"You suspect me, Monsieur de Rochefort; I want him and you
and all to aid me."

"Begin with me, my lord; for after five or six years of
imprisonment it is natural to feel some curiosity as to
one's destination."

"You, my dear Monsieur de Rochefort, shall have the post of
confidence; you shall go to Vincennes, where Monsieur de
Beaufort is confined; you will guard him well for me. Well,
what is the matter?"

"The matter is that you have proposed to me what is
impossible," said Rochefort, shaking his head with an air of
disappointment.

"What! impossible? And why is it impossible?"

"Because Monsieur de Beaufort is one of my friends, or
rather, I am one of his. Have you forgotten, my lord, that
it is he who answered for me to the queen?"

"Since then Monsieur de Beaufort has become an enemy of the
State."

"That may be, my lord; but since I am neither king nor queen
nor minister, he is not my enemy and I cannot accept your
offer."