uld seduce him,
for he is a gallant man, extravagantly partial to women; then I would
get away our two prisoners."

"I hope to be able to do so myself, although I am not a pretty woman,"
replied Fouquet.

"Granted, monseigneur; but you are compromising yourself very much."

"Oh!" cried Fouquet, suddenly, with one of those secret transports which
the generous blood of youth, or the remembrance of some sweet emotion,
infuses into the heart. "Oh! I know a woman who will enact the personage
we stand in need of, with the lieutenant-governor of the conciergerie."

"And, on my part, I know fifty, monseigneur; fifty trumpets, which
will inform the universe of your generosity, of your devotion to your
friends, and, consequently, will ruin you sooner or later in ruining
themselves."

"I do not speak of such women, Pellisson, I speak of a noble and
beautiful creature who joins to the intelligence and wit of her sex the
valor and coolness of ours; I speak of a woman, handsome enough to make
the walls of a prison bow down to salute her, discreet enough to let no
one suspect by whom she has been sent."

"A treasure!" said Pellisson, "you would make a famous present to
monsieur the governor of the conciergerie! Peste! monseigneur, he
might have his head cut off; but he would, before dying, have had such
happiness as no man had enjoyed before him."

"And I add," said Fouquet, "that the concierge of the Palais would not
have his head cut off, for he would receive of me my horses to
effect his escape, and five hundred thousand livres wherewith to live
comfortably in England: I add, that this lady, my friend, would give
him nothing but the horses and the money. Let us go and seek her,
Pellisson."

The superintendent reached forth his hand towards the gold and silken
cord placed in the interior of his carriage, but Pellisson stopped him.
"Monseigneur," said he, "you are going to lose as much time in seeking
this lady as Columbus took to discover the new world. Now, we have but
two hours in which we can possibly succeed; the concierge once gone to
bed, how shall we get at him without making a disturbance? When daylight
dawns, how can we conceal our proceedings? Go, go yourself, monseigneur,
and do not seek either woman or angel to-night."

"But, my dear Pellisson, here we are before her door."

"What! before the angel's door?"

"Why, yes!"

"This is the hotel of Madame de Belliere!"

"Hush!"

"Ah! Good Lord!" exclaimed Pe