Colbert was not far off. During the whole evening he hadremained in one of the corridors, chatting with Bernouin andBrienne, and commenting, with the ordinary skill of peopleof a court, upon the news which developed like air-bubblesupon the water, on the surface of each event. It isdoubtless time to trace, in a few words, one of the mostinteresting portraits of the age, and to trace it with asmuch truth, perhaps, as contemporary painters have been ableto do. Colbert was a man in whom the historian and themoralist have an equal right.

He was thirteen years older than Louis XIV., his futuremaster. Of middle height, rather lean than otherwise, he haddeep-set eyes, a mean appearance, his hair was coarse, blackand thin, which, say the biographers of his time, made himtake early to the skull-cap. A look of severity, orharshness even, a sort of stiffness, which, with inferiors,was pride, with superiors an affectation of superior virtue;a surly cast of countenance upon all occasions, even whenlooking at himself in a glass alone - such is the exteriorof this personage. As to the moral part of his character,the depth of his talent for accounts, and his ingenuity inmaking sterility itself productive, were much boasted of.Colbert had formed the idea of forcing governors of frontierplaces to feed the garrisons without pay, with what theydrew from contributions. Such a valuable quality madeMazarin think of replacing Joubert, his intendant, who hadrecently died, by M. Colbert, who had such skill in nibblingdown allowances. Colbert by degrees crept into court,notwithstanding his lowly birth, for he was the son of a manwho sold wine as his father had done, but who afterwardssold cloth, and then silk stuffs. Colbert, destined fortrade, had been clerk in Lyons to a merchant, whom he hadquitted to come to Paris in the office of a Chateletprocureur named Biterne. It was here he learned the art ofdrawing up an account, and the much more valuable one ofcomplicating it.

This stiffness of manner in Colbert had been of greatservice to him; it is so true that Fortune, when she has acaprice, resembles those women of antiquity, who, when theyhad a fancy, were disgusted by no physical or moral defectsin either men or things. Colbert, placed with MichelLetellier, secretary of state in 1648, by his cousinColbert, Seigneur de Saint-Penange, who protected him,received one day from the minister a commission for CardinalMazarin. His eminence was then in the enjoyment offlourishing health, and the bad years of the Fronde had notyet counted triple and quadruple for him. He was at Sedan,very much annoyed at a court intrigue in which Anne ofAustria seemed inclined to desert his cause.

Of this intrigue Letellier held the thread. He had justreceived a letter from Anne of Austria, a letter veryvaluable to him, and strongly compromising Mazarin; but, ashe already played the double part which served him so well,and by which he always managed two enemies so as to drawadvantage from both, either by embroiling them more and moreor by reconciling them, Michel Letellier wished to send Anneof Austria's letter to Mazarin, in order that he might beacquainted with it, and consequently pleased with his havingso willingly rendered him a service. To send the letter wasan easy matter; to recover it again, after havingcommunicated it, that was the difficulty. Letellier cast hiseyes around him, and seeing the black and meager clerk withthe scowling brow, scribbling away in his office, hepreferred him to the best gendarme for the execution of thisdesign.

Colbert was commanded to set out for Sedan, with positiveorders to carry the letter to Mazarin, and bring it back toLetellier. He listened to his orders with scrupulousattention, required the instructions to be repeated twice,and was particular in learning whether the bringing back wasas necessary as the communicating, and Letellier repliedsternly, "More necessary." Then he set out, traveled like acourier, without any care for his body, and placed in thehands of Mazarin, first a letter from Letellier, whichannounced to the cardinal the sending of the preciousletter, and then that letter itself. Mazarin colored greatlywhilst reading Anne of Austria's letter, gave Colbert agracious smile and dismissed him.

"When shall I have the answer, monseigneur?"

"To-morrow."

"To-morrow morning?"

"Yes, monsieur."

The clerk turned upon his heel, after making his very bestbow. The next day he was at his post at seven o'clock.Mazarin made him wait till ten. He remained patiently in theante-chamber; his turn having come, he entered; Mazarin gavehim a sealed packet. On the envelope of this packet werethese words: - Monsieur Michel Letellier, etc. Colbertlooked at the packet with much attention; the cardinal puton a pleasant countenance and pushed him towards the door.

"And the letter of the queen-mother, my lord?" askedColbert.

"It is with the rest, in the packet," said Mazarin.

"Oh! very well," replied Colbert, and placing his hatbetween his knees, he began to unseal the packet.

Mazarin uttered a cry. "What are you doing?" said he,angrily.

"I am unsealing the packet, my lord."

"You mistrust me, then, master pedant, do you? Did any oneever see such impertinence?"

"Oh! my lord, do not be angry with me! It is certainly notyour eminence's word I place in doubt, God forbid!"

"What then?"

"It is the carefulness of your chancery, my lord. What is aletter? A rag. May not a rag be forgotten? And look, mylord, look if I was not right. Your clerks have forgottenthe rag; the letter is not in the packet."

"You are an insolent fellow, and you have not looked," criedMazarin, very angrily, "begone and wait my pleasure." Whilstsaying these words, with perfectly Italian subtlety hesnatched the packet from the hands of Colbert, andre-entered his apartments.

But this anger could not last so long as not to be replacedin time by reason. Mazarin, every morning, on opening hiscloset door, found the figure of Colbert like a sentinelbehind the bench, and this disagreeable figure never failedto ask him humbly, but with tenacity, for the queen-mother'sletter. Mazarin could hold out no longer, and was obliged togive it up. He accompanied this restitution with a mostsevere reprimand, during which Colbert contented himselfwith examining, feeling, even smelling, as it were, thepaper, the characters, and the signature, neither more norless than if he had to deal with the greatest forger in thekingdom. Mazarin behaved still more rudely to him, butColbert, still impassible, having obtained a certainty thatthe letter was the true one, went off as if he had beendeaf. This conduct obtained for him afterwards the post ofJoubert; for Mazarin, instead of bearing malice, admiredhim, and was desirous of attaching so much fidelity tohimself.

It may be judged by this single anecdote, what the characterof Colbert was. Events, developing themselves, by degreesallowed all the powers of his mind to act freely. Colbertwas not long in insinuating himself into the good graces ofthe cardinal: he became even indispensable to him. The clerkwas acquainted with all his accounts without the cardinal'sever having spoken to him about them. This secret betweenthem was a powerful tie, and this was why, when about toappear before the Master of another world, Mazarin wasdesirous of taking good counsel in disposing of the wealthhe was so unwillingly obliged to leave in this world. Afterthe visit of Guenaud, he therefore sent for Colbert, desiredhim to sit down. and said to him: "Let us converse, MonsieurColbert, and seriously, for I am very ill, and I may chanceto die."

"Man is mortal," replied Colbert.

"I have always remembered that, M. Colbert, and I haveworked with that end in view. You know that I have amassed alittle wealth."

"I know you have, monseigneur."

"At how much do you estimate, as near as you can, the amountof this wealth, M. Colbert?"

"At forty millions, five hundred and sixty thousand, twohundred livres, nine cents, eight farthings," repliedColbert.

The cardinal heaved a deep sigh, and looked at Colbert withwonder, but he allowed a smile to steal across his lips.

"Known money," added Colbert, in reply to that smile.

The cardinal gave quite a start in bed. "What do you mean bythat?" said he.

"I mean," said Colbert, "that besides those forty millions,five hundred and sixty thousand, two hundred livres, ninecents, eight farthings, there are thirteen millions that arenot known."

"Ouf!" sighed Mazarin, "what a man!"

At this moment the head of Bernouin appeared through theembrasure of the door.

"What is it?" asked Mazarin, "and why do you disturb me?"

"The Theatin father, your eminence's director, was sent forthis evening; and he cannot come again to my lord till afterto-morrow."

Mazarin looked at Colbert, who rose and took his hat saying:"I shall come again, my lord."

Mazarin hesitated. "No, no," said he; "I have as muchbusiness to transact with you as with him. Besides, you aremy other confessor - and what I have to say to one theother may hear. Remain where you are, Colbert."

"But, my lord, if there be no secret of penitence, will thedirector consent to my being here?"

"Do not trouble yourself about that; come into the ruelle."

"I can wait outside, monseigneur."

"No, no, it will do you good to hear the confession of arich man."

Colbert bowed and went into the ruelle.

"Introduce the Theatin father," said Mazarin, closing thecurtains.