t him.
He went to the abode of the minister. Mazarin received him with marked
courtesy.

"Here are the deeds appointing to you the estate of la Villar and your
patent of nobility," he said, pointing to a box upon his table. "You
have been singularly fortunate, sir, and from all inquiries that I have
made from officers who have served with Monsieur de Turenne, and, I may
say, from Colonel Maclvor, I hear nothing but good of you, as a soldier
devoted to duty, as a young man free from the vices and dissipations too
common among those of your age, and as possessing intelligence as well
as courage. Such men, sir, even royalty does well to attach to itself,
and for them a splendid career is open. I, high as is the office in
which Providence has placed me, may well envy you. You fight against the
enemies of France; I am surrounded by enemies open and secret, and the
war is no less earnest than that which Turenne and Enghien are waging.

"The great nobles of France are jealous that I, a foreigner, should
have the ear of the queen, and be first minister of the country. Gladly
indeed would I resign my position and return to my bishopric in Italy,
were it not that I promised the great man to whose place I have so
unworthily succeeded, that I would do my best for the country on whose
behalf he spent every hour of his life, and that I would, unless driven
from it by force, hold the seals of office until the young king should
be old enough to rule France unaided. You, baron, are like myself a
foreigner, and ready to risk your life in the service of France, and
you will understand how I am situated and how I feel. You, happily
for yourself, are not so highly placed as to excite enmity, although
doubtless not a few of those who flocked round you yesterday evening to
congratulate you on your good fortune felt a sensation of envy that a
young soldier of fortune should be so honoured.

"In my case envy is accompanied by the deepest animosity. The great
nobles find me an obstacle in the way of their grasping power, and they
would hesitate at nothing to rid themselves of me. Were it not for the
support of the queen, my position would be untenable even for an hour.
Without me the queen herself would speedily become as much a cipher as
she was so long as the weak king reigned. We have need, both of us,
of men of heart and devotion such as I take you to be. I ask for no
engagements, sir, but I felt that there was a genuine ring in your voice