said Pompadour.

"You cannot," said the duchess; "the regent knows you; and if the thing
failed, you would be lost."

"It is a pity," said Cellamare, coldly; "for, once arrived at Toledo or
Saragossa, there is greatness in store for him who shall have
succeeded."

"And the blue ribbon," added Madame de Maine, "on his return to Paris."

"Oh, silence, I beg, madame," said D'Harmental; "for if your highness
says such things, you give to devotion the air of ambition, and rob it
of all its merit. I was going to offer myself for the enterprise--I, who
am unknown to the regent--but now I hesitate; and yet I venture to
believe myself worthy of the confidence of your highness, and able to
justify it."----"What, chevalier!" cried the duchess, "you would risk--"

"My life; it is all I have to risk. I thought I had already offered it,
and that your highness had accepted it. Was I mistaken?"

"No, no, chevalier," said the duchess quickly; "and you are a brave and
loyal gentleman. I have always believed in presentiments, and from the
moment Valef pronounced your name, telling me that you were what I find
you to be, I felt of what assistance you would be to us. Gentlemen, you
hear what the chevalier says; in what can you aid him?"

"In whatever he may want," said Laval and Pompadour.

"The coffers of their Catholic majesties are at his disposal," said the
Prince de Cellamare, "and he may make free use of them."

"I thank you," said D'Harmental, turning toward the Comte de Laval and
the Marquis de Pompadour; "but, known as you are, you would only make
the enterprise more difficult. Occupy yourselves only in obtaining for
me a passport for Spain, as if I had the charge of some prisoner of
importance: that ought to be easy."

"I undertake it," said the Abbe Brigaud: "I will get from D'Argenson a
paper all prepared, which will only have to be filled in."

"Excellent Brigaud," said Pompadour; "he does not speak often, but he
speaks to the purpose."

"It is he who should be made cardinal," said the duchess, "rather than
certain great lords of my acquaintance; but as soon as we can dispose of
the blue and the red, be easy, gentlemen, we shall not be miserly. Now,
chevalier, you have heard what the prince said. If you want money--"

"Unfortunately," replied D'Harmental, "I am not rich enough to refuse
his excellency's offer, and so soon as I have arrived at the end of
about a million pistoles which I have at home, I must have re