Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/313

Rh THE VICOMTE DE JIRAGELONN'E. 301 sounded from the other side of the door of the cabinet, "because at the Palais Royal there is all the gold — that is to say, all the power of him who desires to reign. " Louis turned sharply round. The voice which had pro- nounced these words was that of Anne of Austria. The king started, and advanced toward her. "I hope," said he, "your majesty has paid no attention to the vain dec- lamations with which the solitude and disgust familiar to kings give the idea to the happiest characters?" "I only paid attention to one thing, my son, and that was, that you were complaining." "Who, I? Not at all," said Louis XIV.; "no, in truth, you mistake, madame." "What were you doing, then?" "I thought I was under the ferule of my professor, and was developing a subject of amplification." "My son," replied Anne of Austria, shaking her head, "you are wrong not to trust to my word; you are wrong not to grant me your confidence. A day will come, perhaps quickly, wherein you will have occasion to remember that axiom: God is universal power; and they alone are kings who are all-powerful." "Your intention," continued the king, "was not, how- ever, to cast blame upon the rich of this age, was it?" "No," said the queen warmly; "no, sire; they who are rich in this age, under your reign, are rich because you have been willing they should be so; and I entertain for them neither malice nor envy. They have, without doubt, served your majesty sufficiently well for your majesty to have permitted them to reward themselves. That is what I mean to say by the words for which you reproach me." "God forbid, madame, that I should ever reproach my mother with anything." "Besides," continued Anne of Austria, "the Lord never gives the goods of this world but for a season; the Lord — as correctives to honor and riches — the Lord has placed suffer- ings, sickness, and death; and no one," added she, with a melancholy smile, which proved she made the application of the funeral precept to herself, "no one can take their wealth or their greatness with them into the tomb. It thence results that the young gather the abundant harvest prepared for them by the old." Louis listened with increased attention to the words which Anne of Austria, no doubt, pronounced with a view of consoling him.