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will　escape；　'tis　plain　that　the　cardinal　will　take　measures　of　precaution　and　that　the　prisoner　will　not　escape。〃
　　〃Good　Lord！〃　said　another　guard；　who　might　have　been　thought　asleep　on　a　bench；　but　who　had　lost　not　a　syllable　of　the　conversation；　〃do　you　suppose　that　men　can　escape　their　destiny？　If　it　is　written　yonder；　in　Heaven；　that　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　is　to　escape；　he　will　escape；　and　all　the　precautions　of　the　cardinal　will　not　prevent　it。〃
　　Mazarin　started。　He　was　an　Italian　and　therefore　superstitious。　He　walked　straight　into　the　midst　of　the　guards；　who　on　seeing　him　were　silent。
　　〃What　were　you　saying？〃　he　asked　with　his　flattering　manner；　〃that　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　had　escaped；　were　you　not？〃
　　〃Oh；　no；　my　lord！〃　said　the　incredulous　soldier。　〃He's　well　guarded　now；　we　only　said　he　would　escape。〃
　　〃Who　said　so？〃
　　〃Repeat　your　story；　Saint　Laurent；〃　replied　the　man；　turning　to　the　originator　of　the　tale。
　　〃My　lord；〃　said　the　guard；　〃I　have　simply　mentioned　the　prophecy　I　heard　from　a　man　named　Coysel；　who　believes　that；　be　he　ever　so　closely　watched　and　guarded；　the　Duke　of　Beaufort　will　escape　before　Whitsuntide。〃
　　〃Coysel　is　a　madman！〃　returned　the　cardinal。
　　〃No；〃　replied　the　soldier；　tenacious　in　his　credulity；　〃he　has　foretold　many　things　which　have　e　to　pass；　for　instance；　that　the　queen　would　have　a　son；　that　Monsieur　Coligny　would　be　killed　in　a　duel　with　the　Duc　de　Guise；　and　finally；　that　the　coadjutor　would　be　made　cardinal。　Well！　the　queen　has　not　only　one　son；　but　two；　then；　Monsieur　de　Coligny　was　killed；　and　　〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃but　the　coadjutor　is　not　yet　made　cardinal！〃
　　〃No；　my　lord；　but　he　will　be；〃　answered　the　guard。
　　Mazarin　made　a　grimace；　as　if　he　meant　to　say；　〃But　he　does　not　wear　the　cardinal's　cap；〃　then　he　added：
　　〃So；　my　friend；　it's　your　opinion　that　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　will　escape？〃
　　〃That's　my　idea；　my　lord；　and　if　your　eminence　were　to　offer　to　make　me　at　this　moment　governor　of　the　castle　of　Vincennes；　I　should　refuse　it。　After　Whitsuntide　it　would　be　another　thing。〃
　　There　is　nothing　so　convincing　as　a　firm　conviction。　It　has　its　own　effect　upon　the　most　incredulous；　and　far　from　being　incredulous；　Mazarin　was　superstitious。　He　went　away　thoughtful　and　anxious　and　returned　to　his　own　room；　where　he　summoned　Bernouin　and　desired　him　to　fetch　thither　in　the　morning　the　special　guard　he　had　placed　over　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　and　to　awaken　him　whenever　he　should　arrive。
　　The　guard　had；　in　fact；　touched　the　cardinal　in　the　tenderest　point。　During　the　whole　five　years　in　which　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　had　been　in　prison　not　a　day　had　passed　in　which　the　cardinal　had　not　felt　a　secret　dread　of　his　escape。　It　was　not　possible；　as　he　knew　well；　to　confine　for　the　whole　of　his　life　the　grandson　of　Henry　IV。；　especially　when　this　young　prince　was　scarcely　thirty　years　of　age。　But　however　and　whensoever　he　did　escape；　what　hatred　he　must　cherish　against　him　to　whom　he　owed　his　long　imprisonment；　who　had　taken　him；　rich；　brave；　glorious；　beloved　by　women；　feared　by　men；　to　cut　off　his　life's　best；　happiest　years；　for　it　is　not　life；　it　is　merely　existence；　in　prison！　Meantime；　Mazarin　redoubled　his　surveillance　over　the　duke。　But　like　the　miser　in　the　fable；　he　could　not　sleep　for　thinking　of　his　treasure。　Often　he　awoke　in　the　night；　suddenly；　dreaming　that　he　had　been　robbed　of　Monsieur　de　Beaufort。　Then　he　inquired　about　him　and　had　the　vexation　of　hearing　that　the　prisoner　played；　drank；　sang；　but　that　whilst　playing；　drinking；　singing；　he　often　stopped　short　to　vow　that　Mazarin　should　pay　dear　for　all　the　amusements　he　had　forced　him　to　enter　into　at　Vincennes。
　　So　much　did　this　one　idea　haunt　the　cardinal　even　in　his　sleep；　that　when　at　seven　in　the　morning　Bernouin　came　to　arouse　him；　his　first　words　were：　〃Well；　what's　the　matter？　Has　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　escaped　from　Vincennes？〃
　　〃I　do　not　think　so；　my　lord；〃　said　Bernouin；　〃but　you　will　hear　about　him；　for　La　Ramee　is　here　and　awaits　the　mands　of　your　eminence。〃
　　〃Tell　him　to　e　in；〃　said　Mazarin；　arranging　his　pillows；　so　that　he　might　receive　the　visitor　sitting　up　in　bed。
　　The　officer　entered；　a　large　fat　man；　with　an　open　physiognomy。　His　air　of　perfect　serenity　made　Mazarin　uneasy。
　　〃Approach；　sir；〃　said　the　cardinal。
　　The　officer　obeyed。
　　〃Do　you　know　what　they　are　saying　here？〃
　　〃No；　your　eminence。〃
　　〃Well；　they　say　that　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　is　going　to　escape　from　Vincennes；　if　he　has　not　done　so　already。〃
　　The　officer's　face　expressed　plete　stupefaction。　He　opened　at　once　his　little　eyes　and　his　great　mouth；　to　inhale　better　the　joke　his　eminence　deigned　to　address　to　him；　and　ended　by　a　burst　of　laughter；　so　violent　that　his　great　limbs　shook　in　hilarity　as　they　would　have　done　in　an　ague。
　　〃Escape！　my　lord　　escape！　Your　eminence　does　not　then　know　where　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　is？〃
　　〃Yes；　I　do；　sir；　in　the　donjon　of　Vincennes。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir；　in　a　room；　the　walls　of　which　are　seven　feet　thick；　with　grated　windows；　each　bar　as　thick　as　my　arm。〃
　　〃Sir；〃　replied　Mazarin；　〃with　perseverance　one　may　penetrate　through　a　wall；　with　a　watch…spring　one　may　saw　through　an　iron　bar。〃
　　〃Then　my　lord　does　not　know　that　there　are　eight　guards　about　him；　four　in　his　chamber；　four　in　the　antechamber；　and　that　they　never　leave　him。〃
　　〃But　he　leaves　his　room；　he　plays　at　tennis　at　the　Mall？〃
　　〃Sir；　those　amusements　are　allowed；　but　if　your　eminence　wishes　it；　we　will　discontinue　the　permission。〃
　　〃No；　no！〃　cried　Mazarin；　fearing　that　should　his　prisoner　ever　leave　his　prison　he　would　be　the　more　exasperated　against　him　if　he　thus　retrenched　his　amusement。　He　then　asked　with　whom　he　played。
　　〃My　lord；　either　with　the　officers　of　the　guard；　with　the　other　prisoners；　or　with　me。〃
　　〃But　does　he　not　approach　the　walls　while　playing？〃
　　〃Your　eminence　doesn't　know　those　walls；　they　are　sixty　feet　high　and　I　doubt　if　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　is　sufficiently　weary　of　life　to　risk　his　neck　by　jumping　off。〃
　　〃Hum！〃　said　the　cardinal；　beginning　to　feel　more　fortable。　〃You　mean　to　say；　then；　my　dear　Monsieur　la　Ramee　　〃
　　〃That　unless　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　can　contrive　to　metamorphose　himself　into　a　little　bird；　I　will　continue　answerable　for　him。〃
　　〃Take　care！　you　assert　a　great　deal；〃　said　Mazarin。　〃Monsieur　de　Beaufort　told　the　guards　who　took　him　to　Vincennes　that　he　had　often　thought　what　he　should　do　in　case　he　were　put　into　prison；　and　that　he　had　found　out　forty　ways　of　escaping。〃
　　〃My　lord；　if　among　these　forty　there　had　been　one　good　way　he　would　have　been　out　long　ago。〃
　　〃e；　e；　not　such　a　fool　as　I　fancied！〃　thought　Mazarin。
　　〃Besides；　my　lord　must　remember　that　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　is　governor　of　Vincennes；〃　continued　La　Ramee；　〃and　that　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　is　not　friendly　to　Monsieur　de　Beaufort。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　is　sometimes　absent。〃
　　〃When　he　is　absent　I　am　there。〃
　　〃But　when　you　leave　him；　for　instance？〃
　　〃Oh！　when　I　leave　him；　I　place　in　my　stead　a　bold　fellow　who　aspires　to　be　his　majesty's　special　guard。　I　promise　you　he　keeps　a　good　watch　over　the　prisoner。　During　the　three　weeks　that　he　has　been　with　me；　I　have　only　had　to　reproach　him　with　one　thing　　being　too　severe　with　the　prisoners。〃
　　〃And　who　is　this　Cerberus？〃
　　〃A　certain　Monsieur　Grimaud；　my　lord。〃
　　〃And　what　was　he　before　he　went　to　Vincennes？〃
　　〃He　was　in　the　country；　as　I　was　told　by　the　person　who　remended　him　to　me。〃
　　〃And　who　remended　this　man　to　you？〃
　　〃The　steward　of　the　Duc　de　Grammont。〃
　　〃He　is　not　a　gossip；　I　hope？〃
　　〃Lord　a　mercy；　my　lord！　I　thought　for　a　long　time　that　he　was　dumb；　he　answers　only　by　signs。　It　seems　his　former　master　accustomed　him　to　that。〃
　　〃Well；　dear　Monsieur　la　Ramee；〃　replied　the　cardinal　〃let　him　prove　a　true　and　thankful　keeper　and　we　will　shut　our　eyes　upon　his　rural　misdeeds　and　put　on　his　back　a　uniform　to　make　him　respectable；　and　in　the　pockets　of　that　uniform　some　pistoles　to　drink　to　the　king's　health。〃
　　Mazarin　was　large　in　promises；　　quite　unlike　the　virtuous　Monsieur　Grimaud　so　bepraised　by　La　Ramee；　for　he