Mine, monsieur, are the correct ones."

"I do not say they are not."

"And you have accepted what was not due to you."

D'Artagnan's eyes flashed. "What is not due to me yet, you meant to
say, M. Colbert; for if I had received what was not due to me at all, I
should have committed a theft."

Colbert made no reply to this subtlety. "You then owe fifteen thousand
livres to the public chest," said he, carried away by his jealous ardor.

"Then you must give me credit for them," replied D'Artagnan, with his
imperceptible irony.

"Not at all, monsieur."

"Well! what will you do, then? You will not take my rouleaux from me,
will you?"

"You must return them to my chest."

"I! Oh! Monsieur Colbert, don't reckon upon that."

"The king wants his money, monsieur."

"And I, monsieur, I want the king's money."

"That may be but you must return this."

"Not a sou. I have always understood that in matters of comptabilite, as
you call it, a good cashier never gives back or takes back."

"Then, monsieur, we shall see what the king will say about it. I will
show him this note, which proves that M. Fouquet not only pays what he
does not owe, but that he does not even take care of vouchers for the
sums that he has paid."

"Ah! now I understand why you have taken that paper, M. Colbert!"

Colbert did not perceive all that there was of a threatening character
in his name pronounced in a certain manner. "You shall see hereafter
what use I will make of it," said he, holding up the paper in his
fingers.

"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, snatching the paper from him with a rapid
movement; "I understand it perfectly well, M. Colbert; I have no
occasion to wait for that." And he crumpled up in his pocket the paper
he had so cleverly seized.

"Monsieur, monsieur!" cried Colbert, "this is violence!"

"Nonsense! You must not be particular about a soldier's manners!"
replied D'Artagnan. "I kiss your hands, my dear M. Colbert." And he went
out, laughing in the face of the future minister.

"That man, now," muttered he, "was about to grow quite friendly; it is a
great pity I was obliged to cut his company so soon."

CHAPTER 65. Philosophy of the Heart and Mind

For a man who had seen so many much more dangerous ones, the position
of D'Artagnan with respect to M. Colbert was only comic. D'Artagnan,
therefore, did not deny himself the satisfaction of laughing at the
expense of monsieur l'intendant, from the Rue des Petits-C