Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/333

 "Why not, sire?"

"He! a man mistrustful of everybody?"

"He was not so of me, sire, as your majesty may perceive."

Louis fixed his eyes with admiration upon that vulgar but expressive face.

"You are an honest man, Monsieur Colbert," said the king.

"That is not a virtue, it is a duty," replied Colbert coolly.

"But," added Louis, "does not the money belong to the family?"

"If this money belonged to the family, it would be disposed of in the testament, as the rest of his fortune is. If this money belonged to the family, I, who drew up the deed of donation in favor of your majesty, should have added the sum of thirteen millions to that of forty millions which was offered to you."

"How!" exclaimed Louis XIV., "was it you who drew up the deed of donation?"

"Yes, sire."

"And yet the cardinal loved you?" added the king ingenuously.

"I had assured his eminence you would by no means accept the gift," said Colbert, in that same quiet manner we have described, and which, even in the common habits of life, had something solemn in it. Louis passed his hand over his brow.

"Oh! how young I am," murmured he, "to have the command of men."

Colbert waited the end of this interior monologue. He saw Louis raise his head.

"At what hour shall I send the money to your majesty?" asked he.

"To-night, at eleven o'clock; I desire that no one may know that I possess this money."

Colbert made no more reply than if the tiling had not been said to him.

"Is the amount in ingots or coined gold?"

"In coined gold, sire."

"That is well."

"Where shall I send it to?"

"To the Louvre. Thank you, Monsieur Colbert."

Colbert bowed and retired.

"Thirteen millions!" exclaimed Louis, as soon as he was alone. "This must be a dream!"