“My brothers,” replied Colonel Oudet in a low tone, “important things are being planned, and we must be ready to see them appear in tangible form at any moment.”

“We are prepared,” murmured all who were present.  “We await the commands of our master.”

“I have nothing more to say, except that you are to hold yourselves ready; for the great hour of vengeance and deliverance is approaching.  The great Society of the Carbonari, whose devoted members you are—­”

“Whose great and venerated head you are,” replied General Massena, with a low bow.

“The Society of the Carbonari,” Colonel Oudet continued, without heeding Massena’s words, “the Society of the Carbonari watches its faithless member, the renegade son of the Revolution, the Emperor Napoleon, and will soon have an opportunity to avenge his perfidy.  Keep your hands on your swords and be watchful; strive to spread the spirit of our order more and more through the army; initiate more and more soldiers into our league as brothers; be mindful of the great object:  we will free France from the Caesarism forced upon her.  Look around you in your circles and seek the hand which will be ready to make the renegade son of the society vanish from the world.”

“He is the scourge of our native land,” said one of the generals.  “His restless ambition constantly plunges us into new wars, rouses the hatred of all Europe against France, and this hatred will one day burst into bright flames and plunge France into destruction.”

“He is destroying the prosperity of the country for generations,” said another; he is robbing wives of their husbands, fathers of their sons, labor of sturdy arms.  The fields lie untilled, the workshops are deserted, trade is prostrate, and all this to gratify a single man’s desire for war.”

“Therefore it is necessary to make this one man harmless,” said a third.  “If no hand is found to slay him, there are arms strong enough to seize him, bind him, and deliver him to those whose prison doors are always open to receive the hated foe who blockades their harbors denies their goods admittance to France and all the countries he has conquered and everywhere confronts them as their bitter enemy.”

“Yes, England is ready and watchful,” whispered another.  “She promises those who have the courage to dare the great deed, a brilliant reward; she offers a million florins and perpetual concealment of their names, as soon as the Emperor Napoleon is delivered to her.”

“Then let us seek men who are bold, ambitious, resolute, and money-loving enough to venture such a deed,” said Colonel Oudet.  “Form connections with those who hate him; be cautious, deliberate and beware of traitors.”

“We will be cautious and deliberate,” they all replied submissively; “we will beware of traitors.”