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"And yet," he said, "your majesty did not use this language some time ago, when the news about Belle-Isle arrived, for instance." "You are right, M. Colbert." "Nothing, however, has changed since then; on the contrary, indeed." "In my thoughts, monsieur, everything has changed." "Does your majesty then no longer believe the disloyal attempt?"
That which astonished D'Artagnan, when he turned his eyes from the coast batteries to the fortifications of the city, was to see that Belle-Isle was defended by an entirely new system, of which he had often heard the Comte de la Fere speak as a wonderful advance, but of which he had as yet never seen the application.
"That is the whole mystery," said Aramis, satisfied that he had at last 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.
Being so near to the bishopric; do you often go to Vannes?" "Yes; once a week. But, stop till I get my plan." Porthos picked up his plan, folded it carefully, and engulfed it in his large pocket. "Good!" said D'Artagnan aside; "I think I now know the real engineer who is fortifying Belle-Isle." Two hours after, at high tide, Porthos and D'Artagnan set out for Sarzeau.
To have embarked for Belle-Isle at Roche-Bernard, would have been to expose himself still further to comments which had, perhaps, been already made, and would be carried to the castle. Moreover, it was singular that this traveler and his lackey should have remained a mystery to D'Artagnan, in spite of all the questions addressed by him to the host, who appeared to know him perfectly well.
At this word, at this name, Colbert made so marked a movement, that the king turned round to enforce the necessity for reserve. Fouquet did not appear to be the least in the world concerned by the movement of Colbert, or the king's signal. "Monsieur," continued Louis, "you have then fortified Belle-Isle?"
"Well, as you are so earnest that this rebel should not escape, madame, I promise you he shall not escape." "Belle-Isle is fortified, M. Colbert, and fortified by him." "If Belle-Isle were also defended by him, Belle-Isle is not impregnable; and if Monsieur l'Eveque de Vannes is shut up in Belle-Isle, well, madame, the place shall be besieged, and he will be taken."
Among these suzerains of chateaux and belfries, the most powerful, the richest, and the most popular, was M. Fouquet, seigneur of Belle-Isle. Even in the country, even within sight of that mysterious isle, legends and traditions consecrate its wonders.
"I am very impatient, I do assure you, to be on the other side of the Rhine," wrote Count Clermont to Marshal Belle-Isle; "all the country about here is infested by runaway soldiers, convalescents, camp-followers, all sorts of understrappers, who commit fearful crimes.
"M. de Soubise must, however, have many things to urge in his own behalf," said M. de Belle-Isle, "and so I told the King." "It is very noble in you, Marshal, not to suffer an unfortunate man to be overwhelmed; the public are furious against him, and what has he done to deserve it?" "There is not a more honourable nor a kinder man in the world.
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