I was about to depart when Fouche; called me back saying, “Why are you in such haste?  Cannot you stay a few minutes longer?” He then began to speak of the first return of the Bourbons, and asked me how I could so easily bring myself to act in their favour.  He then entered into details respecting the Royal Family which I conceive it to be my duty to pass over in silence:  It may be added, however, that the conversation lasted a long time, and to say the least of it, was by no means in favour of “divine right.”

I conceived it to be my duty to make the King acquainted with this conversation, and as there was now no Comte de Blacas to keep truth and good advice from his Majesty’s ear, I was; on my first solicitation, immediately admitted to, the Royal cabinet.  I cautiously suppressed the most startling details, for, had I literally reported what Fouche said, Louis XVIII. could not possibly have given credit to it.  The King thanked me for my communication, and I could perceive he was convinced that by longer retaining Fouche in office he would become the victim of the Minister who had been so scandalously forced upon him on the 7th of July.  The disgrace of the Duke of Otranto speedily followed, and I had the satisfaction of having contributed to repair one of the evils with which the Duke of Wellington visited France.

Fouche was so evidently a traitor to the cause he feigned to serve, and Bonaparte was so convinced of this,—­that during the Hundred Days, when the Ministers of the King at Ghent were enumerated in the presence of Napoleon, some one said, “But where is the Minister of the Police?”

“E-h!  Parbleu,” said Bonaparte, “that is Fouche?” It was not the same with Carnot, in spite of the indelible stain of his vote:  if he had served the King, his Majesty could have depended on him, but nothing could shake the firmness of his principles in favour of liberty.  I learned, from a person who had the opportunity of being well informed, that he would not accept the post of Minister of the Interior which was offered to him at the commencement of the Hundred Days until he had a conversation with Bonaparte, to ascertain whether he had changed his principles.  Carnot placed faith in the fair promises of Napoleon, who deceived him, as he had deceived others.

Soon after my audience with the King I set off to discharge my duties in the department of the Yonne, and I obtained the honour of being elected to represent my countrymen in the Chamber of Deputies.  My colleague was M. Raudot, a man who, in very trying circumstances, had given proofs of courage by boldly manifesting his attachment to the King’s Government.  The following are the facts which I learned in connection with this episode, and which I circulated as speedily as possible among the electors of whom I had the honour to be President.  Bonaparte, on his way from Lyons to Paris, after his landing at the gulf of Juan, stopped at Avalon, and immediately sent for the mayor, M.