the paper so quickly that she almost tore it, and
throwing her eyes rapidly over it:

"Yes, yes," said she, "you have done well to put them so, without
distinction or difference of rank, so that there may be no question of
precedence. Guillaume-Alexandre de Vieux-Pont, Pierre-Anne-Marie de la
Pailleterie, De Beaufremont, De Latour-Dupin, De Chatillon. Yes, you are
right; these are the best and most faithful names in France. Thanks,
Pompadour; you are a worthy messenger; your skill shall not be
forgotten. And you, chevalier?" continued she, turning to D'Harmental
with her irresistible smile.

"I, madame," said the chevalier, "according to your orders left for
Brittany, and at Nantes I opened my dispatches and took my
instructions."

"Well?" asked the duchess quickly.

"Well, madame," replied D'Harmental, "I have been as successful as
Messieurs de Laval and Pompadour. I have the promises of Messieurs de
Mont-Louis, De Bonamour, De Pont-Callet, and De Rohan Soldue. As soon as
Spain shows a squadron in sight of the coasts, Brittany will rise."

"You see, prince," cried the duchess, addressing Cellamare, with an
accent full of ambitious joy, "everything favors us."

"Yes," replied the prince; "but these four gentlemen, influential
as they are, are not all that we must have. There are
Laguerche-Saint-Amant, Les Bois-Davy, De Larochefoucault-Gondral, Les
Decourt, and Les d'Eree, whom it would be important to gain."

"It is done, prince," said D'Harmental; "here are their letters;" and
taking several from his pocket, he opened two or three by chance and
read their contents.

"Well, prince," cried Madame de Maine, "what do you think now? Besides
these three letters, here is one from Lavauguyon, one from Bois-Davy,
one from Fumee. Stay, chevalier, here is our right hand; 'tis that which
holds the pen--let it be a pledge to you that, if ever its signature
should be royal, it would have nothing to refuse to you."

"Thanks, madame," said D'Harmental, kissing her hand respectfully, "but
you have already given me more than I deserve, and success itself would
recompense me so highly, by placing your highness in your proper
position, that I should have nothing left to desire."

"And now, Valef, it is your turn," continued the duchess; "we kept you
till the last, for you were the most important. If I understood rightly
your signs during dinner, you are not displeased with their Catholic
majesties."

"What would your highne