intain a hundred men? Ah!"

"Why, yes, I do put that question to you. What have you to do with a
hundred men?--answer."

"Ingrate!" continued the abbe, more and more affected.

"Explain yourself."

"Why, monsieur the superintendent, I only want one _valet de chambre_,
for _my_ part, and even if I were alone, could help myself very well;
but you, you who have so many enemies--a hundred men are not enough for
me to defend you with. A hundred men!--you ought to have ten thousand. I
maintain, then, these men in order that in public places, in assemblies,
no voice may be raised against you; and without them, monsieur, you
would be loaded with imprecations, you would be torn to pieces, you
would not last a week; no, not a week, do you understand?"

"Ah! I did not know you were my champion to such an extent, monsieur le
abbe."

"You doubt it!" cried the abbe. "Listen, then, to what happened,
no longer ago than yesterday, in the Rue de la Hochette. A man was
cheapening a fowl."

"Well, how could that injure me, abbe?"

"This way. The fowl was not fat. The purchaser refused to give eighteen
sous for it, saying that he could not afford eighteen sous for the skin
of a fowl from which M. Fouquet had sucked all the fat."

"Go on."

"The joke caused a deal of laughter," continued the abbe; "laughter at
your expense, death to the devils! and the _canaille_ were delighted.
The joker added, 'Give me a fowl fed by M. Colbert, if you like! and I
will pay all you ask.' And immediately there was a clapping of hands. A
frightful scandal! you understand; a scandal which forces a brother to
hide his face."

Fouquet colored. "And you veiled it?" said the superintendent.

"No, for so it happened I had one of my men in the crowd; a new recruit
from the provinces, one M. Menneville, whom I like very much. He
made his way through the press, saying to the joker: '_Mille barbes!_
Monsieur the false joker, here's a thrust for Colbert!' 'And one for
Fouquet,' replied the joker. Upon which they drew in front of the
cook's shop, with a hedge of the curious round them, and five hundred as
curious at the windows."

"Well?" said Fouquet.

"Well, monsieur, my Menneville spitted the joker, to the great
astonishment of the spectators, and said to the cook:--'Take this goose,
my friend, for it is fatter than your fowl.' That is the way, monsieur,"
ended the abbe, triumphantly, "in which I spend my revenues; I maintain
the honor of the family,