"Dumas, Alexandre - The Man In The Iron Mask" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dumas Alexandre)five hundred thousand livres at his disposal at the present moment."
"It is of no use speaking of it further, then," said the duchess, "and Dampierre must get restored how it can." "Oh, you are not embarrassed to such an extent as that, I suppose?" "No; I am never embarrassed." "And the Queen," continued the bishop, "will certainly do for you what the superintendent is unable to do." "Oh, certainly! But tell me, do you not think it would be better that I should speak myself to M. Fouquet about these letters?" "You will do whatever you please in that respect, Duchess. M. Fouquet either feels or does not feel himself to be guilty. If he really be so, I know that he is proud enough not to confess it; if he be not so, he will be exceedingly offended at your menace." "As usual, you reason like an angel," said the duchess, rising. "And so you are going to denounce M. Fouquet to the Queen," said Aramis. "Denounce? Oh, what a disagreeable word! I shall not denounce, my dear friend. You now know matters of policy too well to be ignorant how easily these affairs are arranged. I shall merely side against M. Fouquet, and nothing more; and in a war of party against party a weapon is a weapon." "No doubt." "And once on friendly terms again with the Queen-Mother, I may be dangerous towards some persons." "You are at perfect liberty to be so, Duchess." "You are not ignorant, I suppose, Duchess, that M. Fouquet is on the best terms with the King of Spain?" "Oh, I suppose so!" "If, therefore, you begin a party warfare against M. Fouquet, he will reply in the same way; for he too is at perfect liberty to do so, is he not?" "Oh, certainly!" "And as he is on good terms with Spain, he will make use of that friendship as a weapon." "You mean that he will be on good terms with the general of the order of the Jesuits, my dear Aramis." "That may be the case, Duchess." "And that, consequently, the pension I have been receiving from the order will be stopped." "I am greatly afraid it might be." "Well, I must contrive to console myself; for after Richelieu, after the Frondes, after exile, what is there left for Madame de Chevreuse to fear?" "The pension, you are aware, is forty-eight thousand livres." "Alas! I am quite aware of it." "Moreover, in party contests, you know, the friends of the enemy do not escape." "Ah! you mean that poor Laicques will have to suffer." "I am afraid it is almost inevitable, Duchess." |
|
|