to give place to another time, to believe that death could
be kept off by some good secret thrust. Mazarin, after
having taken the remedy, respired freely for nearly ten
minutes. He immediately gave orders that the news should be
spread everywhere of a fortunate crisis. The king, on
learning this, felt as if a cold sweat were passing over his
brow; — he had had a glimpse of the light of liberty;
slavery appeared to him more dark and less acceptable than
ever. But the bulletin which followed entirely changed the
face of things. Mazarin could no longer breathe at all, and
could scarcely follow the prayers which the cure of
Saint-Nicholas-des-Champs recited near him. The king resumed
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his agitated walk about his chamber, and consulted, as he
walked, several papers drawn from a casket of which he alone
had the key. A third time the nurse returned. M. de Mazarin
had just uttered a joke, and had ordered his “Flora,” by
Titian, to be revarnished. At length, towards two o’clock in
the morning, the king could no longer resist his weariness:
he had not slept for twenty-four hours. Sleep, so powerful
at his age, overcame him for about an hour. But he did not
go to bed for that hour, he slept in a fauteuil. About four
o’clock his nurse awoke him by entering the room.
“Well?” asked the king.
“Well, my dear sire,” said the nurse, clasping her hands
with an air of commiseration. “Well, he is dead!”
The king arose at a bound, as if a steel spring had been
applied to his legs. “Dead!” cried he.
“Alas! yes.”
“Is it quite certain?”
“Yes.”
“Official?”
“Yes.”
“Has the news been made public?”
“Not yet.”
“Who told you, then, that the cardinal was dead?”
“M. Colbert.”
“M. Colbert?”
“Yes.”
“And was he sure of what he said?”
“He came out of the chamber, and had held a glass for some
minutes before the cardinal’s lips.”
“Ah!” said the king. “And what is become of M. Colbert?”
“He has just left his eminence’s chamber.”
“Where is he?”
“He followed me.”
“So that he is —- ”
“Sire, waiting at your door, till it shall be your good
pleasure to receive him.”
Louis ran to the door, opened it himself, and perceived
Colbert standing waiting in the passage. The king started at
sight of this statue, all clothed in black. Colbert, bowing
with profound respect, advanced two steps towards his
majesty. Louis re-entered his chamber, making Colbert a sign
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to follow. Colbert entered; Louis dismissed the nurse, who
closed the door as she went out. Colbert remained modestly
standing near that door.
“What do you come to announce to me, monsieur?” said Louis,
very much troubled at being thus surprised in his private
thoughts, which he could not completely conceal.
“That monsieur le cardinal has just expired, sire; and that
I bring your majesty his last adieu.”
The king remained pensive for a minute; and during that
minute he looked attentively at Colbert; — it was evident
that the cardinal’s last words were in his mind. “Are you,
then, M. Colbert?” asked he.
“Yes, sire.”
“His faithful servant, as his eminence himself told me?”
“Yes, sire.”
“The depositary of many of his secrets?” “Of all of them.”
“The friends and servants of his eminence will be dear to
me, monsieur, and I shall take care that you are well placed
in my employment.”
Colbert bowed.
“You are a financier, monsieur, I believe?”
“Yes, sire.”
“And did monsieur le cardinal employ you in his
stewardship?”
“I had that honor, sire.”
“You never did anything personally for my household, I
believe?”
“Pardon me, sire, it was I who had the honor of giving
monsieur le cardinal the idea of an economy which puts three
hundred thousand francs a year into your majesty’s coffers.”
“What economy was that, monsieur?” asked Louis XIV.
“Your majesty knows that the hundred Swiss have silver lace
on each side of their ribbons?”
“Doubtless.”
“Well, sire, it was I who proposed that imitation silver
lace should be placed upon these ribbons, it could not be