His inexperience rendered him an easy prey; and the favour he enjoyed rendered him unsuspicious.
Pitracha, accustomed to Court life, where a kiss is the usual prelude to treachery, found in him a suitable tool for the accomplishment of his designs. He pointed out to him, that as he had been adopted by the King as his son, he had only one step to take to become his successor; but that he ought to act with boldness so as not to render the promises of fortune worthless.
Monpit dazzled by visions of power, surrendered his will entirely to the counsels of an enemy in the guise of a patron. He begged Pitracha to act as his father and promised to share the throne with him.
The Court was ruled by three men, all of whom were actuated by different motives.
The moribund King had but a shadow of that power of which the favourites possessed the reality. The hearts of all the nation beat for Pitracha, who artfully appeared to despise the power which in secret he coveted. His devotion to the priests had enlisted them in his cause, and there are no more zealous partisans than those who imagine they perceive in an ambitious hypocrite, a defender of their temples and rites.
His designs could not escape the notice of Faulcon who was sufficiently clear sighted to see their aim, but was too weak to circumvent them. Full of confidence in the French, he considered that he could oppose them as a rampart against the assaults of enemies.
He had been informed that Pitracha had counterfeited the seals of state so as to be able to issue orders favourable to his schemes. His emissaries, spread throughout the provinces, were raising forces under pretext of guarding against imaginary dangers. Pitracha, despairing of ingratiating himself with Faulcon, sought means to undo him by pandering to his self esteem, by means of the encomiums that the office holder invariably imagines are his due. "It is unfortunate for you and for the State," he said, "that being a foreigner, you are not eligible for the throne, as otherwise you would rule as King, an Empire that you administer to-day in your official capacity."
"The King, who is well aware of the incapacity of his brothers would always have a scruple against giving us such masters. If by some unlucky chance, they came into power, they would use it against the favourites and officials whom they hate as the authors of the punishments they have had to bear. Believe me, let us anticipate their revenge and as soon as the King is dead, let us take possession of the palace. I would see that you were conducted to Bangkok by my friends and there you could bid defiance to any who might wish to supplant you, Monpit is working in your interests and in mine. Our safety is dependant on our union, but for my own part I have resolved to bury myself in solitude and to consecrate the rest of my life to the worship of our gods whom it is quite impossible to serve amid the stress of state affairs." Faulcon did not believe a single word of this, and was convinced that ambitious men have no disinterested friends. He replied that he intended to remain faithful to the service of his master, and that he considered it treasonable to form any league; and assured those who looked for his co-operation that he would only act on behalf of the King's interests.
He resisted the temptation of revealing the matter to the King and besides the fear of aggravating the illness of the Royal patient caused him to dissemble. He had no convincing proofs to bring against the guilty parties and he might have exposed himself to the risk of punishment inflicted for slander. The King would have with difficulty given credence to his recital, and his deluded heart would have justified his favourites. Had Pitracha been exposed, the plots would only have come to a head, and as no precautionary measures had been taken, it was necessary to dissemble.
It is politic to ignore crime that cannot be punished. Faulcon, in order to retain his prestige in sight of the people, let it be understood that it was he who had been the cause of Pitracha's advancement; and in favouring his cause so as to the more easily bring about his downfall determined that the dying King should hand over the regency of the Kingdom to him. Pitracha made great protestations of gratitude in order to be afterwards ungrateful for his success. He played his part so well that the Greek, who considered himself a past-master in the art of plumbing the depths of a man's character, believed that he had no more zealous partisan, especially since his advice was always followed in the councils of state. As the keeper of the King's conscience, he was exposed to the danger of causing the happiness of the few and of arousing the hostility of the many. Every case heard before his tribunal increased the number of his enemies, because those who gained the day were never grateful to justice, while the losers imputed their defeat to the corruption of the judges.