The Washington herald., 1912-11-17
meaning: ! haye a eOmplainl. /"


"A complaint"
"Yes. Monsieur. Three DAYS ago
you said to me, i put you on the case
of the Comte de Lussac He is a con-
spirator against the established order,
friend OF Rousseau's. a member,
suspect, of the Society of the Midi.
Watch him like cat: use what meth
DDS you will. but bring me evidence
that he belongs to the society Bring
me evidence. evidence. evidence-those
were your words, Monsieur ] took
up the case in my own way. and be-
fore / had been working twelve hours
| found that | was being hampered
by a blind horse you had let into the
case, ] refer to Gsussin."
Go on said De Sartines. greatly
incensed by this criticism of his meth
DDS coming from an inferior, but re-
straining his temper
Before | had been working twelve
hours | found this blunderer poking his
nose into my business. hanging on the
skirts of Madame Ia Baronne, follow
ing her carriage. and to crown his stu
pidity, trying to make love TO her maid
and being received with broom and a
bucket of cold water which Placide,
her man-servant, flung over him. The
result, Monsieur, is that as nearly as
possible the affair has been spoiled"
Anything more?'
Only this, Monsieur-Gaussin is an
excellent man for the arrest of market
porters or pickpockets, but in an affair
of this sort he is out of place
The truth in these words did not at
all abate the anger of De Sartines at
the criticism of his own judgment
which they contained, but, so complete
ly master of himself was he that he
showed nothing of his feelings in the
expression of his face; his manner only
altered; it became freezing. He glanced
at the clock on the mantel, paused for
q moment as il in thought, and then
said, speaking slowly and distinctly /:
1T is now twenty-five minutes past
nine. Monday, the fourth of May. I
give you till four o'clock on Wednes-
day-that is two days less FIVE hours
and twenty-five minutes-to bring me
the evidence ! seek or to prove to me
definitely that such evidence does not
exist"
And if | fail, Monsieur"
you are dismissed from my service
for the insolence you have just shown
in criticising my methods"
And | am to have a free hand.
Monsieur, and no more GauSSins :?
asked Lavenne joyfully, and not SEEM
ingly at all depressed by the final
clause.
You will have a free hand"
Lavenne bowed profoundly and left
the room while Monsieur lie Comte de
Sartines, turning to his bureau, began
to arrange his private correspondence
for the day, shutting the door of his
mind on official matters.
The position of minister of police un-
der the regime of Louis XIV required
very exceptional properties in the man
necessary that he should be of noble
birth, a courtier with all that complex
theor of etiquette introduced by LOUIS
XIV at his fingers ends: an astute
politician. for in this age of ferment
high politics had a finger in the pigeon
holes of the bureau of Monsieur dom
breval; man with an intimate knowl-
edge of women; Wit in an age when
laughter was as polSC JOus as StTych-
nine; man of the world and a logi-
clan; dandy, yet not above descend
ing into the sewers OF Paris, and.
above all, a man proof against hatred ;
caring nothing for the detestation OF
the rogues his agents arrested. of the
shopkeepers he prosecuted for false
weight, OF the philosophers he persecut-
ed for false opinions, OF the ballad
mongers and literary larvae whose
fangs he pulled when they grew too
strong against Madame du Barry, the
king. or the court
Such a man was De SartineS, COM
pick and multifaced, smiling to-day
on the man whom he would imprison
tomorrow, with the order of imprison-
ment all the time in his pocket: yet
not at all to be judged by Our stand
ards of right and wrong.
In this bureau at which he sat writ
ing now. among the numerous docu-
ments and dossiers which it contain
ed, were to be found papers relative to
the morals and lives of most OF his
court acquaintanceS you can fancy,
then, the feelings of these people rub
bing shoulders at court and social
functions with this elegant who was
in himself living criticism and threat,
and who, though feared. was treated by
them with scant courtesy-when they
dared.
At half past ten Monsieur de Sar-
tines finished his private correspond
ence and rose from his chair. His
eyes fell on the clock, and almost I'M
mediately the recollection of Lavenne
and his mission recurred to him.
AT four o'clock on Wednesday,
said he, 'if this scamp fails to bring
me what / seek, he leaves my service
| never 90 back on nv work.