"That man," resumed the marquis, "is no longer an object of inquietude.
Lastly, Gabriel, upon whom our vast and certain hope reposes, will not be left by himself for a single minute until the great day.Everything seems, you see, to promise success; indeed, more so than ever; and it is necessary to obtain this success at any price.It is for us a question of life or death; for, in returning, I stopped at Forli, and there saw the Duke d'Orbano.His influence over the mind of the king is all-
powerful--indeed, absolute; and he has completely prepossessed the royal mind.It is with the duke alone, then, that it is possible to treat."
"Well?"
"D'Orbano has gained strength; and he can, I know it, assure to us a legal existence, highly protected, in the dominions of his master, with full charge of popular education.Thanks to such advantages, after two or three years in that country we shall become so deeply rooted, that this very Duke d'Orbano, in his turn, will have to solicit support and protection from us.But at present he has everything in his power; and he puts an absolute condition upon his services."
"What is the condition?"
"Five millions down; and an annual pension of a hundred thousand francs."
"It is very much."
"Nay, but little if it be considered that our foot once planted in that country, we shall promptly repossess ourselves of that sum, which, after all, is scarcely an eighth part of what the affair of the medals, if happily brought to an issue, ought to assure to the Order."
"Yes, nearly forty millions," said the princess, thoughtfully.
"And again: these five millions that Orbano demands will be but an advance.They will be returned to us in voluntary gifts, by reason even of the increase of influence that we shall acquire from the education of children; through whom we have their families.And yet, the fools hesitate! those who govern see not, that in doing our own business, we do theirs also;--that in abandoning education to us (which is what we wish for above all things) we mold the people into that mute and quiet obedience, that servile and brutal submission, which assures the repose of states by the immobility of the mind.They don't reflect that most of the upper and middle classes fear and hate us; don't understand that (when we have persuaded the mass that their wretchedness is an eternal law, that sufferers must give up hope of relief, that it is a crime to sigh for welfare in this world, since the crown of glory on high is the only reward for misery here), then the stupefied people will resignedly wallow in the mire, all their impatient aspirations for better days smothered, and the volcano-blasts blown aside, which made the future of rulers so horrid and so dark? They see not, in truth, that this blind and passive faith which we demand from the mass, furnishes their rulers with a bridle with which both to conduct and curb them; whilst we ask from the happy of the world only some appearances which ought, if they had only the knowledge of their own corruption, to give an increased stimulant to their pleasures.
"It signifies not," resumed the princess; "since, as you say, a great day is at hand, bringing nearly forty millions, of which the Order can become possessed by the happy success of the affair of the medals.We certainly can attempt very great things.Like a lever in your hands, such a means of action would be of incalculable power, in times during which all men buy and sell one another."
"And then," resumed M.d'Aigrigny, with a thoughtful air, "here the reaction continues: the example of France is everything.In Austria and Holland we can rarely maintain ourselves; while the resources of the Order diminish from day to day.We have arrived at a crisis; but it can be made to prolong itself.Thus, thanks to the immense resource of the affair of the medals, we can not only brave all eventualities, but we can again powerfully establish ourselves, thanks to the offer of the Duke d'Orbano, which we accept; and then, from that inassailable centre, our radiations will be incalculable.Ah! the 13th of February!" added M.
d'Aigrigny, after a moment of silence, and shaking his head: "the 13th of February, a date perhaps fortunate and famous for our power as that of the council which gave to us (so to say) a new life!"
"And nothing must be spared." resumed the princess, "in order to succeed at any price.Of the six persons whom we have to fear, five are or will be out of any condition to hurt us.There remains then only my niece;
and you know that I have waited but for your arrival in order to take my last resolution.All my preparations are completed; and this very morning we will begin to act."
"Have your suspicions increased since your last letter?"
"Yes, I am certain that she is more instructed than she wishes to appear;
and if so, we shall not have a more dangerous enemy."
"Such has always been my opinion.Thus it is six month: since I advised you to take in all cases the measures which you have adopted, in order to provoke, on her part, that demand of emancipation, the consequences of which now render quite easy that which would have been impossible without it."