D"Artagnan wiped from the hilt of his sword a last b.l.o.o.d.y trace, which had escaped his notice, and returned. He then found himself face to face with these three men, whose countenances wore very different expressions. With the abbe it was anger, with Gourville stupor, with Fouquet it was dejection.
"I beg your pardon, monsieur le ministre," said D"Artagnan, "but my time is short; I have to go to the office of the intendant, to have an explanation with Monsieur Colbert, and to receive my quarter"s pension."
"But, monsieur," said Fouquet, "there is money here." D"Artagnan looked at the superintendent with astonishment. "You have been answered inconsiderately, monsieur, I know, because I heard it," said the minister; "a man of your merit ought to be known by everybody."
D"Artagnan bowed. "Have you an order?" added Fouquet.
"Yes, monsieur."
"Give it me, I will pay you myself; come with me." He made a sign to Gourville and the abbe, who remained in the chamber where they were. He led D"Artagnan into his cabinet. As soon as the door was shut,--"how much is due to you, monsieur?"
"Why, something like five thousand livres, monseigneur."
"For arrears of pay?"
"For a quarter"s pay."
"A quarter consisting of five thousand livres!" said Fouquet, fixing upon the musketeer a searching look. "Does the king, then, give you twenty thousand livres a year?"
"Yes, monseigneur, twenty thousand livres a year. Do you think it is too much?"
"I?" cried Fouquet, and he smiled bitterly. "If I had any knowledge of mankind, if I were--instead of being a frivolous, inconsequent, and vain spirit--of a prudent and reflective spirit; if, in a word, I had, as certain persons have known how, regulated my life, you would not receive twenty thousand livres a year, but a hundred thousand, and you would belong not to the king but to me."
D"Artagnan colored slightly. There is sometimes in the manner in which a eulogium is given, in the voice, in the affectionate tone, a poison so sweet, that the strongest mind is intoxicated by it. The superintendent terminated his speech by opening a drawer, and taking from it four rouleaux, which he placed before D"Artagnan. The Gascon opened one.
"Gold!" said he.
"It will be less burdensome, monsieur."
"But, then, monsieur, these make twenty thousand livres."
"No doubt they do."
"But only five are due to me."
"I wish to spare you the trouble of coming four times to my office."
"You overwhelm me, monsieur."
"I do only what I ought to do, monsieur le chevalier; and I hope you will not bear me any malice on account of the rude reception my brother gave you. He is of a sour, capricious disposition."
"Monsieur," said D"Artagnan, "believe me, nothing would grieve me more than an excuse from you."
"Therefore I will make no more, and will content myself with asking you a favor."
"Oh, monsieur."
Fouquet drew from his finger a ring worth about three thousand pistoles.
"Monsieur," said he, "this stone was given me by a friend of my childhood, by a man to whom you have rendered a great service."
"A service--I?" said the musketeer; "I have rendered a service to one of your friends?"
"You cannot have forgotten it, monsieur, for it dates this very day."
"And that friend"s name was--"
"M. d"Eymeris."
"One of the condemned?"
"Yes, one of the victims. Well! Monsieur d"Artagnan, in return for the service you have rendered him, I beg you to accept this diamond. Do so for my sake."
"Monsieur! you--"
"Accept it, I say. To-day is with me a day of mourning; hereafter you will, perhaps, learn why; to-day I have lost one friend; well, I will try to get another."
"But, Monsieur Fouquet--"
"Adieu! Monsieur d"Artagnan, adieu!" cried Fouquet, with much emotion; "or rather, au revoir." And the minister quitted the cabinet, leaving in the hands of the musketeer the ring and the twenty thousand livres.
"Oh!" said D"Artagnan, after a moment"s dark reflection. "How on earth am I to understand what this means? Mordioux! I can understand this much, only: he is a gallant man! I will go and explain matters to M.
Colbert." And he went out.
Chapter LXIV. Difference D"Artagnan finds between the Intendant and the Superintendent.
M Colbert resided in the Rue Neuve des Pet.i.ts-Champs, in a house which had belonged to Beautru. D"Artagnan"s legs cleared the distance in a short quarter of an hour. When he arrived at the residence of the new favorite, the court was full of archers and police, who came to congratulate him, or to excuse themselves, according to whether he should choose to praise or blame. The sentiment of flattery is instinctive with people of abject condition; they have the sense of it, as the wild animal has that of hearing and smell. These people, or their leader, understood that there was a pleasure to offer to M. Colbert, in rendering him an account of the fashion in which his name had been p.r.o.nounced during the rash enterprise of the morning. D"Artagnan made his appearance just as the chief of the watch was giving his report. He stood close to the door, behind the archers. That officer took Colbert on one side, in spite of his resistance and the contradiction of his bushy eyebrows. "In case," said he, "you really desired, monsieur, that the people should do justice on the two traitors, it would have been wise to warn us of it; for, indeed, monsieur, in spite of our regret at displeasing you, or thwarting your views, we had our orders to execute."
"Triple fool!" replied Colbert, furiously shaking his hair, thick and black as a mane; "what are you telling me? What! that I could have had an idea of a riot! Are you mad or drunk?"
"But, monsieur, they cried "Vive Colbert!"" replied the trembling watch.
"A handful of conspirators--"
"No, no; a ma.s.s of people."
"Ah! indeed," said Colbert, expanding. "A ma.s.s of people cried "Vive Colbert!" Are you certain of what you say, monsieur?"
"We had nothing to do but open our ears, or rather to close them, so terrible were the cries."
"And this was from the people, the real people?"
"Certainly, monsieur; only these real people beat us."
"Oh! very well," continued Colbert, thoughtfully. "Then you suppose it was the people alone who wished to burn the condemned?"
"Oh! yes, monsieur."