“For heaven’s sake,” cried the colonel, pale and horror-stricken, “what does Fouche mean?  Of whom is he speaking?”

“Why, of whom except Bonaparte, or, as he likes to call himself, the Emperor Napoleon!” said the baron coolly.  “And you will admit that Fouche is right.  If, at Ebersdorf, the sleeping Bonaparte had been thrust into a sack and flung into the Danube, the whole affair would have been ended in the most successful and shortest way, instead of our now being obliged to rack our brains and plunge into dangers of every kind to attain the same goal which we were then so near without peril or trouble.  But it is useless to complain; we must rather be mindful to seize the best means of repairing the omission.”

“Has Fouche given no counsel, suggested no plan?”

“Yes, he sent verbally, by Commissioner Kraus, counsels and plans to be communicated by me to the conspirators, and this communication has occupied me during these last few days.  The point was to discover, among those who were in close attendance upon the emperor, certain individuals who could be won over to our plans.”

“And have you succeeded?”

“Yes, I have succeeded.  Do not ask the persons and names.  I have sworn to mention none, and just as I would communicate your name to no one, I may not impart the names of the others to you.  Secrecy and silence must envelop the whole conspiracy like a veil that bestows invisibility, if we are to hope for success.  No one will know of the others until the day of decision, and even the necessary arrangements which the conspirators have to make must be done under a mask.  I am the mediator, who conveys the messages to and fro, and I know very well that I risk my life in doing it.  But I am ready to sacrifice it for my native land, and death is a matter of indifference, if my suffering serves my country.  Now listen!  Within a week Napoleon must be removed; for every day beyond endangers us the more.  He has a suspicion of our plans; he has a whole legion of spies in the army, in Vienna, acting in concert with friends and foes, to watch the designs of the conspirators.  For he is perfectly conscious that a conspiracy exists, and some inkling even of the conversation of his generals at Castle Ebersdorf has reached his ears.  It caused such an outburst of fury that he was attacked with convulsions, and for three days ate nothing until Roustan had tasted it, because he was afraid of being poisoned.  The Emperor Napoleon also learned that Colonel Oudet was head of the secret society, and his most dangerous enemy, because he was extremely popular in the army and possessed rare powers of persuasion.  So Oudet must be removed, and he has been.”

“Then you think that—­”

“That the bullet which struck Colonel Oudet at the battle of Wagram was not a chance shot, sent by the enemy?  Certainly I think so, and the proof of it is that the wound was in the back of the head.  So he was struck from behind, and his murderer was in the ranks of his fellow-combatants.  So you see that the emperor had sentenced him to death and he had his executioners ready to fulfill his commands.  We must let this serve as a warning to us.  We must kill him, that he may not discover us and order his executioners to kill us.”