; you would not be of any service here. Go to Madame
Bonaparte's. I may be mistaken, but, should anything extraordinary
happen, which appears to you alarming, send me word some way or other.
Anything will do; I shall understand half a word."

"Very good, my dear; I will go. The hope of being useful to you is
sufficient."

"Do go!"

Just then the usher entered, and said:

"General Moulins is at my heels; citizen Barras is in his bath, and will
soon be here; citizens Sieyes and Ducos went out at five o'clock this
morning, and have not yet returned."

"They are the two traitors!" said Gohier; "Barras is only their dupe."
Then kissing his wife, he added: "Now, go."

As she turned round, Madame Gohier came face to face with General
Moulins. He, for his character was naturally impetuous, seemed furious.

"Pardon me, citizeness," he said. Then, rushing into Gohier's study, he
cried: "Do you know what has happened, president?"

"No, but I have my suspicions."

"The legislative body has been transferred to Saint-Cloud; the execution
of the decree has been intrusted to General Bonaparte, and the troops
are placed under his orders."

"Ha! The cat's out of the bag!" exclaimed Gohier.

"Well, we must combine, and fight them."

"Have you heard that Sieyes and Ducos are not in the palace?"

"By Heavens! they are at the Tuileries! But Barras is in his bath; let
us go to Barras. The Directory can issue decrees if there is a majority.
We are three, and, I repeat it, we must make a struggle!"

"Then let us send word to Barras to come to us as soon as he is out of
his bath."

"No; let us go to him before he leaves it."

The two Directors left the room, and hurried toward Barras' apartment.
They found him actually in his bath, but they insisted on entering.

"Well?" asked Barras as soon as he saw them.

"Have you heard?"

"Absolutely nothing."

They told him what they themselves knew.

"Ah!" cried Barras, "that explains everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, that is why he didn't come last night."

"Who?"

"Why, Bonaparte."

"Did you expect him last evening?"

"He sent me word by one of his aides-de-camp that he would call on me at
eleven o'clock last evening."

"And he didn't come?"

"No. He sent Bourrienne in his carriage to tell me that a violent
headache had obliged him to go to bed; but that he would be here early
this morning."

The Directors looked at each other.

"The whole thing is plain