I shall expect
to see you all in Paris."

So either in Chamondrin, or in Paris, Dolores would soon embrace her
brother. This thought intoxicated her with happiness, and her impatience
led her to interrogate the Marquis.

"Why does Philip speak of his return as impossible?" she asked again and
again. "What does he fear?"

"There may be circumstances that will detain him at his post near the
king," replied the Marquis, sadly, but evasively.

In the letters which he, himself, received from his son, the latter
spoke freely of the danger that menaced the throne. There was, indeed,
abundant cause of alarm to all thoughtful and observant minds, and
especially to men who were living like the Marquis in the heart of the
provinces, and who were consequently able to judge understandingly of
the imminence of the peril. Of course, no person could then foresee the
catastrophes which were to succeed one another so rapidly for several
years; but a very general and undeniable discontent prevailed throughout
the entire kingdom, a discontent that could not fail to engender
misfortunes without number.

The year 1788 had just opened under the most unfavorable auspices.
Marepas, Turgot, Necker and Calonne had held the reins of power in turn,
without being able to restore the country to peace and prosperity. Their
efforts proving powerless from divers causes they had been dismissed in
disgrace; some through the intrigues of the court; some by reason of
their own incapacity. Brienne was now in office; but he was no more
fortunate than his predecessors. Instead of subsiding, the discord was
continually on the increase.

The convention of leading men, upon which Calonne had based such
flattering hopes, adjourned without arriving at any satisfactory result.
The treasury was empty; and, as the payment of government obligations
was consequently suspended, the murmurs of the people became long and
loud. Parliament refused to notice the royal edicts, and the army showed
open hostility to the court. In the provinces, poverty everywhere
prevailed; and the dissatisfaction was steadily increasing.

The condition of affairs in Southern France was extremely ominous. At
Nimes, the religious factions, which were as bitterly at variance as
they had been at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes had
arrayed themselves in open warfare one against the other. Avignon, eager
to shake off the pontifical yoke and annex itself to France, was the