“You do not reflect, monsieur, apparently,” replied the marquise. “Upon what?” “This: that Monsieur Colbert hates you.” “Hates me?” cried Fouquet. “Good heavens! marquise, whence do you come? where can you live? Hates me! why all the world hates me, he, of course as others do.” “He more than others.” “More than others—let him.” “He is ambitious.” “Who is not, marquise?” “‘Yes, but with him ambition has no bounds.” “I am quite aware of that, since he made it a point to succeed me with Madame Vanel.” “And obtained his end; look at that.” “Do you mean to say he has the presumption to hope to pass from intendant to superintendent?” “Have you not yourself already had the same fear?” “Oh! oh!” said Fouquet, “to succeed with Madame Vanel is one thing, to succeed me with the king is another. France is not to be purchased so easily as the wife of a maitre des comptes.” “Eh! monsieur, everything is to be bought; if not by gold, by intrigue.” “Nobody knows to the contrary better than you, madame, you to whom I have offered millions.” “Instead of millions, Fouquet, you should have offered me a true, only and boundless love: I might have accepted that. So you see, still, everything is to be bought, if not in one way, by another.” “So, Colbert, in your opinion, is in a fair way of bargaining for my place of superintendent. Make yourself easy on that head, my dear marquise; he is not yet rich enough to purchase it.” “But if he should rob you of it?” “Ah! that is another thing. Unfortunately, before he can reach me, that is to say, the body of the place, he must destroy, must make a breach in the advanced works, and I am devilishly well fortified, marquise.” “What you call your advanced works are your creatures, are they not—your friends?” “Exactly so.” “And is M. d’Eymeris one of your creatures?” “Yes, he is.” “Is M. Lyodot one of your friends?” “Certainly.” “M. de Vanin?” “M. de Vanin! ah! they may do what they like with him, but——” “But——” “But they must not touch the others!” “Well, if you are anxious they should not touch MM. d’Eymeris and Lyodot, it is time to look about you.” “Who threatens them?” “Will you listen to me now?” “Attentively, marquise.” “Without interrupting me?” “Speak.” “Well, this morning Marguerite sent for me.” “And what did she want with you?” “‘I dare not see M. Fouquet myself,’ said she.” “Bah! why should she think I would reproach her? Poor woman, she vastly deceives herself.” “‘See him yourself,’ said she, ‘and tell him to beware of M. Colbert.’” “What! she warned me to beware of her lover?” “I have told you she still loves you.” “Go on, marquise.” “‘M. Colbert,’ she added, ‘came to me two hours ago, to inform me he was appointed intendant.’” “I have already told you marquise, that M. Colbert would only be the more in my power for that.” “Yes, but that is not all: Marguerite is intimate, as you know, with Madame d’Eymeris and Madame Lyodot.” “I know it.”