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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