“Fouche，thechiefofpolice!Fouche，thetraitor，whogavehisvoiceintheConventionforthedeathofKingLouis——tohim，theredrepublican，amanofbloodandtreachery，doyouwanttoconveymypapersandmyproperty？“
“Yes，Louis，forwithhimalonearetheysecure。Fouchewillprotectyou，andwillstandbyyouwithjustasmuchzealasheoncedisplayedinthepersecutionoftheroyalfamily。Iknowhimwell，andIvouchforhim。Menmustnotalwaysbejudgedbytheirexternalappearance。Hewhoshowshimselfourenemyto-day，lendsusto-
morrow，itmaybe，ahelpfularm，andbecomesourfriend，sometimesbecausehishearthasbeenchanged，andsometimesbecausehischaracterisfeeble。IcannotwithcertaintysaywhichofthesereasonshasdeterminedFouche，butIamfirmlyconvincedthathewillbeaprotectorandafriendtoyou，andthatinnohandswillyourpropertyandyourpapersbesaferthaninhis。“[Footnote：
Desaix’sownwords——See“MemoiresduDuedeNonuandie，“p。61。]
Louismadenoreply；hedroppedhisheadwithasigh，andsubmitted。
On，inthenewcentury，rolledthevictoriouscarofBonaparte，downtheAlps，intothefertileplainsofItaly。TheconquerorofLodiandArcolemeanttotakerevengeontheenemieswhohadsnatchedbackthebooty——revengeonAustria，whohadbrokenthepeaceofCampoFormio。AndhedidtakethisrevengeatMarengo，where，onthe14thofJune，hegainedabrilliantvictoryoverAustria，andwonallItalyastheprizeofthebattle。
Butthedaywaspurchasedatasacrifice。GeneralDesaixpaidwithhisdeathforhisimpetuousonset。Intheverythickofthefight，mortallywoundedbyaball，hefellintothearmsofhisadjutantLouis，andonlywithextremeperilcouldthelatter，himselfwounded，bearthegeneralawayfromthemelee，andnot。betrampledtodeathbythehorsesofhisownsoldiers。
PoorLouisCharles!Henowstoodentirelyalone——thelastfriendhadlefthim。Deathhadtakenawayeverything，parents，crown，home，name，friends。Hewasalone，allaloneintheworld——nomantotakeanyinterestinhim，noonetoknowwhohewas。
Sunkinsadness，heremainedinAlessandriaafterthebattleofMarengo，andallowedhisexternalwoundtoheal，whiletheinternalonecontinuedtobleed。Hecurseddeath，becauseithadnottakenhim，whileremovinghislastfriend。
Andwhenthewoundwashealed，whatshouldhedo？——underwhatnameandtitleshouldhebeenrolledinthearmy？Hisonlyprotectorwasdead，andtheadjutantwasreportedtohavediedwithhim。Heputofftheuniformwhichhehadwornasthesoldieroftherepublicwhichhaddestroyedhisthroneandhisinheritance，and，insimple，unpretendinggarments，hereturnedtoParis，anunknownyoungman。
Desaixwasright；itwas，indeed，somethingtopossessamillionoffrancs。Poorashewasinloveandhappiness，thismillionoffrancsmadehimatleastafreeandindependentman，andthereforehewoulddemandhisinheritanceofhimwhomheformerlyshunnedbecausehewasoneofthemurderersofhisfather。
FouchereceivedtheyoungmanexactlyasDesaixhadexpected。Heshowedhimselfinthelightofasympathizingprotector；hewastouchedwiththeviewofthisyouth，whosecountenancewastheevidenceofhislineage，thelivingpictureoftheunfortunateLouisXVI。，whomFouchehadbroughttothescaffold。Perhapsthismanofbloodandtheguillotinehadcompunctionsofconscience；perhapshewantedtoatonetothesonforhisinjuriestotheparents；perhapshewasplanningtomakeofthesonoftheBourbonsachecktotheambitiousconsuloftherepublic；perhapstohumiliatethegraspingCountdeLille，whowasintriguingatalltheEuropeancourtsforthepurposeofraisingarmiesagainsttheFrenchrepublic。ThesonofLouisXVI。couldbeemployedasausefulfoiltoallthesepoliticalmanoeuvres，andsubsequentlyhecouldeitherbepubliclyacknowledged，ordenouncedasanimpostor，ascircumstancesmightdetermine。
AtpresentitsuitedtheplansofthecraftyFouchetoacknowledgehim，andtoassumetheattitudeofaprotector。Heputonaveryrespectfulandsympatheticairtothepoorsolitaryyouth；withgentle，tremulousvoicehecalledhimyourMajesty；hebeggedhispardonforthepast；hespokewithsuchdeepemotionandsosolemnatoneofthegood，great，andgentleLouisXVI。，thattheheartofthesonwaspowerfullytouched。AndwhenFouche，withflamingwordsofenthusiasm，begantospeakofthenoble，unhappyQueenMarieAntoinette，whenwithglowingeloquencehecelebratedherbeautyandhergentlenessintimeofgood-fortune，hergreatnessandsteadfastnessinill-fortune，alltheangeroftheyoungmanmeltedinthetearsoflovewhichhepouredoutasherememberedhismother。
“Iforgiveyou，Fouche；yes，Iforgiveyou，“hecried，extendingbothhishands。“Iseeplainlythepowerofpoliticalfactionhurriedyouaway；butyourheartcannotbebad，foryoulovemynoblemother。Iforgiveyou，andItrustyou。“
Fouche，deeplymoved，sankuponhiskneebeforethedauphin，andcalledhimselfoneofhisloyalsubjects，andpromisedtotakeallmeanstorestoretheyoungkingtothethroneofhisfathers。HeconjuredLouistotrusthim，andtoenteruponnoplanwithoutaskinghiscounsel。
Louispromisedthis。HetoldFouchethathewastheonlymanwhohadtalkedwithhimaboutthepastwithoutusingambiguouslanguage；
thathewassurprisedatthis，andcompelledtorecognizeastruewhatformerlyhadbeenfetteredonhistongue。Hetoldhimthathehadpromisedhisrescuer，withasolemnoath，nevertoacknowledgehimselfasthesonofLouisXVI。，andKingofFrance，tillthisrescuerandbenefactorempoweredhimtodoso，andreleasedhimfromhisvowofsilence。Hemadeit，therefore，thefirstconditionofhisconfidencethatFoucheshoulddisclosehissecrettonoone，butcarryitfaithfullyinhisownbreast。
Fouchepromisedall，andtookasacredoaththathewouldneverrevealthesecretconfidedtohimbytheKingofFrance。ButheconfessedatthesametimethattheFirstConsulknewverywellthatthesonofthekinghadbeenreleasedfromtheTemple，andthatamongtheposthumouspapersofKlebertherewasaletterdirectedtoBonaparte，statingthathe，Kleber，knewverywellthatthelittleCapetwasstillliving，andimploringBonapartetorestoretheorphantothethroneoftheLilies。Theconsulhad，therefore，quietly，madeinvestigations，andlearnedthatLouishadtakenpartastheadjutantofGeneralDesaixinthebattleofMarengo，thathehadbeenwoundedthere，andremainedinthehospitalofAlessandriatillhisrecovery。Sincethenalltraceoftheyoungmanhadbeenlost，andhehadcommissionedFouchetodiscovertheadjutantofKleberandDesaixandbringhimtohim。
“Youwillnotdothat？“criedLouis，eagerly；“youwillnotdiscloseme？“
“Areyouafraidofhim？“askedFouche，withasuspicioussmile。
Theyoungmanblushed，andacloudpassedoverhisclearforehead。
“Fear!“herepliedwithashrug。“Thesonsofmyancestorshavenofear；andIhaveshownonthebattle-fieldsofAboukirandMarongo，andinthepest-housesofJaffa，thatIknownottheword。Butwhenonemeetsablood-thirstylioninhispathheturnsoutoftheway，andwhenatigerextendsitstalonsatoneheflies；thatisthedutyofself-preservation，andnottheflightofacoward。“
“Doyoubelieve，then，thatthislionthirstsforroyalblood？“
“Ibelievethathethirstsforroyalrank，andthathewillneglectnomeanstovanquishallhinderancesthatmightintervenebetweenhimselfandthethrone。Doyoubelieve，sir，thatthemanwho，afterthebattleofAboukir，sentencedfivethousandprisonerstodeath，wouldhesitateamomenttotakethelifeofapoor，defencelessyoungmansuchasIam？Hewouldbeatmeintothedustastheliondoesthefleawhichdarestoplaywithhismane。“
“Itappearsyouknowthisaonverywell，“saidFouchewithasmile，“andIreallybelieveyoujudgehimrightly。Butbewithoutconcern。
HeshallnotknowfrommethatIamawareofyouandyourabiding-
place。InorderthatBonaparteshallnottakemetobeabaddetective，IshallshowhiminallotherthingsthatIamonthealert。Incaseofnecessity，itmaybethatIshallhavetoresorttodeception，and，inordertosaveyourlife，informtheconsulthatyouaredead。TherewereagreatmanyyoungofficerswhofellatMarengo，orafterwarddiedastheresultoftheirwounds。WhyshouldnottheadjutantofGeneralDesaixhavemetthisfate？Yes，I
believethiswillbethebest。Iwillgiveyououtasdead，inordertosaveyourlife。IwillcauseapapertobepreparedwhichshalltestifythattheadjutantofGeneralDesaix，wholaythereinthehospital，diedthereofhiswoundsandwasburied。“
“AndsoIshalldisappearfromlifeasecondtime？“askedLouis，sadly。
“Yes，sire，inordertoenteranewuponitwithgreatersplendor，“
repliedFouche，eagerly。
“Whoknowswhetherthisshalleverbe？“sighedLouis。“HowshallI
beabletoestablishmyidentityifIdieandamburiedtwice？WhowillbemypledgethatIshallbeabletoconvincementhatIamnotadeceiver，andthatmywholeexistenceisnotanidletale？ThereareonlyafewwhoknowandbelievethatlittleCapetescapedfromtheTemple，andwenttoEgyptasKleber’sadjutant。If，now，thesefewlearnthattheadjutantfellinbattle，ifthepaperthattestifiestohisdeathislaidbeforethem，howshallIsubsequentlybebelievedifIannouncethatIamalive，andthatIamtheoneforwhomIgivemyselfout？Thesealofroyaltyisimpressedonnoman’sbrow，andweknowfromhistorythattherehavebeenfalsepretenders。“
“Youshallshowwithyourpapersthatyouarenonesuch，“saidFouche，eagerly，“andGodwillgrantthatI，too，shallbelivingwhenthetimeshallbeinwhichyoumaycomeforwardwithraisedvoiceanddemandyourinheritanceandyourthrone。Hopeforthattime，andmeanwhilepreserveyourpaperswell。Carrythemalwayswithyou，partwiththemneitherdaynornight，forinthesepapersrestyourfutureandyourcrown。NoothermanbesidesyourselfcantakecareofthemThesepapersareworthmoretoyouthanamillionoffras，althoughoventhatshouldnotbescorned。Herearethedocumentsthatgiveyoupossessionofyourwealth。IhavedepositedyourfundsintheBankofFrance，andyoucandrawoutmoneyatanytimebypresentingthesechecksthatIgiveyou，simplywritingyournameuponthem。“
“Bysimplywritingmynameuponthem!“criedLouis，bitterly。“But，sir，whatismyname？HowshallIbecalled？IwasformerlydesignatedasthenephewofKleber，ColonelLouis，theadjutantofDesaix。ButColonelLouiscannolongeracknowledgethatheisalive，andyouproposetoconvincetheFirstConsulthatthenephewofKleberisdead。Who，then，amI？WhatnameshallIsubscribetothosepapers？Bywhatnameshallthenameless，thedeadandburied，theresurrected，theagaindeadandburiedone——bywhatnameshallhedrawmoneyfromthebank？“
“Verytrue，“saidFouche。“Aname，orratherthemaskofacitizen’sornobleman’sname，mustbeyourdisguise，anditisimperativelynecessarythatwegiveyousuch，andprovideyouwithpapersthatcannotbeforged，whichshallproveyourexistence，andsecureyouagainsteveryassault。“
“Verygood；thentellmehowIshallbecalled，“saidLouis，sadly。
“Bethegodfatherofthesolitaryandnameless。“