Part 101 (1/2)
”Well, how could that injure me, abbe?”
”This way The foas not fat The purchaser refused to give eighteen sous for it, saying that he could not afford eighteen sous for the skin of a fowl from which M Fouquet had sucked all the fat”
”Go on”
”The joke caused a deal of laughter,” continued the abbe; ”laughter at your expense, death to the devils! and the canaille were delighted The joker added, 'Give me a fowl fed by M Colbert, if you like! and I will pay all you ask' And ihtful scandal! you understand; a scandal which forces a brother to hide his face”
Fouquet colored ”And you veiled it?” said the superintendent
”No, for so it happened I had one of my men in the crowd; a new recruit from the provinces, one M Menneville, who to the joker: 'Mille barbes! Monsieur the false joker, here's a thrust for Colbert!' 'And one for Fouquet,'
replied the joker Upon which they drew in front of the cook's shop, with a hedge of the curious round them, and five hundred as curious at the s”
”Well?” said Fouquet
”Well, reat astonishoose, my friend, for it is fatter than your fowl' That is the way, monsieur,”
ended the abbe, triumphantly, ”in which I spend my revenues; Ihis head ”And I have a hundred as good as he,” continued the abbe
”Very well,” said Fouquet, ”give the account to Gourville, and re”
”Shall we have supper?”
”Yes, there will be supper”
”But the chest is closed”
”Gourville will open it for you Leave us, monsieur l'abbe, leave us”
”Then we are friends?” said the abbe, with a bow
”Oh, yes, friends Co out? You will not stay to supper, then?”
”I shall be back in an hour; rest easy, abbe” Then aside to Gourville,--”Let thelish horses,” said he, ”and direct the coachman to stop at the Hotel de Ville de Paris”
Chapter LVI M de la Fontaine's Wine
Carriages were already bringing the guests of Fouquet to Saint-Mande; already the whole house was getting ith the preparations for supper, when the superintendent launched his fleet horses upon the roads to Paris, and going by the quays, in order to meet fewer people on the way, soon reached the Hotel de Ville It wanted a quarter to eight
Fouquet alighted at the corner of the Rue de Long-Pont, and, on foot, directed his course towards the Place de Greve, acco of the Place they saw a nifiedto stop at Vincennes
He had before hie hamper filled with bottles, which he had just purchased at the cabaret with the sign of ”L'Ie-de-Notre-Dame”
”Eh, but! that is Vatel! my maitre d'hotel!” said Fouquet to Gourville