esignation."

"Then admit them and let them give it," retorted Bonaparte.

Moulins and Gohier entered. They were pale but calm. They knew they came
to force a struggle, but behind their resistance may have loomed the
Sinnamary. The exiles they sent there the 18th of Fructidor pointed the
way.

"I see with satisfaction," Bonaparte hastened to say, "that you have
yielded to our wishes and those of your two colleagues."

Gohier made a step forward and said firmly: "We yield neither to your
wishes, nor to those of our two colleagues, who are no longer our
colleagues, since they have resigned, but to the Law. It requires that
the decree transferring the legislative body to Saint-Cloud shall be
proclaimed without delay. We have come here to fulfil the duty which the
law imposes on us, fully determined to defend it against all factious
persons, whoever they may be, who attempt to attack it."

"Your zeal does not astonish us," replied Bonaparte; "and because you
are a man who loves his country you will unite with us."

"Unite with you! And why?"

"To save the Republic."

"To save the Republic! There was a time, general, when you had the honor
to be its prop. But to-day the glory of saving it is reserved for us."

"You save it!" retorted Bonaparte. "How will you do that? With the means
your Constitution gives you? Why, that Constitution is crumbling on all
sides, and even if I did not topple it over, it could not last eight
days."

"Ah!" cried Moulins, "at last you avow your hostile intentions."

"My intentions are not hostile!" shouted Bonaparte, striking the floor
with the heel of his boot. "The Republic is in peril; it must be saved,
and I shall do it."

"You do it?" cried Gohier. "It seems to me it is for the Directory, not
you, to say, 'I shall do it!'"

"There is no longer a Directory."

"I did indeed hear that you said so just a moment before we came in."

"There is no longer a Directory, now that Sieyes and Ducos have
resigned."

"You are mistaken. So long as there are three Directors, the Directory
still exists. Neither Moulins, Barras nor myself, have handed in our
resignations."

At that moment a paper was slipped in Bonaparte's hand, and a voice said
in his ear: "Read it." He did so; then said aloud: "You, yourself, are
mistaken. Barras has resigned, for here is his resignation. The law
requires three Directors to make a Directory. You are but two, and, as
you said just now, whoever resists the