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〃'Be frank；' said a voice； as a former Conventional rose from a corner
of the boudoir and showed himself； 'if Bonaparte returns a victor； we
shall adore him； if vanquished； we'll bury him！'
〃'So you were there； Malin； were you？' said the Prince； without
betraying the least feeling。 'Then you must be one of us； sit down'；
and he made him a sign to be seated。
〃It is to this one circumstance that Malin； a Conventional of small
repute； owes the position he afterwards obtained and； ultimately； that
in which we see him at the present moment。 He proved discreet； and the
ministers were faithful to him； but they made him the pivot of the
machine and the cat's…paw of the machination。 To return to my tale。
〃'Bonaparte has never yet been vanquished；' cried Carnot； in a tone of
conviction； 'and he has just surpassed Hannibal。'
〃'If the worst happens； here is the Directory；' said Sieyes； artfully；
indicating with a wave of his hand the five persons present。
〃'And；' added the Prince； 'we are all committed to the maintenance of
the French republic； we three priests have literally unfrocked
ourselves； the general； here； voted for the death of the king； and
you；' he said； turning to Malin； 'have got possession of the property
of /emigres/。'
〃'Yes； we have all the same interests；' said Sieyes； dictatorially；
'and our interests are one with those of the nation。'
〃'A rare thing；' said the Prince； smiling。
〃'We must act；' interrupted Fouche。 'In all probability the battle is
now going on； the Austrians outnumber us； Genoa has surrendered；
Massena has committed the great mistake of embarking for Antibes； it
is very doubtful if he can rejoin Bonaparte； who will then be reduced
to his own resources。'
〃'Who gave you that news？' asked Carnot。
〃'It is sure；' replied Fouche。 'You will have the courier when the
Bourse opens。'
〃Those men didn't mince their words；〃 said de Marsay； smiling； and
stopping short for a moment。
〃'Remember；' continued Fouche； 'it is not when the news of a disaster
comes that we can organize clubs； rouse the patriotism of the people；
and change the constitution。 Our 18th Brumaire ought to be prepared
beforehand。'
〃'Let us leave the care of that to the minister of police；' said the
Prince； bowing to Fouche； 'and beware ourselves of Lucien。' （Lucien
Bonaparte was then minister of the interior。）
〃'I'll arrest him；' said Fouche。
〃'Messieurs！' cried Sieyes； 'our Directory ought not to be subject to
anarchical changes。 We must organize a government of the few； a Senate
for life； and an elective chamber the control of which shall be in our
hands； for we ought to profit by the blunders of the past。'
〃'With such a system； there would be peace for me；' remarked the ex…
bishop。
〃'Find me a sure man to negotiate with Moreau； for the Army of the
Rhine will be our sole resource；' cried Carnot； who had been plunged
in meditation。
〃Ah！〃 said de Marsay； pausing； 〃those men were right。 They were grand
in this crisis。 I should have done as they did〃； then he resumed his
narrative。
〃'Messieurs！' cried Sieyes； in a grave and solemn tone。
〃That word 'Messieurs！' was perfectly understood by all present； all
eyes expressed the same faith； the same promise； that of absolute
silence； and unswerving loyalty to each other in case the First Consul
returned triumphant。
〃'We all know what we have to do；' added Fouche。
〃Sieyes softly unbolted the door； his priestly ear had warned him。
Lucien entered the room。
〃'Good news！' he said。 'A courier has just brought Madame Bonaparte a
line from the First Consul。 The campaign has opened with a victory at
Montebello。'
〃The three ministers exchanged looks。
〃'Was it a general engagement？' asked Carnot。
〃'No； a fight； in which Lannes has covered himself with glory。 The
affair was bloody。 Attacked with ten thousand men by eighteen
thousand； he was only saved by a division sent to his support。 Ott is
in full retreat。 The Austrian line is broken。'
〃'When did the fight take place？' asked Carnot。
〃'On the 8th；' replied Lucien。
〃'And this is the 13th；' said the sagacious minister。 'Well； if that
is so； the destinies of France are in the scale at the very moment we
are speaking。'〃
（In fact； the battle of Marengo did begin at dawn of the 14th。）
〃'Four days of fatal uncertainty！' said Lucien。
〃'Fatal？' said the minister of foreign affairs； coldly and
interrogatively。
〃'Four days；' echoed Fouche。
〃An eye…witness told me；〃 said de Marsay； continuing the narrative in
his own person； 〃that the consuls； Cambaceres and Lebrun； knew nothing
of this momentous news until after the six personages returned to the
salon。 It was then four in the morning。 Fouche left first。 That man of
dark and mysterious genius； extraordinary； profound； and little
understood； but who undoubtedly had the gifts of a Philip the Second；
a Tiberius and a Borgia； went at once to work with an infernal and
secret activity。 His conduct at the time of the affair at Walcheren
was that of a consummate soldier； a great politician； a far…seeing
administrator。 He was the only real minister that Napoleon ever had。
And you all know how he then alarmed him。
〃Fouche； Massena and the Prince；〃 continued de Marsay； reflectively；
〃are the three greatest men； the wisest heads in diplomacy； war； and
government； that I have ever known。 If Napoleon had frankly allied
them with his work there would no longer be a Europe； only a vast
French Empire。 Fouche did not finally detach himself from Napoleon
until he saw Sieyes and the Prince de Talleyrand shoved aside。
〃He now went to work； and in three days （all the while hiding the hand
that stirred the ashes of the Montagne） he had organized that general
agitation which then arose all over France and revived the
republicanism of 1793。 As it is necessary that I should explain this
obscure corner of our history； I must tell you that this agitation；
starting from Fouche's own hand （which held the wires of the former
Montagne）； produced republican plots against the life of the First
Consul； which was in peril from this cause long after the victory of
Marengo。 It was Fouche's sense of the evil he had thus brought about
which led him to warn Napoleon； who held a contrary opinion； that
republicans were more concerned than royalists in the various
conspiracies。
〃Fouche was an admirable judge of men； he relied on Sieyes because of
his thwarted ambition； on Talleyrand because he was a great
/seigneur/； on Carnot for his perfect honesty； but the man he dreaded
was the one whom you have seen here this evening。 I will now tell how
he entangled that man in his meshes。
〃Malin was only Malin in those days；a secret agent and correspondent
of Louis XVIII。 Fouche now compelled him to reduce to writing all the
proclamations of the proposed revolutionary government； its warrants
and edicts against the factions of the 18th Brumaire。 An accomplice
against his own will； Malin was required to have these documents
secretly printed； and the copies held ready in his own house for
distribution if Bonaparte were defeated。 The printer was subsequently
imprisoned and detained two months； he died in 1816； and always
believed he had been employed by a Montagnard conspiracy。
〃One of the most singular scenes ever played by Fouche's police was
caused by the blunder of an agent； who despatched a courier to a
famous banker of that day with the news of a defeat at Marengo。
Victory； you will remember； did not declare itself for Napoleon until
seven o'clock in the evening of the battle。 At midday the banker's
agent； considering the day lost and the French army about to be
annihilated； hastened to despatch the courier。 On receipt of that news
Fouche was about to put into motion a whole army of bill…posters and
cries； with a truck full of proclamations； when the second courier
arrived with the news of the triumph which put all France beside
itself with joy。 There were heavy losses at the Bourse； of course。 But
the criers and posters who were gathered to announce the political
death of Bonaparte and to post up the new proclamations were only kept
waiting awhile till the news of the victory could be struck off！
〃Malin； on whom the whole responsibility of the plot of which he had
been the working agent was likely to fall if it ever became known； was
so terrified that he packed the proclamations and other papers in
carts and took them down to Gondreville in the night…time； where no
doubt they were hidden in the cellars of that chateau； which he had
bought in the name of another manwho was it； by the bye？ he had him
made chief…justice of an Imperial courtAh！ Marion。 Having thus
disposed of these damning proofs he returned to Paris to congratulate
the First Consul on his victory。 Napoleon； as you know； rushed from
Italy to Paris after the battle of Marengo with alarming celerity。
Those who know the secret history of that time are well aware that a
message from Lucien brought him back。 The minister of the interior had
foreseen the attitude of the Montagnard party； and though he had no
idea of the quarter from which the wind really blew； he feared a
storm。 Incapable of suspecting t