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