your connections with her, as you have
forbidden all who have come here before me, and all who will come after
me."

"Dear marquise, how unjust you are, and how little do you know what you
are doing in thus exclaiming against mystery; it is with mystery alone
we can love without trouble; it is with love without trouble alone that
we can be happy. But let us return to ourselves, to that devotion
of which you were speaking, or rather let me labor under a pleasing
delusion, and believe that this devotion is love."

"Just now," repeated the marquise, passing over her eyes a hand that
might have been a model for the graceful contours of antiquity; "just
now I was prepared to speak, my ideas were clear and bold, now I am
quite confused, quite troubled; I fear I bring you bad news."

"If it is to that bad news I owe your presence, marquise, welcome be
even that bad news! or rather, marquise, since you allow that I am not
quite indifferent to you, let me hear nothing of the bad news, but speak
of yourself."

"No, no, on the contrary, demand it of me; require me to tell it to you
instantly, and not to allow myself to be turned aside by any feeling
whatever. Fouquet, my friend! it is of immense importance!"

"You astonish me, marquise; I will even say you almost frighten me. You,
so serious, so collected; you who know the world we live in so well. Is
it, then important?"

"Oh! very important."

"In the first place, how did you come here?"

"You shall know that presently; but first to something of more
consequence."

"Speak, marquise, speak! I implore you, have pity on my impatience."

"Do you know that Colbert is made intendant of the finances?"

"Bah! Colbert, little Colbert."

"Yes, Colbert, little Colbert."

"Mazarin's factotum?"

"The same."

"Well! what do you see so terrific in that, dear marquise? little
Colbert is intendant; that is astonishing, I confess, but is not
terrific."

"Do you think the king has given, without a pressing motive, such a
place to one you call a little cuistre?"

"In the first place, is it positively true that the king has given it to
him?"

"It is so said."

"Ay, but who says so?"

"Everybody."

"Everybody, that's nobody; mention some one likely to be well informed
who says so."

"Madame Vanel."

"Ah! now you begin to frighten me in earnest," said Fouquet, laughing;
"if any one is well informed, or ought to be well informed, it is the
person you name."

"Do not