“Ah, ah,” said Louis XIV., who doubtless knew the meaning of that triple noise.  “How could I say there was but one king in France!  I was mistaken, there are two.”

As he spoke or thought thus, the door opened, and the superintendent of finances, Fouquet, appeared before his nominal master.  It was he who made the noise in the ante-chamber, it was his horse that made the noise in the courtyard.  In addition to all this, a loud murmur was heard along his passage, which did not die away till some time after he had passed.  It was this murmur which Louis XIV. regretted so deeply not hearing as he passed, and dying away behind him.

“He is not precisely a king, as you fancy,” said Anne of Austria to her son; “he is only a man who is much too rich — that is all.”

Whilst saying these words, a bitter feeling gave to these words of the queen a most hateful expression; whereas the brow of the king, calm and self-possessed, on the contrary, was without the slightest wrinkle.  He nodded, therefore, familiarly to Fouquet, whilst he continued to unfold the paper given to him by the usher.  Fouquet perceived this movement, and with a politeness at once easy and respectful, advanced towards the queen, so as not to disturb the king.  Louis had opened the paper, and yet he did not read it.  He listened to Fouquet paying the most charming compliments to the queen upon her hand and arm.  Anne of Austria’s frown relaxed a little, she even almost smiled.  Fouquet perceived that the king, instead of reading, was looking at him; he turned half round, therefore, and while continuing his conversation with the queen, faced the king.

“You know, Monsieur Fouquet,” said Louis, “how ill M. Mazarin is?”

“Yes, sire, I know that,” said Fouquet; “in fact, he is very ill.  I was at my country-house of Vaux when the news reached me; and the affair seemed so pressing that I left at once.”

“You left Vaux this evening, monsieur?”

“An hour and a half ago, yes, your majesty,” said Fouquet, consulting a watch, richly ornamented with diamonds.

“An hour and a half!” said the king, still able to restrain his anger, but not to conceal his astonishment.

“I understand you, sire.  Your majesty doubts my word, and you have reason to do so; but I have really come in that time, though it is wonderful!  I received from England three pairs of very fast horses, as I had been assured.  They were placed at distances of four leagues apart, and I tried them this evening.  They really brought me from Vaux to the Louvre in an hour and a half, so your majesty sees I have not been cheated.”  The queen-mother smiled with something like secret envy.  But Fouquet caught her thought.  “Thus, madame,” he promptly said, “such horses are made for kings, not for subjects; for kings ought never to yield to any one in anything.”

The king looked up.

“And yet,” interrupted Anne of Austria, “you are not a king, that I know of, M. Fouquet.”