"Accept it, I say. To-day is with me a day of mourning; hereafter you
will, perhaps, learn why; to-day I have lost one friend; well, I will
try to get another."

"But, Monsieur Fouquet----"

"Adieu! Monsieur d'Artagnan, adieu!" cried Fouquet, with much emotion;
"or rather, au revoir." And the minister quitted the cabinet, leaving in
the hands of the musketeer the ring and the twenty thousand livres.

"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, after a moment's dark reflection. "How on earth
am I to understand what this means? Mordioux! I can understand this
much, only: he is a gallant man! I will go and explain matters to M.
Colbert." And he went out.

CHAPTER 64. Of the Notable Difference D'Artagnan finds between Monsieur
the Intendant and Monsieur the Superintendent

M. Colbert resided in the Rue Neuve des Petits-Champs in a house which
had belonged to Beautru. D'Artagnan's legs cleared the distance in a
short quarter of an hour. When he arrived at the residence of the
new favorite, the court was full of archers and police, who came to
congratulate him, or to excuse themselves according to whether he should
choose to praise or blame. The sentiment of flattery is instinctive
with people of abject condition; they have the sense of it, as the wild
animal has that of hearing and smell. These people, or their leader,
understood that there was a pleasure to offer to M. Colbert, in
rendering him an account of the fashion in which his name had been
pronounced during the rash enterprise of the morning. D'Artagnan made
his appearance just as the chief of the watch was giving his report. He
stood close to the door, behind the archers. That officer took Colbert
on one side, in spite of his resistance and the contraction of his bushy
eyebrows. "In case," said he, "you really desired, monsieur, that the
people should do justice on the two traitors, it would have been wise
to warn us of it; for, indeed, monsieur, in spite of our regret at
displeasing you, or thwarting your views, we had our orders to execute."

"Triple fool!" replied Colbert, furiously shaking his hair, thick and
black as a mane, "what are you telling me? What! that I could have had
an idea of a riot! Are you mad or drunk?"

"But, monsieur, they cried, 'Vive Colbert!'" replied the trembling
watch.

"A handful of conspirators----"

"No, no; a mass of people."

"Ah! indeed," said Colbert, expanding. "A mass of people cried, 'Vive
Colbert!' Are you certain of what yo