"Sir Duke," replied Victoria, "the members of the nobility and of the clergy who remained faithful to the throne were in the minority. What could they do for the monarchy? Nothing. Their presence among the ranks of the rebels served only to excuse the slips of the King, for then he could respond with a show of reason, 'I can not dissolve an Assembly which contains so great a number of my servants.'" "Such was, in fact, the response made by his Majesty to the Queen when she secured the recall of Necker and the appointment of a new minister chosen by Monsieur Broglie. Nevertheless, with the assistance of the Marshal, the monarchy will still prove able to overcome the revolution. At least, that is my opinion," vouchsafed the Count of Plouernel. "May God so will it," rejoined Victoria again. "But up till now the new minister has done nothing but make mistakes--" Victoria was interrupted by the entrance of one of the lackeys, whom Plouernel had dismissed from the banquet hall in order that his guests might discuss political affairs confidentially and in safety, who said: "The steward, my lord, asks to see you immediately." "Let him enter," said the Count; and as the lackey went to fetch him, the host explained to his guests: "I charged my steward to send out several of my men in disguise, in order to learn through them what was going on in the several quarters of Paris." "It is indeed very useful, in these days of effervescence," nodded Victoria, "to keep closely informed on the state of affairs." The steward entered, bowed humbly to the company, and took up his post close by the door, like a servant awaiting orders. "Well, Master Robert, what news?" demanded the Count. The company turned around in their chairs and fixed their attention upon the new arrival. CHAPTER VII. NEWS FROM THE BARRICADES. Pursuant to the Count's order, the steward, bowing again, proceeded with his account of what he had learned. "The news, alas, is very bad, my lord," he began. "One of our men has just arrived from the suburb of St. Antoine. The streets are blocked with barricades; they are forging pikes in the iron-mongers' and blacksmiths' shops; the houses are all illuminated. People are carrying up to the roofs of their dwellings beams and paving stones, to hurl down upon the troops of his Majesty Louis XVI, whom may God protect! Women and children are pouring musket balls and making cartridges. They have pillaged the armorers' shops in the district. In short, the whole of that impious plebs is swarming in the streets, screeching like the damned, especially against her Majesty our good Queen, his Royal Highness the Count of Artois, and their Holinesses our lords the Princes of Conti and Conde." "And what are the pretexts for these insolent cries and rebellious preparations?" asked the Count.