to be held before the
sitting of the parliament. At half-past six they were both at the
Tuileries, so Madame de Maine, in order to get the news as soon as
possible, has come and installed herself in her superintendent's
apartments."

"Is it known what has become of the Prince de Cellamare?" asked
D'Harmental.

"He is sent to Orleans, in a chaise and four, in the company of a
gentleman of the king's household, and an escort of a dozen light
horse."

"And is nothing known about the paper which Dubois picked out of the
cinders?" asked Brigaud.----"Nothing."

"What does Madame de Maine think?"

"That he is brewing something against the legitimated princes, and that
he will profit by this to take away some more of their privileges. This
morning she lectured her husband sharply, and he promised to remain
firm, but she does not rely upon him."

"And Monsieur de Toulouse?"

"We saw him yesterday evening, but, you know, my dear abbe, there is
nothing to be done with his modesty, or rather his humility. He always
thinks that they have done too much for him, and is ready to abandon to
the regent anything that is asked of him."

"By-the-by, the king?"

"Well, the king--"

"Yes, how has he taken the arrest of his tutor?"

"Ah! do you not know? It seems that there was a compact between the
marshal and Monsieur de Frejus, that if one of them left his majesty,
the other should leave immediately--yesterday morning Monsieur de Frejus
disappeared."

"And where is he?"

"God knows! And so the king, who had taken the loss of his marshal very
well, was inconsolable at that of his bishop."

"And how do you know all that?"

"Through the Duc de Richelieu, who went yesterday, about two o'clock, to
Versailles, to pay his respects to the king, and who found his majesty
in despair in the midst of the china and ornaments which he had broken.
Unfortunately, Richelieu, instead of encouraging the king's grief, made
him laugh by telling him a hundred stories, and almost consoled him by
helping him to break the rest of the china and ornaments."

At this moment an individual clothed in a long advocate's robe, and with
a square cap, passed near the group which was formed by Brigaud,
D'Harmental, and Valef, humming the burden of a song made on the marshal
after the battle of Ramillies. Brigaud turned round, and, under the
disguise, thought he recognized Pompadour. On his part the advocate
stopped, and approached the group in question