"If you resign, we are ready
to follow you." He adds, while relating this proposal himself,
"M. de Villele, for sole answer, honoured us with a look which we still
have before us. This look, however, made no impression."

It is well known how M. de Chateaubriand was dismissed two days after
the sitting. From whence proceeded the rudeness of this dismissal? It is
difficult to decide. M. de Chateaubriand attributed it to M. de Villele
alone. "On Whit Sunday, the 6th of June, 1824," says he, "at half-past
ten in the morning I repaired to the palace. My principal object was to
pay my respects to _Monsieur_. The first saloon of the Pavillon Marsan
was nearly empty; a few persons entered in succession, and seemed
embarrassed. An aide-de-camp of _Monsieur_ said to me, 'Viscount, I
scarcely hoped to see you here; have you received no communication?' I
answered, 'No; what am I likely to receive?' He replied, 'I fear you
will soon learn.' Upon this, as no one offered to introduce me to
_Monsieur_, I went to hear the music in the chapel. I was quite absorbed
in the beautiful anthems of the service, when an usher told me some one
wished to speak with me. It was Hyacinth Pilorge, my secretary. He
handed to me a letter and a royal ordinance, saying at the same time,
'Sir, you are no longer a minister.' The Duke de Rauzan, Superintendent
of Political Affairs, had opened the packet in my absence, and had not
ventured to bring it to me. I found within, this note from
M. de Villele; 'Monsieur le Vicomte,--I obey the orders of the King, in
transmitting without delay to your Excellency a decree which his Majesty
has just placed in my hand:--The Count de Villele, President of our
Ministerial Council, is charged, _ad interim_, with the portfolio of
Foreign Affairs, in place of the Viscount de Chateaubriand.'"

The friends of M. de Villele assert that it was the King himself, who in
his anger dictated the rude form of the communication. "Two days after
the vote," say they, "as soon as M. de Villele entered the royal
cabinet, Louis XVIII. said to him: 'Chateaubriand has betrayed us like
a----; I do not wish to receive him after Mass; draw up the order for
his dismissal, and let it be sent to him in time; I will not see him.'
All remonstrances were useless; the King insisted that the
decree should be written at his own desk and immediately forwarded.
M. de Chateaubriand was not found at home, and his dismissal was only
communicated to him at