ThisletterIsignedwithmywholename，andsetmysealtoit，thatincaseofneeditmightbeofservicetohim。“
“Fouche，youareaslyfox，“saidBonaparte，withalaugh。“Itiseasiertogetoutofthewayofacannonballthanoutofyoursnares。Onemightsaytoyou，inthewordsoftheKingofPrussia，’Goddefendmofrommyfriends，frommyenemiesIcandefendmyself!’AccordingtothisyouhavecausedColonelLouistodieforfriendship’ssake，andriseagainunderanothername。“
“Yes，general，thatisit!ColonelLouis——thatis，therightfulking，Louisisatoolinmyhands，whichIholdasachecktoallparties，andwhichIcanholduporwithdrawaccordingasitpleasesme。Atpresentmygameisnotmerelytobringdisunionandhatredintotheranksoftheroyalists，buttobringovermanyrepublicanswhohaveasoftheart，tobezealouspartisansoftheyoungandunfortunateking。“
“Andafterward，“saidBonaparte，withasternertone，“youmightmakeuseofthisinstrumenttointimidatethatfourthpartyofwhichyouspokebefore——theBonapartists。Butyouhavebeenmistaken，Fouche；thisreckoningdoesnotdo——yourcunninghasoverreacheditself。Youdonotterrifyme；andifitcouldreallyhappenthattheFrenchnationshouldoffermeanimperialcrown，atthesametimethatIshouldacceptit，Ishouldputmyfootontheneckofallrebelsandpretenders。WithasingletreadIwouldcrushthemall。Iwantnoparties，nopoliticalfactions；Iwanttobringalltheserisingsandagitationstosilence。ThereshallbenosecretsocietiesinFrance；andagainsteachandeveryconspirator，whateverhisrankmaybe，Iwillbringfromthistimeforththewholeweightofthelaw。Markthis，Fouche!Imeantomakeanendofallparties，andonlywhenyoushallgivetheirchiefsintomyhand——
notformypersonalvengeance，forIcherishnovengeanceagainstthosecowardlywormsofconspirators，butfortherighteouspunishmentandretaliatorylawsofFrance——onlywhenyouareable，byonegrandcoup，andonewell-foundedcharge，todestroyallconspiracies，andbringallsecretcoalitionstothelight，onlythenshallyoubecomechiefofpolice——onlythenwillthefutureemperorgiveyouthetitleofduke。“
“General，Ibuildonyourword，andIamsureofbecomingchiefofpoliceandduke。Wewillputanendtoallconspiracies。“
“AndtotheMonsieurLouis，too，“criedBonaparte，eagerly。“Itisadisagreeableandtroublesomefigure。Solongasheliveshewouldliveintheermineoftheimperialcloaklikeatroublesomeinsect，whichalwaysstingsandpricks。Onemustnotallowsuchinsectstofindtheirwayintohisfur，andthisMonsieurLouismustbeputoutofthewayonceforall。Ihopehehasentereddeeplyenoughintotheconspiracy，nottocomeoutofitagainwithawholeskin!“
“General，Ihavetoldyoualready，thatdaybeforeyesterdayhisdependantssalutedhim，inasecretgathering，astheirking。Itistrue，indeed，thatthepoorlittlefellowstronglyopposedit，andobstinatelyrefusedtoacceptallhonors，butthefactremainsunchanged。“
“Andonthegroundofthisfactshallhebeapprehended，“criedBonaparte，withathreateningvoice。
“Theremustbeanexamplemade，andthisLouisisasuitablepersonforit。Hemustbethebetedesouffranceforalltherest。Heistheheadofaconspiracy；wewillcrushthishead，andthelimbswillfallofthemselves。Besidesthesensitivesoulswholovenurses’storiesandbelieveineverything，therewillbenoonewhowillweepforhim。Noonewilllamenthisdeath，buthewillbeawarningtoall。Directyourselftothis，Fouche，andsetalltheinfernalmachinesofyourintriguesinoperationthatwemayputanendtoconspiracy。“
“General，onlyonethingiswanting；itisthatIbeattheheadofthepolice，andhavethepowerinmyhandstomakemyinfernalmachineseffectual。“
“ButIhavetoldyouthatIwillappointyouasministeronlywhenyougivemeincontrovertibleproofsthatyourconspiraciesarenotthefabricofyourownphantasy。“
“Verywell，general，nowthatweareatone，Iampreparedtogiveyoutheseproofs。Ihavetoldyouthattheroyalistsandrepublicanshaveunitedforthepurposeoftakingyourlife。Theyhavechosenfiftymenbyballot，inforeignparts，whoaretocometoParisandaccomplishherethegreatworkofyourdestruction。ThesefiftyassassinshavearrivedinParis，andtheirchiefmenhadaninterviewyesterdaywiththechiefsoftheconspiracieshere。“
“Fouche!“criedBonaparte，withathreateningvoice，“thinkwellwhatyouaresaying。Youareplayingforthestakeofyourownhead!
Ifthesefiftyassassinsarecreaturesofyourownimagination，itisyouwhowillhavetopayforit。“
“ThesefiftymenhavebeeninParissincethedaybeforeyesterday，“
rejoinedFouche，quietly。“Theycamehitherbydifferentroads，andappearinglikesimpletravellers，andyesterdaytheyhadtheirfirstinterviewwiththechiefoftherepublicanparty。“
“Whoisthischief？Namehim，orIwillcallyoualiarandimpostor!“
“Thischief，“saidFouche，slowly，andmeasuringeveryword，“thischiefisGeneralMoreau。“
Bonaparteutteredalowcry，anashypalenesssuffusedhischeeks；
hepressedhislipstogether，andhiseyesflamedoutsuchdartsofragethatevenFouchetrembledandloweredhisgaze。
“Moreau，“mutteredBonaparte，afteralongpause，“Moreauaconspirator，atraitor!Moreauinanalliancewithassassinswhomtheroyalistsaresendingoutagainstme!Iknewverywellthathewasmyenemy，butIdidnotthinkthathisenmitywouldleadhimtobeamurderer!“
Hewalkedupanddownwithquicksteps，hishandsfoldedbehindhisback，thenstoppedshortbeforeFoucheandlookedhimfullintheface。
“Fouche，doyouabidebyyourassertion，thatMoreauisaconspirator？“
“Iabidebyit，general。“
“Andthosefiftyassassins，whomtheroyalistshavesent，areinParis？“
“Yes，general，theyareinParis，andGeorgesandPichegruareattheirhead。“
“Fouche，“criedBonaparte，clinchinghisfistandraisingitthreateningly，“Fouche，sosureasGodlives，Iwillhaveyouhangedasatraitorifyouhavelied!“
“General，assurelyasGodlives，Ihavespokenthetruth。IcameheretoshowyouwhatIam，andwhatRegnieris。Ihavewaitedheretillthewholenetoftheseconspiraciesshouldbespreadoutandbefullycomplete。ThetimehascomewhenImustspeak；andnowIsaytoyou，general，takesomesteps，forthereisdangeronfoot!“
Bonaparte，tremblingwithemotion，hadthrownhimselfintoanarm-
chair，andtook，aswashiscustominmomentsofthegreatestexcitement，hispenknifefromthewriting-desk，andbegantowhittleonthebackofthechair。
Fouchestoodleaningagainstthewall，andlookedwithcompletecalmnessandaninvisiblesmileatthissingularoccupationofthegeneral，whenthedoorofthecabinetwasopened，andtheMamelukeRoustanappearedattheentrance。
“Consul，“hesaid，softly，“CouncillorRealisagainhere，andpressinglydesiresanaudience。“
Bonaparterose，andthrewawaytheknife。“Real!“hecriedinaloudtone。
Themanwhowassummonedimmediatelyappearedattheopendoor——atall，gravepersonage，withafacesopaleanddistortedthatBonapartenoticedit，despitehisgreatagitation。
“Whatisit，Real？“heasked，eagerly。“Haveyouspokenwiththecondemnedman？“
“Yes，general，Ihavespokenwithhim，“whisperedReal，withpalelips。
“AnditisasIsaid，isitnot？ThisDoctorQuerollehasonlypretendedtobeabletomakegreatdisclosures，onlytoprolonghisownlifeafewhours。Hehaspoisonedhiswife，inordertomarryhismistress，andthepoisonerisexecuted。“
“General，“criedFouche，almostwithanairofjoy，“IknewQuerolle，andIknewthathiswifepoisonedherself。Querolleisnotapoisoner。“
“Whatishethen，M。Omniscience？“
“General，heisaconspirator!“
“Aconspirator!“repeatedBonaparte，andnowhistroubledfaceturnedagaintothecouncillor。“Real，whatdoyouknow？Whatdidthecondemnedmansaytoyou？“
“Consul，hesworethathewasinnocentofthedeathofhiswife，butheacknowledgedhimselfamemberofaconspiracy，theobjectofwhichistomurderGeneralBonaparte。Heassertsthattheroyalistsandrepublicanshavealliedthemselves；thatfiftyemissariesoftheCountdeLilleandtheDuked’Enghien，PichegruandGeorgesattheirhead，havecreptintoParis；thattheyhadaninterviewyesterdaywithGeneralMoreau，andwiththeso-calledKingLouisXVII。，whoissecretedinParis，andthatatthishourthosefiftymenareprowlingaroundthestreetsofthecity，andarewatchingtheTuileries，waitingforanopportunitytokilltheFirstConsul。“
ThetroubledeyeofBonaparteturnedslowlyfromthepalefaceofCouncillorRealtothecalm，sagaciousfaceofFouche，whichguardeditselfwellfromexpressinganytokenoftriumphandsatisfaction。
Theconsulthenwalkedslowlythroughtheroom，andwithhisfootpushedopenthedoorleadingintothegreatreception-room，inwhich，atthishoureveryday，allthedignitariesoftherepublicwereassembled，toreceivetheordersofBonaparte。
“Murat!“criedBonaparte，loudly；andatoncethepersonsummoned，GeneralMurat，atthattimegovernorofParis，appearedatthedoorofthecabinet。
“Murat，“saidBonaparte，inthetonesinwhichheissuedhiscommandsonthebattle-field，“giveordersatoncethatthegatesofParisbeclosed，andthatnostrangerbeallowedtogooutofthecitytillyouhavefurtherorders。Youwillcometomeinanhour，andreceiveaproclamationtoyoursoldiers，whichyouwillsign；
haveitprintedandpostedatthestreet-cornersofParis。Makeallthesepreparations!Go!“