ied the ambassador, "and, thanks to
the enchantments of a powerful magician, have so arranged, that if you
would not go to the mountain, the mountain should come to you. Hola,
genii!" continued the chief, describing some cabalistic circles in the
air with his wand, "display the palace of your new sovereign."

At this moment some fanciful music was heard; the veil which covered the
pavilion of Aurora was raised as if by magic, and the water showed the
reflection of a light so skillfully placed that it might have been taken
for the moon. By this light was seen an island of ice at the foot of a
snowy peak, on which was the palace of the Queen of the Greenlanders, to
which led a bridge so light that it seemed to be made of a floating
cloud. Then, in the midst of general acclamation, the ambassador took
from the hands of one of his suite a crown, which he placed on the
duchess's head, and which she received with as haughty a gesture as
though it had been a real crown. Then, getting into the sledge, she went
toward the marine palace; and, while the guards prevented the crowd from
following her into her new domain, she crossed the bridge and entered,
with the seven ambassadors. At the same instant the bridge disappeared,
as if, by an illusion not less visible than the others, the skillful
machinist had wished to separate the past from the future, and fireworks
expressed the joy of the Greenlanders at seeing their new sovereign.
Meanwhile Madame de Maine was introduced by an usher into the most
retired part of the palace, and the seven ambassadors having thrown off
caps and cloaks, she found herself surrounded by the Prince de
Cellamare, Cardinal Polignac, the Marquis de Pompadour, the Comte de
Laval, the Baron de Valef, the Chevalier d'Harmental, and Malezieux. As
to the usher, who, after having carefully closed all the doors, came and
mixed familiarly with all this noble assembly, he was no other than our
old friend the Abbe Brigaud. Things now began to take their true form,
and the fete, as the ambassadors had done, threw off mask and costume,
and turned openly to conspiracy.

"Gentlemen," said the duchess, with her habitual vivacity, "we have not
an instant to lose, as too long an absence would be suspicious. Let
every one tell quickly what he has done, and we shall know what we are
about."

"Pardon, madame," said the prince, "but you had spoken to me, as being
one of ourselves, of a man whom I do not see here, and whom I