tance, the king in
question were to be a very different person to Louis XIV."

"Another person?"

"Yes, who is indebted for everything to you."

"Impossible!"

"His very throne even."

"You are mad, D'Herblay! There is no man living besides Louis XIV. who
can sit on the throne of France. I see none, not one."

"Unless it be Monsieur," said Fouquet, looking at Aramis uneasily, "yet
Monsieur--"

"It is not Monsieur."

"But how can it be that a prince not of the royal line, that a prince
without any right--"

"My king, or rather your king, will be everything that is necessary, be
assured of that."

"Be careful, Monsieur d'Herblay; you make my blood run cold, and my head
swim."

Aramis smiled. "There is but little occasion for that," he replied.

"Again, I repeat, you terrify me!" said Fouquet.

Aramis smiled.

"You laugh," said Fouquet.

"The day will come when you will laugh too; only at the present moment I
must laugh alone."

"But explain yourself."

"When the proper day shall have arrived, I will explain all. Fear
nothing; have faith in me, and doubt nothing."

"The fact is, I cannot but doubt, because I do not see clearly, or at
all even."

"That is because of your blindness: but a day will come when you will be
enlightened."

"Oh," said Fouquet, "how willingly would I believe!"

"You without belief! You who, through my means, have ten times crossed
the abyss yawning at your feet, and in which, had you been alone, you
would have been irretrievably swallowed up! You without belief! you who,
from procureur-general, attained the rank of intendant, from the rank of
intendant that of first minister of the crown, and who, from the rank of
first minister, will pass to that of mayor of the palace! But no," he
said, with the same unaltered smile, "no, no, you cannot see, and
consequently cannot believe that." And Aramis rose to withdraw.

"One word more," said Fouquet. "You have never yet spoken to me in this
manner, you have never yet shown yourself so confident--I should rather
say so daring."

"Because it is necessary, in order to speak confidently, to have the
lips unfettered."

"And that is now your case?"

"Yes."

"Since a very short time, then?"

"Since yesterday only."

"Oh, Monsieur d'Herblay, take care; your confidence is becoming
audacity."

"One can well be audacious when one is powerful."

"And you are powerful?"

"I have already offered you ten millions: I offer them