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ked　at　you　and　your　four　men　with　fiery　eyes。〃
　　〃Speak　out；〃　answered　D'Artagnan。
　　〃I　had　only　to　cry　out　‘Help！'　for　you　and　for　your　panions　to　be　cut　to　pieces；　and　then　I　should　have　been　free。〃
　　〃Why　didn't　you　do　it？〃　asked　the　lieutenant。
　　〃e；　e！〃　cried　Rochefort。　〃Did　we　not　swear　friendship？　Ah！　had　any　one　but　you　been　there；　I　don't　say　　〃
　　D'Artagnan　bowed。　〃Is　it　possible　that　Rochefort　has　bee　a　better　man　than　I　am？〃　he　said　to　himself。　And　he　caused　himself　to　be　announced　to　the　minister。
　　〃Let　M。　de　Rochefort　enter；〃　said　Mazarin；　eagerly；　on　hearing　their　names　pronounced；　〃and　beg　M。　d'Artagnan　to　wait；　I　shall　have　further　need　of　him。〃
　　These　words　gave　great　joy　to　D'Artagnan。　As　he　had　said；　it　had　been　a　long　time　since　any　one　had　needed　him；　and　that　demand　for　his　services　on　the　part　of　Mazarin　seemed　to　him　an　auspicious　sign。
　　Rochefort；　rendered　suspicious　and　cautious　by　these　words；　entered　the　apartment；　where　he　found　Mazarin　sitting　at　the　table；　dressed　in　his　ordinary　garb　and　as　one　of　the　prelates　of　the　Church；　his　costume　being　similar　to　that　of　the　abbes　in　that　day；　excepting　that　his　scarf　and　stockings　were　violet。
　　As　the　door　was　closed　Rochefort　cast　a　glance　toward　Mazarin；　which　was　answered　by　one；　equally　furtive；　from　the　minister。
　　There　was　little　change　in　the　cardinal；　still　dressed　with　sedulous　care；　his　hair　well　arranged　and　curled；　his　person　perfumed；　he　looked；　owing　to　his　extreme　taste　in　dress；　only　half　his　age。　But　Rochefort；　who　had　passed　five　years　in　prison；　had　bee　old　in　the　lapse　of　a　few　years；　the　dark　locks　of　this　estimable　friend　of　the　defunct　Cardinal　Richelieu　were　now　white；　the　deep　bronze　of　his　plexion　had　been　succeeded　by　a　mortal　pallor　which　betokened　debility。　As　he　gazed　at　him　Mazarin　shook　his　head　slightly；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃This　is　a　man　who　does　not　appear　to　me　fit　for　much。〃
　　After　a　pause；　which　appeared　an　age　to　Rochefort；　Mazarin　took　from　a　bundle　of　papers　a　letter；　and　showing　it　to　the　count；　he　said：
　　〃I　find　here　a　letter　in　which　you　sue　for　liberty；　Monsieur　de　Rochefort。　You　are　in　prison；　then？〃
　　Rochefort　trembled　in　every　limb　at　this　question。　〃But　I　thought；〃　he　said；　〃that　your　eminence　knew　that　circumstance　better　than　any　one　　〃
　　〃I？　Oh　no！　There　is　a　congestion　of　prisoners　in　the　Bastile；　who　were　cooped　up　in　the　time　of　Monsieur　de　Richelieu；　I　don't　even　know　their　names。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　in　regard　to　myself；　my　lord；　it　cannot　be　so；　for　I　was　removed　from　the　Chatelet　to　the　Bastile　owing　to　an　order　from　your　eminence。〃
　　〃You　think　you　were。〃
　　〃I　am　certain　of　it。〃
　　〃Ah；　stay！　I　fancy　I　remember　it。　Did　you　not　once　refuse　to　undertake　a　journey　to　Brussels　for　the　queen？〃
　　〃Ah！　ah！〃　exclaimed　Rochefort。　〃There　is　the　true　reason！　Idiot　that　I　am；　though　I　have　been　trying　to　find　it　out　for　five　years；　I　never　found　it　out。〃
　　〃But　I　do　not　say　it　was　the　cause　of　your　imprisonment。　I　merely　ask　you；　did　you　not　refuse　to　go　to　Brussels　for　the　queen；　whilst　you　had　consented　to　go　there　to　do　some　service　for　the　late　cardinal？〃
　　〃That　is　the　very　reason　I　refused　to　go　back　to　Brussels。　I　was　there　at　a　fearful　moment。　I　was　sent　there　to　intercept　a　correspondence　between　Chalais　and　the　archduke；　and　even　then；　when　I　was　discovered　I　was　nearly　torn　to　pieces。　How　could　I；　then；　return　to　Brussels？　I　should　injure　the　queen　instead　of　serving　her。〃
　　〃Well；　since　the　best　motives　are　liable　to　misconstruction；　the　queen　saw　in　your　refusal　nothing　but　a　refusal　　a　distinct　refusal　she　had　also　much　to　plain　of　you　during　the　lifetime　of　the　late　cardinal；　yes；　her　majesty　the　queen　　〃
　　Rochefort　smiled　contemptuously。
　　〃Since　I　was　a　faithful　servant；　my　lord；　to　Cardinal　Richelieu　during　his　life；　it　stands　to　reason　that　now；　after　his　death；　I　should　serve　you　well；　in　defiance　of　the　whole　world。〃
　　〃With　regard　to　myself；　Monsieur　de　Rochefort；〃　replied　Mazarin；　〃I　am　not；　like　Monsieur　de　Richelieu；　all…powerful。　I　am　but　a　minister；　who　wants　no　servants；　being　myself　nothing　but　a　servant　of　the　queen's。　Now；　the　queen　is　of　a　sensitive　nature。　Hearing　of　your　refusal　to　obey　her　she　looked　upon　it　as　a　declaration　of　war；　and　as　she　considers　you　a　man　of　superior　talent；　and　consequently　dangerous；　she　desired　me　to　make　sure　of　you；　that　is　the　reason　of　your　being　shut　up　in　the　Bastile。　But　your　release　can　be　managed。　You　are　one　of　those　men　who　can　prehend　certain　matters　and　having　understood　them；　can　act　with　energy　　〃
　　〃Such　was　Cardinal　Richelieu's　opinion；　my　lord。〃
　　〃The　cardinal；〃　interrupted　Mazarin；　〃was　a　great　politician　and　therein　shone　his　vast　superiority　over　me。　I　am　a　straightforward；　simple　man；　that's　my　great　disadvantage。　I　am　of　a　frankness　of　character　quite　French。〃
　　Rochefort　bit　his　lips　in　order　to　prevent　a　smile。
　　〃Now　to　the　point。　I　want　friends；　I　want　faithful　servants。　When　I　say　I　want；　I　mean　the　queen　wants　them。　I　do　nothing　without　her　mands　　pray　understand　that；　not　like　Monsieur　de　Richelieu；　who　went　on　just　as　he　pleased。　So　I　shall　never　be　a　great　man；　as　he　was；　but　to　pensate　for　that；　I　shall　be　a　good　man；　Monsieur　de　Rochefort；　and　I　hope　to　prove　it　to　you。〃
　　Rochefort　knew　well　the　tones　of　that　soft　voice；　in　which　sounded　sometimes　a　sort　of　gentle　lisp；　like　the　hissing　of　young　vipers。
　　〃I　am　disposed　to　believe　your　eminence；〃　he　replied；　〃though　I　have　had　but　little　evidence　of　that　good…nature　of　which　your　eminence　speaks。　Do　not　forget　that　I　have　been　five　years　in　the　Bastile　and　that　no　medium　of　viewing　things　is　so　deceptive　as　the　grating　of　a　prison。〃
　　〃Ah；　Monsieur　de　Rochefort！　have　I　not　told　you　already　that　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　that？　The　queen　　cannot　you　make　allowances　for　the　pettishness　of　a　queen　and　a　princess？　But　that　has　passed　away　as　suddenly　as　it　came；　and　is　forgotten。〃
　　〃I　can　easily　suppose；　sir；　that　her　majesty　has　forgotten　it　amid　the　fetes　and　the　courtiers　of　the　Palais　Royal；　but　I　who　have　passed　those　years　in　the　Bastile　　〃
　　〃Ah！　mon　Dieu！　my　dear　Monsieur　de　Rochefort！　do　you　absolutely　think　that　the　Palais　Royal　is　the　abode　of　gayety？　No。　We　have　had　great　annoyances　there。　As　for　me；　I　play　my　game　squarely；　fairly；　and　above　board；　as　I　always　do。　Let　us　e　to　some　conclusion。　Are　you　one　of　us；　Monsieur　de　Rochefort？〃
　　〃I　am　very　desirous　of　being　so；　my　lord；　but　I　am　totally　in　the　dark　about　everything。　In　the　Bastile　one　talks　politics　only　with　soldiers　and　jailers；　and　you　have　not　an　idea；　my　lord；　how　little　is　known　of　what　is　going　on　by　people　of　that　sort；　I　am　of　Monsieur　de　Bassompierre's　party。　Is　he　still　one　of　the　seventeen　peers　of　France。〃
　　〃He　is　dead；　sir；　a　great　loss。　His　devotion　to　the　queen　was　boundless；　men　of　loyalty　are　scarce。〃
　　〃I　think　so；　forsooth；〃　said　Rochefort；　〃and　when　you　find　any　of　them；　you　march　them　off　to　the　Bastile。　However；　there　are　plenty　in　the　world；　but　you　don't　look　in　the　right　direction　for　them；　my　lord。〃
　　〃Indeed！　explain　to　me。　Ah！　my　dear　Monsieur　de　Rochefort；　how　much　you　must　have　learned　during　your　intimacy　with　the　late　cardinal！　Ah！　he　was　a　great　man。〃
　　〃Will　your　eminence　be　angry　if　I　read　you　a　lesson？〃
　　〃I！　never！　you　know　you　may　say　anything　to　me。　I　try　to　be　beloved；　not　feared。〃
　　〃Well；　there　is　on　the　wall　of　my　cell；　scratched　with　a　nail；　a　proverb；　which　says；　‘Like　master；　like　servant。'〃
　　〃Pray；　what　does　that　mean？〃
　　〃It　means　that　Monsieur　de　Richelieu　was　able　to　find　trusty　servants；　dozens　and　dozens　of　them。〃
　　〃He！　the　point　aimed　at　by　every　poniard！　Richelieu；　who　passed　his　life　in　warding　off　blows　which　were　forever　aimed　at　him！〃
　　〃But　he　did　ward　them　off；〃　said　De　Rochefort；　〃and　the　reason　was；　that　though　he　had　bitter　enemies　he　possessed　also　true　friends。　I　have　known　persons；〃　he　continued　　for　he　thought　he　might　avail　himself　of　the　opportunity　of　speaking　of　D'Artagnan　　〃who　by　their　sagacity　and　address　have　deceived　the　penetration　of　Cardinal　Richelieu；　who　by　their　valor　have　got　the　bett