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Marshal Maillebois was at Dusseldorf, commissioned to observe the Hollanders and protect Westphalia; he received orders to join Marshals Broglie and Belle-Isle. "It is the army of redemption for the captives," was the saying at Paris.
"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 so long planned, and we should not have had any occasion to look askant at each other when we met."
If the post of Auray had arrived, we should have started at once for Belle-Isle; but they were waiting for it. Transient sailors with bare arms and open shirts sat in the kitchen of the inn, drinking to pass away the time. "At what time is the post due here in Auray?" "That depends; usually at ten o'clock," replied the innkeeper. "No, at eleven," put in a man. "At twelve," said M. de Rohan.
D'Artagnan, biting his mustache with that vivacity which denoted in him exasperation, closely to be followed by an explosion, approached the officer. "Monsieur," said he, in a low voice, so much the more impressive, that, affecting calm, it threatened tempest "monsieur, when I sent a canoe hither, you wished to know what I wrote to the defenders of Belle-Isle.
"Good," said Aramis to himself, "it seems I am an architect, then. It sounds like one of D'Artagnan's jokes, who perceived in me the engineer of Belle-Isle." Then he added aloud: "Be easy on that score, monsieur; in our profession, a mere glance and a good memory are quite sufficient." Baisemeaux did not change countenance, and the soldiers took Aramis for what he seemed to be.
"Yes, that is true; but let us give the proverb the lie, Porthos; let us make haste, and hold our tongue." "You see I am doing my best," said Porthos, putting on his haut de chausses. "Very well." "This is something in haste?" "It is more than that, it is serious, Porthos." "Oh, oh!" "D'Artagnan has questioned you, has he not?" "Questioned me?" "Yes, at Belle-Isle?" "Not the least in the world."
"Sixteen hundred thousand livres! you are enormously rich, monsieur." "It is your majesty who is rich, since Belle-Isle is yours." "Yes, thank you; but however rich I may be, M. Fouquet " The king stopped. "Well, sire?" asked the superintendent. "I foresee the moment when I shall want money." "You, sire? And at what moment then?" "To-morrow, for example."
"Sixteen hundred thousand livres! you are enormously rich, monsieur." "It is your majesty who is rich, since Belle-Isle is yours." "Yes, thank you; but however rich I may be, M. Fouquet " The king stopped. "Well, sire?" asked the superintendent. "I foresee the moment when I shall want money." "You, sire? And at what moment, then?" "To-morrow, for example."
"Pardon me, sire, but in the first place, I have something to add." "Say what?" "An evident, palpable, material proof of treason." "And what is that?" "I have just learnt that M. Fouquet is fortifying Belle-Isle." "Ah, indeed!" "Yes, sire." "Are you sure?" "Perfectly. Do you know, sire, what soldiers there are in Belle-Isle?" "No, ma foi! Do you?"
"No," said he, "no, I see the whole scheme of that man. Belle-Isle belongs to M. Fouquet; Belle-Isle is being fortified: that is a conspiracy on the part of M. Fouquet. The discovery of that conspiracy is the ruin of the superintendent, and that discovery is the result of the correspondence with England: this is why Colbert wished to have that correspondence.
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