ng
observations of her own, that the King was corresponding with his
Minister.

She laid her plans. With the help of a faithful friend, she arranged
that a stormy debate should detain the Minister at the Chamber; then she
contrived to secure a _tete-a-tete_, and to convince outraged Majesty of
the fraud. Louis XVIII. flew into a royal and truly Bourbon passion, but
the tempest broke on Octavie's head. He would not believe her. Octavie
offered immediate proof, begging the King to write a note which must be
answered at once. The unlucky wife of the Keeper of the Seals sent to
the Chamber for her husband; but precautions had been taken, and at that
moment the Minister was on his legs addressing the Chamber. The lady
racked her brains and replied to the note with such intellect as she
could improvise.

"Your Chancellor will supply the rest," cried Octavie, laughing at the
King's chagrin.

There was not a word of truth in the story; but it struck home to three
persons--the Keeper of the Seals, his wife, and the King. It was said
that des Lupeaulx had invented the tale, but Finot always kept his
counsel. The article was caustic and clever, the Liberal papers and
the Orleanists were delighted with it, and Lucien himself laughed, and
thought of it merely as a very amusing _canard_.

He called next day for des Lupeaulx and the Baron du Chatelet. The Baron
had just been to thank his lordship. The Sieur Chatelet, newly appointed
Councillor Extraordinary, was now Comte du Chatelet, with a promise of
the prefecture of the Charente so soon as the present prefect should
have completed the term of office necessary to receive the maximum
retiring pension. The Comte _du_ Chatelet (for the _du_ had been
inserted in the patent) drove with Lucien to the _Chancellerie_, and
treated his companion as an equal. But for Lucien's articles, he said,
his patent would not have been granted so soon; Liberal persecution had
been a stepping-stone to advancement. Des Lupeaulx was waiting for
them in the Secretary-General's office. That functionary started with
surprise when Lucien appeared and looked at des Lupeaulx.

"What!" he exclaimed, to Lucien's utter bewilderment. "Do you dare to
come here, sir? Your patent was made out, but his lordship has torn it
up. Here it is!" (the Secretary-General caught up the first torn sheet
that came to hand). "The Minister wished to discover the author of
yesterday's atrocious article, and here is the manuscrip