“I do only what I ought to do, monsieur le chevalier; and I hope you will not bear me any malice on account of the rude reception my brother gave you.  He is of a sour, capricious disposition.”

“Monsieur,” said D’Artagnan, “believe me, nothing would grieve me more than an excuse from you.”

“Therefore I will make no more, and will content myself with asking you a favor.”

“Oh, monsieur.”

Fouquet drew from his finger a ring worth about three thousand pistoles.  “Monsieur,” said he, “this stone was given me by a friend of my childhood, by a man to whom you have rendered a great service.”

“A service — I?” said the musketeer; “I have rendered a service to one of your friends?”

“You cannot have forgotten it, monsieur, for it dates this very day.”

“And that friend’s name was — "

“M. d’Eymeris.”

“One of the condemned?”

“Yes, one of the victims.  Well!  Monsieur d’Artagnan, in return for the service you have rendered him, I beg you to accept this diamond.  Do so for my sake.”

“Monsieur! you — "

“Accept it, I say.  To-day is with me a day of mourning; hereafter you will, perhaps, learn why; to-day I have lost one friend; well, I will try to get another.”

“But, Monsieur Fouquet — "

“Adieu!  Monsieur d’Artagnan, adieu!” cried Fouquet, with much emotion; “or rather, au revoir.”  And the minister quitted the cabinet, leaving in the hands of the musketeer the ring and the twenty thousand livres.

“Oh!” said D’Artagnan, after a moment’s dark reflection.  “How on earth am I to understand what this means? Mordioux! I can understand this much, only:  he is a gallant man!  I will go and explain matters to M. Colbert.”  And he went out.

Chapter LXIV:  Of the Notable Difference D’Artagnan finds between Monsieur the Intendant and Monsieur the Superintendent.

M. Colbert resided in the Rue Neuve des Petits-Champs, in a house which had belonged to Beautru.  D’Artagnan’s legs cleared the distance in a short quarter of an hour.  When he arrived at the residence of the new favorite, the court was full of archers and police, who came to congratulate him, or to excuse themselves, according to whether he should choose to praise or blame.  The sentiment of flattery is instinctive with people of abject condition; they have the sense of it, as the wild animal has that of hearing and smell.  These people, or their leader, understood that there was a pleasure to offer to M. Colbert, in rendering him an account of the fashion in which his name had been pronounced during the rash enterprise of the morning.  D’Artagnan made his appearance just as the chief of the watch was giving his report.  He stood close to the door, behind the archers.  That officer took Colbert on one side, in spite of his resistance and the contradiction of his bushy eyebrows.  “In case,” said he, “you really desired, monsieur, that the people should do justice on the two traitors, it would have been wise to warn us of it; for, indeed, monsieur, in spite of our regret at displeasing you, or thwarting your views, we had our orders to execute.”