e, and then turned to
D'Artagnan.

"And you, sir?" he said.

"I, my lord," answered the Gascon, "I differ from Monsieur d'Herblay
entirely as to the last point, though I agree with him on the first.
Far from wishing my lord to quit Paris, I hope he will stay there and
continue to be prime minister, as he is a great statesman. I shall
try also to help him to down the Fronde, but on one condition--that he
sometimes remembers the king's faithful servants and gives the first
vacant company of musketeers to a man that I could name. And you,
Monsieur du Vallon----"

"Yes, you, sir! Speak, if you please," said Mazarin.

"As for me," answered Porthos, "I wish my lord cardinal, in order to do
honor to my house, which gives him an asylum, would in remembrance of
this adventure erect my estate into a barony, with a promise to confer
that order on one of my particular friends, whenever his majesty next
creates peers."

"You know, sir, that before receiving the order one must submit proofs."

"My friends will submit them. Besides, should it be necessary,
monseigneur will show him how that formality may be avoided."

Mazarin bit his lips; the blow was direct and he replied rather dryly:

"All this appears to me to be ill conceived, disjointed, gentlemen; for
if I satisfy some I shall displease others. If I stay in Paris I cannot
go to Rome; if I became pope I could not continue to be prime minister;
and it is only by continuing prime minister that I can make Monsieur
d'Artagnan a captain and Monsieur du Vallon a baron."

"True," said Aramis, "so, as I am in a minority, I withdraw
my proposition, so far as it relates to the voyage to Rome and
monseigneur's resignation."

"I am to remain minister, then?" said Mazarin.

"You remain minister; that is understood," said D'Artagnan; "France
needs you."

"And I desist from my pretensions," said Aramis. "His eminence will
continue to be prime minister and her majesty's favorite, if he will
grant to me and my friends what we demand for France and for ourselves."

"Occupy yourselves with your own affairs, gentlemen, and let France
settle matters as she will with me," resumed Mazarin.

"Ho! ho!" replied Aramis. "The Frondeurs will have a treaty and your
eminence must sign it before us, promising at the same time to obtain
the queen's consent to it."

"I can answer only for myself," said Mazarin. "I cannot answer for the
queen. Suppose her majesty refuses?"

"Oh!" said D'Arta