"I will get him," said the musketeer, "between a couple of candles, suddenly, and when he least expects it, I will place my hand upon his heart, and he will tell me--What will he tell me?
Yes, he will tell me something, for _mordioux!_ there is something in it, I know." Somewhat calmer, D'Artagnan made every preparation for the journey, and took the greatest care that the military household of the king, as yet very inconsiderable in numbers, should be well officered and well disciplined in its meager and limited proportions.

The result was that, through the captain's arrangements, the king, on arriving at Melun, saw himself at the head of both the musketeers and Swiss guards, as well as a picket of the French guards.

It might almost have been called a small army.

M.Colbert looked at the troops with great delight: he even wished they had been a third more in number.
"But why ?" said the king.
"In order to show greater honor to M.Fouquet," replied Colbert.
"In order to ruin him the sooner," thought D'Artagnan.
When this little army appeared before Melun, the chief magistrates came out to meet the king, and to present him with the keys of the city, and invited him to enter the Hotel de Ville, in order to partake of the wine of honor.

The king, who expected to pass through the city and to proceed to Vaux without delay, became quite red in the face from vexation.
"Who was fool enough to occasion this delay ?" muttered the king, between his teeth, as the chief magistrate was in the middle of a long address.
"Not I, certainly," replied D'Artagnan, "but I believe it was M.
Colbert." Colbert, having heard his name pronounced, said, "What was M.d'Artagnan good enough to say ?" "I was good enough to remark that it was you who stopped the king's progress, so that he might taste the _vin de Brie_.