do a little bribery."

"Well, I confess to your majesty, I wanted to see if it was really
true that Councillor Bugeaud has gone over to the enemy. Your
majesty knows that Madame de Marsan has visited all the councillors,
and adjured them by God and the Holy Church, not to condemn the
cardinal, but to declare him innocent."

"That is, they will free the cardinal that I may be condemned," said
the queen, angrily. "For to free him is the same as to accuse me and
have my honor tarnished."

"That was what I was saying to my cousin, Councillor Bugeaud, and
happily I found supporters in his own family. Oh, I assure your
majesty that in this family there are those who are devoted, heart
and soul, to your majesty."

"Who are these persons?" asked the queen. "Name them to me, that in
my sad hours I may remember them."

"There is, in the first place, the daughter of the councillor, the
pretty Margaret, who is so enthusiastic for your majesty that she
saves a part of her meagre pocket-money that she may ride over to
Versailles at every great festival to see your majesty; and then
particularly there is the lover of this little person, a young man
named Toulan, a gifted, fine young fellow, who almost worships your
majesty--he is the one who promised me to bring news at once after
the sentence is pronounced, and it is more owing to his eloquence
than to mine that Councillor Bugeaud saw the necessity of giving his
vote against the cardinal and putting himself on the right side."