has the weakness of loving a lord; she admires the English from thinking that they are an aristocratic people. Being ignorant of the history of England, and the mechanism of its government, she takes for the descendants of the Norman Conquerors the baronets created yesterday. With old material, other people make a new stock; with the new, England often makes the old."
"Do you see in this why Baroness de Stael proposes De Narbonne to us?"
"Hem! This time, madame, two likings are combined: that for the aristocracy and the aristocrat."
"Do you imagine that she loves Louis de Narbonne on account of his descent?"
(Louis de Narbonne was supposed to be an incestuous son of King Louis XV.)
"It is not on account of any ability, I reckon?"
"But nobody is less well-born than Louis de Narbonne; his father is not even known."
"Only because one dares not look at the sun."
"So you do not believe that De Narbonne is the outcome of the Swedish Embassy, as the Jacobins assert, with Robespierre at the head?"
"Yes; only he comes from the wife's boudoir, not the lord's study. To suppose Lord de Stael has a hand in it, is to suppose he is master in his own house. Goodness, no; this is not an embassador's treachery, but a loving woman's weakness. Nothing but Love, the great, eternal magician, could impel a woman to put the gigantic sword of the revolution in that frivolous rake's hands."
"Do you allude to the demagogue Isnard kissed at the Jacobin Club?"
"Alas, madame, I speak of the one suspended over your head."
"Therefore, it is your opinion that we are wrong to accept De Narbonne as Minister of War?"
"You would do better to take at once his successor, Dumouriez."
"A soldier of fortune?"
"Ha! the worst word is spoken; and it is unfair any way."
"Was not Dumouriez a private soldier?"
"I am well aware that Dumouriez is not of that court nobility to which everything is sacrificed. Of the rustic nobility, unable to obtain a rank, he enlisted as a common soldier. At twenty years he fought five or six troopers, though hacked badly, and despite this proof of courage, he languished in the ranks."
"He sharpened his wits by serving Louis XV. as spy."
"Why do you call that spying in him which you rate diplomacy in others? I know that he carried on correspondence with the king without the knowledge of the ministers; but what noble of the court does not do the same?"
"But, doctor, this man whom you recommend is essentially a most immoral one," exclaimed the queen, betraying her deep knowledge of politics by the details into which she went. "He has no principles – no idea of honor. The Duke of Choiseul told me that he laid before him two plans about Corsica – one to set her free, the other to subdue her."
"Quite true; but Choiseul failed to say that the former was preferred, and that Dumouriez fought bravely for its success."
"The day when we accept him for minister it will be equivalent to a declaration of war to all Europe."
"Why, madame, this declaration is already made in all hearts," retorted Gilbert. "Do you know how many names are down in this district as volunteers to start for the campaign? Six hundred thousand. In the Jura, the women have proposed all the men shall march, as they, with pikes, will guard their homes."
"You have spoken a word which makes me shudder – pikes! Oh, the pikes of '89! I can ever see the heads of my Life Guardsmen carried on the pikes' point."
"Nevertheless, it was a woman, a mother, who suggested a national subscription to manufacture pikes."
"Was it also a woman who suggested your Jacobins adopting the red cap of liberty, the color of blood?"
"Your majesty is in error on that point," said Gilbert, although he did not care to enlighten the queen wholly on the ancient head-gear. "A symbol was wanted of equality, and as all Frenchmen could not well dress alike, a part of a dress was alone adopted: the cap such as the poor peasant wears. The red color was preferred, not as it happens to be that of blood, but because gay, bright, and a favorite with the masses."
"All very fine, doctor," sneered the queen. "I do not despair of seeing such a partisan of novelties coming some day to feel the king's pulse, with the red cap on your head and a pike in your hand."
Seeing that she could not win with such a man, the queen retired, half jesting, half bitter.
Princess Elizabeth was about to do the same, when Gilbert appealed to her:
"You love your brother, do you not?"
"Love? The feeling is of adoration."
"Then you are ready to transmit good advice to him, coming from a friend?"
"Then, speak, speak!"
"When his Feuillant Ministry falls, which will not take long, let him take a ministry with all the members wearing this red cap, though it so alarms the queen." And profoundly bowing, he went out.
CHAPTER III.
POWERFUL, PERHAPS; HAPPY, NEVER
The Narbonne Ministry lasted three months. A speech of Vergniaud blasted it. On the news that the Empress of Russia had made a treaty with Turkey, and Austria and Prussia had signed an alliance, offensive and defensive, he sprung into the rostrum and cried:
"I see the palace from here where this counter-revolution is scheming those plots which aim to deliver us to Austria. The day has come when you must put an end to so much audacity, and confound the plotters. Out of that palace have issued panic and terror in olden times, in the name of despotism – let them now rush into it in the name of the law!"
Dread and terror did indeed enter the Tuileries, whence De Narbonne, wafted thither by a breath of love, was expelled by a gust of storm. This downfall occurred at the beginning of March, 1792.
Scarce three months after the interview of Gilbert and the queen, a small, active, nervy little man, with flaming eyes blazing in a bright face, was ushered into King Louis' presence. He was aged fifty-six, but appeared ten years younger, though his cheek was brown with camp-fire smoke; he wore the uniform of a camp-marshal.
The king cast a dull and heavy glance on the little man, whom he had never met; but it was not without observation. The other fixed on him a scrutinizing eye full of fire and distrust.
"You are General Dumouriez? Count de Narbonne, I believe, called you to Paris?"
"To announce that he gave me a division in the army in Alsace."
"But you did not join, it appears?"
"Sire, I accepted; but I felt that I ought to point out that as war impended" – Louis started visibly – "and threatened to become general," went on the soldier, without appearing to remark the emotion, "I deemed it good to occupy the south, where an attack might come unawares; consequently, it seemed urgent to me that a plan for movements there should be drawn up, and a general and army sent thither."
"Yes; and you gave this plan to Count de Narbonne, after showing it to members of the Gironde?"
