f exit into
the court, which must abut upon the gardens of my friend by a door of
communication."

"Good!" said the abbe.

"Enter by the _cabaret_, take the prisoners in; defend the door while
you enable them to fly by the garden and the Place Baudoyer."

"That is all plain. Monsieur, you would make an excellent general, like
monsieur le prince."

"Have you understood me?"

"Perfectly well."

"How much will it amount to, to make your bandits all drunk with wine,
and to satisfy them with gold?"

"Oh, monsieur, what an expression! Oh! monsieur, if they heard you! some
of them are very susceptible."

"I mean to say they must be brought to the point where they cannot tell
the heavens from the earth; for I shall to-morrow contend with the king;
and when I fight I mean to conquer--please to understand."

"It shall be done, monsieur. Give me your other ideas."

"That is your business."

"Then give me your purse."

"Gourville, count a hundred thousand livres for the abbe."

"Good! and spare nothing, did you not say?"

"Nothing."

"That is well."

"Monseigneur," objected Gourville, "if this should be known, we should
lose our heads."

"Eh! Gourville," replied Fouquet, purple with anger, "you excite my
pity. Speak for yourself, if you please. My head does not shake in that
manner upon my shoulders. Now, abbe, is everything arranged?"

"Everything."

"At two o'clock to-morrow."

"At twelve, because it will be necessary to prepare our auxiliaries in a
secret manner."

"That is true; do not spare the wine of the _cabaretier_."

"I will spare neither his wine nor his house," replied the abbe, with
a sneering laugh. "I have my plan, I tell you; leave me to set it in
operation, and you shall see."

"Where shall you be yourself?"

"Everywhere; nowhere."

"And how shall I receive information?"

"By a courier whose horse shall be kept in the very same garden of your
friend. _A propos_, the name of your friend?"

Fouquet looked again at Gourville. The latter came to the succor of his
master, saying, ["The name is of no importance."

Fouquet continued, "Accompany] monsieur l'abbe, for several reasons, but
the house is easily to be known--the 'Image-de-Notre-Dame' in the front,
a garden, the only one in the quarter, behind."

[The text is corrupt at this point. The suggested reading,
in brackets, is my own.--JB.]

"Good, good! I will go and give notice to my soldiers."

"Accompany him, Go