“I will spare neither his wine nor his house,” replied the
abbe, with a sneering laugh. “I have my plan, I tell you;
leave me to set it in operation, and you shall see.”
“Where shall you be yourself?”
“Everywhere; nowhere.”
“And how shall I receive information?”
“By a courier whose horse shall be kept in the very garden
of your friend. A propos, the name of your friend?”
Fouquet looked again at Gourville. The latter came to the
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succor of his master, saying, “Accompanying monsieur l’abbe
for several reasons, only the house is easily to be known,
the `Image-de-Notre-Dame’ in the front, a garden, the only
one in the quarter, behind.”
“Good, good! I will go and give notice to my soldiers.”
“Accompany him, Gourville,” said Fouquet, “and count him
down the money. One moment, abbe — one moment, Gourville —
what name will be given to this carrying off?”
“A very natural one, monsieur — the Riot.”
“The riot on account of what? For, if ever the people of
Paris are disposed to pay their court to the king, it is
when he hangs financiers.”
“I will manage that,” said the abbe.
“Yes; but you may manage it badly, and people will guess.”
“Not at all, — not at all. I have another idea.”
“What is that?”
“My men shall cry out, `Colbert, vive Colbert!’ and shall
throw themselves upon the prisoners as if they would tear
them in pieces, and shall force them from the gibbets, as
too mild a punishment.”
“Ah! that is an idea,” said Gourville. “Peste! monsieur
l’abbe, what an imagination you have!”
“Monsieur, we are worthy of our family,” replied the abbe,
proudly.
“Strange fellow,” murmured Fouquet. Then he added, “That is
ingenious. Carry it out, but shed no blood.”
Gourville and the abbe set off together, with their heads
full of the meditated riot. The superintendent laid himself
down upon some cushions, half valiant with respect to the
sinister projects of the morrow, half dreaming of love.
CHAPTER 61
The Cabaret of the Image-de-Notre-Dame
At two o’clock the next day fifty thousand spectators had
taken their position upon the Place, around the two gibbets
which had been elevated between the Quai de la Greve and the
Quai Pelletier; one close to the other, with their backs to
the embankment of the river. In the morning also, all the
sworn criers of the good city of Paris had traversed the
quarters of the city, particularly the halles and the
faubourgs, announcing with their hoarse and indefatigable
voices, the great justice done by the king upon two
speculators, two thieves, devourers of the people. And these
people, whose interests were so warmly looked after, in
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order not to fail in respect for their king quitted shops,
stalls, and ateliers to go and evince a little gratitude to
Louis XIV., absolutely like invited guests, who feared to
commit an impoliteness in not repairing to the house of him
who had invited them. According to the tenor of the
sentence, which the criers read aloud and incorrectly, two
farmers of the revenues, monopolists of money, dilapidators
of the royal provisions, extortioners, and forgers, were
about to undergo capital punishment on the Place de Greve,
with their names blazoned over their heads, according to
their sentence. As to those names, the sentence made no
mention of them. The curiosity of the Parisians was at its
height, and, as we have said, an immense crowd waited with
feverish impatience the hour fixed for the execution. The
news had already spread that the prisoners, transferred to
the Chateau of Vincennes, would be conducted from that
prison to the Place de Greve. Consequently, the faubourg and
the Rue Saint Antoine were crowded, for the population of
Paris in those days of great executions was divided into two
categories: those who came to see the condemned pass —
these were of timid and mild hearts, but philosophically
curious — and those who wished to see the condemned die —
these had hearts that hungered for sensation. On this day M.
d’Artagnan received his last instructions from the king, and
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