Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/508

Rh 496 THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE. refuse Charles II. He turned toward Colbert, that he might give the blow. "I shall want to-morrow — " repeated he, looking at Colbert. "A million," said the latter bluntly, delighted to take his revenge. Fouquet turned his back upon the intendant to listen to the king. He did not at all turn round, but waited till the king repeated, or rather murmured, "a mil lion." "Oh, sire!" replied Fouquet disdainfully, "a million. What will your majesty do with a million?" "It appears to me, nevertheless — " said Louis XIV. "That is not more than is spent at the nuptials of one of the most petty princes of Germany." "Monsieur!" "Your majesty must have two millions at least. The horses alone would run away with five hundred thousand livres. I shall have the honor of sending your majesty six- teen hundred thousand livres this evening." "How," said the king, "sixteen hundred thousand livres?" "Look, sire," replied Fcuquet, without even turning toward Colbert, "I know that that wat'b four hundred thousand livres of the two millions. Bu' tnis Monsieur l'lntendance" — pointing over his shoulder to Colbert, who, if possible, became paler, behind him — "has is his coffers nine hundred thousand livres of mine " The king turned round to look at Colbert. "But — " said the latter. "Monsieur," continued Fouquet, still speaking indirectly to Colbert,"monsieur has received, a week ago, sixteen hun- dred thousand livres; he has paid a hundred thousand livres to the guards, sixty-four thousand livres to the hospitals, twenty-five thousand to the Swiss, a hundred and thirty thousand for provisions, a thousand for arms, ten thousand for incidental expenses; I do not err, then, in reckoning upon nine hundred thousand livres that are left." Thci turning toward Colbert, like a disdainful head of office toward his inferior, "Take care, monsieur," said he, "that those nine hundred thousand livres be remitted to his majesty this evening, in gold." "But," said the king, "that will make two millions fhe hundred thousand livres." "Sire, the five hundred thousand livres over may serv* 1 "*