Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 29, 2025
He confined himself, then, for the moment intending to resume later an active part in the conversation to the performance of the difficult part of a man who looks on and listens, in order to learn and understand. Vanel was visibly overcome, and advanced into the middle of the cabinet, bowing to everything and everybody. "I am here," he said. "You are punctual, Monsieur Vanel," returned Fouquet.
I thought little Colbert, as you said just now, had passed over that love, and left the impression upon it of a spot of ink or a stain of grease." "Fouquet! Fouquet! Is this the way you always treat the poor creatures you desert?" "Why, you surely are not going to undertake the defense of Madame Vanel?"
"Are you surprised, then, that I am still thinking of Saint-Mande?" "Of Saint-Mande?" exclaimed Madame de Belliere; and the looks of both women met each other like two resistless swords. "You, so proud!" said the marquise, disdainfully. "I, so proud!" replied Madame Vanel. "Such is my nature. I do not forgive neglect I cannot endure infidelity.
"Adieu, Monsieur Vanel, present my humblest respects to Madame Vanel," said Fouquet, as he rose; upon which Vanel, who felt the blood rushing to his head, for he was quite confounded by his success, said seriously to the superintendent, "Will you give me your word, monseigneur, upon this affair?" Fouquet turned round his head, saying, "Pardieu, and you, monsieur?"
La Fontaine set off at once, fortunately accompanied by Gourville, for, absorbed in his own calculations, the poet would have mistaken the route, and was hurrying as fast as he could towards the village of Saint-Mande. Within a quarter of an hour afterwards, M. Vanel was introduced into the superintendent's cabinet, a description of which has already been given at the beginning of this story.
"He is a perfect rascal!" thought the bishop, "well, we must offer the five hundred thousand francs at once," and he made a sign to Fouquet accordingly. "You seem to have spent more than that, dear Monsieur Vanel," said the superintendent. "The price of ready money is enormous. You must have made a great sacrifice in selling your wife's property. Well, what can I have been thinking of?
"And much more justly acquired would that friend become, Monsieur Vanel, since the value of the service he had received would have been so considerable. Well, what do you say? what do you decide?" Vanel preserved a perfect silence. In the meantime, Aramis had continued his close observation of the man.
"Well, it is not respectful towards Madame Vanel that her husband should run the risk of catching cold outside my house; send for him, La Fontaine, since you know where he is." "I will go myself." "And I will accompany you," said the Abbe Fouquet; "I will carry the money bags." "No jesting," said Fouquet, seriously; "let the business be a serious one, if it is to be one at all.
Colbert, who had recognized Mazarin's handwriting, and had counted the letters, rang to summon his secretary, whom he enjoined to go in immediate search of M. Vanel, a counselor of the parliament.
And he handed the draft to Fouquet, who recognized the truth of the fact; for, covered with erasures, with inserted words, the margins filled with additions, this deed a living proof of Colbert's plot had just revealed everything to its unhappy victim. "Well!" murmured Fouquet. Vanel, completely humiliated, seemed as if he were looking for some hole wherein to hide himself.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking