THE SKIN OF THE BEAR.
Colbert handed the duchesse the letter, and gently drew aside the chair
behind which she was standing; Madame de Chevreuse, with a very slight
bow, immediately left the room. Colbert, who had recognized Mazarin's
handwriting and had counted the letters, rang to summon his secretary,
whom he enjoined to go in immediate search of M. Vanel, a counselor of
the parliament. The secretary replied that, according to his usual
practice, M. Vanel had just that moment entered the house, in order to
render to the intendant an account of the principal details of the
business which had been transacted during the day in the sitting of the
parliament. Colbert approached one of the lamps, read the letters of the
deceased cardinal over again, smiled repeatedly as he recognized the
great value of the papers Madame de Chevreuse had just delivered to him,
and burying his head in his hands for a few minutes, reflected
profoundly. In the meantime, a tall, large-made man entered the room;
his spare, thin face, steady look, and hooked nose, as he entered
Colbert's cabinet, with a modest assurance of manner, revealed a
character at once supple and decided--supple toward the master who could
throw him the prey, firm toward the dogs who might possibly be disposed
to dispute it with him. M. Vanel carried a voluminous bundle of papers
under his arm, and placed it on the desk on which Colbert was leaning
both his elbows, as he supported his head.
"Good-day, M. Vanel," said the latter, rousing himself from his
meditation.
"Good-day, monseigneur," said Vanel, naturally.
"You should say monsieur, and not monseigneur," replied Colbert, gently.
"We give the title of monseigneur to ministers," returned Vanel, with
extreme self-possession, "and you are a minister."
"Not yet."
"You are so in point of fact, and I call you monseigneur accordingly;
besides, you are my seigneur for me, and that is sufficient; if you
dislike my calling you monseigneur before others, allow me, at least, to
call you so in private."
Colbert raised his head as if to read, or to try to read, upon Vanel's
face how much actual sincerity entered into this protestation of
devotion. But the counselor knew perfectly well how to sustain the
weight of his look, even were it armed with the full authority of the
title he had conferred. Colbert sighed; he could not read anything in
Vanel's face, and Vanel might possibly be honest in his profession, but
Colbert recollected that this man, inferior to himself in every other
respect, was actually his superior through the fact of his having a wife
unfaithful to him. At the moment he was pitying this man's lot, Vanel
coldly drew from his pocket a perfumed letter, sealed with Spanish wax,
and held it toward Colbert saying, "A letter from my wife, monseigneur."
Colbert coughed, took, opened, and read the letter, and then put it
carefully away in his pocket, while Vanel turned over the leaves of the
papers he had brought with him with an unmoved and unconcerned air.
"Vanel," he said suddenly to his protégé, "you are a hard-working man,
I know; would twelve hours' daily labor frighten you?"
"I work fifteen hours every day."
"Impossible. A counselor need not work more than three hours a day in
the parliament."
"Oh! I am working up some returns for a friend of mine in the department
of accounts, and, as I still have time left on my hands, I am studying
Hebrew."
"Your reputation stands high in the parliament, Vanel."
"I believe so, monseigneur."
"You must not grow rusty in your post of counselor."
"What must I do to avoid it?"
"Purchase a high place. Mean and low ambitions are very difficult to
satisfy."
"Small purses are the most difficult to fill, monseigneur."
"What post have you in view?" said Colbert.
"I see none--not one."
"There is one, certainly, but one need be almost the king himself to be
able to buy it without inconvenience! and the king will not be inclined,
I suppose, to purchase the post of procureur-general."
At these words, Vanel fixed his at once humble and dull look upon
Colbert, who could hardly tell whether Vanel had comprehended him or
not. "Why do you speak to me, monseigneur," said Vanel, "of the post of
procureur-general to the parliament; I know no other post than the one
M. Fouquet fills."
"Exactly so, my dear counselor."
"You are not over fastidious, monseigneur; but before the post can be
bought, it must be offered for sale."
"I believe, Monsieur Vanel, that it will be for sale before long."
"For sale! What, M. Fouquet's post of procureur-general?"
"So it is said."
"The post which renders him so perfectly inviolable, for sale! Oh! oh!"
said Vanel, beginning to laugh.
"Would you be afraid, then, of the post?" said Colbert, gravely.
"Afraid! no, but--"
"Nor desirous of obtaining it?"
"You are laughing at me, monseigneur," replied Vanel; "is it likely that
a counselor of the parliament would not be desirous of becoming
procureur-general?"
"Well, Monsieur Vanel, since I tell you that the post, as report goes,
will be shortly for sale--"
"I cannot help repeating, monseigneur, that it is impossible; a man
never throws away the buckler, behind which he maintains his honor, his
fortune, his very life."
"There are certain men mad enough, Vanel, to fancy themselves out of the
reach of all mischances."
"Yes, monseigneur; but such men never commit their mad acts for the
advantage of the poor Vanels of the world."
"Why not?"
"For the very reason that those Vanels are poor."
"It is true that M. Fouquet's post might cost a good round sum. What
would you bid for it, Monsieur Vanel?"
"Everything I am worth."
"Which means?"
"Three or four hundred thousand francs."
"And the post is worth--"
"A million and a half at the very lowest. I know persons who have
offered one million seven hundred thousand francs, without being able to
persuade M. Fouquet to sell. Besides, supposing it were to happen that
M. Fouquet wished to sell, which I do not believe, in spite of what I
have been told--"
"Ah! you have heard something about it, then; who told you?"
"M. de Gourville, M. Pellisson, and others."
"Very good; if, therefore, M. Fouquet did wish to sell--"
"I could not buy it just yet, since the surintendant will only sell for
ready money, and no one has a million and a half to throw down at once."
Colbert suddenly interrupted the counselor by an imperious gesture; he
had begun to meditate. Observing his superior's serious attitude, and
his perseverance in continuing the conversation on this subject, Vanel
awaited the solution without venturing to precipitate it. "Explain fully
to me the privileges which this post confers."
"The right of impeaching every French subject who is not a prince of the
blood; the right of quashing all proceedings taken against any Frenchman
who is neither king nor prince. The procureur-general is the king's
right hand to punish the guilty; he is the means whereby also he can
evade the administration of justice. M. Fouquet, therefore, will be
able, by stirring up the parliaments, to maintain himself even against
the king; and the king could as easily, by humoring M. Fouquet, get his
edicts registered in spite of every opposition and objection. The
procureur-generalship can be made a very useful or very dangerous
instrument."
"Vanel, would you like to be procureur-general?" said Colbert, suddenly,
softening both his look and his voice.
"I!" exclaimed the latter; "I have already had the honor to represent to
you that I want about eleven hundred thousand francs to make up the
amount."
"Borrow that sum from your friends."
"I have no friends richer than myself."
"You are an honest and honorable man, Vanel."
"Ah! monseigneur, if the world were to think as you do!"
"I think so, and that is quite enough; and if it should be needed, I
will be your security."
"Do you forget the proverb, monseigneur?"
"What is that?"
"That he who becomes responsible for another has to pay for his
responsibility."
"Let that make no difference."
Vanel rose, quite bewildered by this offer, which had been so suddenly
and unexpectedly made to him. "You are not trifling with me,
monseigneur?" he said.
"Stay; you say that M. Gourville has spoken to you about M. Fouquet's
post?"
"Yes, and M. Pellisson also."
"Officially so, or only by their own suggestion?"
"These were their very words: 'These parliamentary people are as proud
as they are wealthy; they ought to club together two or three millions
among themselves, to present to their protector and great luminary, M.
Fouquet.'"
"And what did you reply?"
"I said that, for my own part, I would give ten thousand francs if
necessary."
"Ah! you like M. Fouquet, then!" exclaimed Colbert, with a look full of
hatred.
"No; but M. Fouquet is our chief. He is in debt--is on the high road to
ruin; and we ought to save the honor of the body of which we are
members."
"Exactly; and that explains why M. Fouquet will be always safe and
sound, so long as he occupies his present post," replied Colbert.
"Thereupon," said Vanel, "M. Gourville added, 'If we were to do anything
out of charity to M. Fouquet, it could not be otherwise than most
humiliating to him: and he would be sure to refuse it. Let the
parliament subscribe among themselves to purchase, in a proper manner,
the post of procureur-general; in that case all would go on well; the
honor of our body would be saved, and M. Fouquet's pride spared.'"
"That is an opening."
"I considered it so, monseigneur."
"Well, Monsieur Vanel, you will go at once, and find out either M.
Gourville or M. Pellisson. Do you know any other friend of M. Fouquet?"
"I know M. de la Fontaine very well."
"La Fontaine, the rhymester?"
"Yes, he used to write verses to my wife, when M. Fouquet was one of our
friends."
"Go to him, then, and try and procure an interview with the
surintendant."
"Willingly--but the sum itself?"
"On the day and hour you arrange to settle the matter, Monsieur Vanel,
you shall be supplied with the money; so do not make yourself uneasy on
that account."
"Monseigneur, such munificence! You eclipse kings even--you surpass M.
Fouquet himself."
"Stay a moment--do not let us mistake each other. I do not make you a
present of fourteen hundred thousand francs, Monsieur Vanel; for I have
children to provide for--but I will lend you that sum."
"Ask whatever interest, whatever security you please, monseigneur; I am
quite ready. And when all your requisitions are satisfied, I will still
repeat, that you surpass kings and M. Fouquet in munificence. What
conditions do you impose?"
"The repayment in eight years, and a mortgage upon the appointment
itself."
"Certainly. Is that all?"
"Wait a moment. I reserve to myself the right of purchasing the post
from you at one hundred and fifty thousand francs profit for yourself,
if, in your mode of filling the office, you do not follow out a line of
conduct in conformity with the interests of the king and with my
projects."
"Ah! ah!" said Vanel, in a slightly altered tone.
"Is there anything in that which can possibly be objectionable to you,
Monsieur Vanel?" said Colbert, coldly.
"Oh! no, no!" replied Vanel, quickly.
"Very good. We will sign an agreement to that effect whenever you like.
And now, go as quickly as you can to M. Fouquet's friends, obtain an
interview with the surintendant; do not be too difficult in making
whatever concessions may be required of you; and when once the
arrangements are all made--"
"I will press him to sign."
"Be most careful to do nothing of the kind; do not speak of signatures
with M. Fouquet, nor of deeds, nor even ask him to pass his word.
Understand this, otherwise you will lose everything. All you have to do
is to get M. Fouquet to give you his hand on the matter. Go, go."