'Now that stiff-necked fellow, Pitt, is gone we should be able to talk business. These new men lack both the guts and the ability to continue the struggle for long. And if they refuse to sec reason, woe betide them. Now that I've naught to fear from the Austrians behind me I'll invade their damned island and, if need be, raze London to the ground. For such a project I have always counted on your value, Breuc, and with my good Duroc absent in Russia I could again find work for another A.D.C. who has a head on his shoulders. See Berthier on Monday and tell him that you are to be my contact with him in all matters concerning our plans for the invasion of England.'
So, two days later, Roger found himself once again in a position to know all that was going on.
He now took an early opportunity of paying his respects to the Bonaparte family. Madame Letizia had left Joseph's s house and had gone to live with her brother Fesch at his equally magnificent mansion in the Rue du Mont Blanc. She spoke sharply to Roger about his master, with whom she had had high words on account of Lucien. She then declared Fouche to be a liar and a scoundrel, devoted to the interests of Josephine. She was convinced that between them they had cooked up the story that Lucien was the author of the Caesar-Cromwell-Bonaparte pamphlet, which had led to Lucien's being sent to Spain. Seething with cold indignation she had gone to the Tuileries, overawed her son and, in his presence, upbraided the hated Josephine, then told her to warn her creature Fouche that the arms of the Mother of the Bonapartes were long enough to make anyone who slandered one of her sons regret it.
Roger had tactfully expressed his sympathy, while secretly of the opinion that Bonaparte had done wisely in ridding himself of his ambitious, truculent and dangerous brother.
He found that Eliza Bacciocchi, the pseudo-bluestocking, shared her mother's anger about Bonaparte's treatment of Lucien. It had ruined for her the happy arrangement by which she had ruled his house since his wife's death the preceding year, and queened it among the literary men who sought her patronage.
Caroline Murat had established herself in the old H6tcl de
Brionne and was giving magnificent dinners there that won the praise of even Cambaceres.
Brother Joseph had played a most praiseworthy part in the negotiations that had led to the Peace of Lunevillc and was now assisting the priest of the family. Uncle Fesch, in the pour parlers with Rome.
Pauline had moved to a house of her own and with wild extravagance furnished it magnificently. She received Roger reclining on a day-bed with gold griffon heads and claw feet, looking like a Greek goddess who had just descended from Olympus. Her husband, Leclerc, was still absent with the Army and rumour had it that she was indulging in an affaire with Lafon, an actor at the Comedie francaise. Roger envied him his luck and, in spite of his devotion to Josephine, was so entranced with Pauline's lovely profile that he let her ramble on for half an hour, abusing her brother's wife.
In July Cardinal Consalvi arrived in Paris with a retinue of priests and negotiations for a Concordat began in earnest. Bonaparte, Roger learned, was having an affaire with a young, simple and very beautiful actress named Mademoiselle George; and now that he occupied the Palace of St. Cloud, his valet Constant was collecting the lady from the theatre and escorting her out there nearly every night. But, in spite of his own peccadillo, the First Consul had decreed that the laxity of morals current during the Directory must henceforth cease.
To this Talleyrand's conduct, as his most prominent Minister, provided a most lamentable example. For the past two years or more he had had living in his house a Madame Grand. She was very beautiful but an almost incredibly stupid woman and had had so many lovers before him that her immorality was notorious. Not content with keeping her there as his mistress, he treated her as his wife. She acted as hostess at all his receptions and, to the intense resentment of the ladies in the foreign embassies, he expected them to make their curtsies to her.
As Talleyrand had formerly been a Bishop, Bonaparte was anxious that he should return to the Church and offered to procure him a Cardinal's hat. In the days of the monarchy he had been within an ace of obtaining one but, to his intense annoyance, the high-principled Marie Antoinette had taken steps, on account of his scandalous life, to prevent him from receiving it. Now he told Bonaparte that nothing would induce him again to become a Churchman.
The First Consul then insisted that, in that case, he must marry Madame Grand. But the Pope flatly refused to give him a dispensation to do so. Pius was willing to release him from the vows he had taken as a priest, but said that in no possible circumstances would he countenance an ex-priest taking a wife. In vain Talleyrand hunted up every historical precedent he could think of, including that of Cesare Borgia. The Pope proved adamant. On that Bonaparte had to be content with a half-way house and peremptorily ordered his Foreign Minister to get married to Jus mistress in a Mayor's Parlour.
Roger's duties were not particularly arduous, but soon after Cardinal Consalvi's arrival in Paris Bonaparte sent him to check the veracity of certain information he had been given about two of the Channel ports. He was away for a week and the day following his return he ran into Talleyrand on the grand staircase of the Tuileries. When they had exchanged greetings the statesman said:
'Are you aware that you have an identical twin?'
Having for the past two or three weeks expected such a question from him, Roger smiled and replied, 'So Duroc has written to Your Excellency saying he could swear he ran into me in St. Petersburg?'
Talleyrand's face remained inscrutable, and he was silent for a long moment, then he asked, 'How in the world did you become aware of that?'
A realization of what he had done flashed upon Roger. His heart missed a beat. His glib reply had been an appalling blunder, and by it he had given himself away.
11
Catastrophe
Roger's heart now began to hammer in his chest. He had managed to keep the smile on his lips but for several heart beats he remained completely nonplussed. His brain had become a whirligig of confused thoughts.
How could he have been such a fool? Was there any possible way out? What had Duroc said? Roger's disappearance from St. Petersburg immediately after their meeting must have increased his suspicions. Still, he could have secured no proof. There was nothing to connect the man seen by Duroc in St. Petersburg with himself. But that was not the point. He had to explain having known about that meeting before being told about it. Could he claim second sight? No. Talleyrand would never believe him. And Talleyrand's question could not be left unanswered. It must be though, for there was no answer he could give. What would Talleyrand do when he told him he had no idea why he had said what he had said? Could he have seen the despatch? No, he had no access to Talleyrand's papers, so that was next to impossible. Anyway, he had been absent from Paris for a week.
The last of these thoughts streaking like lightning through his agitated brain at least gave him an opportunity to gain a few moments' time, and he asked, 'How long is it since Your Excellency received Duroc's despatch?'
'A week or so ago.'