re and more calm and smiling.
"Help me now to persuade monsieur, for _you_ understand, do you not?"

"Eh! eh!--not exactly, I declare."

"What! you do not understand that M. Fouquet wishes to afford the king
the surprise of finding his portrait on his arrival at Vaux; and that
the portrait, which will be a striking resemblance, ought to be dressed
exactly as the king will be on the day it is shown?"

"Oh! yes, yes," said the musketeer, nearly convinced, so plausible was
this reasoning. "Yes, my dear Aramis, you are right; it is a happy idea.
I will wager it is one of your own, Aramis."

"Well, I don't know," replied the bishop; "either mine, or M.
Fouquet's." Then scanning Percerin, after noticing D'Artagnan's
hesitation. "Well, Monsieur Percerin," he asked, "what do you say to
this?"

"I say, that--"

"That you are, doubtless, free to refuse. I know well--and I by no means
count upon compelling you, my dear monsieur. I will say more, I even
understand all the delicacy you feel in taking up with M. Fouquet's
idea; you dread appearing to flatter the king. A noble spirit, M.
Percerin, a noble spirit!" The tailor stammered. "It would indeed be a
very pretty compliment to pay the young prince," continued Aramis; "but
as the surintendant told me, 'If Percerin refuse, tell him that it will
not at all lower him in my opinion, and I shall always esteem him,
only--'"

"Only?" repeated Percerin, rather troubled.

"'Only,'" continued Aramis, "'I shall be compelled to say to the
king'--you understand, my dear Monsieur Percerin, that these are M.
Fouquet's words--I shall be constrained to say to the king, 'Sire, I
had intended to present your majesty with your portrait, but owing to a
feeling of delicacy, slightly exaggerated perhaps, although creditable,
M. Percerin opposed the project.'"

"Opposed!" cried the tailor, terrified at the responsibility which would
weigh upon him; "I to oppose the desire, the will of M. Fouquet when he
is seeking to please the king! Oh! what a hateful word you have uttered,
monseigneur. Oppose! Oh, 'tis not I who said it, Heaven have mercy on
me. I call the captain of the musketeers to witness it! Is it not true,
Monsieur d'Artagnan, that I have opposed nothing?"

D'Artagnan made a sign indicating that he wished to remain neutral. He
felt that there was an intrigue at the bottom of it, whether comedy or
tragedy; he was at his wit's end at not being able to fathom it, but in
the meanwhile w