him as he left; and then hastily putting on his court dress
again, he ran off, arranging his costume as he went along, muttering to
himself, "The Minimes! the Minimes! We shall see how the king will fancy
this challenge; for it is for him after all, that is certain."

Chapter LVI. Rivals in Politics.

On his return from the promenade, which had been so prolific in poetical
effusions, and in which every one had paid his or her tribute to the
Muses, as the poets of the period used to say, the king found M. Fouquet
waiting for an audience. M. Colbert had lain in wait for his majesty in
the corridor, and followed him like a jealous and watchful shadow;
M. Colbert, with his square head, his vulgar and untidy, though rich
costume, somewhat resembled a Flemish gentleman after he had been
over-indulging in his national drink--beer. Fouquet, at sight of his
enemy, remained perfectly unmoved, and during the whole of the scene
which followed scrupulously resolved to observe a line of conduct
particularly difficult to the man of superior mind, who does not even
wish to show his contempt, for fear of doing his adversary too much
honor. Colbert made no attempt to conceal his insolent expression of the
vulgar joy he felt. In his opinion, M. Fouquet's was a game very badly
played and hopelessly lost, although not yet finished. Colbert belonged
to that school of politicians who think cleverness alone worthy of
their admiration, and success the only thing worth caring for. Colbert,
moreover, who was not simply an envious and jealous man, but who had the
king's interest really at heart, because he was thoroughly imbued with
the highest sense of probity in all matters of figures and accounts,
could well afford to assign as a pretext for his conduct, that in hating
and doing his utmost to ruin M. Fouquet, he had nothing in view but the
welfare of the state and the dignity of the crown. None of these details
escaped Fouquet's observation; through his enemy's thick, bushy brows,
and despite the restless movement of his eyelids, he could, by merely
looking at his eyes, penetrate to the very bottom of Colbert's heart,
and he read to what an unbounded extent hate towards himself and triumph
at his approaching fall existed there. But as, in observing everything,
he wished to remain himself impenetrable, he composed his features,
smiled with the charmingly sympathetic smile that was peculiarly his
own, and saluted the king with the most dignif