"Dumas, Alexandre - The Man In The Iron Mask" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dumas Alexandre)

"Oh, he receives only twelve thousand livres' pension."
"Yes, but the King of Spain has some influence left; advised by M.
Fouquet, he might get M. Laicques shut up in some fortress."
"I have no great fear of that, my good friend; because, thanks to
a reconciliation with Anne of Austria, I will undertake that France
shall insist upon Laicques's liberation."
"True. In that case you will have something else to apprehend."
"What can that be?" said the duchess, pretending to be surprised and
terrified.
"You will learn- indeed, you must know it already- that having
once been an affiliated member of the order, it is not easy to leave
it; for the secrets that any particular member may have acquired are
unwholesome, and carry with them the germs of misfortune for whoever
may reveal them."
The duchess considered for a moment, and then said, "That is more
serious; I will think it over."
Notwithstanding the profound obscurity in which he sat, Aramis
seemed to feel a burning glance, like a hot iron, escape from his
friend's eyes and plunge into his heart.
"Let us recapitulate," said Aramis, determined to keep himself on
his guard, and gliding his hand into his breast, where he had a dagger
concealed.
"Exactly, let us recapitulate; good accounts make good friends."
"The suppression of your pension-"
"Forty-eight thousand livres and that of Laicques's twelve make
together sixty thousand livres; that is what you mean, I suppose?"
"Precisely; and I was trying to find out what would be your
equivalent for that."
"Five hundred thousand livres, which I shall get from the Queen."
"Or which you will not get."
"I know a means of procuring them," said the duchess, thoughtlessly.
This remark made the chevalier prick up his ears; and from the
moment when his adversary had committed this error, his mind was so
thoroughly on its guard that he seemed every moment to gain the
advantage more and more, and she, consequently, to lose it. "I will
admit, for argument's sake, that you obtain the money," he resumed;
"you will lose twice as much, having a hundred thousand livres'
pension to receive instead of sixty thousand, and that for a period of
ten years."
"Not so, for I shall only be subjected to this diminution of my
income during the period of M. Fouquet's remaining in power,- a period
which I estimate at two months."
"Ah!" said Aramis.
"I am frank, you see."
"I thank you for it, Duchess; but you would be wrong to suppose that
after M. Fouquet's disgrace the order would resume the payment of your
pension."
"I know a means of making the order come down with its money, as I
know a means of forcing the Queen-Mother to concede what I require."
"In that case, Duchess, we are all obliged to strike our flags to