The Sultan's Daughter

Roger lowered his voice. ^'1 think I can say that I have put the Minister of Police in your pocket.'

^' What! Fouche? ' the Corsican exclaimed. ^' A most dangerous man.'

'Dangerous to his enemies, but a most powerful friend. No one is in a stronger position to assist you when you launch your coup d'etat.'

^' Who said that I intend to launch a coup d'etat? I am a loyal servant of the Government.'

^' Of course,' Roger shrugged, ^' for as long as it suits you. But in Egypt and during our voyage home you said time and again that, when you got here, you would throw all these fops and puppies into the Seine.'

'Perhaps, but I was not speaking literally. I meant only that the Government needed reconstructing. They have offered me the

Command of any Army I choose; so I might go back to Italy.'

^' It is an idea,' Roger agreed. ^' And, like Fouche, I might take up pig-farming. I don't think either of us will; but if you feel that I am no longer capable of acting in your best interests, I shall have to consider some other-'

^' No, no! ' Bonaparte interrupted swiftly. ^'1 have every confidence in you. So has Talleyrand. We agreed that if . . . but that is another matter. Tell me about this conversation you had with Fouche.'

^' We were discussing the appalling state into which France has fallen and agreed that a change of Government is the only remedy. Your name is on every tongue, so naturally it came up. I said that if you had any plans I knew nothing of them, but was convinced that you were the only man in France strong enough to prevent the country from falling into a state of open anarchy. He was inclined to agree and would like to meet you. If you mean to return to Italy it would be a waste of time, but if you . . . well, you have only to promise him that he shall keep his Ministry and he will observe a benevolent neutrality. I need hardly remark that many a crown has been won or lost owing to the attitude of a Minister of Police.'

^' Crowns! No, no! I am a loyal Republican. But you have done well, Breuc, you have done well. Even so, I do not feel that it would be wise for me to meet Fouche yet. So many things are still uncertain, and the stronger the hand I can show him when we do meet the better. Keep him in play for a few days. Tell him I look forward to making his acquaintance but have been asked by the Directors to advise on the reorganization of the Armies, and that for the time being I must give that matter my whole attention.'

Next day, the 21st, Roger breakfasted with Talleyrand. When he had told him how he had spiked Fouche's guns by referring to his overtures to Mitau and what had followed from it, the statesman was both amused and delighted. He said:

^' As a soldier, mon vieux, you are entirely wasted. No diplomat could have achieved a finer coup than bringing Fouche over to us. He is the exceptional leopard who is really capable of changing his spots. The thought of his past crimes makes one shudder but I am convinced that, like the convert to Rome, now that he has achieved respectability he is likely to become more of an anti-Jacobin than any of us. His closing of their club was the first evidence of it. I was hoping to win his support for Bonaparte and you have paved the way for that most admirably. As far as the little General is concerned, I regret to say I have found him far from certain of himself; but one cannot blame him for being cautious, and perhaps it is as well that he should have declined a meeting with Fouche for the moment/

Dabbing rich Brittany butter on a croissant, Talleyrand went on, ^'1 asked you here this morning because, if you are to be of maximum value to us, you must be informed of what has so far gone on behind the scenes. As you know, greatly against the will of the Directors, Sieyes was elected to fill Rewbell's place last May. Although it is not generally known, that was my doing. I secretly buttonholed every Deputy who I believed wished for an end to the devilish uncertainties that beset us, and urged upon them that Sieyes was the only man capable of directing a stable Government.'

^' Why Sieyes? ' Roger asked. ^' He is timid, and clever only at saving his own skin. He would run a mile rather than take any decisive action. It surprises me that you should choose such a weak tool for your business.'

Talleyrand smiled. ^' Dear friend, you have yet quite a lot to learn. The majority of successful revolutions are made not from without, but from within. However impracticable Sieyds's ideas may be, he has persuaded nearly everybody that he has long had a Utopian Constitution in his pocket. Being eaten up with vanity as he is, it was a certainty that, as soon as he was given power, he would not be able to resist the itch to foist his unwieldy child upon the nation. What is more, believing him to be a wizard, the public would support him in any steps he took to do so.

^' The first step was to hack away the dead wood in the Directory. By the bloodless coup d'etat of Prairial we got rid of three of them; but unfortunately things did not go quite as well as we had hoped. The Deputies landed us with Gohier, Moulins and Roger Ducos. The first two may give us some trouble; but the situation was at least improved by the inclusion of Ducos, because he is another trimmer and will follow Sieyes's lead in everything.

^' By then, Sieyes was burning to give birth to his ponderous brain-child, but he at least has sufficient sense to realize that for that business he needs a capable midwife. To quote his own words, "What the nation needs is a brain and a sword." He, of course, was to be the brain; but who the sword?

^' His first thought was of young Joubert. A good soldier and a sensible man; but he had never directed a victorious campaign, so it was doubtful if the Army could be counted on to support him. It was in the hope that he would win for himself suitable laurels that we sent him to supersede Moreau in Italy. But, as you know, he met only with defeat.and was killed at Novi.

^' Sieyes's next choice was Moreau. His brow was already heavy with laurels won on the Rhine and elsewhere. His popularity as a General is beyond question; but he is no politician. He proved as timid about taking any action that might lead to his being outlawed as Sieyes is himself. When the news arrived of Bonaparte's having landed at Frejus, Moreau was with Sieyes and he exclaimed with relief, ^'' Here is your man! "'

Roger nodded and asked, ^' How are they getting on together? '

Talleyrand threw up his hands and raised his eyes to heaven. ^' Getting on! They have not yet even met. Between them they are driving me to distraction. The two of them are behaving like two old dowagers whose arms have the same number of quarterings. Each considers it to be beneath his dignity to be the first to call upon the other.'

^'1 no longer wonder, then, that I found our little man in such a state of uncertainty when I spoke to him about Fouche. He even talked about going off to take command of the Army in Italy; although I feel sure he does not mean to.'

^' No, he will not do that. At the moment he is angling to have himself made a Director.'

^' Since he is only thirty, and the lowest age at which one can qualify is forty, he would first have to get passed an amendment to the Constitution.'

'Exactly, and his chances of doing that are negligible. The Jacobins would oppose it tooth and nail; and so would Gohier and Moulins. They would never agree to have him as one of them.'