him wherever he went. He selected a number of noblemen, all of
distinguished merit and influence, and created five of them dukes,
and thus secured to himself a party that would to some extent
balance the power of his adversaries.

He also made an effort to bring about a union between the Duke of
Orleans and the Condes, but failed, owing to the enormous demands
that each put forward. Conde demanded the government of Languedoc
for himself, of Burgundy for Enghien, and Normandy for the Duc de
Longueville, and the entire domains of his late brother-in-law,
Henry of Montmorency. Orleans on his part demanded the province
of Champagne, the three bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun, and
the town and castle of Sedan. As these demands, if granted, would
have rendered the two families all powerful, Mazarin gave up the
attempt, and decided that the best plan to prevent troubles was to
let these dangerous families continue to be hostile to each other.

As soon as he had finished his work of crushing the Importants,
Mazarin sent for Hector.

"Now, Monsieur Campbell," he said, "I have breathing time. The
conspiracy among the nobles is for the time crushed, and now that
they see that the queen is determined to protect me, and that I
am not afraid of using the power committed to me, I hope that it
will be some time before they venture to conspire again. I have
further strengthened my position by granting honours to many
distinguished gentlemen who were well inclined towards me, and
on whose support in the future I shall be able to rely. Now it is
time that I should turn to the man who has probably saved my life,
and to whose evidence given before the queen I in no small degree