marie antoinette and her son-第124节

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murdered　king。　Truly；　it　is　ridiculous。　The　regicide　wants　to　atone
for　his　offence　by　hatching　a　fable；　and　making　a　king　out　of　a
manikin。〃

〃General；　no　fable；　and　no　manikin；〃　cried　Fouche；　with　a
threatening　voice。　〃The　son　of　the　unfortunate　king　is　alive；　and〃

〃Ah！〃　interrupted　Bonaparte；　triumphantly；　〃so　you　confess　at　last；
you　reveal　your　great　secret　at　length！　I　have　driven　the　sly　fox
out　of　his　hole　and　the　hunt　can　now　begin。　It　will　be　a　hot　chase；
I　promise　you；　and　I　shall　not　rest　till　I　have　drawn　the　skin　over
the　ears　of　the　fox；　or〃

〃Until　he　says　his　pater　peccavi？〃　asked　Fouche；　with　a　gentle
smile。

〃Until　he　delivers　to　me　the　changeling　whom　he　wants　to　use　as　his
Deus　ex　machina；〃　replied　Bonaparte。　〃My　dear　sir；　it　helps　you　not
at　all　to　begin　again　this　system　of　lies。　Your　anger　has　betrayed
you；　and　I　have　succeeded　in　outwitting　the　fox。　The　so…called　'son
of　the　king　is　alive；'　that　has　escaped　you；　and　you　cannot　take　it
back。〃

〃No；　it　cannot　be　taken　back；〃　replied　Fouche；　with　a　sigh。　〃I　have
disclosed　myself；　or　rather　I　have　been　outwitted。　You　are　in　all
things　a　hero　and　a　master；　in　cunning　as　much　as　in　bravery　and
discretion。　I　bow　before　you　as　before　a　genius　whom　God　Himself　has
sent　upon　the　earth；　to　bring　the　chaotic　world　into　order　again；　I
bow　before　you　as　before　my　lord　and　master；　and　instead　of　opposing
you；　I　will　henceforth　be　content　with　being　your　instrument；
provided　that　you　will　accept　me　as　such。〃

〃That　is；　Fouche；　provided　that　I　will　fulfil　your　conditions；〃
cried　Bonaparte；　with　a　shrug。　〃Very　well　name　your　conditions！
Without　circumlocution！　What　do　you　demand？〃

〃Consul；　in　order　that　we　may　understand　one　another；　we　must　both
be　open　and　unreserved。　Will　you　permit　me　to　be　free　with　you？〃

〃Certainly；〃　replied　Bonaparte；　with　a　condescending　nod。

〃Consul；　you　have　thrust　me　aside；　you　have　no　longer　confidence　in
me。　You　have　taken　from　me　the　post　of　minister　of　police；　and　given
it　to　my　enemy　Regnier。　That　has　given　me　pain；　it　has　injured　me；
for　it　has　branded　me　before　all　the　world　as　a　useless　man；　whom
Bonaparte　suspects。　Your　enemies　have　believed　that　my　alienation
from　you　would　conduce　to　their　advantage；　and　that　out　of　the
dismissed　police　prefect　they　might　gain　an　enemy　to　Bonaparte。
Conspirators　of　all　kinds　have　come　to　meemissaries　of　Count　de
Lille；　deputies　from　the　royalists　in　Vendee；　as　well　as　from　the
red　republicans；　by　whom　you；　Bonaparte；　are　as　much　hated　as　by　the
royalists；　for　they　will　never　forgive　you　for　putting　yourself　at
the　head　of　the　republic；　and　making　yourself　their　master。　All　of
these　parties　have　made　propositions　to　me；　all　of　them　want　me　to
join　them。　I　have　lent　my　ear　to　them　all；　I　have　been　informed　of
all　their　plans；　and　am　at　this　hour　the　sworn　ally　of　both　the
republicans　and　the　royalists。　Oh！　I　beg　you；〃　continued　Fouche；　as
Bonaparte　started　up；　and　opened　his　lips　to　speak〃I　beg　you；
general；　hear　me　to　the　end；　and　do　not　interrupt　me　till　I　have
told　you　all。Yes；　I　have　allied　myself　to　three　separate
conspiracies；　and　have　become　zealous　in　them　all。　There　is；　first；
that　of　the　republicans；　who　hate　you　as　a　tyrant　of　the　republic；
there　is；　in　the　second　place；　the　conspiracy　of　the　royalists；　who
want　to　put　the　Count　de　Lille　on　the　throne；　and　third；　there　is
that　of　the　genuine　Capetists；　who　want　to　make　the　'orphan　of　the
Temple'　Louis　XVII。　These　three　conspiracies　have　it　as　their　first
object　to　remove　and　destroy　Consul　Bonaparte。　Yes；　to　reach　this
end　the　three　have　united；　and　made　a　mutual　compromise。　Whichever
party　succeeds　in　murdering　you；　is　to　come　into　power；　and　the
others　are　to　relinquish　the　field　to　it：　and　so　if　Bonaparte　is
killed　by　a　republican　dagger；　the　republic　is　to　remain　at　present
the　recognized　form　of　government；　and　if　the　ball　of　a　royalist
removes　you；　the　republicans　strike　their　banner；　and　grant　that
France　shall　determine；　by　a　general　ballot；　〃whether　it　shall　be　a
republic　or　a　kingdom。〃

〃Well；〃　asked　Bonaparte；　calmly；　as　Fouche　closed；　and　cast　an
inquiring　glance　at　the　consul's　face；　which　was；　notwithstanding；
entirely　cold　and　impenetrable〃　well；　why　do　you　stop？　I　did　not
interrupt　you　with　a　question。　Go　on！〃

〃I　will；　consul。　I　have　made　myself　a　member　of　these　three
conspiracies；　for；　in　order　to　contend　with　the　heads　of　Cerberus；
one　must　have　them　all　joined；　and　in　order　to　be　the　conqueror　in　a
great　affair；　one　must　know　who　all　his　enemies　are；　and　what　are
all　their　plans。　I　know　all　the　plans　of　the　allies；　and　because　I
know　them；　it　is　within　my　power　to　bring　discontent　and　enmity
among　them；　using　for　this　end　the　third　conspiracythat　of　the
dependants　of　Louis　XVII。；　the　orphan　of　the　Temple。　Through
sympathy　with　him；　I　have　divided　the　party　of　royalists；　I　have
withdrawn　from　the　Count　de　Lille　many　of　his　important　dependants；
and　even　some　of　the　chief　conspirators；　who　came　to　Paris　to
contend　for　Louis　XVIII。；　have　recently　in　secret　bent　the　knee　to
Louis　XVII。；　and　sworn　fidelity　to　him。〃

〃That　is　not　true；〃　cried　Bonaparte；　vehemently。　〃You　are　telling　me
nurses'　stories；　with　which　children　may　be　frightened；　but　men　not。
There　are　no　secret　meetings　in　Paris！〃

〃General；　if　your　minister　of　police；　Regnier；　has　told　you　so；　he
only　shows　that　he　is　no　man　to　be　at　the　head　of　the　police；　and
knows　nothing　of　the　detective　service。　I　tell　you；　general；　there
are　secret　societies　in　Paris；　and　I　ought　to　know；　for　I　am　a
member　of　four　separate　ones。〃

〃Ah！　sir；〃　sneered　Bonaparte；　〃you　are　out　of　your　head！　Before；　you
spoke　of　three　conspiracies；　and　now　they　have　grown　to　be　four。〃

〃I　am　speaking　now　of　secret　societies；　consul；　for　not　every　secret
society　can　be　called　a　conspiracy。　Before；　when　I　was　giving
account　of　conspiracies；　I　mentioned　three；　now；　when　we　speak　of
secret　societies；　I　have　to　mention　a　fourth。　But　this　does　not
deserve　the　name　of　a　conspiracy；　for　its　object　is　not　murder　and
revolution；　nor　does　it　arm　itself　with　daggers　and　pistols。〃

〃I　should　be　curious　to　know　the　name　of　your　fourth　society；〃　cried
Bonaparte；　impatiently。

〃I　will　satisfy　your　curiosity；　general。　This　fourth　secret　society
bears　the　name　'the　Bonapartists；'　orallow　me　to　approach　you
closer；　that　the　walls　of　the　old　palace　may　not　hear　the　wordor
'the　Imperialists。'　〃

Bonaparte　shrank　back；　and　a　glow　of　red　passed　for　a　moment　over
his　cheeks。　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃

〃I　mean　by　that；　general；　what　I　have　already　said：　your　brow　is
made　not　to　wear　laurels　alone；　but　a　crown；　and　there　is　only　one
way　to　destroy　the　other　three　conspiraciesthe　way　proposed　by　the
fourth　secret　society。　In　order　to　make　the　efforts　of　the
republicans　and　royalists　ineffective；　and　to　tread　them　under　your
feet；　France　needs　an　emperor。〃

〃And　do　you　want　to　make　your　manikin；　Louis　XVII。；　Emperor　of
France？〃

〃No；　general；〃　answered　Fouche；　solemnly〃no；　I　want　to　make　Consul
Bonaparte　Emperor　of　the　French！〃

The　consul　trembled；　and　his　eyes　flashed　through　the　apartment；　the
former　cabinet　of　Louis　XVI。；　as　if　he　wanted　to　convince　himself
that　no　one　had　heard　this　dangerous　word　of　the　future。　Then　he
slowly　bent　forward　without　meeting　Fouche's　looks；　which　were
intently　fixed　upon　him。

A　pause　ensueda　long；　anxious　pause。　Then　Bonaparte　slowly　raised
his　eye　again；　and　now　it　was　filled　as　with　sunlight。

〃Is　your　fourth　secret　society　numerous？〃　he　asked；　with　that
magical　smile　which　won　all　hearts。

〃It　comprises　artists；　poets；　scholars；　and　above　every　thing　else；
officers　and　generals；〃　replied　Fouche。　〃It　grows　more　numerous
every　day；　and　as　fortunately　I　have　only　been　deposed　from　my　place
of　minister　of　police；　but　still　remain　a　member　of　the　senate　of
the　republic；　it　has　been　my　effort　to　gain　over　in　the　senate
influential　members　for　my　secret　society　of　imperialists。　If　my
hopes　are　crowned　with　success；　the　secret　society　will　soon　become
an　open　one；　and　the　senate　will　apply　to　you　with　a　public　request
to　put　an　end　to　all　these　conspiracies　and　intrigues；　to　place
yourself　at　the　head　of　France；　and　accept　the　imperial　crown　which
the　senate　offers　you。　But〃

〃I　comprehend　your　'but；'　Fouche；〃　interrupted　Bonaparte；　eagerly。
〃You　want　to　make　your　conditions。　An　imperial　crown　does　not　fall
direct　from　heaven　upon　the　head　of　a　man；　there　must　be　hands　there
to　take　it；　and　it　might　happen　that　they　would　be　crushed　by　the
falling　crown。　They　must　be　paid　for　their　heroism；　therefore。　Let
us　suppose；　then；　that　I　give　credence　to　all　your　stories；　even
that　about　the　empire　of　the　futuretell　me；　now；　what　you　demand。〃

〃General；　if　I　show　you　and　all　France　by　facts　that　the　country　is
rent　by　conspiracies；　that　the　cancer　of　secret　societies　is　eating
into　the　very　marrow　of　the　land；　and　imperilling　all　its
institutions；　will　you　confess　to　me　then　that　I　am　better　adapted
to　be　the　head　of　the　police　than　M。　Regnier　d'Angely；　who　insists
and　dares　to　say　to　you　that　there　are　no　secret　societies　in
Franc