"Upon your cash-box?" asked the musketeer.
"No, monsieur; upon that of M. Fouquet."
They saw, by the red flashes of the lightning against
the violet fog which the wind stamped upon the bankward sky, they saw
pass gravely, at six paces behind the governor, a man clothed in black
and masked by a visor of polished steel, soldered to a helmet of the
same nature, which altogether enveloped the whole of his
head.—Page [438].
D'Artagnan was surprised, but he took the order, which was in the king's own writing, and was for two hundred pistoles. "What!" thought he, after having politely thanked M. Brienne's clerk, "M. Fouquet is to pay for the journey, then! Mordioux! that is a bit of pure Louis XI.! Why was not this order upon the chest of M. Colbert? He would have paid it with such joy." And D'Artagnan, faithful to his principle of never letting an order at sight get cold, went straight to the house of M. Fouquet, to receive his two hundred pistoles.
CHAPTER CIX.
THE LAST SUPPER.
The surintendant had no doubt received advice of the approaching departure, for he was giving a farewell dinner to his friends. From the bottom to the top of the house, the hurry of the servants bearing dishes, and the diligence of the registres, denoted an approaching change in both offices and kitchen. D'Artagnan, with his order in his hand, presented himself at the bureaux, when he was told it was too late to pay cash, the chest was closed. He only replied, "On the king's service."