that name,” added Louis XIV.
Colbert bowed, but was paler than his ruffles of Flemish
lace. Fouquet continued:
“The masonries are of Roman concrete; the architects
amalgamated it for me after the best accounts of antiquity.”
“And the cannon?” asked Louis.
“Oh! sire, that concerns your majesty; it did not become me
to place cannon in my own house, unless your majesty had
told me it was yours.”
Louis began to float, undetermined between the hatred which
this so powerful man inspired him with, and the pity he felt
for the other, so cast down, who seemed to him the
counterfeit of the former. But the consciousness of his
kingly duty prevailed over the feelings of the man, and he
stretched out his finger to the paper.
“It must have cost you a great deal of money to carry these
plans into execution,” said he.
“I believe I had the honor of telling your majesty the
amount.”
“Repeat it if you please, I have forgotten it.”
“Sixteen hundred thousand livres.”
“Sixteen hundred thousand livres! you are enormously rich,
monsieur.”
“It is your majesty who is rich, since Belle-Isle is yours.”
“Yes, thank you; but however rich I may be, M. Fouquet —-
” The king stopped.
“Well, sire?” asked the superintendent.
“I foresee the moment when I shall want money.”
“You, sire? And at what moment, then?”
“To-morrow, for example.”
“Will your majesty do me the honor to explain yourself?”
“My brother is going to marry the English Princess.”
“Well, sire?”
“Well, I ought to give the bride a reception worthy of the
granddaughter of Henry IV.”
Page 446
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“That is but just, sire.”
“Then I shall want money.”
“No doubt.”
“I shall want —- ” Louis hesitated. The sum he was going
to demand was the same that he had been obliged to refuse
Charles II. He turned towards Colbert, that he might give
the blow.
“I shall want, to-morrow —- ” repeated he, looking at
Colbert.
“A million,” said the latter, bluntly; delighted to take his
revenge.
Fouquet turned his back upon the intendant to listen to the
king. He did not turn round, but waited till the king
repeated, or rather murmured, “A million.”
“Oh! sire,” replied Fouquet disdainfully, “a million! What
will your majesty do with a million?”
“It appears to me, nevertheless —- ” said Louis XIV.
“That is not more than is spent at the nuptials of one of
the most petty princes of Germany.”
“Monsieur!”
“Your majesty must have two millions at least. The horses
alone would run away with five hundred thousand livres. I
shall have the honor of sending your majesty sixteen hundred
thousand livres this evening.”
“How,” said the king, “sixteen hundred thousand livres?”
“Look, sire,” replied Fouquet, without even turning towards
Colbert, “I know that wants four hundred thousand livres of
the two millions. But this monsieur of l’intendance”
(pointing over his shoulder to Colbert who, if possible,
became paler, behind him) “has in his coffers nine hundred
thousand livres of mine.”
The king turned round to look at Colbert.
“But —- ” said the latter.
“Monsieur,” continued Fouquet, still speaking indirectly to
Colbert, “monsieur has received a week ago sixteen hundred
thousand livres; he has paid a hundred thousand livres to
the guards, sixty-four thousand livres to the hospitals,
twenty-five thousand to the Swiss, a hundred and thirty
thousand for provisions, a thousand for arms, ten thousand
for accidental expenses; I do not err, then, in reckoning
upon nine hundred thousand livres that are left.” Then
turning towards Colbert, like a disdainful head of office
towards his inferior, “Take care, monsieur,” said he, “that
those nine hundred thousand livres be remitted to his
majesty this evening, in gold.”
“But,” said the king, “that will make two millions five
Page 447
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
hundred thousand livres.”
“Sire, the five hundred thousand livres over will serve as
pocket money for his Royal Highness. You understand,
Monsieur Colbert, this evening before eight o’clock.”
And with these words, bowing respectfully to the king, the
superintendent made his exit backwards, without honoring
with a single look the envious man, whose head he had just