man had the audacity to enter before the king
in such attire. The duke, however, overcame all difficulties with a
word--his majesty's order; and, in spite of the protestations which the
master of ceremonies made for the honor of his office and principles,
Villefort was introduced.

The king was seated in the same place where the duke had left him. On
opening the door, Villefort found himself facing him, and the young
magistrate's first impulse was to pause.

"Come in, M. de Villefort," said the king, "come in." Villefort bowed,
and advancing a few steps, waited until the king should interrogate him.

"M. de Villefort," said Louis XVIII., "the Duc de Blacas assures me you
have some interesting information to communicate."

"Sire, the duke is right, and I believe your majesty will think it
equally important."

"In the first place, and before everything else, sir, is the news as bad
in your opinion as I am asked to believe?"

"Sire, I believe it to be most urgent, but I hope, by the speed I have
used, that it is not irreparable."

"Speak as fully as you please, sir," said the king, who began to give
way to the emotion which had showed itself in Blacas's face and affected
Villefort's voice. "Speak, sir, and pray begin at the beginning; I like
order in everything."

"Sire," said Villefort, "I will render a faithful report to your
majesty, but I must entreat your forgiveness if my anxiety leads to some
obscurity in my language." A glance at the king after this discreet
and subtle exordium, assured Villefort of the benignity of his august
auditor, and he went on:--

"Sire, I have come as rapidly to Paris as possible, to inform your
majesty that I have discovered, in the exercise of my duties, not a
commonplace and insignificant plot, such as is every day got up in the
lower ranks of the people and in the army, but an actual conspiracy--a
storm which menaces no less than your majesty's throne. Sire, the
usurper is arming three ships, he meditates some project, which, however
mad, is yet, perhaps, terrible. At this moment he will have left Elba,
to go whither I know not, but assuredly to attempt a landing either at
Naples, or on the coast of Tuscany, or perhaps on the shores of France.
Your majesty is well aware that the sovereign of the Island of Elba has
maintained his relations with Italy and France?"

"I am, sir," said the king, much agitated; "and recently we have had
information that the Bonapartist clubs have