e only to pass into the king's
room this morning who have special permission. His majesty does not wish
to be disturbed just yet."

"But," objected D'Artagnan, almost on the point of refusing to obey this
order, and particularly of giving unrestrained passage to the suspicions
which the king's silence had aroused--"but, Monsieur l'Eveque, his
majesty gave me a rendezvous for this morning."

"Later, later," said the king's voice, from the bottom of the alcove; a
voice which made a cold shudder pass through the musketeer's veins. He
bowed, amazed, confused, and stupefied by the smile with which Aramis
seemed to overwhelm him, as soon as those words had been pronounced.

"And then," continued the bishop, "as an answer to what you were coming
to ask the king, my dear D'Artagnan, here is an order of his majesty,
which you will be good enough to attend to forthwith, for it concerns M.
Fouquet."

D'Artagnan took the order which was held out to him. "To be set at
liberty!" he murmured. "Ah!" and he uttered a second "ah!" still more
full of intelligence than the former; for this order explained Aramis'
presence with the king, and that Aramis, in order to have obtained
Fouquet's pardon, must have made considerable progress in the royal
favor, and that this favor explained, in its tenor, the hardly
conceivable assurance with which M. d'Herblay issued the orders in the
king's name. For D'Artagnan it was quite sufficient to have understood
something in order to understand everything. He bowed and withdrew a
couple of steps, as if he were about to leave.

"I am going with you," said the bishop.

"Whereto?"

"To M. Fouquet; I wish to be a witness of his delight."

"Ah! Aramis, how you puzzled me just now!" said D'Artagnan again.

"But you understand now, I suppose?"

"Of course, I understand," he said, aloud; but then he added in a low
tone to himself, almost hissing the words through his teeth, "No, no, I
do not understand yet. But it is all the same, for here is the order for
it." And then he added, "I will lead the way, monseigneur," and he
conducted Aramis to Fouquet's apartments.

CHAPTER XCV.

THE KING'S FRIEND.

Fouquet was waiting with anxiety; he had already sent away many of his
servants and his friends, who, anticipating the usual hour of his
ordinary receptions, had called at his door to inquire after him.
Preserving the utmost silence respecting the danger which hung suspended
over his head, he on