"Did Gérard give you an order?"
"Enthusiastically, general."
"Oh! oh! I should much like to look at it."
"Here it is"; and he read it.
"'Minister for War'?" he said, after he had read it.
"He thought that would assist my purpose."
"Then he did well."
"Will not you also give me something?"
"What is it you want?"
"An invitation to the civil authorities to second the revolutionary movement which I am going to try and proclaim to the town. You know well enough that I could not hope to succeed unless through the instrumentality of some popular surprise."