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"Whatisthematter？"askedFouquet。
"Thematteris，monseigneur，"repliedthepatronofthebark，"thatitisatrulyremarkablething—thatlightercomesalonglikeahurricane。"
Gourvillestarted，andmountedtothedeck，inordertoobtainabetterview。
Fouquetdidnotgoupwithhim，butsaidtoGourville，withrestrainedmistrust:
"Seewhatitis，dearfriend。"
Thelighterhadjustpassedtheelbow。？Itcameonsofast，thatbehinditmightbeplainlyseenthewhitewakeilluminedwiththefiresoftheday。
"Howtheygo，"repeatedtheskipper，"howtheygo！？Theymustbewellpaid！？Ididnotthink，"headded，"thatoarsofwoodcouldbehavebetterthanours，butyonderoarsmenprovethecontrary。"
"Welltheymay，"saidoneoftherowers，"theyaretwelve，andwebuteight。"
"Twelverowers！"repliedGourville，"twelve！impossible。"
Thenumberofeightrowersforalighterhadneverbeenexceeded，evenfortheking。？Thishonorhadbeenpaidtomonsieurlesurintendant，moreforthesakeofhastethanofrespect。
"Whatdoesitmean？"saidGourville，endeavoringtodistinguishbeneaththetent，whichwasalreadyapparent，travelerswhichthemostpiercingeyecouldnotyethavesucceededindiscovering。
"Theymustbeinahurry，foritisnottheking，"saidthepatron。
Fouquetshuddered。
"Bywhatsigndoyouknowthatitisnottheking？"saidGourville。
"Inthefirstplace，becausethereisnowhiteflagwithfleurs—de—lis，whichtheroyallighteralwayscarries。"
"Andthen，"saidFouquet，"becauseitisimpossibleitshouldbetheking，Gourville，asthekingwasstillinParisyesterday。"
Gourvillerepliedtothesurintendantbyalookwhichsaid:"Youwerethereyourselfyesterday。"
"Andbywhatsigndoyoumakeouttheyareinsuchhaste？"addedhe，forthesakeofgainingtime。
"Bythis，monsieur，"saidthepatron;"thesepeoplemusthavesetoutalongwhileafterus，andtheyhavealreadynearlyovertakenus。"
"Bah！"
saidGourville，"whotoldyouthattheydonotcomefromBeaugencyorfromMoiteven？"
"Wehaveseennolighterofthatshape，exceptatOrl閍ns。？ItcomesfromOrl閍ns，monsieur，andmakesgreathaste。"
FouquetandGourvilleexchangedaglance。？Thecaptainremarkedtheiruneasiness，and，tomisleadhim，Gourvilleimmediatelysaid:
"Somefriend，whohaslaidawagerhewouldcatchus;letuswinthewager，andnotallowhimtocomeupwithus。"
Thepatronopenedhismouthtosaythatitwasquiteimpossible，butFouquetsaidwithmuchhauteur，—"Ifitisanyonewhowishestoovertakeus，lethimcome。"
"Wecantry，monseigneur，"saidtheman，timidly。？"Come，youfellows，putoutyourstrength;row，row！"
"No，"
saidFouquet，"onthecontrary;stopshort。"
"Monseigneur！
whatfolly！"interruptedGourville，stoopingtowardshisear。
"Pullup！"repeatedFouquet。？Theeightoarsstopped，andresistingthewater，createdaretrogrademotion。？Itstopped。？Thetwelverowersintheotherdidnot，atfirst，perceivethismaneuver，fortheycontinuedtourgeontheirboatsovigorouslythatitarrivedquicklywithinmusket—shot。？Fouquetwasshort—sighted，Gourvillewasannoyedbythesun，nowfullinhiseyes;theskipperalone，withthathabitandclearnesswhichareacquiredbyaconstantstrugglewiththeelements，perceiveddistinctlythetravelersintheneighboringlighter。
"Icanseethem！"criedhe;"therearetwo。"
"Icanseenothing，"saidGourville。
"Youwillnotbelongbeforeyoudistinguishthem;intwentystrokesoftheiroarstheywillbewithintenpacesofus。"
Butwhatthepatronannouncedwasnotrealized;thelighterimitatedthemovementcommandedbyFouquet，andinsteadofcomingtojoinitspretendedfriends，itstoppedshortinthemiddleoftheriver。
"Icannotcomprehendthis，"saidthecaptain。
"NorI，"criedGourville。
"Youwhocanseesoplainlythepeopleinthatlighter，"resumedFouquet，"trytodescribethemtous，beforewearetoofaroff。"
"IthoughtIsawtwo，"repliedtheboatman。？"Icanonlyseeonenow，underthetent。"
"Whatsortofmanishe？"
"Heisadarkman，broad—shouldered，bull—necked。"
Alittlecloudatthatmomentpassedacrosstheazure，darkeningthesun。？Gourville，whowasstilllooking，withonehandoverhiseyes，becameabletoseewhathesought，andallatonce，jumpingfromthedeckintothechamberwhereFouquetawaitedhim:"Colbert！"
saidhe，inavoicebrokenbyemotion。
"Colbert！"
repeatedFouquet。？"Toostrange！
butno，itisimpossible！"
"ItellyouIrecognizedhim，andhe，atthesametime，soplainlyrecognizedme，thatheisjustgoneintothechamberonthepoop。？Perhapsthekinghassenthimonourtrack。"
"Inthatcasehewouldjoinus，insteadoflyingby。？Whatishedoingthere？"
"Heiswatchingus，withoutadoubt。"
"Idonotlikeuncertainty，"saidFouquet;"letusgostraightuptohim。"
"Oh！
monseigneur，donotdothat，thelighterisfullofarmedmen。"
"Hewishestoarrestme，then，Gourville？？Whydoeshenotcomeon？"
"Monseigneur，itisnotconsistentwithyourdignitytogotomeetevenyourruin。"
"Buttoallowthemtowatchmelikeamalefactor！"
"Nothingyetprovesthattheyarewatchingyou，monseigneur;bepatient！"
"Whatistobedone，then？"
"Donotstop;youwereonlygoingsofasttoappeartoobeytheking\'sorderwithzeal。？Redoublethespeed。？Hewholiveswillsee！"
"Thatisbetter。？Come！"criedFouquet;
"sincetheyremainstock—stillyonder，letusgoon。"
Thecaptaingavethesignal，andFouquet\'srowersresumedtheirtaskwithallthesuccessthatcouldbelookedforfrommenwhohadrested。？Scarcelyhadthelightermadeahundredfathoms，thantheother，thatwiththetwelverowers，resumeditsrapidcourse。？Thispositionlastedallday，withoutanyincreaseordiminutionofdistancebetweenthetwovessels。？TowardseveningFouquetwishedtotrytheintentionsofhispersecutor。？Heorderedhisrowerstopulltowardstheshore，asiftoeffectalanding。？Colbert\'slighterimitatedthismaneuver，andsteeredtowardstheshoreinaslantingdirection。？Bythemerestchance，atthespotwhereFouquetpretendedtowishtoland，astableman，fromthech鈚eauofLangeais，wasfollowingtheflowerybanksleadingthreehorsesinhalters。？Withoutdoubtthepeopleofthetwelve—oaredlighterfanciedthatFouquetwasdirectinghiscoursetothesehorsesreadyforflight，forfourorfivemen，armedwithmuskets，jumpedfromthelighterontotheshore，andmarchedalongthebanks，asiftogaingroundonthehorseman。？Fouquet，satisfiedofhavingforcedtheenemytoademonstration，consideredhisintentionevident，andputhisboatinmotionagain。？Colbert\'speoplereturnedlikewisetotheirs，andthecourseofthetwovesselswasresumedwithfreshperseverance。？Uponseeingthis，Fouquetfelthimselfthreatenedclosely，andinapropheticvoice—"Well，Gourville，"saidhe，whisperingly，"whatdidIsayatourlastrepast，atmyhouse？？AmIgoing，ornot，tomyruin？"
"Oh！
monseigneur！"
"Thesetwoboats，whichfolloweachotherwithsomuchemulation，asifweweredisputing，M。ColbertandI，aprizeforswiftnessontheLoire，dotheynotaptlyrepresentourfortunes;anddoyounotbelieve，Gourville，thatoneofthetwowillbewreckedatNantes？"
"Atleast，"objectedGourville，"thereisstilluncertainty;youareabouttoappearattheStates;youareabouttoshowwhatsortofmanyouare;
youreloquenceandgeniusforbusinessarethebucklerandswordthatwillservetodefendyou，ifnottoconquerwith。？TheBretonsdonotknowyou;andwhentheybecomeacquaintedwithyouyourcauseiswon！？Oh！letM。Colbertlooktoitwell，forhislighterisasmuchexposedasyourstobeingupset。？Bothgoquickly，hisfasterthanyours，itistrue;weshallseewhichwill
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