impossible that Anne of
Austria could listen to such a woman as this."

"Well!" said the duchesse.

"Well, madame, I should be very much astonished if M. Fouquet had five
hundred thousand francs at his disposal at the present moment."

"It is no use speaking of it, then," said the duchesse, "and Dampierre
must get restored how it can."

"Oh! you are not embarrassed to such an extent as that, I suppose."

"No; I am never embarrassed."

"And the queen," continued the bishop, "will certainly do for you what
the surintendant is unable to do."

"Oh! certainly. But tell me, do you not think it would be better that I
should speak, myself, to M. Fouquet about these letters?"

"Nay, duchesse, you will do precisely whatever you please in that
respect. M. Fouquet either feels, or does not feel himself to be guilty;
if he really be so, I know he is proud enough not to confess it; if he
be not so, he will be exceedingly offended at your menace."

"As usual, you reason like an angel," said the duchesse, as she rose
from her seat.

"And so, you are now going to denounce M. Fouquet to the queen," said
Aramis.

"'Denounce!' Oh! what a disagreeable word. I shall not 'denounce,' my
dear friend; you now know matters of policy too well to be ignorant how
easily these affairs are arranged, I shall merely side against M.
Fouquet, and nothing more; and, in a war of party against party, a
weapon of attack is always a weapon."

"No doubt."

"And once on friendly terms again with the queen-mother, I may be
dangerous toward some persons."

"You are at perfect liberty to be so, duchesse."

"A liberty of which I shall avail myself."

"You are not ignorant, I suppose, duchesse, that M. Fouquet is on the
best terms with the king of Spain."

"I suppose so."

"If, therefore, you begin a party warfare against M. Fouquet, he will
reply in the same way; for he, too, is at perfect liberty to do so, is
he not?"

"Oh! certainly."

"And as he is on good terms with Spain, he will make use of that
friendship as a weapon of attack."

"You mean, that he will be on good terms with the general of the order
of the Jesuits, my dear Aramis."

"That may be the case, duchesse."

"And that, consequently, the pension I have been receiving from the
order will be stopped."

"I am greatly afraid it might be."

"Well; I must contrive to console myself in the best way I can; for
after Richelieu, after the Frondes, after exile, what is there le