scandal which forces a brother to
hide his face."

Fouquet colored. "And you veiled it?" said the superintendent.

"No, for it so happened I had one of my men in the crowd; a new recruit
from the provinces, one M. Menneville, whom I like very much. He made
his way through the press, saying to the joker: 'Mille barbes! Monsieur
the false joker, here's a thrust for Colbert!' 'And one for Fouquet,'
replied the joker. Upon which they drew in front of the cook's shop,
with a hedge of the curious round them, and five hundred as curious at
the windows."

"Well?" said Fouquet.

"Well, monsieur, my Menneville spitted the joker, to the great
astonishment of the spectators, and said to the cook:--'Take this goose,
my friend, it is fatter than your fowl.' That is the way, monsieur,"
ended the abbe, triumphantly, "in which I spend my revenues; I maintain
the honor of the family, monsieur." Fouquet hung his head. "And I have a
hundred as good as he," continued the abbe.

"Very well," said Fouquet, "give the account to Gourville, and remain
here this evening."

"Shall we have supper?"

"Yes, there will be supper."

"But the chest is closed."

"Gourville will open it for you. Leave us, monsieur l'abbe, leave us."

"Then we are friends?" said the abbe, with a bow.

"Oh yes, friends. Come Gourville."

"Are you going out? You will not stay to supper, then?"

"I shall be back in an hour; rest easy, abbe." Then aside to
Gourville--"Let them put to my English horses," said he, "and direct the
coachman to stop at the Hotel de Ville de Paris."

CHAPTER 56. M. de la Fontaine's Wine

Carriages were already bringing the guests of Fouquet to Saint-Mande;
already the whole house was getting warm with the preparations for
supper, when the superintendent launched his fleet horses upon the road
to Paris, and going by the quays, in order to meet fewer people on the
way, soon reached the Hotel de Ville. It wanted a quarter to eight.
Fouquet alighted at the corner of the Rue de Long-pont, and, on
foot, directed his course towards the Place de Greve, accompanied by
Gourville. At the turning of the Place they saw a man dressed in black
and violet, of dignified mien, who was preparing to get into a hired
carriage, and told the coachman to stop at Vincennes. He had before him
a large hamper filled with bottles, which he had just purchased at the
cabaret with the sign of "L'Image-de-Notre-Dame."

"Eh, but! that is Vatel! my mait