d thing for your brothers of Saint Francis, who held the
hammers; but I--I was struck in the forehead by this same Cinq-Mars, who
was leading an enraged multitude."

"Are you quite sure of that?" cried Joseph, delighted. "Did he dare to
act thus against the commands of the King?" The joy which this discovery
gave him made him forget his anger.

"Fools!" exclaimed the Cardinal, suddenly breaking his long silence, and
taking from his lips his handkerchief stained with blood. "I would punish
your angry dispute had it not taught me many secrets of infamy on your
part. You have exceeded my orders; I commanded no torture, Laubardemont.
That is your second fault. You cause me to be hated for nothing; that was
useless. But you, Joseph, do not neglect the details of this disturbance
in which Cinq-Mars was engaged; it may be of use in the end."

"I have all the names and descriptions," said the secret judge, eagerly,
bending his tall form and thin, olive-colored visage, wrinkled with a
servile smile, down to the armchair.

"It is well! it is well!" said the minister, pushing him back; "but that
is not the question yet. You, Joseph, be in Paris before this young
upstart, who will become a favorite, I am certain. Become his friend;
make him of my party or destroy him. Let him serve me or fall. But, above
all, send me every day safe persons to give me verbal accounts. I will
have no more writing for the future. I am much displeased with you,
Joseph. What a miserable courier you chose to send from Cologne! He could
not understand me. He saw the King too soon, and here we are still in
disgrace in consequence. You have just missed ruining me entirely. Go and
observe what is about to be done in Paris. A conspiracy will soon be
hatched against me; but it will be the last. I remain here in order to
let them all act more freely. Go, both of you, and send me my valet after
the lapse of two hours; I wish now to be alone."

The steps of the two men were still to be heard as Richelieu, with eyes
fixed upon the entrance to the tent, pursued them with his irritated
glance.

"Wretches!" he exclaimed, when he was alone, "go and accomplish some more
secret work, and afterward I will crush you, in pure instruments of my
power. The King will soon succumb beneath the slow malady which consumes
him. I shall then be regent; I shall be King of France myself; I shall no
longer have to dread the caprices of his weakness. I will destroy the
haughty ra