p for my own family, which is so needy, a good
fortune,--the whole, even, of which I have earned?"

"I see no impediment to that, monseigneur."

"I felt assured that in consulting you, Colbert, I should have good
advice," replied Mazarin, greatly delighted.

Colbert resumed his pedantic look. "My lord," interrupted he, "I think
it would be quite as well to examine whether what the Theatin said is
not a _snare_."

"Oh! no; a snare? What for? The Theatin is an honest man."

"He believed your eminence to be at death's door, because your eminence
consulted him. Did I not hear him say--'Distinguish that which the king
has given you from that which you have given yourself.' Recollect, my
lord, if he did not say something a little like that to you?--that is
quite a theatrical speech."

"That is possible."

"In which case, my lord, I should consider you as required by the
Theatin to--"

"To make restitution!" cried Mazarin, with great warmth.

"Eh! I do not say no."

"What, of all! You do not dream of such a thing! You speak just as the
confessor did."

"To make restitution of a part,--that is to say, his majesty's part; and
that, monseigneur, may have its dangers. Your eminence is too skillful a
politician not to know that, at this moment, the king does not possess a
hundred and fifty thousand livres clear in his coffers."

"That is not my affair," said Mazarin, triumphantly; "that belongs to M.
le Surintendant Fouquet, whose accounts I gave you to verify some months
ago."

Colbert bit his lips at the name of Fouquet. "His majesty," said he,
between his teeth, "has no money but that which M. Fouquet collects:
your money, monseigneur, would afford him a delicious banquet."

"Well, but I am not the superintendent of his majesty's finances--I
have my purse--surely I would do much for his majesty's welfare--some
legacy--but I cannot disappoint my family."

"The legacy of a part would dishonor you and offend the king. Leaving
a part to his majesty, is to avow that that part has inspired you with
doubts as to the lawfulness of the means of acquisition."

"Monsieur Colbert!"

"I thought your eminence did me the honor to ask my advice?"

"Yes, but you are ignorant of the principal details of the question."

"I am ignorant of nothing, my lord; during ten years, all the columns
of figures which are found in France, have passed into review before me;
and if I have painfully nailed them into my brain, they are ther