already rare in those days, have
become almost unknown now.

"_Mordioux!_" said D'Artagnan, "there are a hundred thousand livres for
you, partner. Draw your share, if you please, and I will draw mine."

"Oh! the lovely sum! Monsieur d'Artagnan, the lovely sum!"

"I confess that half an hour ago I regretted that I had to give you so
much; but now I no longer regret it; thou art a brave grocer, Planchet.
There, let us close our accounts, for, as they say, short reckonings
make long friends."

"Oh! rather, in the first place, tell me the whole history," said
Planchet; "that must be better than the money."

"_Ma foi!_" said D'Artagnan, stroking his mustache, "I can't say no; and
if ever the historian turns to me for information, he will be able
to say he has not dipped his bucket into a dry spring. Listen, then,
Planchet, I will tell you all about it."

"And I shall build piles of crowns," said Planchet. "Begin, my dear
master."

"Well, this is it," said D'Artagnan, drawing his breath.

"And that is it," said Planchet, picking up his first handful of crowns.

Chapter XXXIX. Mazarin's Gaming Party.

In a large chamber of the Palais Royal, hung with a dark colored velvet,
which threw into strong relief the gilded frames of a great number
of magnificent pictures, on the evening of the arrival of the two
Frenchmen, the whole court was assembled before the alcove of M. le
Cardinal de Mazarin, who gave a card party to the king and queen.

A small screen separated three prepared tables. At one of these tables
the king and the two queens were seated. Louis XIV., placed opposite to
the young queen, his wife, smiled upon her with an expression of real
happiness. Anne of Austria held the cards against the cardinal, and her
daughter-in-law assisted her in the game, when she was not engaged in
smiling at her husband. As for the cardinal, who was lying on his bed
with a weary and careworn face, his cards were held by the Comtesse de
Soissons, and he watched them with an incessant look of interest and
cupidity.

The cardinal's face had been painted by Bernouin; but the rouge, which
glowed only on his cheeks, threw into stronger contrast the sickly
pallor of his countenance and the shining yellow of his brow. His eyes
alone acquired a more brilliant luster from this auxiliary, and upon
those sick man's eyes were, from time to time, turned the uneasy looks
of the king, the queen, and the courtiers. The fact is, that the tw