to Gondreville for the
express purpose of destroying, being convinced at last that the Empire
was on a sure foundation and could not be overthrown. "I have no doubt,"
added de Marsay, "that Fouche took the opportunity to have the house
searched for the correspondence between Malin and Louis XVIII., which
was always kept up, even during the Terror. But in this cruel affair
there was a private element, a passion of revenge in the mind of the
leader of the party, a man named Corentin, who is still living, and who
is one of those subaltern agents whom nothing can replace and who
makes himself felt by his amazing ability. It appears that Madame, then
Mademoiselle de Cinq-Cygne, had ill-treated him on a former occasion
when he attempted to arrest the Simeuse brothers. What happened
afterwards in connection with the senator's abduction was the result of
his private vengeance.

"These facts were known, of course, to Malin, and through him to Louis
XVIII. You may therefore," added de Marsay, turning to the Princesse de
Cadignan, "explain the whole matter to the Marquise de Cinq-Cygne, and
show her why Louis XVIII. thought fit to keep silence." ADDENDUM

The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.

Beauvisage The Member for Arcis

Berthier, Alexandre
The Chouans

Bonaparte, Lucien
The Vendetta

Bordin
The Seamy Side of History
The Commission in Lunacy
Jealousies of a Country Town

Cinq-Cygne, Laurence, Comtesse (afterwards Marquise de)
The Secrets of a Princess
The Seamy Side of History
The Member for Arcis

Corentin
The Chouans
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life
The Middle Classes

Derville
Gobseck
A Start in Life
Father Goriot
Colonel Chabert
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Duroc, Gerard-Christophe-Michel
A Woman of Thirty

Espard, Jeanne-Clementine-Athenais de Blamont-Chauvry, Marquise d'
The Commission in Lunacy
A Distinguished Provincial at Paris
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life
Letters of Two Brides
Another Study of Woman
The Secrets of a Princess
A Daughter of Eve
Beatrix

Fouche, Joseph
The Chouans
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Giguet, Colonel
The Member for Arcis

Gondreville, Malin, Comte de
A Start in L