fame; but as her imagination is captivated by
splendour, while her heart remains perfectly cold and intact, Moreau's
simple, unpretending habits quickly effaced the memory of his hard-won
glory, and now she is quite indifferent to him.'

'And who is her idol now, for, of course, she has one?' asked Fouche.

'You would scarcely guess,' said Lajolais. '_Parbleu!_ I hope it is not
myself,' said Fouche, laughing.

'No, Monsieur le Ministre, her admiration is not so well placed. The
man who has captivated her present fancy is neither good-looking nor
well-mannered; he is short and abrupt of speech, careless in dress,
utterly indifferent to woman's society, and almost rude to them.'

'You have drawn the very picture of a man to be adored by them,' said
Fouche, with a dry laugh.

'I suppose so,' said the other, with a sigh; 'or General Ney would not
have made this conquest.'

'Ah! it is Ney, then. And he, what of him?'

'It is hard to say. As long as she lived in a grand house of the Rue St.
Georges, where he could dine four days a week, and, in his dirty boots
and unbrushed frock, mix with all the fashion and elegance of the
capital; while he could stretch full length on a Persian ottoman, and
brush the cinders from his cigar against a statuette by Canova, or a
gold embroidered hanging; while in the midst of the most voluptuous
decorations he alone could be dirty and uncared for, I really believe
that he did care for her, at least, so far as ministering to his own
enjoyments; but in a miserable lodging of the "Allee du Caire," without
equipage, lackeys, liveried footmen----'

'To be sure,' interrupted Fouche, 'one might as well pretend to be
fascinated by the beauty of a landscape the day after it has been
desolated by an earthquake. Ney is right! Well, now, Monsieur Lajolais,
where does all this bring us to?'

'Very near to the end of our journey, Monsieur le Ministre. Madame, or
mademoiselle, is most anxious to regain her former position; she longs
for all the luxurious splendour she used to live in. Let us but show her
this rich reward, and she will be our own!'

'In my trade, Monsieur Lajolais, generalities are worth nothing. Give me
details; let me know how you would proceed.'

'Easily enough, sir: Mahon must first of all be disposed of, and perhaps
the best way will be to have him arrested for debt. This will not be
difficult, for his bills are everywhere. Once in the Temple, she will
never think more of h