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Chapter 10 - The Little Cabinet in the Tuileries

Summary

King Louis XVIII listens to Duke de Blacas's warnings about a potential Bonapartist uprising in Provence while casually annotating Horace, dismissing the concerns as exaggerated until the Minister of Police, Baron Dandré, arrives with reports suggesting Napoleon is mentally unstable. The King and Dandré mock Napoleon's condition, but Blacas presses for action, citing a confidential messenger from Marseille. When Baron Dandré returns to the room, Blacas summons the messenger, who is revealed to be Monsieur Villefort. Villefort enters the royal cabinet, having traveled urgently from Marseille, and presents a report of a Bonapartist conspiracy he uncovered during the interrogation of a sailor who met with the Grand Marshal on Elba. The King, though initially skeptical of the threats against his restored throne, listens to Villefort's account with growing attention as Dandré re-enters the room.

Characters

  • Villefort (the young lawyer, the messenger) — Villefort arrives in Paris, dusty and weary from his post-haste journey, and is initially hindered by M. de Brézé due to his unkempt appearance. He is admitted to the King's presence, bows, and delivers a detailed report of a Bonapartist plot he uncovered by interrogating a sailor in Marseille, claiming the Grand Marshal plans a return to France. He emphasizes the urgency of the matter, noting he left his own betrothal celebration to deliver this news, and awaits the King's judgment.
  • Louis XVIII (the King) — King Louis XVIII sits in his study, annotating Horace with indifference to Blacas's fears. He listens to Dandré's reports on Napoleon with mockery and skepticism, dismissing the threat of a conspiracy by asserting the strength of his government and the Coalition. He eventually summons Villefort, listens to his report with interest, and agrees that the situation may be serious, though he remains outwardly calm and scholarly.
  • Blacas (the Duke, M. de Blacas) — Blacas anxiously warns the King of a storm brewing from the South and presses for reports on Provence and Languedoc. When the King remains unconvinced, Blacas introduces the messenger from Marseille, securing the King's audience with Villefort. He physically restrains Villefort from leaving when Dandré re-enters and eagerly supports the King's decision to hear the young man's urgent news, displaying intense royalist fervor.
  • Dandré (the Minister of Police, the Baron) — Baron Dandré enters the King's cabinet and reports that Napoleon is bored and possibly mad, citing symptoms like playing with pebbles. He later returns pale and trembling, informing the King that there is no news on the telegraph, which prompts Blacas to summon Villefort. He stands by as Villefort is ushered in, participating in the court's assessment of the Bonapartist threat.
  • Brézé (the master of ceremonies) — M. de Brézé objects to Villefort's entrance because of his dusty and travel-worn appearance, finding it offensive that a young man would appear in such dress before the King. He mutters objections but is overruled by Blacas, who invokes the King's authority to allow Villefort entry.