marie antoinette and her son-第143章

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general；　when　the　door　of　the　cabinet　was　opened；　and　the　Mameluke
Roustan　appeared　at　the　entrance。

〃Consul；〃　he　said；　softly；　〃Councillor　Real　is　again　here；　and
pressingly　desires　an　audience。〃

Bonaparte　rose；　and　threw　away　the　knife。　〃Real！〃　he　cried　in　a　loud
tone。

The　man　who　was　summoned　immediately　appeared　at　the　open　doora
tall；　grave　personage；　with　a　face　so　pale　and　distorted　that
Bonaparte　noticed　it；　despite　his　great　agitation。

〃What　is　it；　Real？〃　he　asked；　eagerly。　〃Have　you　spoken　with　the
condemned　man？〃

〃Yes；　general；　I　have　spoken　with　him；〃　whispered　Real；　with　pale
lips。

〃And　it　is　as　I　said；　is　it　not？　This　Doctor　Querolle　has　only
pretended　to　be　able　to　make　great　disclosures；　only　to　prolong　his
own　life　a　few　hours。　He　has　poisoned　his　wife；　in　order　to　marry
his　mistress；　and　the　poisoner　is　executed。〃

〃General；〃　cried　Fouche；　almost　with　an　air　of　joy；　〃I　knew
Querolle；　and　I　knew　that　his　wife　poisoned　herself。　Querolle　is　not
a　poisoner。〃

〃What　is　he　then；　M。　Omniscience？〃

〃General；　he　is　a　conspirator！〃

〃A　conspirator！〃　repeated　Bonaparte；　and　now　his　troubled　face
turned　again　to　the　councillor。　〃Real；　what　do　you　know？　What　did
the　condemned　man　say　to　you？〃

〃Consul；　he　swore　that　he　was　innocent　of　the　death　of　his　wife；　but
he　acknowledged　himself　a　member　of　a　conspiracy；　the　object　of
which　is　to　murder　General　Bonaparte。　He　asserts　that　the　royalists
and　republicans　have　allied　themselves；　that　fifty　emissaries　of　the
Count　de　Lille　and　the　Duke　d'Enghien；　Pichegru　and　Georges　at　their
head；　have　crept　into　Paris；　that　they　had　an　interview　yesterday
with　General　Moreau；　and　with　the　so…called　King　Louis　XVII。；　who　is
secreted　in　Paris；　and　that　at　this　hour　those　fifty　men　are
prowling　around　the　streets　of　the　city；　and　are　watching　the
Tuileries；　waiting　for　an　opportunity　to　kill　the　First　Consul。〃

The　troubled　eye　of　Bonaparte　turned　slowly　from　the　pale　face　of
Councillor　Real　to　the　calm；　sagacious　face　of　Fouche；　which　guarded
itself　well　from　expressing　any　token　of　triumph　and　satisfaction。
The　consul　then　walked　slowly　through　the　room；　and　with　his　foot
pushed　open　the　door　leading　into　the　great　reception…room；　in
which；　at　this　hour　every　day；　all　the　dignitaries　of　the　republic
were　assembled；　to　receive　the　orders　of　Bonaparte。

〃Murat！〃　cried　Bonaparte；　loudly；　and　at　once　the　person　summoned；
General　Murat；　at　that　time　governor　of　Paris；　appeared　at　the　door
of　the　cabinet。

〃Murat；〃　said　Bonaparte；　in　the　tones　in　which　he　issued　his
commands　on　the　battle…field；　〃give　orders　at　once　that　the　gates　of
Paris　be　closed；　and　that　no　stranger　be　allowed　to　go　out　of　the
city　till　you　have　further　orders。　You　will　come　to　me　in　an　hour；
and　receive　a　proclamation　to　your　soldiers；　which　you　will　sign；
have　it　printed　and　posted　at　the　street…corners　of　Paris。　Make　all
these　preparations！　Go！〃

Murat　withdrew　from　the　room　with　a　salutation　of　deference；　and　now
the　commanding　voice　of　Bonaparte　summoned　his　chief　adjutant　from
the　reception…room。

〃Duroc；〃　said　the　First　Consul；　with　calm；　almost　solemn　voice；　〃you
will　go　with　twelve　soldiers　in　pursuit　of　General　Moreau；　and
arrest　him　wherever　you　find　him。〃

The　noble；　open　face　of　Duroc　grew　pale；　and　put　on　an　expression　of
horror　and　amazement。　〃General；〃　he　whispered；　〃I　beg　that…〃

But　this　time　Bonaparte　would　not　listen　to　the　soothing　words　of
his　favorite。

〃No　replies！〃　he　thundered。　〃You　have　only　to　obey！　Nothing　more！〃

Duroc；　pale　and　agitated；　withdrew；　and　Bonaparte　closed　the　door　of
the　cabinet。　〃Real；〃　he　said；　〃return　to　the　prison　of　the　condemned
man；　take　him　his　pardon；　and　bring　him　to　me；　that　I　may　hear　him
myself。　Hasten！〃

Real　withdrew；　and　Bonaparte　and　Fouche　remained　alone。

〃You　have　given　your　proofs；　Fouche；　and　now　I　believe　you。　When
wolves　are　to　be　hunted　down　you　are　a　good　bloodhound；　and　we　will
begin　the　chase。　I　make　you　from　this　moment　chief　of　the　secret
police；　your　first　duty　will　be　to　bring　this　matter　to　an　end；　and
help　me　to　tear　to　pieces　the　whole　murderous　web；　your　reward　being
that　I　will　nominate　you　again　minister　of　police。　＇Footnote：　The
appointment　of　Fouche　as　the　chief　of　police　took　place　in　June　of
the　year　1804。＇　I　will　fulfil　my　promise　so　soon　as　you　shall　have
made　good　yours；　and　put　me　in　possession　of　the　chief
conspirators。〃

〃You　have　just　arrested　Moreau；　general；〃　replied　Fouche；
deferentially。　〃I　give　you　my　word　that　in　a　few　hours　Pichegru　and
Georges　will　be　apprehended。〃

〃You　forget　the　chief　person；〃　cried　Bonaparte；　over　whose　brazen
forehead　a　thunder…cloud　seemed　to　pass。　〃You　forget　the　caricature
of　buried　royalty；　the　so…called　King　Louis　XVII。　Hush！　I　tell　you　I
will　have　this　man。　I　will　draw　out　the　fangs　of　this　royal　adder；
so　that　he　cannot　bite　any　more！　Bring　the　man　before　me。　The
republic　is　an　angry　goddess；　and　demands　a　royal　offering。　Give
this　impostor　into　my　hands；　or　something　worse　will　happen！　Go；　and
I　advise　you　to　bring　me；　before　the　sun　goes　down；　the　tidings　that
this　fabled　King　Louis　is　arrested；　or　the　sun　of　your　good　fortune
is　set　forever！　Now　away！　Go　out　through　the　little　corridor；　and
then　through　the　secret　gate…you　know　the　way。　Go！〃

Fouche　did　not　dare　to　contradict　the　imperative　order；　but　softly
and　hastily　moved　toward　the　curtain　which　led　to　the　gloomy
anteroom；　and　thence　through　a　door；　which　only　those　initiated　knew
how　to　open；　and　which　led　to　the　little　corridor。

But　scarcely　had　Fouche　entered　this　little　dismal　room；　when　a　hand
was　laid　upon　his　arm；　and　a　woman's　voice　whispered　to　him：

〃I　must　speak　to　youat　once！　Come！　this　way！〃

The　hand　drew　him　forward　to　the　wall；　a　door　sprang　open　without
sound；　and　the　voice　whispered：　〃Four　stairs　down。　Be　careful！〃




CHAPTER　XXXII。

JOSEPHINE。


Fouche　did　not　hesitate；　he　followed　his　guide　down　the　little
staircase；　along　the　dark　corridor；　and　up　another　short　staircase。
He　had　recognized　the　voice；　and　knew　that　his　leader　was　no　other
than　Josephine；　the　wife　of　the　First　Consul。

Through　the　secret　door　at　the　end　of　the　corridor　they　entered　a
small　and　gloomy　antechamber；　exactly　like　the　one　which　adjoined
the　cabinet　of　the　consul；　and　from　it　Josephine　ushered　Fouche　into
her　cabinet。

〃You　will　say　nothing　to　Bonaparte　about　this　secret　way；　Fouche；〃
said　Josephine；　with　a　gentle；　supplicatory　tone。　〃He　does　not　know
of　it。　I　have　had　it　made　without　his　knowledge　while　he　was　in
Boulogne　last　year。　Will　you　swear　to　me　that　you　will　not　reveal
it？〃

〃I　do　swear；　madame。〃

〃God　knows　that　I　have　not　had　it　made　out　of　curiosity　to　overhear
Bonaparte；〃　continued　Josephine。　〃But　it　is　necessary　sometimes　for
me　to　know　what　is　going　on；　and　that　when　the　general　is　angry　I
should　hasten　to　him　to　calm　him　and　turn　aside　his　wrath。　I　have
warded　off　many　a　calamity　since　this　private　way　was　opened；　and　I
have　been　able　to　overhear　Bonaparte。　But　what　have　I　been　compelled
to　listen　to　to…day！　Oh；　Fouche；　it　was　God　Himself　who　impelled　me
to　listen！　I　was　with　him　when　you　were　announced；　and　I　suspected
that　your　visit　purported　something　unusual；　something　dreadful。　I
have　heard　all；　Foucheall；　I　tell　you！　I　know　that　his　life　is
threatened；　that　fifty　daggers　are　directed　toward　him。　0　God！　this
perpetual　fear　and　excitement　will　kill　me！　I　have　no　peace　of　mind；
no　rest　more！　Since　the　unhappy　day　when　we　left　our　dear　little
house　to　live　in　the　Tuileries；　since　that　day　there　has　been　an　end
to　all　joy！　Why　did　we　do　it？　why　did　we　not　remain　in　our　little
Luxembourg？　why　have　we　been　persuaded　to　live　in　the　palace　of　the
kings？〃

〃It　is　proper　for　the　greatest　man　in　France　to　live　in　the　house
where　the　departed　race　of　kings　once　had　their　home；〃　replied
Fouche。

〃Oh；　yes；〃　sighed　Josephine。　〃I　know　these　tricks　of　speech；　with
which　you　have　turned　the　head　of　my　poor　Bonaparte。　Oh！　you；　you；
his　flatterer；　you　who　urged　him　on；　will　bear　the　blame　if
misfortune　breaks　in　upon　us！　You　have　intoxicated　him　with　the
ince