uld but accept my offers! I would make your
fortune."

"How? you would no sooner have left prison than your goods would be
confiscated."

"I shall no sooner be out of prison than I shall be master of Paris."

"Pshaw! pshaw! I cannot hear such things said as that; this is a fine
conversation with an officer of the king! I see, my lord, I shall be
obliged to fetch a second Grimaud!"

"Very well, let us say no more about it. So you and the cardinal have
been talking about me? La Ramee, some day when he sends for you,
you must let me put on your clothes; I will go in your stead; I will
strangle him, and upon my honor, if that is made a condition I will
return to prison."

"Monseigneur, I see well that I must call Grimaud."

"Well, I am wrong. And what did the cuistre [pettifogger] say about me?"

"I admit the word, monseigneur, because it rhymes with ministre
[minister]. What did he say to me? He told me to watch you."

"And why so? why watch me?" asked the duke uneasily.

"Because an astrologer had predicted that you would escape."

"Ah! an astrologer predicted that?" said the duke, starting in spite of
himself.

"Oh, mon Dieu! yes! those imbeciles of magicians can only imagine things
to torment honest people."

"And what did you reply to his most illustrious eminence?"

"That if the astrologer in question made almanacs I would advise him not
to buy one."

"Why not?"

"Because before you could escape you would have to be turned into a
bird."

"Unfortunately, that is true. Let us go and have a game at tennis, La
Ramee."

"My lord--I beg your highness's pardon--but I must beg for half an
hour's leave of absence."

"Why?"

"Because Monseigneur Mazarin is a prouder man than his highness, though
not of such high birth: he forgot to ask me to breakfast."

"Well, shall I send for some breakfast here?"

"No, my lord; I must tell you that the confectioner who lived opposite
the castle--Daddy Marteau, as they called him----"

"Well?"

"Well, he sold his business a week ago to a confectioner from Paris, an
invalid, ordered country air for his health."

"Well, what have I to do with that?"

"Why, good Lord! this man, your highness, when he saw me stop before
his shop, where he has a display of things which would make your mouth
water, my lord, asked me to get him the custom of the prisoners in the
donjon. 'I bought,' said he, 'the business of my predecessor on the
strength of his assurance that he su