an historical mystery-第47部分

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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