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Emperor's palace at Vienna a Congress of four nations--Prussia, Russia,
Austria, and Sardinia. Detricand's labours had achieved this result at
last. Grandjon-Larisse, his old enemy in battle, now his personal
friend and colleague in this business, had influenced Napoleon, and the
Directory through him, to respect the neutrality of the duchy of Bercy,
for which the four nations of this Congress declared. Philip himself
little knew whose hand had secured the neutrality until summoned to
appear at the Congress, to defend his rights to the title and the duchy
against those of Detricand Prince of Vaufontaine. Had he known that
Detricand was behind it all he would have fought on to the last gasp of
power and died on the battle-field. He realised now that such a fate
was not for him--that he must fight, not on the field of battle like a
prince, but in a Court of Nations like a doubtful claimant of sovereign
honours.

His whole story had become known in the duchy, and though it begot no
feeling against him in war-time, now that Bercy was in a neutral zone
of peace there was much talk of the wrongs of Guida and the Countess
Chantavoine. He became moody and saturnine, and saw few of his subjects
save the old Governor-General and his whilom enemy, now his friend,
Count Carignan Damour. That at last he should choose to accompany him to
Vienna the man who had been his foe during the lifetime of the old Duke,
seemed incomprehensible. Yet, to all appearance, Damour was now Philip's
zealous adherent. He came frankly repenting his old enmity, and though
Philip did not quite believe him, some perverse temper, some obliquity
of vision which overtakes the ablest minds at times, made him almost
eagerly accept his new partisan. One thing Philip knew: Damour had no
love for Detricand, who indeed had lately sent him word that for his
work in sending Fouche's men to attempt his capture in Bercy, he would
have him shot, if the Court of Nations upheld his rights to the duchy.
Damour was able, even if Damour was not honest. Damour, the able, the
implacable and malignant, should accompany him to Vienna.

The opening ceremony of the Congress was simple, but it was made notable
by the presence of the Emperor of Austria, who addressed a few words
of welcome to the envoys, to Philip, and, very pointedly, to the
representative of the French Nation, the aged Duc de Mauban, who, while
taking no active part in the Congress, was present by request of the