I tell you this confidentially."
"Upon my word!" broke out General D'Hubert, speaking through his teeth,
"if your Excellency deigns to favour me with any more confidential
information I don't know what I will do. It's enough to break one's
sword over one's knee, and fling the pieces. . . ."
"What government you imagined yourself to be serving?" interrupted the
minister, sharply.
After a short pause the crestfallen voice of General D'Hubert answered,
"The Government of France."
"That's paying your conscience off with mere words, General. The truth
is that you are serving a government of returned exiles, of men who have
been without country for twenty years. Of men also who have just got
over a very bad and humiliating fright. . . . Have no illusions on that
score."
The Duke of Otranto ceased. He had relieved himself, and had attained
his object of stripping some self-respect off that man who had
inconveniently discovered him posturing in a gold-embroidered court
costume before a mirror. But they were a hot-headed lot in the army; it
occurred to him that it would be inconvenient if a well-disposed general
officer, received in audience on the recommendation of one of the
Princes, were to do something rashly scandalous directly after a private
interview with the minister.
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