The talents of the warrior and the secretary were in such different lines, that there was no danger of competition; and the general, finding in his secretary the soul of all the arts, good sense, gradually acquired the habit of asking his opinion on every subject that came within his department.  It happened that the general received orders from the Directory at Paris to take a certain town, let it cost what it would, within a given time:  in his perplexity he exclaimed before Basile against the unreasonableness of these orders, and declared his belief that it was impossible he should succeed, and that this was only a scheme of his enemies to prepare his ruin.  Basile had attended to the operations of the engineer who acted under the general, and perfectly recollected the model of the mines of this town, which he had seen when he was employed as draughtsman by his Parisian friend.  He remembered that there was formerly an old mine that had been stopped up somewhere near the place where the engineer was at work; he mentioned in private his suspicions to the general, who gave orders in consequence.  The old mine was discovered, cleared out, and by these means the town was taken the day before the time appointed.  Basile did not arrogate to himself any of the glory of this success; he kept his general’s secret and his confidence.  Upon their return to Paris, after a fortunate campaign, the general was more grateful than some others have been, perhaps because more room was given by Basile’s prudence for the exercise of this virtue.

“My friend,” said he to Basile, “you have done me a great service by your counsel, and a greater still by holding your tongue.  Speak now, and tell me freely if there is anything I can do for you.  You see, as a victorious general, I have the upper hand amongst these fellows—­Tracassier’s scheme to ruin me missed—­whatever I ask will at this moment be granted; speak freely, therefore.”

Basile asked what he knew Victoire most desired—­that Monsieur and Madame de Fleury should be struck from the list of emigrants, and that their property now in the hands of the nation should be restored to them.  The general promised that this should be done.  A warm contest ensued upon the subject between him and Tracassier, but the general stood firm; and Tracassier, enraged, forgot his usual cunning, and quarrelling irrevocably with a party now more powerful than his own, he and his adherents were driven from that station in which they had so long tyrannised.  From being the rulers of France, they in a few hours became banished men, or, in the phrase of the times, des deportes.

We must not omit to mention the wretched end of Manon.  The man with whom she lived perished by the guillotine.  From his splendid house she went upon the stage, did not succeed, sank from one degree of profligacy to another, and at last died in an hospital.

In the meantime, the order for the restoration of the Fleury property, and for permission for the Fleury family to return to France, was made out in due form, and Maurice begged to be the messenger of these good tidings—­he set out for England with the order.