"Should they finally decide against it, what then?"
"Then they must give me one of the other Armies. I have no intention of remaining here to act as their pet policeman."
"You have been so successful at it that they may well insist upon your doing so."
Buonaparte's dark eyes narrowed. "I do not think they will. They have failed to please every section of the people, even their own party. They are the pinnacle of a pyramid that has a hollow base. A single jolt would be enough to bring them tumbling down. They cannot afford to offend a man like myself."
"Yes. I think you are right about that," Roger agreed. "All the same, for your own reputation, I could wish that you were pressing them for some other employment than the conquest of England."
"I am, but they refuse it to me. England can wait. Her turn will come. First we should smash the Austrians in Italy. That is the task I covet beyond all else. I know something of that country already, and have made a special study of the rest. Look! I will show you how it should be done."
Jumping up, he began, with hands which Roger noted again were remarkably shapely, to point at place after place on a map of Northern Italy affixed to the wall. As he spoke his fine eyes dilated, and it was evident that every mountain chain and valley of the country stood out as sharply as an etching in his mind. From the rapidity with which he outlined his plan it was clear that he must have already endeavoured to persuade many people of its possibilities. It had boldness, vision and grandeur—involving no less than the seizure of the Lombardy Plain, a great turning movement through the Alps to join up with the Army of the Rhine and, finally, an advance direct upon Vienna.
When he had done, Roger asked: "What had the Directors to say to this great plan of yours?"
"Carnot approves it and in such matters the others defer to his judgment But for some reason they are averse to entrusting me with its execution. He has sent it to General Scherer; but so timid a man as he is certain to reject it."
"Then," smiled Roger, "you will have to content yourself with the conquest of Britain."
"As spring is near upon us they must soon give me a decision on that matter. If it proved favourable I should like to take you with me. Your knowledge of these troublesome people may be of considerable use. Will you, as you did with Barras, accept the rank of Colonel on my staff?"
Roger stood up and bowed. "I should be honoured, Citizen General. You have only to let me know when you have received consent to proceed, and I will place myself unreservedly at your disposal."
From this long interview Roger carried away only one fresh thought for comfort. The expedition had not yet been definitely decided upon. It was now for him to find out if the Directors really favoured the plan, and if so, use his utmost endeavours to change their minds, or at least try to prevent their giving so competent a man as Buonaparte the direction of it.
That evening he spent a long time thinking over all that the Corsican had said, and particularly of his references to the Directory. There could be no doubt that it was extremely unpopular. The upper strata of Paris was still a sink of glittering iniquity which offended all respectable citizens; the middle-classes groaned under every form of vexatious restriction, and the poor were nightly dying by the score from cold and hunger; yet the Government appeared incapable of remedying any of these ills.
Carnot was the only Director for whom anyone had the least respect, and he, as ever, concerned himself solely with the high direction of the war. The harmless military engineer Letourneur had, quite naturally, dropped into place as his assistant. It was said that the two always voted together, but on civil questions were always outvoted by the three rogues they had for colleagues.
Barras, resting on the great prestige he had earned on 9th Thermidor and 13th Vendemiaire, apart from making an occasional brief, trenchant pronouncement, devoted himself entirely to his scandalous pleasures. Larevelliere-Lepeaux was a crank of the first order. As the leading light of a sect called the Theophilanthropists, which was a hotchpotch of Nature worship and the teachings of numerous philosophers, he gave all his endeavours to fighting the open return of Christianity. Rewbell, meanwhile, did the work and dominated the other four; but on account of his coarseness, brutality, cynicism and tyranny was the most hated man in the country.
There being no hope of buying Buonaparte, Roger again considered the possibility of trying to buy one or more of the Directors; but all the old arguments decided him that such an attempt would be hopeless. An alternative was to try to get them turned out, in the hope that among a new set there might be men elected who would be more amenable to his purpose. Buonaparte had implied that should they get up against him he would do the job, but to incite him to it would be a dangerous game to play. It did not take Roger long to decide against risking such a move; for his interview that day had convinced him that the little Corsican might easily become a greater menace than any other man in France, and that somehow or other his guns must be spiked before he got more power than he had already. On that thought he went to bed.
The following day he succeeded in securing an interview with Barras. Once they were closeted together, he wasted no time in beating about the bush, but said straight out:
"Tell me, is Le Directoire really giving serious consideration to this plan for allowing Buonaparte to invade England?"
"Well, more or less," Barras admitted cautiously. "It started by our instructing him to investigate the possibilities, simply to keep that active mind of his out of mischief. But he has produced such cogent arguments in support of its practical application that we are much tempted to let him have his way. Hoche is m favour of it, but he differs from the little Corsican in wishing to make a simultaneous landing in Ireland."
"Of that I am aware. I spent above three hours yesterday discussing the project with Buonaparte."
"And what is your opinion of it?"
"That it cannot possibly succeed. He knows nothing whatever about England or the British people. I, on the other hand, as you may know, was sent there as a child and spent most of my youth there; so I am in a much better position to judge what a hornet's nest the place would become did we stick a finger into it."
"Apart from your misadventures after 9th Thermidor I did not know that you had lived there for any length of time; although I was aware that you acted as Paris correspondent for several English papers during the early years of the Revolution. So you do not approve the plan?"
"I am convinced that it would be suicidal."
Barras made a face. "It would open with mass suicide anyway; for Buonaparte declares it essential that we should sacrifice the whole of tihe Fleet That is the major reason why Carnot hesitates to give die plan his support."
"You may take it from me that in addition to losing the Fleet you will lose an Army. Buonaparte must have hypnotized you all, or you would not give another thought to this madness."
"His personal magnetism is, I admit, quite extraordinary; but it is not that alone which has led us to being near giving him his head. You may perhaps have remarked that he has grown in stature since 13th Vendemiaire."
"He certainly has. I see the situation now. You are afraid of him?"
"I am not, personally. After all, he is my protégé. I made him what he is: so he will never do me any harm. But Le Dlrectoire as a whole feel that he is a man who can no longer lightly be crossed."