The king, when he saw they were reconciled, dismissed them.

They left the room together.

As soon as they were out of the cabinet, the new minister, stopping the captain, said: "Is it possible, M.d'Artagnan, that with such an eye as yours, you did not, at the first glance, at the first impression, discover what sort of man I am ?" "Monsieur Colbert," replied the musketeer, "a ray of the sun in our eyes prevents us from seeing the most vivid flame.

The man in power radiates, you know; and since you are there, why should you continue to persecute him who had just fallen into disgrace, and fallen from such a height ?" "I, monsieur!" said Colbert; "oh, monsieur! I would never persecute him.

I wished to administer the finances and to administer them alone, because I am ambitious, and, above all, because I have the most entire confidence in my own merit; because I know that all the gold of this country will ebb and flow beneath my eyes, and I love to look at the king's gold; because, if I live thirty years, in thirty years not a _denir_ of it will remain in my hands; because, with that gold, I will build granaries, castles, cities, and harbors; because I will create a marine, I will equip navies that shall waft the name of France to the most distant people; because I will create libraries and academies; because I will make France the first country in the world, and the wealthiest.