te guilty men in question are the particular friends of
a powerful personage, and the punishment, which otherwise might be
comfortably confined to the Chatlet, will doubtless be a signal for
disturbances!"

Louis colored and turned towards D'Artagnan, who took a slight bite at
his mustache, not without a smile of pity for the financier, and for
the king who had to listen to him so long. But Louis seized the pen, and
with a movement so rapid that his hand shook, he affixed his signature
at the bottom of the two papers presented by Colbert,--then looking the
latter in the face,--"Monsieur Colbert," said he, "when you speak to
me on business, exclude more frequently the word difficulty from your
reasonings and opinions; as to the word impossibility, never pronounce
it."

Colbert bowed, much humiliated at having to undergo such a lesson before
the musketeer; he was about to go out, but, jealous to repair his check:
"I forgot to announce to your majesty," said he, "that the confiscations
amount to the sum of five millions of livres."

"That's pretty well!" thought D'Artagnan.

"Which makes in my coffers?" said the king.

"Eighteen millions of livres, sire," replied Colbert, bowing.

"_Mordioux!_" growled D'Artagnan, "that's glorious!"

"Monsieur Colbert," added the king, "you will, if you please, go through
the gallery where M. Lyonne is waiting, and will tell him to bring
hither what he has drawn up--by my order."

"Directly, sire; if your majesty wants me no more this evening?"

"No, monsieur: good-night!" And Colbert went out.

"Now, let us return to our affair, M. d'Artagnan," said the king, as
if nothing had happened. "You see that, with respect to money, there is
already a notable change."

"Something to the tune of from zero to eighteen millions," replied the
musketeer gayly. "Ah! that was what your majesty wanted the day King
Charles II. came to Blois. The two states would not have been embroiled
to-day; for I must say, that there also I see another stumbling-block."

"Well, in the first place," replied Louis, "you are unjust, monsieur;
for, if Providence had made me able to give my brother the million that
day, you would not have quitted my service, and, consequently, you would
not have made your fortune, as you told me just now you have done. But,
in addition to this, I have had another piece of good fortune; and my
difference with Great Britain need not alarm you."

A _valet de chambre_ interrupted