ajesty. Thanks, sire, I depart in peace;"
and at these words he took his leave. Louis watched his departure.
Colbert was not yet a hundred paces from the Louvre when the king
received a courier from England. After having looked at and examined the
envelope, the king broke the seal precipitately, and found a letter from
Charles II. The following is what the English prince wrote to his royal
brother:--

"Your majesty must be rendered very uneasy by the illness of M. le
Cardinal Mazarin; but the excess of danger can only prove of service to
you. The cardinal is given over by his physician. I thank you for the
gracious reply you have made to my communication touching the Princess
Henrietta, my sister, and, in a week, the princess and her court will
set out for Paris. It is gratifying to me to acknowledge the fraternal
friendship you have evinced towards me, and to call you, more justly
than ever, my brother. It is gratifying to me, above everything, to
prove to your majesty how much I am interested in all that may please
you. You are wrong in having Belle-Ile-en-Mer secretly fortified. That
is wrong. We shall never be at war against each other. That measure does
not make me uneasy, it makes me sad. You are spending useless millions;
tell your ministers so; and rest assured that I am well informed; render
me the same service, my brother, if occasion offers."

The king rang his bell violently, and his _valet de chambre_ appeared.
"Monsieur Colbert is just gone; he cannot be far off. Let him be called
back!" exclaimed he.

The valet was about to execute the order, when the king stopped him.

"No," said he, "no; I see the whole scheme of that man. Belle-Isle
belongs to M. Fouquet; Belle-Isle is being fortified: that is a
conspiracy on the part of M. Fouquet. The discovery of that conspiracy
is the ruin of the superintendent, and that discovery is the result of
the correspondence with England: this is why Colbert wished to have that
correspondence. Oh! but I cannot place all my dependence upon that man;
he has a good head, but I must have an arm!" Louis, all at once, uttered
a joyful cry. "I had," said he, "a lieutenant of musketeers!"

"Yes, sire--Monsieur d'Artagnan."

"He quitted the service for a time."

"Yes, sire."

"Let him be found, and be here to-morrow the first thing in the
morning."

The _valet de chambre_ bowed and went out.

"Thirteen millions in my cellar," said the king; "Colbert carrying my
purse an