“And what was the cause of this riot?” said Porthos.
D’Artagnan remarked upon the face of Aramis a complete indifference to this question of Porthos. “Why,” said he, fixing his eyes upon Aramis, “on account of two farmers of the revenues, friends of M. Fouquet, whom the king forced to disgorge their plunder, and then hanged them.”
A scarcely perceptible contraction of the prelate’s brow showed that he had heard D’Artagnan’s reply.
“Oh, oh!” said Porthos; “and what were the names of these friends of M. Fouquet?”
“MM. d’Eymeris and Lyodot,” said D’Artagnan. “Do you know those names, Aramis?”
“No,” said the prelate, disdainfully; “they sound like the names of financiers.”
“Exactly; so they were.”
“Oh! M. Fouquet allows his friends to be hanged, then,” said Porthos.
“And why not?” said Aramis. “Why, it seems to me——”
“If these culprits were hanged, it was by order of the king. Now M. Fouquet, although superintendent of the finances, has not, I believe, the right of life and death.”