Honore de Balzac by An Historical Mystery_The Gondreville Mystery Page B

asking him confidentially to send agents to
Gondreville, where, he said, he hoped to obtain certain clues to the
conspiracy. Fouche, without alarming his friend by any questions,
asked himself why Malin was going to Gondreville, and why he did not
immediately and without loss of time, give the information he already
possessed. The ex-Oratorian, fed from his youth up on trickery, and well
aware of the double part played by a good many of the conventionals,
said to himself: "From whom is Malin likely to obtain information when
we ourselves know little or nothing?" Fouche concluded therefore that
there was some either latent or prospective collusion, and took care to
say nothing about it to the First Consul. He preferred to make Malin
his instrument rather than destroy him. It was Fouche's habit to keep to
himself a good part of the secrets he detected, and he thus obtained
for his own purposes a power over those concerned which was even greater
than that of Bonaparte. This duplicity was one of the Emperor's charges
against his minister.
    Fouche knew of the swindling transaction by which Malin became possessed
of Gondreville and which led him to keep his eyes so anxiously on the
Simeuse brothers. These gentlemen were now serving in the army of Conde;
Mademoiselle de Cinq-Cygne was their cousin; possibly they were in
her neighborhood, and were sharers in the conspiracy; if so, it would
implicate the house of Conde to which they were devoted. Talleyrand
and Fouche were bent on casting light into this dark corner of the
conspiracy of 1803. All these considerations Fouche saw at a glance,
rapidly and with great clearness. But between Malin, Talleyrand,
and himself there were strong ties which forced him to the utmost
circumspection, and made him anxious to know the exact state of things
within the walls of Gondreville. Corentin was unreservedly attached to
Fouche, just as Monsieur de la Besnardiere was to Talleyrand, Gentz to
Monsieur de Metternich, Dundas to Pitt, Duroc to Napoleon, Chavigny to
Cardinal Richelieu. Corentin was not the counsellor of his master, but
his instrument, the Tristan to this Louis XI. of low estate. Fouche had
kept him in the ministry of the police when he himself left it, so as to
still keep an eye and a finger in it. It was said that Corentin belonged
to Fouche by some unavowed relationship, for he rewarded him lavishly
after every service. Corentin had a friend in Peyrade, the old pupil of
the last lieutenant of police; but he kept a good many of his secrets
from him. Fouche gave Corentin an order to explore the chateau of
Gondreville, to get the plan of it into his memory, and to know every
hiding-place within its walls.
    "We may be obliged to return there," said the ex-minister, precisely
as Napoleon told his lieutenants to explore the field of Austerlitz on
which he intended to fall back.
    Corentin was also to study Malin's conduct, discover what influence
he had in the neighborhood, and observe the men he employed. Fouche
regarded it as certain that the Simeuse brothers were in that part of
the country. By cautiously watching the two officers, who were closely
allied with the Prince de Conde, Peyrade and Corentin could obtain
precious light on the ramifications of the conspiracy beyond the Rhine.
In any case, however, Corentin received the means, the orders, and
the agents, to surround the chateau of Cinq-Cygne and watch the whole
region, from the forest of Nodesme into Paris. Fouche insisted on the
utmost caution, and would only allow a domiciliary visit to Cinq-Cygne
in case Malin gave them positive information which made it necessary. By
way of instructions he explained to Corentin the otherwise inexplicable
personality of Michu, who had been watched by the police for the last
three years. Corentin's idea was that of his master: "Malin knows all
about the conspiracy—But," he added to himself, "perhaps Fouche does,
too; who knows?"
    Corentin, having started for Troyes before Malin, had made