e now
so well riveted, that, from the office of M. Letellier, who is sober,
to the little secret largesses of M. Fouquet, who is prodigal, I could
recite, figure by figure, all the money that is spent in France from
Marseilles to Cherbourg."

"Then, you would have me throw all my money into the coffers of the
king!" cried Mazarin, ironically; and from whom, at the same time the
gout forced painful moans. "Surely the king would reproach me with
nothing, but he would laugh at me, while squandering my millions, and
with good reason."

"Your eminence has misunderstood me. I did not, the least in the world,
pretend that his majesty ought to spend your money."

"You said so, clearly, it seems to me, when you advised me to give it to
him."

"Ah," replied Colbert, "that is because your eminence, absorbed as you
are by your disease, entirely loses sight of the character of Louis
XIV."

"How so?"

"That character, if I may venture to express myself thus, resembles that
which my lord confessed just now to the Theatin."

"Go on--that is?"

"Pride! Pardon me, my lord, haughtiness, nobleness; kings have no pride,
that is a human passion."

"Pride,--yes, you are right. Next?"

"Well, my lord, if I have divined rightly, your eminence has but to give
all your money to the king, and that immediately."

"But for what?" said Mazarin, quite bewildered.

"Because the king will not accept of the whole."

"What, and he a young man, and devoured by ambition?"

"Just so."

"A young man who is anxious for my death--"

"My lord!"

"To inherit, yes, Colbert, yes; he is anxious for my death, in order to
inherit. Triple fool that I am! I would prevent him!"

"Exactly: if the donation were made in a certain form he would refuse
it."

"Well; but how?"

"That is plain enough. A young man who has yet done nothing--who burns
to distinguish himself--who burns to reign alone, will never take
anything ready built, he will construct for himself. This prince,
monseigneur, will never be content with the Palais Royal, which M. de
Richelieu left him, nor with the Palais Mazarin, which you have had
so superbly constructed, nor with the Louvre, which his ancestors
inhabited; nor with St. Germain, where he was born. All that does not
proceed from himself, I predict, he will disdain."

"And you will guarantee, that if I give my forty millions to the king--"

"Saying certain things to him at the same time, I guarantee he will
refuse the