great sin, reverend father!"

"We shall judge, monseigneur."

"You cannot fail to have heard of certain relations which I have
had--with her majesty the queen-mother;--the malevolent----"

"The malevolent, my lord, are fools. Was it not necessary for the good
of the state and the interests of the young king, that you should live
in good intelligence with the queen? Pass on, pass on!"

"I assure you," said Mazarin, "you remove a terrible weight from my
breast."

"These are all trifles!--look for something serious."

"I have had much ambition, father."

"That is the march of great minds and things, my lord."

"Even the longing for the tiara?"

"To be pope is to be the first of Christians. Why should you not desire
that?"

"It has been printed that, to gain that object, I had sold Cambria to
the Spaniards."

"You have, perhaps, yourself written pamphlets without severely
persecuting pamphleteers."

"Then, reverend father, I have truly a clean breast. I feel nothing
remaining but slight peccadilloes."

"What are they?"

"Play."

"That is rather worldly: but you were obliged by the duties of greatness
to keep a good house."

"I like to win."

"No player plays to lose."

"I cheated a little."

"You took your advantage. Pass on."

"Well! reverend father, I feel nothing else upon my conscience. Give me
absolution, and my soul will be able, when God shall please to call it,
to mount without obstacle to the throne----"

The Theatin moved neither his arms nor his lips. "What are you waiting
for, father?" said Mazarin.

"I am waiting for the end."

"The end of what?"

"Of the confession, monsieur."

"But I have ended."

"Oh, no; your eminence is mistaken."

"Not that I know of."

"Search diligently."

"I have searched as well as possible."

"Then I shall assist your memory."

"Do."

The Theatin coughed several times. "You have said nothing of avarice,
another capital sin, nor of those millions," said he.

"What millions, father?"

"Why, those you possess, my lord."

"Father, that money is mine, why should I speak to you about that?"

"Because, see you, our opinions differ. You say that money is yours,
whilst I--I believe it is rather the property of others."

Mazarin lifted his cold hand to his brow, which was beaded with
perspiration. "How so?" stammered he.

"This way. Your excellency has gained much wealth--in the service of the
king."

"Hum! much--that is, not too much."