rapidity of progress; under it Paris has become the wonder of the world
for riches, for splendour, for grace and beauty; under it the old
traditional enemies of France have been humbled and rendered impotent.
The policy of Richelieu has been achieved in the abasement of Austria;
the policy of Napoleon I. has been consummated in the salvation of Europe
from the semi-barbarous ambition of Russia. England no longer casts her
trident in the opposition scale of the balance of European power.
Satisfied with the honour of our alliance, she has lost every other ally;
and her forces neglected, her spirit enervated, her statesmen dreaming
believers in the safety of their island, provided they withdraw from the
affairs of Europe, may sometimes scold us, but will certainly not dare to
fight. With France she is but an inferior satellite; without France she
is--nothing. Add to all this a court more brilliant than that of Louis
XIV., a sovereign not indeed without faults and errors, but singularly
mild in his nature, warm-hearted to friends, forgiving to foes, whom
personally no one could familiarly know and not be charmed with a _bonte_
of character, lovable as that of Henri IV.,--and tell me what more than
all this could you expect from the reign of a Bourbon?"

"With such results," said Alain, "from the monarchy you so eloquently
praise, I fail to discover what the emperor's throne could possibly gain
by a few powerless converts from an unpopular, and you say, no doubt
truly, from a hopeless cause."

"I say monarchy gains much by the loyal adhesion of any man of courage,
ability, and honour. Every new monarchy gains much by conversions from
the ranks by which the older monarchies were strengthened and adorned.
But I do not here invoke your aid merely to this monarchy, my cousin; I
demand your devotion to the interests of France; I demand that you should
not rest an outlaw from her service. Ah, you think that France is in no