are exaggerating the
position of affairs."

"Blind, how blind you are!" murmured Aramis.

"La Valliere," returned Fouquet, "whom we assume to be a politician of
the greatest ability, is simply nothing more than a coquette, who hopes
that I shall pay my court to her, because I have already done so, and
who, now that she has received a confirmation of the king's regard,
hopes to keep me in leading strings with the letter. It is natural
enough!"

Aramis shook his head.

"Is not that your opinion?" said Fouquet.

"She is not a coquette," he replied.

"Allow me to tell you--"

"Oh! I am well enough acquainted with women who are coquettes," said
Aramis.

"My dear friend!"

"It is a long time ago since I finished my studies, you mean. But women
do not change."

"True; but men change, and you at the present day are far more
suspicious than you formerly were." And then, beginning to laugh, he
added, "Come, if La Valliere is willing to love me only to the extent of
a third and the king two-thirds, do you think the condition acceptable?"

Aramis rose impatiently. "La Valliere," he said, "has never loved, and
will never love any one but the king."

"At all events," said Fouquet, "what would you do?"

"Ask me rather what I would have done?"

"Well, what would you have done?"

"In the first place, I should not have allowed that man to go."

"Toby!"

"Yes; Toby is a traitor. Nay, I am sure of it, and I would not have let
him go until he had told me the truth."

"There is still time. I will recall him, and do you question him in your
turn."

"Agreed."

"But I assure you it is quite useless. He has been with me for the last
twenty years, and has never made the slightest mistake, and yet," added
Fouquet, laughing, "it has been easy enough."

"Still, call him back. This morning I fancy I saw that face in earnest
conversation with one of M. Colbert's men."

"Where was that?"

"Opposite the stables."

"Bah! all my people are at daggers drawn with that fellow."

"I saw him, I tell you, and his face, which I ought not to have
recognized when he entered just now, struck me in a disagreeable
manner."

"Why did you not say something, then, while he was here?"

"Because it is only at this very minute that my memory is clear upon the
subject."

"Really," said Fouquet, "you alarm me." And he again rang the bell.

"Provided that it is not already too late," said Aramis.

Fouquet once more rang impatiently.