h, traveling southward, finally reached Toulon,
Marseilles, and Nice, cities where Robespierre's stanchest adherents
were flaunting their newly gained importance. No wonder if the brains
of common men reeled. The recent so-called parties had disappeared for
the moment like wraiths. The victorious group in the Convention, now
known as the Thermidorians, was compounded of elements from them both,
and claimed to represent the whole of France as the wretched factions
who had so long controlled the government had never done. Where now
should those who had been active supporters of the late administration
turn for refuge? The Corsicans who had escaped from the island at the
same time with Salicetti and the Buonapartes were nearly all with the
Army of Italy. Employment had been given to them, but, having failed
to keep Corsica for France, they were not in favor. It had already
been remarked in the Committee of Public Safety that their patriotism
was less manifest than their disposition to enrich themselves. This
too was the opinion of many among their own countrymen, especially of
their own partisans shut up in Bastia or Calvi and deserted.
Salicetti, ever ready for emergencies, was not disconcerted by this
one; and with adroit baseness turned informer, denouncing as a
suspicious schemer his former protege and lieutenant, of whose budding
greatness he was now well aware. He was apparently both jealous and
alarmed. Possibly, however, the whole procedure was a ruse; in the
critical juncture the apparent traitor was by this conduct able
efficiently to succor and save his compatriot.

Buonaparte's mission to Genoa had been openly political; secretly it
was also a military reconnaissance, and his confidential instructions,
virtually dictated by himself, had unfortunately leaked out. They had
directed him to examine the fortifications in and about both Savona
and Genoa, to investigate the state of the Genoese artillery, to
inform himself as to the behavior of the French envoy to the republic,
to learn as much as possible of the intentions of the oligarchy--in
short, to gather all information useful for the conduct of a war "the
result of which it is impossible to foresee." Buonaparte, knowing now
that he had trodden dangerous ground in his unauthorized and secret
dealings with the younger Robespierre, and probably foreseeing the
coming storm, began to shorten sail immediately upon reaching Nice.
Either he was prescient and felt the