itary of many of his secrets?"

"Of all of them."

"The friends and servants of his eminence will be dear to me, monsieur,
and I shall take care that you are well placed in my employment."

Colbert bowed.

"You are a financier, monsieur, I believe?"

"Yes, sire."

"And did monsieur le cardinal employ you in his stewardship?"

"I had that honor, sire."

"You never did anything personally for my household, I believe?"

"Pardon me, sire, it was I who had the honor of giving monsieur le
cardinal the idea of an economy which puts three hundred thousand francs
a year into your majesty's coffers."

"What economy was that, monsieur?" asked Louis XIV.

"Your majesty knows that the hundred Swiss have silver lace on each side
of their ribbons?"

"Doubtless."

"Well, sire, it was I who proposed that imitation silver lace should
be placed upon these ribbons; it could not be detected, and a hundred
thousand crowns serve to feed a regiment during six months; and is the
price of ten thousand good muskets or the value of a vessel of ten guns,
ready for sea."

"That is true," said Louis XIV., considering more attentively, "and,
_ma foi!_ that was a well placed economy; besides, it was ridiculous for
soldiers to wear the same lace as noblemen."

"I am happy to be approved of by your majesty."

"Is that the only appointment you held about the cardinal?" asked the
king.

"It was I who was appointed to examine the accounts of the
superintendent, sire."

"Ah!" said Louis, who was about to dismiss Colbert, but whom that word
stopped; "ah! it was you whom his eminence had charged to control M.
Fouquet, was it? And the result of that examination?"

"Is that there is a deficit, sire; but if your majesty will permit me--"

"Speak, M. Colbert."

"I ought to give your majesty some explanations."

"Not at all, monsieur, it is you who have controlled these accounts;
give me the result."

"That is very easily done, sire: emptiness everywhere, money nowhere."

"Beware, monsieur; you are roughly attacking the administration of M.
Fouquet, who, nevertheless, I have heard say, is an able man."

Colbert colored, and then became pale, for he felt that from that minute
he entered upon a struggle with a man whose power almost equaled the
sway of him who had just died. "Yes, sire, a very able man," repeated
Colbert, bowing.

"But if M. Fouquet is an able man, and, in spite of that ability, if
money be wanting, whose fault is i