Well! in order to counteract that man's influence, it was necessary that M.Fouquet should give the king a proof of a great devotion to him, and of his readiness to make the greatest sacrifices.
He surprised his majesty by offering him Belle-Isle.

If you had been the first to reach Paris, the surprise would have been destroyed, it would have looked as if we had yielded to fear." "I understand." "That is the whole mystery," said Aramis, satisfied that he had quite convinced the musketeer.
"Only," said the latter, "it would have been more simple to have taken me aside and said to me, 'My dear D'Artagnan, we are fortifying Belle-Isle, and intend to offer it to the king.

Tell us frankly, for whom you are acting.

Are you a friend of M.Colbert, or of M.Fouquet ?' Perhaps I should not have answered you, but you would have added--'Are you my friend ?' I should have said, 'Yes.'" Aramis hung down his head.
"In this way," continued D'Artagnan, "you would have paralyzed my movements, and I should have gone to the king, and said, 'Sire, M.
Fouquet is fortifying Belle-Isle, and exceedingly well, too; but here is a note, which the governor of Belle-Isle gave me for your majesty;' or 'M.

Fouquet is about to wait upon your majesty to explain his intentions with regard to it.' I should not have been placed in an absurd position; you would have enjoyed the surprise you wished for, and we should not have had airy occasion to look askant at each other when we met." "While, on the contrary," replied Aramis, "you have acted altogether as one friendly to M.Colbert.And you really are a friend of his, I suppose ?" "Certainly not, indeed!" exclaimed the captain.