“Oh! oh!” murmured the poets.

“Quo non ascendam,” said Conrart, “seems impossible to me, when one is fortunate enough to wear the gown of the procureur-general.”

“On the contrary, it seems so to me without that gown,” said the obstinate Pelisson; “what is your opinion, Gourville?”

“I think the gown in question is a very good thing,” replied the latter; “but I equally think that a million and a half is far better than the gown.”

“And I am of Gourville’s opinion,” exclaimed Fouquet, stopping the discussion by the expression of his own opinion, which would necessarily bear down all the others.