all, monsieur."

"Well! what will you do, then? You will not take my _rouleaux_ from me,
will you?"

"You must return them to my chest."

"I! Oh! Monsieur Colbert, don't reckon upon that."

"The king wants his money, monsieur."

"And I, monsieur, I want the king's money."

"That may be so; but you must return this."

"Not a _sou_. I have always understood that in matters of
_comptabilite_, as you call it, a good cashier never gives back or takes
back."

"Then, monsieur, we shall see what the king will say about it. I will
show him this note, which proves that M. Fouquet not only pays what he
does not owe, but that he does not even take care of vouchers for the
sums that he has paid."

"Ah! now I understand why you have taken that paper, M. Colbert!"

Colbert did not perceive all that there was of a threatening character
in his name pronounced in a certain manner. "You shall see hereafter
what use I will make of it," said he, holding up the paper in his
fingers.

"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, snatching the paper from him with a rapid
movement; "I understand perfectly well, M. Colbert; I have no occasion
to wait for that." And he crumpled up the paper he had so cleverly
seized.

"Monsieur, monsieur!" cried Colbert, "this is violence!"

"Nonsense! You must not be particular about a soldier's manners!"
replied D'Artagnan. "I kiss your hands, my dear M. Colbert." And he went
out, laughing in the face of the future minister.

"That man, now," muttered he, "was about to grow quite friendly; it is a
great pity I was obliged to cut his company so soon."

Chapter LXV. Philosophy of the Heart and Mind.

For a man who had seen so many much more dangerous ones, the position
of D'Artagnan with respect to M. Colbert was only comic. D'Artagnan,
therefore, did not deny himself the satisfaction of laughing at the
expense of monsieur l'intendant, from the Rue des Petits-Champs to the
Rue des Lombards. It was a great while since D'Artagnan had laughed so
long together. He was still laughing when Planchet appeared, laughing
likewise, at the door of his house; for Planchet, since the return
of his patron, since the entrance of the English guineas, passed the
greater part of his life in doing what D'Artagnan had only done from the
Rue Neuve des Petits-Champs to the Rue des Lombards.

"You are home, then, my dear master?" said Planchet.

"No, my friend," replied the musketeer; "I am off, and that quickly. I
will sup with y