This delay ruined him, since it gave Martial time to perfect his plans
and to send the Duc de Sairmeuse to Paris skilfully indoctrinated.
And what did the duke say to the King, who accorded him such a gracious
reception?
He undoubtedly pronounced the first reports false, reduced the
Montaignac revolution to its proper proportions, represented Lacheneur
as a fool, and his followers as inoffensive idiots.
Perhaps he led the King to suppose that the Marquis de Courtornieu
might have provoked the outbreak by undue severity. He had served under
Napoleon, and possibly had thought it necessary to make a display of his
zeal. There have been such cases.
So far as he himself was concerned, he deeply deplored the mistakes into
which he had been led by the ambitious marquis, upon whom he cast most
of the responsibility for the blood which had been shed.
The result of all this was, that when the Marquis de Courtornieu's
report reached Paris, it was answered by a decree depriving him of the
office of _grand prevot_.
This unexpected blow crushed him.
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