But Fouquet caught her thought.

"Thus, madame," he promptly said, "such horses are made for kings, not for subjects; for kings ought never to yield to any one in anything." The king looked up.
"And yet," interrupted Anne of Austria, "you are not a king, that I know of, M.Fouquet." "Truly not, madame; therefore the horses only await the orders of his majesty to enter the royal stables; and if I allowed myself to try them, it was only for fear of offering to the king anything that was not positively wonderful." The king became quite red.
"You know, Monsieur Fouquet," said the queen, "that at the court of France it is not the custom for a subject to offer anything to his king." Louis started.
"I hoped, madame," said Fouquet, much agitated, "that my love for his majesty, my incessant desire to please him, would serve to compensate the want of etiquette.

It was not so much a present that I permitted myself to offer, as the tribute I paid." "Thank you, Monsieur Fouquet," said the king politely, "and I am gratified by your intention, for I love good horses; but you know I am not very rich; you, who are my superintendent of finances, know it better than any one else.

I am not able, then, however willing I may be, to purchase such a valuable set of horses." Fouquet darted a haughty glance at the queen-mother, who appeared to triumph at the false position in which the minister had placed himself, and replied:-- "Luxury is the virtue of kings, sire: it is luxury which makes them resemble God; it is by luxury they are more than other men.

With luxury a king nourishes his subjects, and honors them.