measures, promised to speak
in their behalf to the queen, and dismissed them with the ordinary
expression of royalty, "We will see what we can do."

Two days afterward these same magistrates appeared before the cardinal
and their spokesman addressed Mazarin with so much fearlessness and
determination that the minister was astounded and sent the deputation
away with the same answer as it had received from the Duke of
Orleans--that he would see what could be done; and in accordance with
that intention a council of state was assembled and the superintendent
of finance was summoned.

This man, named Emery, was the object of popular detestation, in
the first place because he was superintendent of finance, and every
superintendent of finance deserved to be hated; in the second place,
because he rather deserved the odium which he had incurred.

He was the son of a banker at Lyons named Particelli, who, after
becoming a bankrupt, chose to change his name to Emery; and Cardinal
Richelieu having discovered in him great financial aptitude, had
introduced him with a strong recommendation to Louis XIII. under
his assumed name, in order that he might be appointed to the post he
subsequently held.

"You surprise me!" exclaimed the monarch. "I am rejoiced to hear you
speak of Monsieur d'Emery as calculated for a post which requires a
man of probity. I was really afraid that you were going to force that
villain Particelli upon me."

"Sire," replied Richelieu, "rest assured that Particelli, the man to
whom your majesty refers, has been hanged."

"Ah; so much the better!" exclaimed the king. "It is not for nothing
that I am styled Louis the Just." and he signed Emery's appointment.

This was the same Emery who became eventually superintendent of finance.

He was sent for by the ministers and he came before them pale and
trembling, declaring that his son had very nearly been assassinated the
day before, near the palace. The mob had insulted him on account of the
ostentatious luxury of his wife, whose house was hung with red velvet
edged with gold fringe. This lady was the daughter of Nicholas de Camus,
who arrived in Paris with twenty francs in his pocket, became secretary
of state, and accumulated wealth enough to divide nine millions of
francs among his children and to keep an income of forty thousand for
himself.

The fact was that Emery's son had run a great chance of being
suffocated, one of the rioters having proposed to