Do you perceive any one between the king and yourself, after the fall of M.Fouquet ?" "I do not understand," said he.
"You _will_ understand.

To what does your ambition aspire ?" "I have none." "It was useless, then, to overthrow the superintendent, Monsieur Colbert.

It was idle." "I had the honor to tell you, madame--" "Oh! yes, I know, all about the interest of the king--but, if you please, we will speak of your own." "Mine! that is to say, the affairs of his majesty." "In short, are you, or are you not endeavoring to ruin M.Fouquet?
Answer without evasion." "Madame, I ruin nobody." "I am endeavoring to comprehend, then, why you purchased from me the letters of M.Mazarin concerning M.Fouquet.Neither can I conceive why you have laid those letters before the king." Colbert, half stupefied, looked at the duchesse with an air of constraint.
"Madame," said he, "I can less easily conceive how you, who received the money, can reproach me on that head--" "That is," said the old duchesse, "because we must will that which we wish for, unless we are not able to obtain what we wish." "_Will!_" said Colbert, quite confounded by such coarse logic.
"You are not able, _hein!_ Speak." "I am not able, I allow, to destroy certain influences near the king." "That fight in favor of M.Fouquet?
What are they?
Stop, let me help you." "Do, madame." "La Valliere ?" "Oh! very little influence; no knowledge of business, and small means.
M.Fouquet has paid his court to her." "To defend him would be to accuse herself, would it not ?" "I think it would." "There is still another influence, what do you say to that ?" "Is it considerable ?" "The queen-mother, perhaps ?" "Her majesty, the queen-mother, has a weakness for M.Fouquet very prejudicial to her son." "Never believe that," said the old duchesse, smiling.
"Oh!" said Colbert, with incredulity, "I have often experienced it." "Formerly ?" "Very recently, madame, at Vaux.

It was she who prevented the king from having M.Fouquet arrested." "People do not forever entertain the same opinions, my dear monsieur.
That which the queen may have wished recently, she would not wish, perhaps, to-day." "And why not ?" said Colbert, astonished.
"Oh! the reason is of very little consequence." "On the contrary, I think it is of great consequence; for, if I were certain of not displeasing her majesty, the queen-mother, my scruples would be all removed." "Well! have you never heard talk of a certain secret ?" "A secret ?" "Call it what you like.

In short, the queen-mother has conceived a bitter hatred for all those who have participated, in one fashion or another, in the discovery of this secret, and M.Fouquet I believe is one of these." "Then," said Colbert, "we may be sure of the assent of the queen-mother ?" "I have just left her majesty, and she assures me so." "So be it, then, madame." "But there is something further; do you happen to know a man who was the intimate friend of M.Fouquet, M.d'Herblay, a bishop, I believe ?" "Bishop of Vannes." "Well! this M.d'Herblay, who also knew the secret, the queen-mother is pursuing with the utmost rancor." "Indeed!" "So hotly pursued, that if he were dead, she would not be satisfied with anything less than his head, to satisfy her he would never speak again." "And is that the desire of the queen-mother ?" "An order is given for it." "This Monsieur d'Herblay shall be sought for, madame." "Oh! it is well known where he is." Colbert looked at the duchesse.
"Say where, madame." "He is at Belle-Ile-en-Mer." "At the residence of M.Fouquet ?" "At the residence of M.Fouquet." "He shall be taken." It was now the duchesse's turn to smile.