French phrase.

"I have telegraphed already, 'splendid!'" replied Harry Blount calmly,
employing the word specially devoted to expressing admiration by all
subjects of the United Kingdom.

"Nevertheless," added Alcide Jolivet, "I felt compelled to remark to my
cousin--"

"Your cousin?" repeated Harry Blount in a tone of surprise, interrupting
his brother of the pen.

"Yes," returned Alcide Jolivet, "my cousin Madeleine. It is with her
that I correspond, and she likes to be quickly and well informed, does
my cousin. I therefore remarked to her that, during this fete, a sort of
cloud had appeared to overshadow the sovereign's brow."

"To me, it seemed radiant," replied Harry Blount, who perhaps, wished to
conceal his real opinion on this topic.

"And, naturally, you made it 'radiant,' in the columns of the Daily
Telegraph."

"Exactly."

"Do you remember, Mr. Blount, what occurred at Zakret in 1812?"

"I remember it as well as if I had been there, sir," replied the English
correspondent.

"Then," continued Alcide Jolivet, "you know that, in the middle of a
fete given in his honor, it was announced to the Emperor Alexander that
Napoleon had just crossed the Niemen with the vanguard of the
French army. Nevertheless the Emperor did not leave the fete, and
notwithstanding the extreme gravity of intelligence which might cost him
his empire, he did not allow himself to show more uneasiness."

"Than our host exhibited when General Kissoff informed him that the
telegraphic wires had just been cut between the frontier and the
government of Irkutsk."

"Ah! you are aware of that?"

"I am!"

"As regards myself, it would be difficult to avoid knowing it, since
my last telegram reached Udinsk," observed Alcide Jolivet, with some
satisfaction.

"And mine only as far as Krasnoiarsk," answered Harry Blount, in a no
less satisfied tone.

"Then you know also that orders have been sent to the troops of
Nikolaevsk?"

"I do, sir; and at the same time a telegram was sent to the Cossacks of
the government of Tobolsk to concentrate their forces."

"Nothing can be more true, Mr. Blount; I was equally well acquainted
with these measures, and you may be sure that my dear cousin shall know
of them to-morrow."

"Exactly as the readers of the Daily Telegraph shall know it also, M.
Jolivet."

"Well, when one sees all that is going on...."

"And when one hears all that is said...."

"An interesting campaign to follow, Mr. B