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Consul is defeated？ Is it possible to collect another army？ Must we
continue his humble servants？'
〃'There is no republic now；' remarked Sieyes； 'Bonaparte is consul for
ten years。'
〃'He has more power than ever Cromwell had；' said the former bishop；
'and he did not vote for the death of the king。'
〃'We have a master；' said Fouche； 'the question is； shall we continue
to keep him if he loses the battle or shall we return to a pure
republic？'
〃'France；' replied Carnot； sententiously； 'cannot resist except she
reverts to the old Conventional /energy/。'
〃'I agree with Carnot；' said Sieyes； 'if Bonaparte returns defeated we
must put an end to him； he has let us know him too well during the
last seven months。'
〃'The army is for him；' remarked Carnot； thoughtfully。
〃'And the people for us！' cried Fouche。
〃'You go fast； monsieur；' said the Prince； in that deep bass voice
which he still preserves and which now drove Fouche back into himself。
〃'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