or your escape in silence. I am the master here. I will remove the
men in whom he trusts, and replace them by others whom he has condemned
to die, and who are near at hand confined in the northern tower--the Tour
des Oubliettes, which overhangs the river. His creatures will occupy
their places. I will recommend a physician--an empyric who is devoted to
me--to the illustrious Cardinal, who has been given over by the most
scientific in Paris. If you will unite with me, he shall convey to him a
universal and eternal remedy."

"Away!" exclaimed Cinq-Mars. "Leave me, thou infernal monk! No, thou art
like no other man! Thou glidest with a noiseless and furtive step through
the darkness; thou traversest the walls to preside at secret crimes; thou
placest thyself between the hearts of lovers to separate them eternally.
Who art thou? Thou resemblest a tormented spirit of the damned!"

"Romantic boy!" answered Joseph; "you would have possessed high
attainments had it not been for your false notions. There is perhaps
neither damnation nor soul. If the dead returned to complain of their
fate, I should have a thousand around me; and I have never seen any, even
in my dreams."

"Monster!" muttered Cinq-Mars.

"Words again!" said Joseph; "there is neither monster nor virtuous man.
You and De Thou, who pride yourselves on what you call virtue--you have
failed in causing the death of perhaps a hundred thousand men--at once
and in the broad daylight--for no end, while Richelieu and I have caused
the death of far fewer, one by one, and by night, to found a great power.
Would you remain pure and virtuous, you must not interfere with other
men; or, rather, it is more reasonable to see that which is, and to say
with me, it is possible that there is no such thing as a soul. We are the
sons of chance; but relative to other men, we have passions which we must
satisfy."

"I breathe again!" exclaimed Cinq-Mars; "he believes not in God!"

Joseph continued:

"Richelieu, you, and I were born ambitious; it followed, then, that
everything must be sacrificed to this idea."

"Wretched man, do not compare me to thyself!"

"It is the plain truth, nevertheless," replied the Capuchin'; "only you
now see that our system was better than yours."

"Miserable wretch, it was for love--"

"No, no! it was not that; here are mere words again. You have perhaps
imagined it was so; but it was for your own advancement. I have heard you
speak to the young gir