“Let us see,” said the attentive musketeer, perceiving with his wonderful instinct that they had only been skirmishing till now, and that the moment of battle was approaching.
“Let us see,” said Percerin, incredulously.
“Why, now,” continued Aramis, “does M. Fouquet give the King a fete? Is it not to please him?”
“Assuredly,” said Percerin.
D’Artagnan nodded assent.
“By delicate attentions, by some happy device, by a succession of surprises, like that of which we were talking,- the enrollment of our Epicureans?”
“Admirable.”
“Well, then, this is the surprise we intend, my good friend. M. Lebrun, here, is a man who draws most exactly.”
“Yes,” said Percerin; “I have seen his pictures, and observed that the dresses were highly elaborated. That is why I at once agreed to make him a costume,- whether one to agree with those of the Epicureans, or an original one.”
“My dear Monsieur, we accept your offer, and shall presently avail ourselves of it; but just now M. Lebrun is not in want of the dresses you will make for himself, but of those you are making for the King.”
Percerin made a bound backwards, which d’Artagnan, calmest and most appreciative of men, did not consider overdone,- so many strange and startling aspects wore the proposal which Aramis had just hazarded. “The King’s dresses! Give the King’s dresses to any mortal whatever! Oh, for once, Monseigneur, your Grace is mad!” cried the poor tailor, in extremity.
“Help me now, d’Artagnan,” said Aramis, more and more calm and smiling. “Help me now to persuade Monsieur; for you understand, do you not?”
“Eh! eh!- not exactly, I declare.”
“What! you do not understand that M. Fouquet wishes to afford the King the surprise of finding his portrait on his arrival at Vaux; and that the portrait, which will be a striking resemblance, ought to be dressed exactly as the King will be on the day it is shown?”
“Oh, yes, yes!” said the musketeer, nearly convinced, so plausible was this reasoning. “Yes, my dear Aramis, you are right; it is a happy idea. I will wager it is one of your own, Aramis.”
“Well, I don’t know,” replied the bishop; “either mine or M. Fouquet’s.” Then scanning Percerin, after noticing d’Artagnan’s hesitation, “Well, M. Percerin,” he asked, “what do you say to this?”
“I say that-”
“That you are, doubtless, free to refuse. I know well,- and I by no means count upon compelling you, my dear Monsieur. I will say more; I even understand all the delicacy you feel in taking up with M. Fouquet’s idea,- you dread appearing to flatter the King. A noble spirit, M. Percerin, a noble spirit!” The tailor stammered. “It would indeed be a very pretty compliment to pay the young Prince,” continued Aramis; “but as the superintendent told me, ‘If Percerin refuse, tell him that it will not at all lower him in my opinion, and I shall always esteem him; only-”
“Only?” repeated Percerin, rather troubled.
“Only?” continued Aramis, “‘I shall be compelled to say to the King,’- you understand, my dear M. Percerin, that these are M. Fouquet’s words,- ‘I shall be constrained to say to the King, “Sire, I had intended to present your Majesty with your portrait; but owing to a feeling of delicacy, exaggerated perhaps, but creditable, M. Percerin opposed the project.”‘”
“Opposed!” cried the tailor, terrified at the responsibility which would weigh upon him; “I to oppose the desire, the will of M. Fouquet when he is seeking to please the King! Oh, what a hateful word you have uttered, Monseigneur! Oppose! Oh, ’tis not I who said it, thank God! I call the captain of the Musketeers to witness it! Is it not true, M. d’Artagnan, that I have opposed nothing?”
D’Artagnan made a sign indicating that he wished to remain neutral. He felt that there was an intrigue at the bottom of it, whether comedy or tragedy; he was disgusted at not being able to fathom it, but in the mean while wished to keep clear.
But already Percerin, goaded by the idea that the King should be told he had stood in the way of a pleasant surprise, had offered Lebrun a chair, and proceeded to bring from a wardrobe four magnificent dresses, the fifth being still in the workmen’s hands; and these masterpieces he successively fitted upon four lay figures, which imported into France in the time of Concini had been given to Percerin II by Marechal d’Ancre after the discomfiture of the Italian tailors ruined in their competition. The painter set to work to draw and then to paint the dresses. But Aramis, who was closely watching all the phases of his toil, suddenly stopped him.