coffers. Should a general conflict ensue we shall enter it with an enormous advantage; since the Dutch ports will already be in our possession and we shall hold them as a pistol pointing at England's breast. Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Russia would all ally themselves with us against Prussia and England; and how could our enemies hope to prevail against such a combination? But 'tis my opinion that they will not dare to fight at all, provided only that we seize the United Provinces before they appreciate what's toward, and so present them with a
'I'd not count upon the English standing down,' demurred the Due de Chatelet. 'During my time at the Court of St. James's I formed the impression that Mr. Pitt was most anxious to maintain the peace and so put no further drain upon the nation's resources while it is still recovering from the strain of the late wars. Yet he struck me as a young man who will ever stand by his late father's principles and draw the sword, however tattered be the scabbard, should he consider any move in Europe to threaten Britain's security.'
'I fear that, too,' agreed M. de Montmorin. 'And what could be a more flagrant challenge to Britain than this proposed seizure of the Dutch ports?'
' 'Tis a challenge that must be thrown down sooner or later,' M. de Rochambeau declared, 'and, to my mind, seeing our present overriding need to restore our manufacturers to prosperity, the sooner the better. All of you know how strenuously I fought against the Treaty of Commerce that was signed with Britain a year ago. In that I was bested by M. de Vergennes, and what is the result? To-day twenty-five thousand workmen stand idle in our good city of Rouen alone, owing to the markets having been flooded by cheap Manchester goods.'
'Aye, and 'tis the same over half the kingdom,' the Due de Normandie supported him. 'Half the factories in Amiens have been forced to close down, and in Nantes scarce a week passes now without half a dozen of our honest merchants going bankrupt as a result of British competition.'
Admiral de Suffren leaned forward. 'And 'tis on the success of the shipping ventures of the Nantes merchants, and their like, in peace, that we rely for our best reserves to man the fleet in time of war. Let us tackle the English before they can do us further damage. They are not invincible. I have fought them, and I know.'
The Admiral's declaration met with almost universal applause and Roger found himself having to entirely readjust his views. It was plain now that these men really wanted war and meant to force the issue to ensure it if they possibly could. M. de Rochambeau's statement had put a completely different complexion on the whole question. Whereas it had previously seemed that France could not fight because she was bankrupt, that now appeared to be the best possible reason for her doing so.
During a further hour every one of them said his piece, and they were unanimous in their opinion that to take advantage of the present situation in the United Provinces, through the secret army that M. de Rochambeau had so skilfully built up there, offered France her only chance of escape from the internal troubles that menaced her.
M. de Montmorin was brought round to agree with them; but he stood firm on his declaration that he could not take the responsibility for committing the country himself, and that the new Prime Minister must be consulted before any written pledge could be transmitted to the Dutch Republicans.
Pressed by the others for an early decision, and now seized with the urgency of the matter himself, he proposed that another meeting should be held the following night at ten o'clock, and promised to bring the Archbishop with him to attend it.
When they had gone Roger was left with his brain in a whirl. During a single conference every theory he had held for the past twelve months on French foreign policy had been smashed to atoms. Nothing was certain yet. Everything still hung on whether the Archbishop would fall a victim to this wave of war fever, on the following night. But if he did it now seemed that war was inevitable; and the French nobles who had gathered there planned a new type of war— a lightning war, unannounced by any ultimatum. Britain and Prussia would be caught off their guard and, before they had time to act, the Dutch ports and strong places would all have been taken by the enemy from within.
Roger knew that the time had now arrived, which had already been envisaged by cleverer people than himself, when no penned account of the situation as he saw it would serve to furnish those who were responsible for his country's safety with a full picture of the enemy's intentions. He must go home and report in person; in order that, in addition to giving his own version of the crisis, he might be questioned and knowledge which he possessed be extracted from him, on points that he might consider of little moment but those who had a broader vision of affairs might consider vital.
On thinking matters over further he realised that if the Archbishop said 'No' on the following night there would be no point in hastening to London, since the situation would remain, for the time being at least, unaltered. On the other hand, if he said 'Yes' the news must be carried with the utmost speed to Downing Street. Therefore it was imperative that he should be present at the conference that had been arranged to take place an hour or so after the time fixed for his duel.
For a while he even considered if he was not called upon to abandon the duel; but that he could not bring himself to do. He squared his conscience by sitting down and writing a letter to Mr. Gilbert Maxwell in which he divulged the Marquis's whole plot, and added that while no definite decision had been taken as yet, he felt that every possible precautionary measure against the French seizing the United Provinces by surprise should be adopted forthwith.
Another point that exercised him greatly was how, should he emerge successfully from his duel, and the need arose, could he suddenly disappear without leading the de Rochambeau household to suspect that his flight had some connection with the killing of de Caylus.
After deep thought he decided that the best measure would be to give out that he had just heard that his mother was dangerously ill, and that he had decided to leave on the Tuesday morning for Strasbourg. Athenais and de Perigord were still the only people who knew that he was an Englishman, and neither of them could possibly connect his departure with the reason that would lay behind it. M. de la Tour d'Auvergne knew only that he was of gentle birth, and again, knew nothing of what had passed at the recent conference. M. de Rochambeau still believed him to be of German extraction but a loyal Frenchman. He could not refuse to let him go to his mother's death-bed and would have no reason to connect his request for immediate leave of absence with de Caylus's death.
If, after all, on the Monday night the Archbishop of Toulouse vetoed M. de Rochambeau's plan, Roger saw that he could always let himself out from having to leave Paris precipitately by saying that he had thought better of it, and had decided to remain until he heard further news of his mother's condition.
On the Monday morning he went to see de la Tour d'Auvergne, and told his story. He also gave him the letter for Mr. Gilbert Maxwell, but in a double envelope concealing its address, and with instructions that the outer one was only to be opened and the inner dispatched in the event of his death.
He hated having to deceive this honest and upright friend, and had already felt many qualms about leaving him to suppose that, as M. de Rochambeau's secretary, he had never ventured to express to Athenais the love he felt for her or given him any indication that she returned that love with equal fervour. But, in the latter case, Athenais's honour was concerned and, in the former, Roger felt that he was serving the true interests of France as much as of Britain by taking such steps as he could to prevent a war breaking out.
When he got back to the Hotel he told both Paintendre and Monsieur Roland his story about his mother being seriously ill and, by good luck, he ran into Madame Marie-Ange on the first landing so he told her too, feeling confident that by this channel the story would reach Athenais.
That afternoon the Marquis Went out, and did not require his services; so he went up to his room and, after a little, slept. At six o'clock, having washed and tidied himself as carefully as though he was going to be presented to the King, he took his sword from its place on the wall. Then, very slowly but resolutely, he walked downstairs; conscious with every step he took that it now lay on the knees of the gods, as to if he would ever walk down a flight of stairs again.
CHAPTER XXII
DESPERATE MEASURES
ROGER found de la Tour d'Auvergne waiting for him in the Rue de Richelieu. They greeted one another gravely but both endeavoured to act as if their meeting was occasioned only by an arrangement to ride out together to sup with some mutual friend in the suburbs. As they turned their horses into the
They had some eight miles to go, but ample time before them, so they walked their horses a good part of the way, only cantering now and again when they reached the grassy glades of the Bois de Boulogne. Having crossed
