de her, cannot
retain any doubt of your intentions with regard to that young lady; you
will admit that, I suppose?"

"Certainly; but conclude."

"In a few words. The king is, therefore, a powerful, implacable, and
eternal enemy for you."

"Agreed. But am I, then, so powerful that he has not dared to sacrifice
me, notwithstanding his hatred, with all the means which my weakness, or
my misfortunes, may have given him as a hold upon me?"

"It is clear, beyond all doubt," pursued Aramis, coldly, "that the king
has quarreled irreconcilably with you."

"But, since he absolves me--"

"Do you believe it likely?" asked the bishop, with a searching look.

"Without believing in his sincerity of heart, I believe in the truth of
the fact."

Aramis slightly shrugged his shoulders.

"But why, then, should Louis XIV. have commissioned you to tell me what
you have just stated?"

"The king charged me with nothing for you."

"With nothing!" said the surintendant, stupefied. "But that order,
then--"

"Oh! yes. You are quite right. There is an order, certainly;" and these
words were pronounced by Aramis in so strange a tone that Fouquet could
not resist starting.

"You are concealing something from me, I see. What is it?"

Aramis softly rubbed his white fingers over his chin, but said nothing.

"Does the king exile me?"

"Do not act as if you were playing at the game children play at when
they have to try and guess where a thing has been hidden, and are
informed by a bell being rung, when they are approaching near to it, or
going away from it."

"Speak, then."

"Guess."

"You alarm me."

"Bah! that is because you have not guessed, then."

"What did the king say to you? In the name of our friendship, do not
deceive me."

"The king has not said a word to me."

"You are killing me with impatience, D'Herblay. Am I still
surintendant?"

"As long as you like."

"But what extraordinary empire have you so suddenly acquired over his
majesty's mind?"

"Ah! that is it."

"You make him do as you like."

"I believe so."

"It is hardly credible."

"So any one would say."

"D'Herblay, by our alliance, by our friendship, by everything you hold
the dearest in the world, speak openly, I implore you. By what means
have you succeeded in overcoming Louis XIV.'s prejudices, for he did not
like you, I know?"

"The king will like me _now_," said Aramis, laying a stress upon the
last word.

"You have something parti