Part 83 (1/2)
”To the Louvre Thank you, M Colbert”
Colbert bowed and retired ”Thirteen millions!” exclaimed Louis, as soon as he was alone ”This must be a dream!” Then he allowed his head to sink between his hands, as if he were really asleep But, at the end of atheviolently, he bathed his burning brow in the keen ht to his senses the scent of the trees, and the perfu the horizon, and the first rays of the sun bathed in flan,” hty”
Chapter L: The First Day of the Royalty of Louis XIV
In the , the news of the death of the cardinal was spread through the castle, and thence speedily reached the city The ministers Fouquet, Lyonne, and Letellier entered la salle des seances, to hold a council
The king sent for the as overn ive o”
The ministers looked at each other with surprise If they concealed a sreat effort, for they knew that the prince, brought up in absolute ignorance of business, by this took upon hith Fouquet took leave of his colleagues upon the stairs, saying:--”Messieurs! there will be so ayly clie The others, a little uneasy at the turn things had taken, went back to Paris together Towards ten o'clock the king repaired to the apart and private conversation After dinner, he got into his carriage, and went straight to the Louvre There he receivedthe hesitation of each, and the curiosity of all Towards evening he ordered the doors of the Louvre to be closed, with the exception of only one, which opened on the quay He placed on duty at this point two hundred Swiss, who did not speak a word of French, with orders to ades, but no others; and by no o out At eleven o'clock precisely, he heard the rolling of a heavy carriage under the arch, then of another, then of a third; after which the gate grated upon its hinges to be closed Soon after, somebody scratched with his nail at the door of the cabinet The king opened it himself, and beheld Colbert, whose first as this:--”Thethen descended and went hiold and silver, which, under the direction of Colbert, four iven Colbert the key in theThis review completed, Louis returned to his apartments, followed by Colbert, who had not apparently warmed with one ray of personal satisfaction
”Monsieur,” said the king, ”what do you wish that I should give you, as a recompense for this devotedness and probity?”
”Absolutely nothing, sire”
”How! nothing? Not even an opportunity of serving me?”
”If your majesty were not to furnish me with that opportunity, I should not the less serve you It is i”
”You shall be intendant of the finances, M Colbert”
”But there is already a superintendent, sire”
”I know that”
”Sire, the superintendent of the finances is the do, ”do you think so?”
”He will crush ives th is indispensable An intendant under a superintendent,--that is inferiority”
”You want support--you do not reckon uponyourthe lifetime of M
de Mazarin, M Fouquet was the second dom; now M de Mazarin is dead, M Fouquet is becoree to what you told s up to to-day; but to-er suffer it”
”Then I shall be of no use to your majesty?”
”You are already, since you fear to co me”
”I only fear to be placed so that I cannot serve your majesty”