CHAPTER CXII.
FRIENDLY ADVICE.
Fouquet was gone to bed, like a man who clings to life, and whoeconomizes as much as possible that slender tissue of existence of whichthe shocks and angles of this world so quickly wear out the irreparabletenuity. D'Artagnan appeared at the door of this chamber, and wassaluted by the surintendant with a very affable "good day."
"Bon jour! monseigneur," replied the musketeer, "how did you get throughthe journey?"
"Tolerably well, thank you."
"And the fever?"
"But sadly. I drink, as you see. I am scarcely arrived, and I havealready levied a contribution of tisane upon Nantes."
"You should sleep first, monseigneur."
"Eh! corbleu! my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan, I should be very glad tosleep."
"Who hinders you?"
"Why, you, in the first place."
"I? Ah, monseigneur!"
"No doubt you do. Is it at Nantes as it was at Paris, do you not come inthe king's name?"
"For Heaven's sake, monseigneur," replied the captain, "leave the kingalone! The day on which I shall come on the part of the king, for thepurpose you mean, take my word for it, I will not leave you long indoubt. You will see me place my hand on my sword, according to theordonnance, and you will hear me say at once in my ceremonial voice,'Monseigneur, in the name of the king, I arrest you!'"
"You promise me that frankness?" said the surintendant.
"Upon my honor! But we are not come to that, believe me."
"What makes you think that, M. d'Artagnan? For my part, I think quitethe contrary."
"I have heard speak of nothing of the kind," replied D'Artagnan.
"Eh! eh!" said Fouquet.
"Indeed, no. You are an agreeable man, in spite of your fever. The kingought not, cannot help loving you, at the bottom of his heart."
Fouquet's face implied doubt. "But M. Colbert?" said he; "does M.Colbert love me as much as you say?"
"I don't speak of M. Colbert," replied D'Artagnan. "He is an exceptionalman, is that M. Colbert. He does not love you; that is very possible;but, mordioux! the squirrel can guard himself against the adder withvery little trouble."
"Do you know that you are speaking to me quite as a friend," repliedFouquet; "and that, upon my life! I have never met with a man of yourintelligence, and your heart?"
"You are pleased to say so," replied D'Artagnan. "Why did you wait tillto-day, to pay me such a compliment?"
"Blind as we are!" murmured Fouquet.
"Your voice is getting hoarse," said D'Artagnan; "drink, monseigneur,drink!" And he offered him a cup of tisane, with the most friendlycordiality; Fouquet took it, and thanked him by a bland smile. "Suchthings only happen to me," said the musketeer. "I have passed ten yearsunder your very beard, while you were rolling about tons of gold. Youwere clearing an annual pension of four millions; you never observedme; and you find out there is such a person in the world, just at themoment--"
"I am about to fall," interrupted Fouquet. "That is true, my dearMonsieur d'Artagnan."
"I did not say so."
"But you thought so; and that is the same thing. Well! if I fall, takemy word as truth, I shall not pass a single day without saying tomyself, as I strike my brow, 'Fool! fool!--stupid mortal! You had aMonsieur d'Artagnan under your eye and hand, and you did not employ him,you did not enrich him!'"
"You quite overwhelm me," said the captain. "I esteem you greatly."
"There exists another man, then, who does not think as M. Colbert does,"said the surintendant.
"How this M. Colbert slicks in your stomach! He is worse than yourfever!"
"Oh! I have good cause," said Fouquet. "Judge for yourself." And herelated the details of the course of the lighters, and the hypocriticalpersecution of Colbert. "Is not this a clear sign of my ruin?"
D'Artagnan became serious. "That is true," said he. "Yes: that has a badodor, as M. de Treville used to say." And he fixed upon M. Fouquet hisintelligent and significant look.
"Am I not clearly designated in that, captain? Is not the king bringingme to Nantes to get me away from Paris, where I have so many creatures,and to possess himself of Belle-Isle?"
"Where M. d'Herblay is," added D'Artagnan. Fouquet raised his head. "Asfor me, monseigneur," continued D'Artagnan, "I can assure you the kinghas said nothing to me against you."
"Indeed!"
"The king commanded me to set out for Nantes, it is true; and to saynothing about it to M. de Gesvres."
"My friend."
"To M. de Gesvres, yes, monseigneur," continued the musketeer, whoseeyes did not cease to speak a language different from the language ofhis lips. "The king, moreover, commanded me to take a brigade ofmusketeers, which is apparently superfluous, as the country is quitequiet."
"A brigade!" said Fouquet, raising himself upon his elbow.
"Ninety-six horsemen, yes, monseigneur. The same number as were employedin arresting MM. de Chalais, de Cinq-Mars, and Montmorency."
Fouquet pricked up his ears at these words, pronounced without apparentvalue. "And besides?" said he.
"Well! nothing but insignificant orders; such as guarding the castle,guarding every lodging, allowing none of M. de Gesvres's guards tooccupy a single post.--M. de Gesvres, your friend."
"And for myself," cried Fouquet, "what orders had you?"
"For you, monseigneur?--not the smallest word."
"Monsieur d'Artagnan, the safety of my honor, and, perhaps, of my life,is at stake. You would not deceive me?"
"I?--and to what end? Are you threatened? Only there really is an orderwith respect to carriages and boats--"
"'An order?'"
"Yes; but it cannot concern you--a simple measure of police."
"What is it, captain--what is it?"
"To forbid all horses or boats to leave Nantes, without a pass, signedby the king."
"Great God! but--"
D'Artagnan began to laugh. "All that is not to be put into executionbefore the arrival of the king at Nantes. So that you see plainly,monseigneur, the order in no wise concerns you."
Fouquet became thoughtful, and D'Artagnan feigned not to observe hispreoccupation--"It is evident, by my thus confiding to you the orderswhich have been given to me, that I am friendly toward you, and that Iendeavor to prove to you, that none of them are directed against you."
"Without doubt!--without doubt!" said Fouquet, still absent.
"Let us recapitulate," said the captain, his glance beaming withearnestness. "A special and severe guard of the castle, in which yourlodging is to be--is it not?"
"Do you know that castle?"
"Ah! monseigneur, a true prison! The total absence of M. de Gesvres, whohas the honor of being one of your friends. The closing of the gates ofthe city, and of the river without a pass; but, only when the king shallhave arrived.
"Please to observe, Monsieur Fouquet, that if, instead of speaking to aman like you, who are one of the first in the kingdom, I were speakingto a troubled, uneasy conscience--I should compromise myself forever!What a fine opportunity for any one who wished to be free! No police, noguards, no orders; the water free, the roads free, Monsieur d'Artagnanobliged to lend his horses, if required! All this ought to reassure you,Monsieur Fouquet, for the king would not have left me thus independent,if he had had any evil designs. In truth. Monsieur Fouquet, ask mewhatever you like, I am at your service; and in return, if you willconsent to it, render me a service, that of offering my compliments toAramis and Porthos, in case you embark for Belle-Isle, as you have aright to do, without changing your dress, immediately, in your_robe-de-chambre_--just as you are." Saying these words, and with aprofound bow, the musketeer, whose looks had lost none of theirintelligent kindness, left the apartment. He had not reached the stepsof the vestibule, when Fouquet, quite beside himself, hung to thebell-rope, and shouted, "My horses!--my lighter!" But nobody answered!The surintendant dressed himself with everything that came to hand.
"Gourville! Gourvil
le!" cried he, while slipping his watch into hispocket. And the bell sounded again, while Fouquet repeated,"Gourville!--Gourville!"
Gourville at length appeared, breathless and pale.
"Let us be gone! Let us be gone!" cried Fouquet, as soon as he saw him.
"It is too late!" said the surintendant's poor friend.
"Too late--why?"
"Listen!" And they heard the sounds trumpets and drums in front of thecastle.
"What does that mean, Gourville?"
"It is the king coming, monseigneur."
"The king!"
"The king, who has ridden double stages, who has killed horses, and whois eight hours in advance of your calculation."
"We are lost?" murmured Fouquet. "Brave D'Artagnan, all is over, thouhast spoken to me too late!"
The king, in fact, was entering the city, which soon resounded with thecannon from the ramparts, and from a vessel which replied from the lowerparts of the river. Fouquet's brow darkened; he called hisvalets-de-chambre, and dressed in ceremonial costume. From his window,behind the curtains, he could see the eagerness of the people, and themovement of a large troop, which had followed the prince, without itsbeing to be guessed how. The king was conducted to the castle with greatpomp, and Fouquet saw him dismount under the portcullis, and speaksomething in the ear of D'Artagnan, who held his stirrup. D'Artagnan,when the king had passed under the arch, directed his steps toward thehouse Fouquet was in; but so slowly, and stopping so frequently to speakto his musketeers, drawn up as a hedge, that it might be said he wascounting the seconds or the steps, before accomplishing his message.Fouquet opened the window to speak to him in the court.
"Ah!" cried D'Artagnan, on perceiving him, "are you still there,monseigneur?"
And that word _still_ completed the proof to Fouquet of how muchinformation, and how many useful counsels were contained in the firstvisit the musketeer had paid him. The surintendant sighed deeply. "Goodheavens! yes, monsieur," replied he. "The arrival of the king hasinterrupted me in the projects I had formed."
"Oh! then you know that the king is arrived?"
"Yes, monsieur, I have seen him; and this time you come from him--"
"To inquire after you, monseigneur; and, if your health is not too bad,to beg you to have the kindness to repair to the castle."
"Directly, Monsieur d'Artagnan, directly!"
"Ah! _dam_!" said the captain, "now the king is come, there is no morewalking for anybody--no more free-will; the password governs all now,you as well as me, me as well as you."
Fouquet heaved a last sigh, got into his carriage, so great was hisweakness, and went to the castle, escorted by D'Artagnan, whosepoliteness was not less terrifying this time, than it had but justbefore been consoling and cheerful.