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LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. 309 "There is no question of the gown at all," retorted Pelis- son, annoyed at the laughter of those who were present. "On the contrary, it is the gown/' said Loret. ■ "Take the gown away from the procureur-general," said Conrart, "and we have Monsieur Fouquet left us still, of whom we have no reason to complain; but, as he is no pro- cureur-general without his gown, we agree with Monsieur de la Fontaine, and pronounce the gown to be nothing but a bugbear." ^' Pug hint rifius lejyoresque," said Loret. "The smiles and the graces," said some one present. "That is not the way," said Pelisson gravely, "that I translate lepores." "How do you translate it?" said La Fontaine. "Thus: The hares run away as soon as they see Mon- sieur Fouquet." A burst of laughter, in which the surintendant joined, followed this sally. "But why hares?" objects Conrart, vexed. "Because the hare will be the very one who will not be overpleased to see Monsieur Fouquet surrounded by all the attributes which his parliamentary strength and power con- fer on him." "Oh! oh!" murmured the poets. "Quo noil ascendant, said Conrart, "seems impossible to me, when one is fortunate enough to wear the gown of the procureur-gen eral. " "On the contrary, it seems so to me without that gown," said the obstinate Pelisson, "what is your opinion, De Gourville?" "I think the gown in question is a very good thing," re- plied the latter; "but I equally think a million and a half IS far better than the gown." "And I am of De Gourville's opinion," exclaimed Fou- quet, stopping the discussion by the expression of his own opinion, which would necessarily bear down all the others. "A million and a half," Pelisson grumbled out; "now I happen to know an Indian fable " "Tell it me," said La Fontaine; "I ought to know it, too." "Tell it, tell it," said the others. "There was a tortoise, which was, as usual, well pro- tected by its shell," said Pelisson; "whenever its enemies threatened it, it took refuge within its covering. One day some one said to it, 'You must feel very hot in such a house