ok at me so reproachfully. Madame, pray who is that
lady who left your house soon after monseigneur came in?"

"Madame Vanel," said Fouquet.

"Ha!" cried Pellisson, "I was sure of that."

"Well! what then?"

"Why, she got into her carriage, looking deadly pale."

"What consequence is that to me?"

"Yes, but what she said to her coachman is of consequence to you."

"Kind heaven!" cried the marquise, "what was that?"

"To M. Colbert's!" said Pellisson, in a hoarse voice.

"Bon Dieu!--begone, begone, monseigneur!" replied the marquise, pushing
Fouquet out of the salon, whilst Pellisson dragged him by the hand.

"Am I, then, indeed," said the superintendent, "become a child, to be
frightened by a shadow?"

"You are a giant," said the marquise, "whom a viper is trying to bite in
the heel."

Pellisson continued to drag Fouquet to the carriage. "To the Palais at
full speed!" cried Pellisson to the coachman. The horses set off like
lightning; no obstacle relaxed their pace for an instant. Only, at the
arcade Saint-Jean, as they were coming out upon the Place de Greve, a
long file of horsemen, barring the narrow passage, stopped the carriage
of the superintendent. There was no means of forcing this barrier; it
was necessary to wait till the mounted archers of the watch, for it was
they who stopped the way, had passed with the heavy carriage they
were escorting, and which ascended rapidly towards the Place Baudoyer.
Fouquet and Pellisson took no further account of this circumstance
beyond deploring the minute's delay they had thus to submit to. They
entered the habitation of the concierge du Palais five minutes after.
That officer was still walking about in the front court. At the name
of Fouquet, whispered in his ear by Pellisson, the governor eagerly
approached the carriage, and, hat in his hand, was profuse in his
attentions. "What an honor for me, monseigneur," said he.

"One word, monsieur le gouverneur, will you take the trouble to get into
my carriage?" The officer placed himself opposite Fouquet in the coach.

"Monsieur," said Fouquet, "I have a service to ask of you."

"Speak, monseigneur."

"A service that will be compromising for you, monsieur, but which will
assure to you forever my protection and my friendship."

"Were it to cast myself into the fire for you, monseigneur, I would do
it."

"That is well," said Fouquet; "what I require is much more simple."

"That being so, monseigneur, what is i