ment extremely uneasy
as to the state of affairs; that his orders are not respected like those
of our former bugbear, the deceased cardinal, whose portrait as you see
hangs yonder--for whatever may be thought of him, it must be allowed
that Richelieu was great."

"I will not contradict you there," said D'Artagnan.

"My first impressions were favorable to the minister; I said to myself
that a minister is never loved, but that with the genius this one was
said to have he would eventually triumph over his enemies and would make
himself feared, which in my opinion is much more to be desired than to
be loved----"

D'Artagnan made a sign with his head which indicated that he entirely
approved that doubtful maxim.

"This, then," continued Aramis, "was my first opinion; but as I am very
ignorant in matters of this kind and as the humility which I profess
obliges me not to rest on my own judgment, but to ask the opinion of
others, I have inquired--Eh!--my friend----"

Aramis paused.

"Well? what?" asked his friend.

"Well, I must mortify myself. I must confess that I was mistaken.
Monsieur de Mazarin is not a man of genius, as I thought, he is a man
of no origin--once a servant of Cardinal Bentivoglio, and he got on by
intrigue. He is an upstart, a man of no name, who will only be the tool
of a party in France. He will amass wealth, he will injure the king's
revenue and pay to himself the pensions which Richelieu paid to others.
He is neither a gentleman in manner nor in feeling, but a sort of
buffoon, a punchinello, a pantaloon. Do you know him? I do not."

"Hem!" said D'Artagnan, "there is some truth in what you say."

"Ah! it fills me with pride to find that, thanks to a common sort of
penetration with which I am endowed, I am approved by a man like you,
fresh from the court."

"But you speak of him, not of his party, his resources."

"It is true--the queen is for him."

"Something in his favor."

"But he will never have the king."

"A mere child."

"A child who will be of age in four years. Then he has neither the
parliament nor the people with him--they represent the wealth of the
country; nor the nobles nor the princes, who are the military power of
France."

D'Artagnan scratched his ear. He was forced to confess to himself that
this reasoning was not only comprehensive, but just.

"You see, my poor friend, that I am sometimes bereft of my ordinary
thoughtfulness; perhaps I am wrong in speaking thus