“As for the latter, we need not disturb ourselves about him.”
“No; because necessarily you will not require me to exile him, I suppose?”
Aramis, struck with admiration at the remark, said, “You will become very great, monseigneur.”
“You see,” added the prince, “that I know my lesson by heart, and with Heaven’s assistance, and yours afterwards, I shall seldom go wrong.”
“You have still an awkward pair of eyes to deal with, monseigneur.”
“Yes, the captain of the musketeers, M. d’Artagnan, your friend.”
“Yes; I can well say ‘my friend.’”
“He who escorted La Valliere to Le Chaillot; he who delivered up Monk, cooped in an iron box, to Charles II.; he who so faithfully served my mother; he to whom the crown of France owes so much that it owes everything. Do you intend to ask me to exile him also?”
“Never, sire. D’Artagnan is a man to whom, at a certain given time, I will undertake to reveal everything; but be on your guard with him, for if he discovers our plot before it is revealed to him, you or I will certainly be killed or taken. He is a bold and enterprising man.”
“I will think it over. Now tell me about M. Fouquet; what do you wish to be done with regard to him?”