Part 84 (1/2)
”Compose that chamber of justice, monsieur”
”I will, sire”
”Is that all?”
”No, sire; there is still another ihts does your majesty attach to this office of intendant?”
”Well--I do not know--the customary ones”
”Sire, I desire that this office be invested with the right of reading the correspondence with England”
”Impossible, monsieur, for that correspondence is kept from the council; ht your er be a council?”
”Yes, I said so”
”Let your oodness to read all the letters yourself, particularly those froly to this article”
”Monsieur, you shall have that correspondence, and render me an account of it”
”Now, sire, what shall I do with respect to the finances?”
”Everything M Fouquet has not done”
”That is all I ask of your majesty Thanks, sire, I depart in peace;”
and at these words he took his leave Louis watched his departure
Colbert was not yet a hundred paces froland After having looked at and exa broke the seal precipitately, and found a letter frolish prince wrote to his royal brother:--
”Your majesty must be rendered very uneasy by the illness of M le Cardinal Mazarin; but the excess of danger can only prove of service to you The cardinal is given over by his physician I thank you for the gracious reply you havethe Princess Henrietta, my sister, and, in a week, the princess and her court will set out for Paris It is gratifying to e the fraternal friendshi+p you have evinced towards me, and to call you,to , to prove to your majesty howin having Belle-Ile-en-Mer secretly fortified That is wrong We shall never be at war against each other That measure does notuseless millions; tell your ministers so; and rest assured that I am well informed; render me the sa rang his bell violently, and his valet de chaone; he cannot be far off Let him be called back!” exclaimed he
The valet was about to execute the order, when the king stopped him
”No,” said he, ”no; I see the whole sches to M Fouquet; Belle-Isle is being fortified: that is a conspiracy on the part of M Fouquet The discovery of that conspiracy is the ruin of the superintendent, and that discovery is the result of the correspondence with England: this is why Colbert wished to have that correspondence Oh! but I cannot place all ood head, but I must have an arm!” Louis, all at once, uttered a joyful cry ”I had,” said he, ”a lieutenant of nan”
”He quitted the service for a time”
”Yes, sire”
”Let hi in the ”
The valet de chambre bowed and went out