I am yours entirely: but believe me, my dear D'Herblay, you are deceiving yourself." "In what respect ?" "The king will never become devoted to me." "I do not remember to have said that the king would be devoted to you." "Why, on the contrary, you have this moment said so." "I did not say the king: I said a king." "Is it not all the same ?" "No, on the contrary, it is quite different." "I do not understand you." "You will do so shortly then.

Suppose, for instance, the king in question were to be a very different person to Louis XIV." "Another person ?" "Yes, who is indebted for everything to you." "Impossible!" "His very throne even." "You are mad, D'Herblay! There is no man living besides Louis XIV.

who can sit on the throne of France.

I see none, not one." "Unless it be Monsieur," said Fouquet, looking at Aramis uneasily, "yet Monsieur--" "It is not Monsieur." "But how can it be that a prince not of the royal line, that a prince without any right--" "My king, or rather your king, will be everything that is necessary, be assured of that." "Be careful, Monsieur d'Herblay; you make my blood run cold, and my head swim." Aramis smiled.

"There is but little occasion for that," he replied.
"Again, I repeat, you terrify me!" said Fouquet.
Aramis smiled.
"You laugh," said Fouquet.
"The day will come when you will laugh too; only at the present moment I must laugh alone." "But explain yourself." "When the proper day shall have arrived, I will explain all.