"Your sentence," continued Louis, "fell upon the king and fell upon the man. But, Monsieur d'Artagnan, that weakness, for you considered it a weakness?" - D'Artagnan made no reply - "you reproached me also with regard to monsieur, the defunct cardinal. Now, monsieur le cardinal, did he not bring me up, did he not support me? - elevating himself and supporting himself at the same time, I admit; but the benefit was discharged. As an ingrate or an egotist, would you, then, have better loved or served me?"
"Sire!"
"We will say no more about it, monsieur; it would only create in you too many regrets, and me too much pain."
D'Artagnan was not convinced. The young king, in adopting a tone of _hauteur_ with him, did not forward his purpose.
"You have since reflected?" resumed Louis.
"Upon what, sire?" asked D'Artagnan, politely.
"Why, upon all that I have said to you, monsieur."
"Yes, sire, no doubt - "
"And you have only waited for an opportunity of retracting your words?"
"Sire!"
"You hesitate, it seems."
"I do not understand what your majesty did me the honor to say to me."
Louis's brow became cloudy.
"Have the goodness to excuse me, sire; my understanding is particularly thick; things do not penetrate it without difficulty; but it is true, once they get in, they remain there."
"Yes, yes; you appear to have a memory."
"Almost as good a one as your majesty's."
"Then give me quickly one solution. My time is valuable. What have you been doing since your discharge?"
"Making my fortune, sire."
"The expression is crude, Monsieur d'Artagnan."
"Your majesty takes it in bad part, certainly. I entertain nothing but the profoundest respect for the king; and if I have been impolite, which might be excused by my long sojourn in camps and barracks, your majesty is too much above me to be offended at a word that innocently escapes from a soldier."
"In fact, I know you performed a brilliant action in England, monsieur.
I only regret that you have broken your promise."
"I!" cried D'Artagnan.
"Doubtless. You engaged your word not to serve any other prince on quitting my service. Now it was for King Charles II. that you undertook the marvelous carrying off of M. Monk."
"Pardon me, sire; it was for myself."
"And did you succeed?"
"Like the captains of the fifteenth century, _coups-de-main_ and adventures."
"What do you call succeeding? - a fortune?"
"A hundred thousand crowns, sire, which I now possess - that is, in one week three times as much money as I ever had in fifty years."
"It is a handsome sum. But you are ambitious, I perceive."
"I, sire? The quarter of that would be a treasure; and I swear to you I have no thought of augmenting it."
"What! you contemplate remaining idle?"
"Yes, sire."
"You mean to drop the sword?"
"That I have already done."
"Impossible, Monsieur d'Artagnan," said Louis, firmly.
"But, sire - "
"Well?"
"And why, sire?"
"Because it is _my_ wish you should not!" said the young prince, in a voice so stern and imperious that D'Artagnan evinced surprise and even uneasiness.
"Will your majesty allow me one word of reply?" said he.
"Speak."
"I formed that resolution when I was poor and destitute."
"So be it. Go on."
"Now, when by my energy I have acquired a comfortable means of subsistence, would your majesty despoil me of my liberty? Your majesty would condemn me to the lowest, when I have gained the highest?"
"Who gave you permission, monsieur, to fathom my designs, or to reckon with me?" replied Louis, in a voice almost angry; "who told you what I shall do or what you will yourself do?"
"Sire," said the musketeer, quietly, "as far as I see, freedom is not the order of the conversation, as it was on the day we came to an explanation at Blois."
"No, monsieur; everything is changed."
"I tender your majesty my sincere compliments upon that, but - "
"But you don't believe it?"
"I am not a great statesman, and yet I have my eye upon affairs; it seldom fails; now, I do not see exactly as your majesty does, sire. The reign of Mazarin is over, but that of the financiers is begun. They have the money; your majesty will not often see much of it. To live under the paw of these hungry wolves is hard for a man who reckoned upon independence."
At this moment someone scratched at the door of the cabinet; the king raised his head proudly. "Your pardon, Monsieur d'Artagnan," said he;
"it is M. Colbert, who comes to make me a report. Come in, M. Colbert."
D'Artagnan drew back. Colbert entered with papers in his hand, and went up to the king. There can be little doubt that the Gascon did not lose the opportunity of applying his keen, quick glance to the new figure which presented itself.
"Is the inquiry made?"
"Yes, sire."
"And the opinion of the inquisitors?"
"Is that the accused merit confiscation and death."
"Ah! ah!" said the king, without changing countenance, and casting an oblique look at D'Artagnan. "And your own opinion, M. Colbert?" said he.
Colbert looked at D'Artagnan is his turn. That imposing countenance checked the words upon his lips. Louis perceived this. "Do not disturb yourself," said he; "it is M. d'Artagnan, - do you not know M. d'Artagnan again?"
These two men looked at each other - D'Artagnan, with eyes open and bright as the day - Colbert, with his half closed, and dim. The frank intrepidity of the financier annoyed the other; the circumspection of the financier disgusted the soldier. "Ah! ah! this is the gentleman who made that brilliant stroke in England," said Colbert. And he bowed slightly to D'Artagnan.
"Ah! ah!" said the Gascon, "this is the gentleman who clipped off the lace from the uniform of the Swiss! A praiseworthy piece of economy."
The financier thought to pierce the musketeer; but the musketeer ran the financier through.
"Monsieur d'Artagnan," resumed the king, who had not remarked all the shades of which Mazarin would have missed not one, "this concerns the farmers of the revenue who have robbed me, whom I am hanging, and whose death-warrants I am about to sign."
"Oh! oh!" said D'Artagnan, starting.
"What did you say?"
