superintendent paid you, did he?”
“In the same manner as, in opposition to the king’s
expectation, you refused to pay me.”
“I did not refuse, monsieur, I only begged you to wait. And
you say that M. Fouquet paid you your five thousand livres?”
“Yes, as you might have done; but he did even better than
that, M. Colbert.”
“And what did he do?”
“He politely counted me down the sum-total, saying, that for
the king, his coffers were always full.”
“The sum-total! M. Fouquet has given you twenty thousand
livres instead of five thousand?”
“Yes, monsieur.”
“And what for?”
“In order to spare me three visits to the money-chest of the
superintendent, so that I have the twenty thousand livres in
my pocket in good new coin. You see, then, that I am able to
go away without standing in need of you, having come here
only for form’s sake.” And D’Artagnan slapped his hand upon
his pocket, with a laugh which disclosed to Colbert
thirty-two magnificent teeth, as white as teeth of
twenty-five years old and which seemed to say in their
language: “Serve up to us thirty-two little Colberts, and we
will chew them willingly.” The serpent is as brave as the
lion, the hawk as courageous as the eagle, that cannot be
contested. It can only be said of animals that are decidedly
cowardly, and are so called, that they will be brave only
when they have to defend themselves. Colbert was not
frightened at the thirty-two teeth of D’Artagnan. He
recovered, and suddenly, — “Monsieur,” said he, “monsieur
le surintendant has done what he had no right to do.”
“What do you mean by that?” replied D’Artagnan.
“I mean that your note — will you let me see your note, if
you please?”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Very willingly; here it is.”
Colbert seized the paper with an eagerness which the
musketeer did not remark without uneasiness, and
particularly without a certain degree of regret at having
trusted him with it. “Well, monsieur, the royal order says
this: — `At sight, I command that there be paid to M.
d’Artagnan the sum of five thousand livres, forming a
quarter of the pension I have made him.'”
“So, in fact, it is written,” said D’Artagnan, affecting
calmness.
“Very well; the king only owed you five thousand livres; why
has more been given to you?”
“Because there was more; and M. Fouquet was willing to give
me more; that does not concern anybody.”
“It is natural,” said Colbert, with a proud ease, “that you
should be ignorant of the usages of state-finance; but,
monsieur, when you have a thousand livres to pay, what do
you do?”
“I never have a thousand livres to pay,” replied D’Artagnan.
“Once more,” said Colbert, irritated — “once more, if you
had any sum to pay, would you not pay what you ought?”
“That only proves one thing,” said D’Artagnan; “and that is,
that you have your particular customs in finance, and M.
Fouquet has his own.”
“Mine, monsieur, are the correct ones.”
“I do not say they are not.”
“And you have accepted what was not due to you.”
D’Artagnan’s eyes flashed. “What is not due to me yet, you
meant to say, M. Colbert; for if I had received what was not
due to me at all, I should have committed a theft.”
Colbert made no reply to this subtlety. “You then owe
fifteen thousand livres to the public chest,” said he,
carried away by his jealous ardor.
“Then you must give me credit for them,” replied D’Artagnan,
with his imperceptible irony.
“Not at all, monsieur.”
“Well! what will you do, then? You will not take my rouleaux
from me, will you?”
“You must return them to my chest.”
“I! Oh! Monsieur Colbert, don’t reckon upon that.”
“The king wants his money, monsieur.”
“And I, monsieur, I want the king’s money.”
“That may be but you must return this.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“Not a sou. I have always understood that in matters of
comptabilite, as you call it, a good cashier never gives
back or takes back.”
“Then, monsieur, we shall see what the king will say about