ded by a
nation."

"Then if I can procure you a million, or two hundred gentlemen, you will
be satisfied; and you will consider me your well-affectioned brother?"

"I shall consider you as my saviour; and if I recover the throne of
my father, England will be, as long as I reign at least, a sister to
France, as you will have been a brother to me."

"Well, my brother," said Louis, rising, "what you hesitate to ask for,
I will myself demand; that which I have never done on my own account, I
will do on yours. I will go and find the king of France--the other--the
rich, the powerful one, I mean. I will myself solicit this million, or
these two hundred gentlemen; and--we will see."

"Oh!" cried Charles, "you are a noble friend, sire--a heart created by
God! You save me, my brother; and if you should ever stand in need of
the life you restore me, demand it."

"Silence, my brother,--silence!" said Louis, in a suppressed voice.
"Take care that no one hears you! We have not obtained our end yet.
To ask money of Mazarin--that is worse than traversing the enchanted
forest, each tree of which inclosed a demon. It is more than setting out
to conquer a world."

"But yet, sire, when you ask it----"

"I have already told you that I never asked," replied Louis with a
haughtiness that made the king of England turn pale.

And as the latter, like a wounded man, made a retreating
movement--"Pardon me, my brother," replied he. "I have neither a mother
nor a sister who are suffering. My throne is hard and naked, but I am
firmly seated on my throne. Pardon me that expression, my brother; it
was that of an egotist. I will retract it, therefore, by a sacrifice,--I
will go to monsieur le cardinal. Wait for me, if you please--I will
return."

CHAPTER 10. The Arithmetic of M. de Mazarin

Whilst the king was directing his course rapidly towards the wing of the
castle occupied by the cardinal, taking nobody with him but his valet
de chambre, the officer of musketeers came out, breathing like a man
who has for a long time been forced to hold his breath, from the little
cabinet of which we have already spoken, and which the king believed
to be quite solitary. This little cabinet had formerly been part of
the chamber, from which it was only separated by a thin partition. It
resulted that this partition, which was only for the eye, permitted the
ear the least indiscreet to hear every word spoken in the chamber.

There was no doubt,