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forfeiting the gratitude of the king, he had made a friend `
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of one on whom, in case of necessity, he might rely. `
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"'Tis well," resumed the king. "And now, gentlemen," he `
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continued, turning towards M. de Blacas and the minister of `
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police, "I have no further occasion for you, and you may `
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retire; what now remains to do is in the department of the `
`
minister of war." `
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"Fortunately, sire," said M. de Blacas, "we can rely on the `
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army; your majesty knows how every report confirms their `
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loyalty and attachment." `
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`
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"Do not mention reports, duke, to me, for I know now what `
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confidence to place in them. Yet, speaking of reports, `
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baron, what have you learned with regard to the affair in `
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the Rue Saint-Jacques?" `
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"The affair in the Rue Saint-Jacques!" exclaimed Villefort, `
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unable to repress an exclamation. Then, suddenly pausing, he `
`
added, "Your pardon, sire, but my devotion to your majesty `
`
has made me forget, not the respect I have, for that is too `
`
deeply engraved in my heart, but the rules of etiquette." `
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`
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"Go on, go on, sir," replied the king; "you have to-day `
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earned the right to make inquiries here." `
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"Sire," interposed the minister of police, "I came a moment `
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ago to give your majesty fresh information which I had `
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obtained on this head, when your majesty's attention was `
`
attracted by the terrible event that has occurred in the `
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gulf, and now these facts will cease to interest your `
`
majesty." `
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`
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"On the contrary, sir, -- on the contrary," said Louis `
`
XVIII., "this affair seems to me to have a decided `
`
connection with that which occupies our attention, and the `
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death of General Quesnel will, perhaps, put us on the direct `
`
track of a great internal conspiracy." At the name of `
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General Quesnel, Villefort trembled. `
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`
`
"Everything points to the conclusion, sire," said the `
`
minister of police, "that death was not the result of `
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suicide, as we first believed, but of assassination. General `
`
Quesnel, it appears, had just left a Bonapartist club when `
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he disappeared. An unknown person had been with him that `
`
morning, and made an appointment with him in the Rue `
`
Saint-Jacques; unfortunately, the general's valet, who was `
`
dressing his hair at the moment when the stranger entered, `
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heard the street mentioned, but did not catch the number." `
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As the police minister related this to the king, Villefort, `
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who looked as if his very life hung on the speaker's lips, `
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turned alternately red and pale. The king looked towards `
`
him. `
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`
`
"Do you not think with me, M. de Villefort, that General `
`
Quesnel, whom they believed attached to the usurper, but who `
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was really entirely devoted to me, has perished the victim `
`
of a Bonapartist ambush?" `
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`
`
"It is probable, sire," replied Villefort. "But is this all `
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that is known?" `
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`
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"They are on the track of the man who appointed the meeting `
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with him." `
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"On his track?" said Villefort. `
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`
`
"Yes, the servant has given his description. He is a man of `
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from fifty to fifty-two years of age, dark, with black eyes `
`
covered with shaggy eyebrows, and a thick mustache. He was `
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dressed in a blue frock-coat, buttoned up to the chin, and `
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wore at his button-hole the rosette of an officer of the `
`
Legion of Honor. Yesterday a person exactly corresponding `
`
with this description was followed, but he was lost sight of `
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at the corner of the Rue de la Jussienne and the Rue `
`
Coq-Heron." Villefort leaned on the back of an arm-chair, `
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for as the minister of police went on speaking he felt his `
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legs bend under him; but when he learned that the unknown `
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had escaped the vigilance of the agent who followed him, he `
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breathed again. `
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`
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"Continue to seek for this man, sir," said the king to the `
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minister of police; "for if, as I am all but convinced, `
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General Quesnel, who would have been so useful to us at this `
`
moment, has been murdered, his assassins, Bonapartists or `
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not, shall be cruelly punished." It required all Villefort's `
`
coolness not to betray the terror with which this `
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declaration of the king inspired him. `
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`
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"How strange," continued the king, with some asperity; "the `
`
police think that they have disposed of the whole matter `
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when they say, `A murder has been committed,' and especially `
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so when they can add, `And we are on the track of the guilty `
`
persons.'" `
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`
`
"Sire, your majesty will, I trust, be amply satisfied on `
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this point at least." `
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`
`
"We shall see. I will no longer detain you, M. de Villefort, `
`
for you must be fatigued after so long a journey; go and `
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rest. Of course you stopped at your father's?" A feeling of `
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faintness came over Villefort. `
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`
`
"No, sire," he replied, "I alighted at the Hotel de Madrid, `
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in the Rue de Tournon." `
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`
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"But you have seen him?" `
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`
`
"Sire, I went straight to the Duc de Blacas." `
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"But you will see him, then?" `
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"I think not, sire." `
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"Ah, I forgot," said Louis, smiling in a manner which proved `
`
that all these questions were not made without a motive; "I `
`
forgot you and M. Noirtier are not on the best terms `
`
possible, and that is another sacrifice made to the royal `
`
cause, and for which you should be recompensed." `
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`
`
"Sire, the kindness your majesty deigns to evince towards me `
`
is a recompense which so far surpasses my utmost ambition `
`
that I have nothing more to ask for." `
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`
`
"Never mind, sir, we will not forget you; make your mind `
`
easy. In the meanwhile" (the king here detached the cross of `
`
the Legion of Honor which he usually wore over his blue `
`
coat, near the cross of St. Louis, above the order of `
`
Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel and St. Lazare, and gave it to `
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Villefort) -- "in the meanwhile take this cross." `
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`
`
"Sire," said Villefort, "your majesty mistakes; this is an `
`
officer's cross." `
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`
`
"Ma foi," said Louis XVIII., "take it, such as it is, for I `
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have not the time to procure you another. Blacas, let it be `
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your care to see that the brevet is made out and sent to M. `
`
de Villefort." Villefort's eyes were filled with tears of `
`
joy and pride; he took the cross and kissed it. `
`
`
`
"And now," he said, "may I inquire what are the orders with `
`
which your majesty deigns to honor me?" `
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`
`
"Take what rest you require, and remember that if you are `
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not able to serve me here in Paris, you may be of the `
`
greatest service to me at Marseilles." `
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`
`
"Sire," replied Villefort, bowing, "in an hour I shall have `
`
quitted Paris." `
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`
`
"Go, sir," said the king; "and should I forget you (kings' `
`
memories are short), do not be afraid to bring yourself to `
`
my recollection. Baron, send for the minister of war. `
`
Blacas, remain." `
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`
`
"Ah, sir," said the minister of police to Villefort, as they `
`
left the Tuileries, "you entered by luck's door -- your `
`
fortune is made." `
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`
`
"Will it be long first?" muttered Villefort, saluting the `
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minister, whose career was ended, and looking about him for `
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a hackney-coach. One passed at the moment, which he hailed; `
`
he gave his address to the driver, and springing in, threw `
`
himself on the seat, and gave loose to dreams of ambition. `
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`
`
Ten minutes afterwards Villefort reached his hotel, ordered `
`
horses to be ready in two hours, and asked to have his `
`
breakfast brought to him. He was about to begin his repast `
`
when the sound of the bell rang sharp and loud. The valet `
`
opened the door, and Villefort heard some one speak his `
`
name. `
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`
`
"Who could know that I was here already?" said the young `
`
man. The valet entered. `
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`
`
"Well," said Villefort, "what is it? -- Who rang? -- Who `
`
asked for me?" `
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`
`
"A stranger who will not send in his name." `
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`
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"A stranger who will not send in his name! What can he want `
`
with me?" `
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"He wishes to speak to you." `
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"To me?" `
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"Yes." `
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"Did he mention my name?" `
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`
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"Yes." `
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"What sort of person is he?" `
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`
`
"Why, sir, a man of about fifty." `
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"Short or tall?" `
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"About your own height, sir." `
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