In the meantime Fouquet was hastening to the Louvre, at the best speedof his English horses. The king was at work with Colbert. All at oncethe king became thoughtful. The two sentences of death he had signedon mounting his throne sometimes recurred to his memory; they were twoblack spots which he saw with his eyes open; two spots of blood which hesaw when his eyes were closed. "Monsieur," said he, rather sharply, tothe intendant; "it sometimes seems to me that those two men you made mecondemn were not very great culprits."
"Sire, they were picked out from the herd of the farmers of thefinanciers, which wanted decimating."
"Picked out by whom?"
"By necessity, sire," replied Colbert, coldly.
"Necessity!--a great word," murmured the young king.
"A great goddess, sire."
"They were devoted friends of the superintendent, were they not?"
"Yes, sire; friends who would have given up their lives for MonsieurFouquet."
"They have given them, monsieur," said the king.
"That is true;--but uselessly, by good luck,--which was not theirintention."
"How much money had these men fraudulently obtained?"
"Ten millions, perhaps; of which six have been confiscated."
"And is that money in my coffers?" said the king with a certain air ofrepugnance.
"It is there, sire; but this confiscation, whilst threatening M.Fouquet, has not touched him."
"You conclude, then, M. Colbert----"
"That if M. Fouquet has raised against your majesty a troop of factiousrioters to extricate his friends from punishment, he will raise an armywhen he has in turn to extricate himself from punishment."
The king darted at his confidant one of those looks which resemble thelivid fire of a flash of lightning, one of those looks which illuminatethe darkness of the basest consciences. "I am astonished," said he,"that, thinking such things of M. Fouquet, you did not come to give meyour counsels thereupon."
"Counsels upon what, sire?"
"Tell me, in the first place, clearly and precisely, what you think, M.Colbert."
"Upon what subject, sire?"
"Upon the conduct of M. Fouquet."
"I think, sire, that M. Fouquet, not satisfied with attracting all themoney to himself, as M. Mazarin did, and by that means depriving yourmajesty of one part of your power, still wishes to attract to himselfall the friends of easy life and pleasure--of what idlers call poetry,and politicians, corruption. I, think that, by holding the subjectsof your majesty in pay, he trespasses upon the royal prerogative, andcannot, if this continues so, be long in placing your majesty among theweak and the obscure."
"How would you qualify all these projects, M. Colbert?"
"The projects of M. Fouquet, sire?"
"Yes."
"They are called crimes of lese majeste."
"And what is done to criminals guilty of lese majeste?"
"They are arrested, tried, and punished."
"You are quite sure that M. Fouquet has conceived the idea of the crimeyou impute to him?"
"I can say more, sire, there is even a commencement of the execution ofit."
"Well, then, I return to that which I was saying, M. Colbert."
"And you were saying, sire?"
"Give me counsel."
"Pardon me, sire, but in the first place, I have something to add."
"Say--what?"
"An evident, palpable, material proof of treason."
"And what is that?"
"I have just learnt that M. Fouquet is fortifying Belle-Isle."
"Ah, indeed!"
"Yes, sire."
"Are you sure?"
"Perfectly. Do you know, sire, what soldiers there are in Belle-Isle?"
"No, ma foi! Do you?"
"I am ignorant, likewise, sire; I should therefore propose to yourmajesty to send somebody to Belle-Isle?"
"Who?"
"Me, for instance."
"And what would you do at Belle-Isle?"
"Inform myself whether, after the example of the ancient feudal lords,M. Fouquet was battlementing his walls."
"And with what purpose could he do that?"
"With the purpose of defending himself some day against his king."
"But, if it be thus, M. Colbert," said Louis, "we must immediately do asyou say; M. Fouquet must be arrested."
"That is impossible."
"I thought I had already told you, monsieur, that I suppressed that wordin my service."
"The service of your majesty cannot prevent M. Fouquet from beingsurintendant-general."
"Well?"
"That, in consequence of holding that post, he has for him all theparliament, as he has all the army by his largesses, literature by hisfavors, and the noblesse by his presents."
"That is to say, then, that I can do nothing against M. Fouquet?"
"Absolutely nothing,--at least at present, sire."
"You are a sterile counselor, M. Colbert."
"Oh, no, sire; for I will not confine myself to pointing out the perilto your majesty."
"Come, then, where shall we begin to undermine this Colossus; let ussee;" and his majesty began to laugh bitterly.
"He has grown great by money; kill him by money, sire."
"If I were to deprive him of his charge?"
"A bad means, sire."
"The good--the good, then?"
"Ruin him, sire, that is the way.
"But how?"
"Occasions will not be wanting, take advantage of all occasions."
"Point them out to me."
"Here is one at once. His royal highness Monsieur is about to bemarried; his nuptials must be magnificent. That is a good occasion foryour majesty to demand a million of M. Fouquet. M. Fouquet, whopays twenty thousand livres down when he need not pay more than fivethousand, will easily find that million when your majesty demands it."
"That is all very well; I will demand it," said Louis.
"If your majesty will sign the ordonnance I will have the money gottogether myself." And Colbert pushed a paper before the king, andpresented a pen to him.
At that moment the usher opened the door and announced monsieur lesurintendant. Louis turned pale. Colbert let the pen fall, and drewback from the king, over whom he extended his black wings like an evilspirit. The superintendent made his entrance like a man of the court,to whom a single glance was sufficient to make him appreciate thesituation. That situation was not very encouraging for Fouquet, whatevermight be his consciousness of strength. The small black eye of Colbert,dilated by envy, and the limpid eye of Louis XIV., inflamed by anger,signalled some pressing danger. Courtiers are, with regard to courtrumors, like old soldiers, who distinguish through the blasts of windand bluster of leaves the sound of the distant steps of an armed troop.They can, after having listened, tell pretty nearly how many men aremarching, how many arms resound, how many cannons roll. Fouquet had thenonly to interrogate the silence which his arrival had produced; he foundit big with menacing revelations. The king allowed him time enough toadvance as far as the middle of the chamber. His adolescent modestycommanded this forbearance of the moment. Fouquet boldly seized theopportunity.
"Sire," said he, "I was impatient to see your majesty."
"What for?" asked Louis.
"To announce some good news to you."
Colbert, minus grandeur of person, less largeness of heart, resembledFouquet in many points. He had the same penetration, the same knowledgeof men; moreover, that great power of self-compression which gives tohypocrites time to reflect, and gather themselves up to take a spring.He guessed that Fouquet was going to meet the blow he was about to dealhim. His eyes glittered ominously.
"What news?" asked the king. Fouquet placed a roll of papers on thetable.
"Let your majesty have the goodness to cast your eyes over this work,"said he. The king slowly unfolded the paper.
"Plans?" said he.
"Yes, sire."
"And what are these plans?"
"A new fortification, sire."
"Ah, ah!" said the king, "you amuse yourself with tactics andstrategies, then, M. Fouquet?"
"I occupy myself with everything that may be useful to the reign of yourmajesty," replied Fouquet.
"Beautiful descriptions!" said the king, looking at the design.
"Your majesty comprehends, without doubt," said Fouquet, bending overthe paper; "here is the circle of the walls, here are the forts, therethe advanced works."
"And what do I see here, monsieur?"
"The sea."
"The sea all round?"
"Yes, sire."
"And what is, then, the name of this place of which you show me theplan?"
"Sire, it is Belle-Isle-en-Mer," replied Fouquet with simplicity.
At this word, at this name, Colbert made so marked a movement, that theking turned round to enforce the necessity for reserve. Fouquet didnot appear to be the least in the world concerned by the movement ofColbert, or the king's signal.
"Monsieur," continued Louis, "you have then fortified Belle-Isle?"
"Yes, sire; and I have brought the plan and the accounts to yourmajesty," replied Fouquet, "I have expended sixteen hundred thousandlivres in this operation."
"What to do?" replied Louis, coldly, having taken the initiative from amalicious look of the intendant.
"For an aim very easy to seize," replied, Fouquet. "Your majesty was oncool terms with Great Britain."
"Yes; but since the restoration of King Charles II. I have formed analliance with him."
"A month since, sire, your majesty has truly said; but it is more thansix months since the fortifications of Belle-Isle were begun."
"Then they have become useless."
"Sire, fortifications are never useless. I fortified Belle-Isle againstMM. Monk and Lambert and all those London citizens who were playing atsoldiers. Belle-Isle will be ready fortified against the Dutch, againstwhom either England or your majesty cannot fail to make war."
The king was again silent, and looked askant at Colbert. "Belle-Isle, Ibelieve," added Louis, "is yours, M. Fouquet?"
"No, sire."
"Whose then?"
"Your majesty's."
Colbert was seized with as much terror as if a gulf had opened beneathhis feet. Louis started with admiration, either at the genius or thedevotion of Fouquet.
"Explain yourself, monsieur," said he.
"Nothing more easy, sire; Belle-Isle is one of my estates; I havefortified it at my own expense. But as nothing in the world can opposea subject making an humble present to his king, I offer your majesty theproprietorship of the estate, of which you will leave me the usufruct.Belle-Isle, as a place of war, ought to be occupied by the king. Yourmajesty will be able, henceforth, to keep a safe garrison there."
Colbert felt almost sinking down upon the floor. To keep himself fromfalling, he was obliged to hold by the columns of the wainscoting.
"This is a piece of great skill in the art of war that you haveexhibited here, monsieur," said Louis.
"Sire, the initiative did not come from me," replied Fouquet: "manyothers have inspired me with it. The plans themselves have been made byone of the most distinguished engineers."
"His name?"
"M. du Vallon."
"M. du Vallon?" resumed Louis, "I do not know him. It is much to belamented, M. Colbert," continued he, "that I do not know the names ofthe men of talent who do honor to my reign." And while saying thesewords he turned towards Colbert. The latter felt himself crushed, thesweat flowed from his brow, no word presented itself to his lips, hesuffered an inexpressible martyrdom. "You will recollect that name,"added Louis XIV.
Colbert bowed, but was paler than his ruffles of Flemish lace. Fouquetcontinued:
"The masonries are of Roman concrete; the architects amalgamated it forme after the best accounts of antiquity."
"And the cannon?" asked Louis.
"Oh! sire, that concerns your majesty; it did not become me to placecannon in my own house, unless your majesty had told me it was yours."
Louis began to float, undetermined between the hatred which this sopowerful man inspired him with, and the pity he felt for the other,so cast down, who seemed to him the counterfeit of the former. But theconsciousness of his kingly duty prevailed over the feelings of the man,and he stretched out his finger to the paper.
"It must have cost you a great deal of money to carry these plans intoexecution," said he.
"I believe I had the honor of telling your majesty the amount."
"Repeat it if you please, I have forgotten it."
"Sixteen hundred thousand livres."
"Sixteen hundred thousand livres! you are enormously rich, monsieur."
"It is your majesty who is rich, since Belle-Isle is yours."
"Yes, thank you; but however rich I may be, M. Fouquet----" The kingstopped.
"Well, sire?" asked the superintendent.
"I foresee the moment when I shall want money."
"You, sire? And at what moment, then?"
"To-morrow, for example."
"Will your majesty do me the honor to explain yourself?"
"My brother is going to marry the English Princess."
"Well, sire?"
"Well, I ought to give the bride a reception worthy of the granddaughterof Henry IV."
"That is but just, sire."
"Then I shall want money."
"No doubt."
"I shall want----" Louis hesitated. The sum he was going to demandwas the same that he had been obliged to refuse Charles II. He turnedtowards 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 didnot turn round, but waited till the king repeated, or rather murmured,"A million."
"Oh! sire," replied Fouquet disdainfully, "a million! What will yourmajesty 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 pettyprinces of Germany."
"Monsieur!"
"Your majesty must have two millions at least. The horses alone wouldrun away with five hundred thousand livres. I shall have the honor ofsending your majesty sixteen hundred thousand livres this evening."
"How," said the king, "sixteen hundred thousand livres?"
"Look, sire," replied Fouquet, without even turning towards Colbert, "Iknow that wants four hundred thousand livres of the two millions. Butthis monsieur of l'intendance" (pointing over his shoulder to Colbertwho, if possible, became paler, behind him) "has in his coffers ninehundred 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 hundred thousand livres; hehas paid a hundred thousand livres to the guards, sixty-four thousandlivres to the hospitals, twenty-five thousand to the Swiss, a hundredand thirty thousand for provisions, a thousand for arms, ten thousandfor accidental expenses; I do not err, then, in reckoning upon ninehundred thousand livres that are left." Then turning towards Colbert,like a disdainful head of office towards his inferior, "Take care,monsieur," said he, "that those nine hundred thousand livres be remittedto his majesty this evening, in gold."
"But," said the king, "that will make two millions five hundred thousandlivres."
"Sire, the five hundred thousand livres over will serve as pocket moneyfor his Royal Highness. You understand, Monsieur Colbert, this eveningbefore eight o'clock."
And with these words, bowing respectfully to the king, thesuperintendent made his exit backwards, without honoring with a singlelook the envious man, whose head he had just half shaved.
Colbert tore his ruffles to pieces in his rage, and bit his lips tillthey
bled.
Fouquet had not passed the door of the cabinet, when an usher pushing byhim, exclaimed: "A courier from Bretagne for his majesty."
"M. d'Herblay was right," murmured Fouquet, pulling out his watch; "anhour and fifty-five minutes. It was quite true."
CHAPTER 76. In which D'Artagnan finishes by at length placing his Handupon his Captain's Commission
Ten Years Later Page 81