lly suitable, as M. de Voiture would say. I presume,
therefore, that you are ambitious of replacing M. Fouquet."

"M. Fouquet's fortune, madame, enables him to withstand all attempts.
The superintendent in this age plays the part of the Colossus of Rhodes;
the vessels pass beneath him and do not overthrow him."

"I ought to have availed myself precisely of that very comparison. It
is true, M. Fouquet plays the part of the Colossus of Rhodes; but I
remember to have heard it said by M. Conrart, a member of the academy, I
believe, that when the Colossus of Rhodes fell from its lofty position,
the merchant who had cast it down--a merchant, nothing more, M.
Colbert--loaded four hundred camels with the ruins. A merchant! and that
is considerably less than an intendant of finances."

"Madame, I can assure you that I shall never overthrow M. Fouquet."

"Very good, Monsieur Colbert, since you persist in showing so much
sensitiveness with me, as if you were ignorant that I am Madame de
Chevreuse, and also that I am somewhat advanced in years; in other
words, that you have to do with a woman who has had political dealings
with the Cardinal Richelieu, and who has no time to lose; as, I repeat,
you do not hesitate to commit such an imprudence, I shall go and find
others who are more intelligent and more desirous of making their
fortunes."

"How, madame, how?"

"You give me a very poor idea of negotiations of the present day.
I assure you that if, in my earlier days, a woman had gone to M.
de Cinq-Mars, who was not, moreover, a man of a very high order of
intellect, and had said to him about the cardinal what I have just said
to you of M. Fouquet, M. de Cinq-Mars would by this time have already
set actively to work."

"Nay, madame, show a little indulgence, I entreat you."

"Well, then, do you really consent to replace M. Fouquet?"

"Certainly, I do, if the king dismisses M. Fouquet."

"Again, a word too much; it is quite evident that, if you have not yet
succeeded in driving M. Fouquet from his post, it is because you have
not been able to do so. Therefore, I should be the greatest simpleton
possible if, in coming to you, I did not bring the very thing you
require."

"I am distressed to be obliged to persist, madame," said Colbert,
after a silence which enabled the duchesse to sound the depths of
his dissimulation, "but I must warn you that, for the last six years,
denunciation after denunciation has been made against M