Defend himself when such extreme harshness as you are going to practice makes the man a very martyr! Nay, I am sure that if he has a million of francs left, which I very much doubt, he would be willing enough to give it in order to have such a termination as this.

But what does that matter?
it shall be done at once." "Stay," said the king; "do not make his arrest a public affair." "That will be more difficult." "Why so ?" "Because nothing is easier than to go up to M.Fouquet in the midst of a thousand enthusiastic guests who surround him, and say, 'In the king's name, I arrest you.' But to go up to him, to turn him first one way and then another, to drive him up into one of the corners of the chess-board, in such a way that he cannot escape; to take him away from his guests, and keep him a prisoner for you, without one of them, alas! having heard anything about it; that, indeed, is a genuine difficulty, the greatest of all, in truth; and I hardly see how it is to be done." "You had better say it is impossible, and you will have finished much sooner.

Heaven help me, but I seem to be surrounded by people who prevent me doing what I wish." "I do not prevent your doing anything.

Have you indeed decided ?" "Take care of M.Fouquet, until I shall have made up my mind by to-morrow morning." "That shall be done, sire." "And return, when I rise in the morning, for further orders; and now leave me to myself." "You do not even want M.Colbert, then ?" said the musketeer, firing his last shot as he was leaving the room.

The king started.