“I thank your excellency most heartily for your kind intentions towards me, but any ambition that I may have had is already much more than gratified.  I have never for a moment thought of, or even wished that I might some day become lord of a fair estate and a noble of France.  I had not ventured to hope that I might become colonel of a regiment for another fifteen years.  Both these things have, thanks to the kind appreciation of her majesty and yourself for a very simple act of duty, fallen to me.  If I might ask a boon, it would be that my regiment may be sent to join the force of Marshal Turenne.  So long as there was danger here I should not have wished to be removed from a position where I might be of some assistance, however slight, to the queen and yourself, but now that all danger is at an end I should be glad to return to active duty.  I have endeavoured humbly to make Marshal Turenne my model.  He has but one thought and one desire —­ namely, to do his duty and to make the soldiers under his command contented and happy, but I have no hope of ever emulating his great merits as a commander.”

“That request is easily granted,” Mazarin said, and drawing a sheet of paper towards him, he wrote: 

The regiment of Poitou will at once proceed to the Rhine, where it will place itself under the orders of Marshal Turenne.

He added his signature, and handed the paper to Hector.

“That counts for nothing,” he said.  “You must remember that life is short and, especially in the case of a minister of France, uncertain.  In your own case you might be disabled in the field and unable to serve further.  The advent of a party hostile to me in power would doubtless be signalized by acts of vengeance against those who have been friends, and estates change hands so frequently in France that la Villar might well be confiscated.  No man is above the chances of fortune.  I have agents in England, and have this morning given an order to my intendant to place in the hands of Monsieur Wilson, a well known citizen of London, a goldsmith, the sum of fifty thousand crowns to stand in your name, and to be payable to your order.  Here is his address.  It is but a small sum for the saving of my life, but it will place you above the risk of the contingencies of fortune in this country.  I wish for no thanks,” he said, with a wave of his hand as Hector was about to speak.  “I have given more for the most trifling favours.  I now bid you adieu, and doubt not that I shall hear that you and your regiment have greatly distinguished yourselves in the east, where hostilities will in all probability shortly be commenced.  You had better present yourself at the levee this evening to make your adieus to the queen.”

This Hector did, and early the next morning rode with his two companies to St. Denis, where the news that the regiment was to march towards the Rhine was received with great satisfaction.  It was now the middle of October, and when, after ten days’ march, the regiment reached Epernay, they heard that Turenne had withdrawn his troops from the Rhine, where the Imperialists had already gone into winter quarters, and had stationed them in the various towns of Lorraine.  His headquarters were at Nancy.  Turenne greeted him warmly upon his arrival.