"I thought your eminence did me the honor to ask my advice?"

"Yes; but you are ignorant of the principal details of the question."

"I am ignorant of nothing, monseigneur; during ten vears, all the columns of figures which are found in France have passed in review before me; and if I have painfully nailed them into my brain; they are there now so well riveted, that, from the office of Monsieur Letellier, which is sober, to the little secret largesses of Monsieur Fouquet, who is prodigal, I could recite, figure by figure, all the money that is spent in France, from Marseilles to Cherbourg."

"Then you would have me throw all my money into the coffers of the king!" cried Mazarin ironically, and from whom, at the same time, the gout forced painful moans. "Certes, the king would reproach me with nothing, but he would laugh at me, while squandering my millions, and with reason."

' Y yci eminence has misunderstood me. I did not, the least in the world, pretend that his majesty ought to spend your money."

"You said so clearly, it seems to me, when you advised Hie to give it to him."