"A million; in other words, at the present rate of interest, an income of seventy thousand francs."
"Come, monsieur," said Fouquet, "you can hardly refuse that. Answer--do you accept?"
"Impossible," murmured Vanel.
Aramis bit his lips, and something like a cloud seemed to pa.s.s over his face. The thunder behind this cloud could easily be imagined. He still kept his hold on Vanel. "You have purchased the appointment for fifteen hundred thousand francs, I think. Well, you will receive these fifteen hundred thousand francs back again; by paying M. Fouquet a visit, and shaking hands with him on the bargain, you will have become a gainer of a million and a half. You get honor and profit at the same time, Monsieur Vanel."
"I cannot do it," said Vanel, hoa.r.s.ely.
"Very well," replied Aramis, who had grasped Vanel so tightly by the coat that, when he let go his hold, Vanel staggered back a few paces, "very well; one can now see clearly enough your object in coming here."
"Yes," said Fouquet, "one can easily see that."
"But--" said Vanel, attempting to stand erect before the weakness of these two men of honor.
"Does the fellow presume to speak?" said Aramis, with the tone of an emperor.
"Fellow!" repeated Vanel.
"The scoundrel, I meant to say," added Aramis, who had now resumed his usual self-possession. "Come, monsieur, produce your deed of sale,--you have it about you, I suppose, in one of your pockets, already prepared, as an a.s.sa.s.sin holds his pistol or his dagger concealed under his cloak."
Vanel began to mutter something.
"Enough!" cried Fouquet. "Where is this deed?"
Vanel tremblingly searched in his pockets, and as he drew out his pocket-book, a paper fell out of it, while Vanel offered the other to Fouquet. Aramis pounced upon the paper which had fallen out, as soon as he recognized the handwriting. "I beg your pardon," said Vanel, "that is a rough draft of the deed."
"I see that very clearly," retorted Aramis, with a smile more cutting than a lash of a whip; "and what I admire most is, that this draft is in M. Colbert"s handwriting. Look, monseigneur, look."
And he handed the draft to Fouquet, who recognized the truth of the fact; for, covered with erasures, with inserted words, the margins filled with additions, this deed--a living proof of Colbert"s plot--had just revealed everything to its unhappy victim. "Well!" murmured Fouquet.
Vanel, completely humiliated, seemed as if he were looking for some hole wherein to hide himself.
"Well!" said Aramis, "if your name were not Fouquet, and if your enemy"s name were not Colbert--if you had not this mean thief before you, I should say to you, "Repudiate it;" such a proof as this absolves you from your word; but these fellows would think you were afraid; they would fear you less than they do; therefore sign the deed at once." And he held out a pen towards him.
Fouquet pressed Aramis"s hand; but, instead of the deed which Vanel handed to him, he took the rough draft of it.
"No, not that paper," said Aramis, hastily; "this is the one. The other is too precious a doc.u.ment for you to part with."
"No, no!" replied Fouquet; "I will sign under M. Colbert"s own handwriting even; and I write, "The handwriting is approved of."" He then signed, and said, "Here it is, Monsieur Vanel." And the latter seized the paper, dashed down the money, and was about to make his escape.
"One moment," said Aramis. "Are you quite sure the exact amount is there? It ought to be counted over, Monsieur Vanel; particularly since M. Colbert makes presents of money to ladies, I see. Ah, that worthy M.
Colbert is not so generous as M. Fouquet." And Aramis, spelling every word, every letter of the order to pay, distilled his wrath and his contempt, drop by drop, upon the miserable wretch, who had to submit to this torture for a quarter of an hour. He was then dismissed, not in words, but by a gesture, as one dismisses or discharges a beggar or a menial.
As soon as Vanel had gone, the minister and the prelate, their eyes fixed on each other, remained silent for a few moments.
"Well," said Aramis, the first to break the silence; "to what can that man be compared, who, at the very moment he is on the point of entering into a conflict with an enemy armed from head to foot, panting for his life, presents himself for the contest utterly defenseless, throws down his arms, and smiles and kisses his hands to his adversary in the most gracious manner? Good faith, M. Fouquet, is a weapon which scoundrels frequently make use of against men of honor, and it answers their purpose. Men of honor, ought, in their turn, also, to make use of dishonest means against such scoundrels. You would soon see how strong they would become, without ceasing to be men of honor."
"What they did would be termed the acts of a scoundrel," replied Fouquet.
"Far from that; it would be merely coquetting or playing with the truth.
At all events, since you have finished with this Vanel; since you have deprived yourself of the happiness of confounding him by repudiating your word; and since you have given up, for the purpose of being used against yourself, the only weapon which can ruin you--"
"My dear friend," said Fouquet, mournfully, "you are like the teacher of philosophy whom La Fontaine was telling us about the other day; he saw a child drowning, and began to read him a lecture divided into three heads."
Aramis smiled as he said, "Philosophy--yes; teacher--yes; a drowning child--yes; but a child can be saved--you shall see. But first of all let us talk about business. Did you not some time ago," he continued, as Fouquet looked at him with a bewildered air, "speak to me about an idea you had of giving a _fete_ at Vaux?"
"Oh!" said Fouquet, "that was when affairs were flourishing."
"A _fete_, I believe, to which the king invited himself of his own accord?"
"No, no, my dear prelate; a _fete_ to which M. Colbert advised the king to invite himself."
"Ah--exactly; as it would be a _fete_ of so costly a character that you would be ruined in giving it."
"Precisely so. In happier days, as I said just now, I had a kind of pride in showing my enemies how inexhaustible my resources were; I felt it a point of honor to strike them with amazement, by creating millions under circ.u.mstances where they imagined nothing but bankruptcies and failures would follow. But, at present, I am arranging my accounts with the state, with the king, with myself; and I must now become a mean, stingy man; I shall be able to prove to the world that I can act or operate with my deniers as I used to do with my bags of pistoles, and from to-morrow my equipages shall be sold, my mansions mortgaged, my expenses curtailed."
"From to-morrow," interrupted Aramis, quietly, "you will occupy yourself, without the slightest delay, with your _fete_ at Vaux, which must hereafter be spoken of as one of the most magnificent productions of your most prosperous days."
"Are you mad, Chevalier d"Herblay?"
"I! do you think so?"
"What do you mean, then? Do you not know that a _fete_ at Vaux, one of the very simplest possible character, would cost four or five millions?"
"I do not speak of a _fete_ of the very simplest possible character, my dear superintendent."
"But, since the _fete_ is to be given to the king," replied Fouquet, who misunderstood Aramis"s idea, "it cannot be simple."
"Just so: it ought to be on a scale of the most unbounded magnificence."
"In that case, I shall have to spend ten or twelve millions."
"You shall spend twenty, if you require it," said Aramis, in a perfectly calm voice.
"Where shall I get them?" exclaimed Fouquet.
"That is my affair, monsieur le surintendant; and do not be uneasy for a moment about it. The money shall be placed at once at your disposal, the moment you have arranged the plans of your _fete_."
"Chevalier! chevalier!" said Fouquet, giddy with amazement, "whither are you hurrying me?"
"Across the gulf into which you were about to fall," replied the bishop of Vannes. "Take hold of my cloak, and throw fear aside."
"Why did you not tell me that sooner, Aramis? There was a day when, with one million only, you could have saved me; whilst to-day--"
"Whilst to-day I can give you twenty," said the prelate. "Such is the case, however--the reason is very simple. On the day you speak of, I had not the million which you had need of at my disposal, whilst now I can easily procure the twenty millions we require."
"May Heaven hear you, and save me!"