the man； 〃for his face is set at stormy。〃
Hulot turned pale； and said no more； he crossed the anteroom and
reception rooms； and； with a violently beating heart； found himself at
the door of the Prince's private study。
The chief； at this time seventy years old； with perfectly white hair；
and the tanned complexion of a soldier of that age； commanded
attention by a brow so vast that imagination saw in it a field of
battle。 Under this dome； crowned with snow； sparkled a pair of eyes；
of the Napoleon blue； usually sad…looking and full of bitter thoughts
and regrets； their fire overshadowed by the penthouse of the strongly
projecting brow。 This man； Bernadotte's rival； had hoped to find his
seat on a throne。 But those eyes could flash formidable lightnings
when they expressed strong feelings。
Then； his voice； always somewhat hollow； rang with strident tones。
When he was angry； the Prince was a soldier once more； he spoke the
language of Lieutenant Cottin； he spared nothingnobody。 Hulot d'Ervy
found the old lion； his hair shaggy like a mane； standing by the
fireplace； his brows knit； his back against the mantel…shelf； and his
eyes apparently fixed on vacancy。
〃Here！ At your orders； Prince！〃 said Hulot； affecting a graceful ease
of manner。
The Marshal looked hard at the Baron； without saying a word； during
the time it took him to come from the door to within a few steps of
where the chief stood。 This leaden stare was like the eye of God；
Hulot could not meet it； he looked down in confusion。
〃He knows everything！〃 said he to himself。
〃Does your conscience tell you nothing？〃 asked the Marshal； in his
deep； hollow tones。
〃It tells me； sir； that I have been wrong； no doubt； in ordering
/razzias/ in Algeria without referring the matter to you。 At my age；
and with my tastes； after forty…five years of service； I have no
fortune。You know the principles of the four hundred elect
representatives of France。 Those gentlemen are envious of every
distinction； they have pared down even the Ministers' paythat says
everything！ Ask them for money for an old servant！What can you
expect of men who pay a whole class so badly as they pay the
Government legal officials？who give thirty sous a day to the
laborers on the works at Toulon； when it is a physical impossibility
to live there and keep a family on less than forty sous？who never
think of the atrocity of giving salaries of six hundred francs； up to
a thousand or twelve hundred perhaps； to clerks living in Paris； and
who want to secure our places for themselves as soon as the pay rises
to forty thousand？who； finally； refuse to restore to the Crown a
piece of Crown property confiscated from the Crown in 1830property
acquired； too； by Louis XVI。 out of his privy purse！If you had no
private fortune； Prince； you would be left high and dry； like my
brother； with your pay and not another sou； and no thought of your
having saved the army； and me with it； in the boggy plains of Poland。〃
〃You have robbed the State！ You have made yourself liable to be
brought before the bench at Assizes；〃 said the Marshal； 〃like that
clerk of the Treasury！ And you take this； monsieur； with such levity。〃
〃But there is a great difference； monseigneur！〃 cried the baron。 〃Have
I dipped my hands into a cash box intrusted to my care？〃
〃When a man of your rank commits such an infamous crime；〃 said the
Marshal； 〃he is doubly guilty if he does it clumsily。 You have
compromised the honor of our official administration； which hitherto
has been the purest in Europe！And all for two hundred thousand
francs and a hussy！〃 said the Marshal； in a terrible voice。 〃You are a
Councillor of Stateand a private soldier who sells anything
belonging to his regiment is punished with death！ Here is a story told
to me one day by Colonel Pourin of the Second Lancers。 At Saverne； one
of his men fell in love with a little Alsatian girl who had a fancy
for a shawl。 The jade teased this poor devil of a lancer so
effectually； that though he could show twenty years' service； and was
about to be promoted to be quartermasterthe pride of the regiment
to buy this shawl he sold some of his company's kit。Do you know what
this lancer did； Baron d'Ervy？ He swallowed some window…glass after
pounding it down； and died in eleven hours； of an illness； in
hospital。Try； if you please； to die of apoplexy； that we may not see
you dishonored。〃
Hulot looked with haggard eyes at the old warrior； and the Prince；
reading the look which betrayed the coward； felt a flush rise to his
cheeks； his eyes flamed。
〃Will you； sir； abandon me？〃 Hulot stammered。
Marshal Hulot； hearing that only his brother was with the Minister；
ventured at this juncture to come in； and； like all deaf people； went
straight up to the Prince。
〃Oh；〃 cried the hero of Poland； 〃I know what you are here for； my old
friend！ But we can do nothing。〃
〃Do nothing！〃 echoed Marshal Hulot； who had heard only the last word。
〃Nothing； you have come to intercede for your brother。 But do you know
what your brother is？〃
〃My brother？〃 asked the deaf man。
〃Yes； he is a damned infernal blackguard； and unworthy of you。〃
The Marshal in his rage shot from his eyes those fulminating fires
which； like Napoleon's； broke a man's will and judgment。
〃You lie； Cottin！〃 said Marshal Hulot； turning white。 〃Throw down your
baton as I throw mine！ I am ready。〃
The Prince went up to his old comrade； looked him in the face； and
shouted in his ear as he grasped his hand：
〃Are you a man？〃
〃You will see that I am。〃
〃Well； then； pull yourself together！ You must face the worst
misfortune that can befall you。〃
The Prince turned round； took some papers from the table； and placed
them in the Marshal's hands； saying； 〃Read that。〃
The Comte de Forzheim read the following letter； which lay
uppermost：
〃To his Excellency the President of the Council。
〃/Private and Confidential/。
〃ALGIERS。
〃MY DEAR PRINCE；We have a very ugly business on our hands； as
you will see by the accompanying documents。
〃The story； briefly told； is this： Baron Hulot d'Ervy sent out to
the province of Oran an uncle of his as a broker in grain and
forage； and gave him an accomplice in the person of a storekeeper。
This storekeeper； to curry favor； has made a confession； and
finally made his escape。 The Public Prosecutor took the matter up
very thoroughly； seeing； as he supposed； that only two inferior
agents were implicated； but Johann Fischer； uncle to your Chief of
the Commissariat Department； finding that he was to be brought up
at the Assizes； stabbed himself in prison with a nail。
〃That would have been the end of the matter if this worthy and
honest man； deceived； it would seem； by his agent and by his
nephew； had not thought proper to write to Baron Hulot。 This
letter； seized as a document； so greatly surprised the Public
Prosecutor； that he came to see me。 Now； the arrest and public
trial of a Councillor of State would be such a terrible thingof
a man high in office too； who has a good record for loyal service
for after the Beresina； it was he who saved us all by
reorganizing the administrationthat I desired to have all the
papers sent to me。
〃Is the matter to take its course？ Now that the principal agent is
dead； will it not be better to smother up the affair and sentence
the storekeeper in default？
〃The Public Prosecutor has consented to my forwarding the
documents for your perusal； the Baron Hulot d'Ervy； being resident
in Paris； the proceedings will lie with your Supreme Court。 We
have hit on this rather shabby way of ridding ourselves of the
difficulty for the moment。
〃Only； my dear Marshal； decide quickly。 This miserable business is
too much talked about already； and it will do as much harm to us
as to you all if the name of the principal culpritknown at
present only to the Public Prosecutor； the examining judge； and
myselfshould happen to leak out。〃
At this point the letter fell from Marshal Hulot's hands； he looked at
his brother； he saw that there was no need to examine the evidence。
But he looked for Johann Fischer's letter； and after reading it at a
glance； held it out to Hector：
〃FROM THE PRISON AT ORAN。
〃DEAR NEPHEW；When you read this letter； I shall have ceased to
live。
〃Be quite easy； no proof can be found to incriminate you。 When I
am dead and your Jesuit of a Chardin fled； the trial must
collapse。 The face of our Adeline； made so happy by you； makes
death easy to me。 Now you need not send the two hundred thousand
francs。 Good…bye。
〃This letter will be delivered by a prisoner for a short term whom
I can trust； I believe。
〃JOHANN FISCHER。〃
〃I beg your pardon；〃 said Marshal Hulot to the Prince de Wissembourg
with pathetic pride。
〃Come； come； say /tu/； not the formal /vous/；〃 replied the Minister；
clasping his old friend's hand。 〃The poor lancer killed no one but
himself；〃 he added； with a thunderous look at Hulot d'Ervy。
〃How much have you had？〃 said the Comte de Forzheim to his brother。
〃Two hundred thousand francs。〃
〃My dear friend；〃 said the Count；