given much good advice to the ministry of Villele. Coldly received
by Charles X., he had adopted all the rancors of Talleyrand. He was now
in high favor under the twelfth government he had served since 1789, and
which in turn he would doubtless betray. For the last fifteen months he
had broken the long friendship which had bound him for thirty-six years
to our greatest diplomat, the Prince de Talleyrand. It was in the course
of this very evening that he made answer to some one who asked why the
Prince showed such hostility to the Duc de Bordeaux, "The Pretender is
too young!"

"Singular advice to give young men," remarked Rastignac.

De Marsay, who grew thoughtful after Madame de Cadignan's reproachful
speech, took no notice of these jests. He looked askance at Gondreville
and was evidently biding his time until that now old man, who went to
bed early, had taken leave. All present, who had witnessed the abrupt
departure of Madame de Cinq-Cygne (whose reasons were well-known to
them), imitated de Marsay's conduct and kept silence. Gondreville,
who had not recognized the marquise, was ignorant of the cause of the
general reticence, but the habit of dealing with public matters had
given him a certain tact; he was moreover a clever man; he saw that his
presence was embarrassing to the company and he took leave. De Marsay,
standing with his back to the fire, watched the slow departure of the
old man in a manner which revealed the gravity of his thoughts.

"I did wrong, madame, not to tell you the name of my negotiator," said
the prime minister, listening for the sound of Malin's wheels as they
rolled away. "But I will redeem my fault and give you the means of
making your peace with the Cinq-Cygnes. It is now thirty years since the
affair I am about to speak of took place; it is as old to the present
day as the death of Henri IV. (which between ourselves and in spite
of the proverb is still a mystery, like so many other historical
catastrophes). I can, however, assure you that even if this affair did
not concern Madame de Cinq-Cygne it would be none the less curious and
interesting. Moreover, it throws light on a celebrated exploit in our
modern annals,--I mean that of the Mont Saint-Bernard. Messieurs les
Ambassadeurs," he added, bowing to the two diplomats, "will see that in
the element of profound intrigue the political men of the present day
are far behind the Machiavellis whom the waves of the popular will
lifted, in 1