RUTLAND.
MARCHIONESS OF SALISBURY.
MARCHIONESS OF HERTFORD.
Other Peeresses.
MRS. FITZHERBERT.
Ambassadors' Wives, Wives of Minister and Members of Parliament,
and other Ladies of Note.

..........

THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.
HORTENSE, QUEEN OF HOLLAND.
The Mother of Napoleon.
Princess Pauline, and others of Napoleon's Family.
DUCHESS OF MONTEBELLO.
MADAME DE MONTESQUIOU.
MADAME BLAISE, NURSE TO MARIE LOUIS.
Wives of French Ministers, and of other Officials.
Other Ladies of the French Court.
DUCHESS OF ANGOULEME.

..........

LOUISA, QUEEN OF PRUSSIA.
The Countess Voss, Lady-in-Waiting.
BERLIN LADIES.

..........

MARIA LUISA, QUEEN OF SPAIN.
THEREZA OF BOURBON, WIFE OF GODOY.
DONA JOSEFA TUDO, MISTRESS OF GODOY.
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen.
A Servant.

..........

M. LOUISA BEATRIX, EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA.
THE ARCHDUCHESS MARIE LOUISA, afterwards the EMPRESS MARIE LOUISE.
MADAME METTERNICH.
LADIES OF THE AUSTRIAN COURT.

..........

THE EMPRESS-MOTHER OF RUSSIA.
GRAND-DUCHESS ANNE OF RUSSIA.

ACT FIRST

SCENE I

LONDON. FOX'S LODGINGS, ARLINGTON STREET

[FOX, the Foreign Secretary in the new Ministry of All-the-Talents,
sits at a table writing. He is a stout, swarthy man, with shaggy
eyebrows, and his breathing is somewhat obstructed. His clothes
look as though they had been slept in. TROTTER, his private
secretary, is writing at another table near. A servant enters.]

SERVANT

Another stranger presses to see you, sir.

FOX [without raising his eyes]

Oh, another. What's he like?

SERVANT

A foreigner, sir; though not so out-at-elbows as might be thought
from the denomination. He says he's from Gravesend, having lately
left Paris, and that you sent him a passport. He comes with a
police-officer.

FOX

Ah, to be sure. I remember. Bring him in, and tell the officer
to wait outside. [Servant goes out.] Trotter, will you leave us
for a few minutes? But be within hail.

[The secretary retires, and the servant shows in a man who calls
himself GUILLET DE GEVRILLIERE--a tall, thin figure of thirty,
with restless eyes. The door being shut behind him, he is left
alone with the minister. FOX points to a seat, leans back, and
surveys his visitor.]

GEVRILLIERE