Fifty persons were waiting for the superintendent. He did not even takethe time to place himself in the hands of his valet de chambre for aminute, but from the perron went straight into the premier salon. Therehis friends were assembled in full chat. The intendant was about toorder supper to be served, but, above all, the Abbe Fouquet watched forthe return of his brother, and was endeavoring to do the honors of thehouse in his absence. Upon the arrival of the superintendent, a murmurof joy and affection was heard; Fouquet, full of affability, good humor,and munificence, was beloved by his poets, his artists, and his men ofbusiness. His brow, upon which his little court read, as upon that ofa god, all the movements of his soul, and thence drew rules ofconduct,--his brow, upon which affairs of state never impressed awrinkle, was this evening paler than usual, and more than one friendlyeye remarked that pallor. Fouquet placed himself at the head of thetable, and presided gayly during supper. He recounted Vatel's expeditionto La Fontaine, related the history of Menneville and the skinny fowlto Pellisson, in such a manner that all the table heard it. A tempest oflaughter and jokes ensued, which was only checked by a serious andeven sad gesture from Pellisson. The Abbe Fouquet, not being able tocomprehend why his brother should have led the conversation in thatdirection, listened with all his ears, and sought in the countenanceof Gourville, or in that of his brother, an explanation which nothingafforded him. Pellisson took up the matter:--"Did they mention M.Colbert, then?" said he.
"Why not?" replied Fouquet; "if true, as it is said to be, that the kinghas made him his intendant?" Scarcely had Fouquet uttered these words,with a marked intention, than an explosion broke forth among the guests.
"The miser!" said one.
"The mean, pitiful fellow!" said another.
"The hypocrite!" said a third.
Pellisson exchanged a meaning look with Fouquet. "Messieurs," saidhe, "in truth we are abusing a man whom no one knows: it is neithercharitable nor reasonable; and here is monsieur le surintendant, who, Iam sure, agrees with me."
"Entirely," replied Fouquet. "Let the fat fowls of M. Colbert alone; ourbusiness to-day is with the faisans truffes of M. Vatel." This speechstopped the dark cloud which was beginning to throw its shade over theguests. Gourville succeeded so well in animating the poets with thevin de Joigny; the abbe, intelligent as a man who stands in need ofhis host's money, so enlivened the financiers and the men of the sword,that, amidst the vapors of this joy and the noise of conversation,inquietudes disappeared completely. The will of Cardinal Mazarin was thetext of the conversation at the second course and dessert; then Fouquetordered bowls of sweetmeats and fountains of liquors to be carried intothe salon adjoining the gallery. He led the way thither conductingby the hand a lady, the queen, by his preference, of the evening. Themusicians then supped, and the promenades in the gallery and the gardenscommenced, beneath a spring sky, mild and flower-scented. Pellissonthen approached the superintendent, and said: "Something troublesmonseigneur?"
"Greatly," replied the minister, "ask Gourville to tell you what it is."Pellisson, on turning round, found La Fontaine treading upon his heels.He was obliged to listen to a Latin verse, which the poet had composedupon Vatel. La Fontaine had, for an hour, been scanning this verse inall corners, seeking some one to pour it out upon advantageously. Hethought he had caught Pellisson, but the latter escaped him; he turnedtowards Sorel, who had, himself, just composed a quatrain in honor ofthe supper, and the Amphytrion. La Fontaine in vain endeavored togain attention to his verses; Sorel wanted to obtain a hearing for hisquatrain. He was obliged to retreat before M. le Comte de Chanost whosearm Fouquet had just taken. L'Abbe Fouquet perceived that the poet,absent-minded, as usual, was about to follow the two talkers, and heinterposed. La Fontaine seized upon him, and recited his verses. Theabbe, who was quite innocent of Latin, nodded his head, in cadence, atevery roll which La Fontaine impressed upon his body, according to theundulations of the dactyls and spondees. While this was going on,behind the confiture-basins, Fouquet related the event of the day to hisson-in-law, M. de Chanost. "We will send the idle and useless to look atthe fireworks," said Pellisson to Gourville, "whilst we converse here."
"So be it," said Gourville, addressing four words to Vatel. The latterthen led towards the gardens the major part of the beaux, the ladies andthe chatterers, whilst the men walked in the gallery, lighted by threehundred wax-lights, in the sight of all; the admirers of fireworks allran away towards the garden. Gourville approached Fouquet, and said:"Monsieur, we are here."
"All!" said Fouquet.
"Yes,--count." The superintendent counted; there were eight persons.Pellisson and Gourville walked arm in arm, as if conversing upon vagueand frivolous subjects. Sorel and two officers imitated them, in anopposite direction. The Abbe Fouquet walked alone. Fouquet, with M.de Chanost, walked as if entirely absorbed in the conversation of hisson-in-law. "Messieurs," said he, "let no one of you raise his head ashe walks, or appear to pay attention to me; continue walking, we arealone, listen to me."
A perfect silence ensued, disturbed only by the distant cries of thejoyous guests, from the groves whence they beheld the fireworks. It wasa whimsical spectacle this, of these men walking in groups, as if eachone was occupied about something, whilst lending attention really toonly one amongst them, who, himself, seemed to be speaking only to hiscompanion. "Messieurs," said Fouquet, "you have, without doubt, remarkedthe absence of two of my friends this evening, who were with us onWednesday. For God's sake, abbe, do not stop,--it is not necessary toenable you to listen; walk on, carrying your head in a natural way, andas you have an excellent sight, place yourself at the window, and if anyone returns towards the gallery, give us notice by coughing."
The abbe obeyed.
"I have not observed their absence," said Pellisson, who, at thismoment, was turning his back to Fouquet and walking the other way.
"I do not see M. Lyodot," said Sorel, "who pays me my pension."
"And I," said the abbe, at the window, "do not see M. d'Eymeris, whoowes me eleven hundred livres from our last game at Brelan."
"Sorel," continued Fouquet, walking bent, and gloomily, "you will neverreceive your pension any more from M. Lyodot; and you, abbe, will neverbe paid your eleven hundred livres by M. d'Eymeris, for both are doomedto die."
"To die!" exclaimed the whole assembly, arrested, in spite ofthemselves, in the comedy they were playing, by that terrible word.
"Recover yourselves, messieurs," said Fouquet, "for perhaps we arewatched--I said: to die!"
"To die!" repeated Pellisson; "what, the men I saw six days ago, fullof health, gayety, and the spirit of the future! What then is man, goodGod! that disease should thus bring him down, all at once!"
"It is not a disease," said Fouquet.
"Then there is a remedy," said Sorel.
"No remedy. Messieurs de Lyodot and D'Eymeris are on the eve of theirlast day."
"Of what are these gentlemen dying, then?" asked an officer.
"Ask of him who kills them," replied Fouquet.
"Who kills them? Are they being killed, then?" cried the terrifiedchorus.
"They do better still; they are hanging them," murmured Fouquet, in asinister voice, which sounded like a funeral knell in that rich gallery,splendid with pictures, flowers, velvet, and gold. Involuntarily everyone stopped; the abbe quitted his window; the first fusees of thefireworks began to mount above the trees. A prolonged cry from thegardens attracted the superintendent to enjoy the spectacle. Hedrew near to a window, and his friends placed themselves behind him,attentive to his least wish. "Messieurs," said he, "M. Colbert hascaused to be arrested, tried and will execute my two friends; what doesit become me to do?"
"Mordieu!" exclaimed the abbe, the first one to speak, "run M. Colbertthrough the body."
"Monseigneur," said Pellisson, "you must speak to his majesty."
"The king, my dear Pellisson, himself signed the order for theexecution."
"Well!" said the Comte de Chanost, "the execution must not tak
e place,then; that is all."
"Impossible," said Gourville, "unless we could corrupt the jailers."
"Or the governor," said Fouquet.
"This night the prisoners might be allowed to escape."
"Which of you will take charge of the transaction?"
"I," said the abbe, "will carry the money."
"And I," said Pellisson, "will be the bearer of the words."
"Words and money," said Fouquet, "five hundred thousand livres to thegovernor of the conciergerie, that is sufficient, nevertheless, it shallbe a million, if necessary."
"A million!" cried the abbe; "why, for less than half, I would have halfParis sacked."
"There must be no disorder," said Pellisson. "The governor being gained,the two prisoners escape; once clear of the fangs of the law, they willcall together the enemies of Colbert, and prove to the king that hisyoung justice, like all other monstrosities, is not infallible."
"Go to Paris, then, Pellisson," said Fouquet, "and bring hither the twovictims; to-morrow we shall see."
Gourville gave Pellisson the five hundred thousand livres. "Takecare the wind does not carry you away," said the abbe; "what aresponsibility. Peste! Let me help you a little."
"Silence!" said Fouquet, "somebody is coming. Ah! the fireworks areproducing a magical effect." At this moment a shower of sparks fellrustling among the branches of the neighboring trees. Pellissonand Gourville went out together by the door of the gallery; Fouquetdescended to the garden with the five last plotters.
CHAPTER 58. Epicureans