. The abbe had no longer
any doubt. It was really the marquis.

"Well, Maitre Clement," said he, "what news from the palace?"

"Oh!" answered Pompadour, "good news, particularly if it be true; they
say that the parliament refuses to come to the Tuileries."

"Vive Dieu!" cried Valef, "that will reconcile me with the red robes.
But they will not dare."

"Why not? You know that Monsieur de Mesme is for us, and has been named
president through the influence of Monsieur de Maine."

"Yes, that is true, but that is long since," said Brigaud; "and if you
have nothing better to rely upon, Maitre Clement, I should advise you
not to count upon him."

"Particularly," answered Valef, "as he has just obtained from the regent
the payment of five hundred thousand francs of his salary."

"Oh, oh!" said D'Harmental, "see, it appears to me that something new is
going on. Are they not coming out of the regent's council?"

Indeed, a great movement was taking place in the court of the Tuileries,
and the two carriages of the Duc de Maine and the Comte de Toulouse left
their post, and approached the clock pavilion. At the same instant they
saw the two brothers appear. They exchanged few words, each got into his
own carriage, and the two vehicles departed at a rapid pace by the
waterside wicket.

For ten minutes Brigaud, D'Harmental, Pompadour, and Valef were lost in
conjectures regarding this event, which, having been remarked by others
as well as by them, had made a sensation among the crowd, but without
being able to assign it to its proper cause. Then they noticed
Malezieux, who appeared to be looking for them: they went to him, and by
his discomposed face they judged that the information which he had to
bring was not comforting.

"Well," asked Pompadour, "have you any idea of what has been going on?"

"Alas!" answered Malezieux, "I am afraid that all is lost."

"You know that the Duc de Maine and the Comte de Toulouse have left the
council?" asked Valef.

"I was on the quay when he passed in his carriage, and he recognized me,
and stopped the carriage, and sent me this little pencil note by his
valet-de-chambre."

"Let us see," said Brigaud, and he read:

"I do not know what is plotting against us, but the
regent invited us--Toulouse and me--to leave the
council. That invitation appeared to me an order, and,
as all resistance would have been useless, seeing that
we have in the council only four o