The Rising Storm

the small fief required for him to qualify for election to the Second Estate, he stood for the Third at both Marseilles and Aix. Both cities elected him and he has chosen to sit for the latter. 'Whatever may be the fate of other deputies, in an assembly resembling the Tower of Babel from everyone wanting to air his opinions at once, you may be certain that de Mirabeau will not allow himself to be howled down.'

'Think you he has the qualities to make himself a great leader?'

For once de Perigord hesitated, his smooth forehead wrinkling into a frown; then he said: ' 'Tis difficult to say. All the world knows that he fellow is a born scamp. That he has spent several years of his life in a variety of prisons is not altogether his own fault, as his father pursued him with the utmost malice, and consigned him to them on a number of lettres de cachet. But whenever he was out of prison he lived in a most shady fashion, resorting to many a degrading shift in order to get money to gratify his passions. I doubt if his immoralities have actually been greater than my own but he has certainly conducted them with greater folly. He deserted his wife and abducted that of a Noble of the Robe. Then he deserted her and ran away with a young woman from a Convent who was near becoming a nun.

'I believe him to be honest and a true patriot. He is certainly a man of great intellectual gifts and fierce determination. I am sure that he would shrink from saying, writing or doing nothing which he believed to be in the interests of his cause. But the Riquetti are of Italian origin, and his hot southern blood goes to that great head of his at times, and I fear that the violence of his passions may prove his undoing.'

'Great as is his popularity with the masses,' Roger remarked, 'one can hardly imagine that, should the King grant a Constitution, he would be inclined to entrust a man having such a history with the formation of a Government.'

A cynical smile twitched the corners of the Bishop's lips, as he asked: 'Who can tell, mon ami, how much say the King will be allowed in the choice of his future Ministers ?'

'You feel convinced then that the States will not only succeed in forcing him to grant a Constitution, but reduce him to a cipher into the bargain?'

De Perigord nodded. 'I do. I think the monarchy, decadent as it has become, rests upon too secure a foundation to be overthrown, and none but a handful of extremists would wish it. But once the States meet you may be certain that they will not rest content with any half-measures.'

'I agree with what you say about the monarchy, but what of the present occupant of the throne? Is there not a possibility that the Due d'Orleans may attempt to supplant him; or at least get himself made Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom, with the powers of a Regent?'

The expressive eyes of the wily Churchman suddenly became quite vacant, then in a casual tone he replied: 'His Highness of Orleans undoubtedly has ambitions to play a greater part in affairs of State, but I can scarce believe that he could carry them so far as to become guilty of treason to the King.'

Roger felt certain that his clever friend was now lying, and so, almost certainly, involved to some extent in the Orleanist plot himself. He therefore refrained from pressing the point and asked:

'Do you perchance know Monsieur de St. Huruge ?'

'Not intimately. He frequents the royal circle, I believe, and for a long time past I have not been persona grata at Court. But why do you ask?'

'Because I was given a letter of introduction to him before I left England,' Roger lied; 'and I have so far failed to discover his present address.'

'You might try the Palais Royal' suggested de P6rigord. 'I do not go there often these days, but it chanced that I was there last week, and as I was on my way in to His Highness's cabinet I passed de St. Huruge on his way out. Possibly one of the secretaries may be able to tell you where he lives.'

The fact that the villainous de Roubec's sponsor had been seen coming from an interview with the Due d'Orleans in his Paris home was no proof that he was necessarily an Orleanist himself; but it certainly lent considerable support to Roger's theory that he might be. And in view of de P&igord's evident reluctance to discuss d'Orleans he felt that he had been lucky to pick up this little piece of information. Having thanked the Bishop for his suggestion, he added:

'However, since I should still have to enquire of his whereabouts from a third party, I fear I shall not have time to find and wait upon him; as I am leaving Paris quite shortly.'

'Indeed!' De Perigord raised his eyebrows. 'I am most sorry to hear it. You have been absent from Paris for so long; I was particularly looking forward to the renewed enjoyment of your society.'

As Roger bowed his acknowledgment of the graceful compliment, the Bishop went on: 'Really; you should at least remain to witness the opening of the States. It will be vastly interesting; and I should be happy to introduce you to all the deputies of my acquaintance.'

'I thank Your Grace for your kindness, and most tempting offer.' Roger's voice held genuine regret. 'But, alas, I must decline it. Her Majesty's disapproval of duelling did not manifest itself in my case only by her causing me to spend a night in the Bastille. When I was released this morning the Governor informed me of her further order, that within forty-eight hours I was to leave Paris.'

'What childish tyranny!' exclaimed the Bishop with some petulance. 'Whither are you going?'

'To Provence. I have never seen your great cities there or the Mediterranean; and I am told that the coast in those regions is par­ticularly lovely at this time of year.'

De Perigord took snuff again. 'You are no doubt wise to keep out of the way for the next few weeks. But I should not let any fear of that order deter you from returning by June if you wish to do so. The royal authority has already become so weakened that it has almost ceased to count. And once the States have been sitting for a little the Court will be plaguey careful not to irritate them unnecessarily by forcing the observance of such arbitrary commands.'

'You feel confident, then, that the States will still be sitting; and that the King will not dismiss them after a few abortive sessions, as he did the Assembly of Notables ?'

'He dare not, if he wishes to keep his crown.' A sudden note of hauteur had crept into the Bishop's deep voice. 'At present the King is still respected by the whole nation, and even beloved by the greater part of it. But the States will represent the very blood, brains, bone and muscle of France; and if he attempted to dismiss them he would become the enemy of the whole kingdom overnight. By his decision to call the States he has delivered himself bound into the hands of his subjects; for once they are assembled they will never dissolve except by their own will. I am positive of that.'

CHAPTER six

THE AFFAIRE REVEILLON

As Roger drove back to Paris he felt that he had good reason to be pleased with himself. Much that the Bishop of Autun had told him he had known before, but he had also learnt a lot, and on no previous-occasion had he heard a forecast of coming events from anyone approach­ing de Perigord for knowledge of affairs, political acumen and subtlety of mind. In addition, he had succeeded in putting over such a skilfully distorted account of the Queen's treatment of him, that it would be all to the good if it did get about; as it was likely to do, seeing that de Perigord was an inveterate gossip. No one but the Governor of the Bastille was in a position to deny that he had been imprisoned for most of the night there, and his imminent departure to Italy would confirm the story that he had been banished. In future, therefore, he would be counted among those who bore the Queen a grudge, but no one would be surprised to see him free again; and de Perigord had himself advised him to return to Paris in a few weeks' time.

Half an hour's amiable converse about mutual friends, and the general state of Europe, had succeeded Roger's political talk with the Bishop; and he had left the charming little house at Passy with the firm conviction that if there was one man in France who would succeed in fishing to his own benefit in the troubled waters of the States General, he was its wily owner.

On re-entering his hackney-coach Roger had told its driver to take him to the inn where he had slept and breakfasted, as it was then nearly five o'clock, and he had decided to sup there rather than at a restaurant in central Paris, where he might run into some acquaintance and feel obliged to give again his fictitious account of the outcome of his recent arrest. Moreover, he was still a little uneasy about the possibility of an Orleanist spy knowing that he had the Queen's letter; and he did not want to be recognized and followed.

He had much to do that night, and his thoughts were already occupied with his projected labours. By the time the coach reached the Tuileries Gardens he barely took in the fact that a column of infantry was issuing from them and heading east at an unusually rapid gait; and he gave little more attention to the