n. They only proved how Marquez, if he had not hesitated,
might perhaps have saved Puebla and destroyed the Liberals. As it was,
they could only retreat, and hardly two thousand of them, ragged and
bleeding and filthy, straggled back into Mexico during the next few
days. Now they are besieged there. Oui, oui, _besieged_, by Diaz,
by the army of the East, by twelve thousand Republicans, formerly called
brigands. And inside is the Leopard, snarling as ever with his regency
of terror. Oh no, he will not come to Queretaro. Bonte divine, he
cannot. Nor would he. He still holds the capital--for sale."

"No, no, mademoiselle, there you wrong him, surely. Or tell me, then,
who would buy?"

"Probably no one. At least not Santa Anna. The buyer must have an army."

"My friend, this is a cruel jest."

"Earnest enough, parbleu, to make the Leopard forget Queretaro, once he
was safely away."

"Then why doesn't he sell out to Diaz?"

Jacqueline's eyes snapped contemptuously. "Young Diaz," she replied, "is
not a fighter to buy what he can take. It's only a question of a few
weeks."

"Then by all that's mysterious, _who_ would buy? I cannot."

"Of course you cannot. That is why Marquez wants you out of the way,
sire. So he left you here. The Liberals will attend to that for him."

"Then who will buy? Who? Who?"

The blood shot into the girl's cheeks, and one small hand clenched
tightly.

"France--possibly," she said.

The Emperor started as from an acute shock. His thoughts raced backward,
then forward, gathering the whole heinous truth about the perfidy of
Marquez.

"And I," Jacqueline added calmly, though she was still flushed, "I have
forwarded his offer to Napoleon."

"You, mademoiselle? You, an accessory?"

"To Your Imperial Highness's downfall? Ah no, sire! Your Highness is no
longer a factor. Your August Majesty will be eliminated absolutely
before Napoleon can reply to my despatch. As I said, the Liberals around
Queretaro will attend to that. Your Highness has merely delayed the
profit my country might have had from his abdication. Meantime Your
Highness himself has made his own ruin inevitable. But I, sire, I would
not see Marquez, nor receive a word from him, until we were actually
besieged in the capital, and he beyond the hope of coming to Your
Highness here. Now then, if Marquez only holds out until the army of
France returns----"

A deep sigh interrupted her. "No longer a factor," murmured the Emperor.