Frederic, the son of the Vicomte de Talizac, is deformed. One shoulder is higher than the other, and he limps, but he seems alert.
"It is seven o'clock," he said, in a sharp voice.
The door was thrown open at this moment, and a German officer appeared. Madame Fongereues rose hastily.
"And what is the decision, Monsieur de Karlstein?" she asked.
The officer bowed low to each of the three persons in the room, and then said, quietly:
"To-morrow the allied armies will cross the French frontier."
"At last!" exclaimed Madame de Fongereues, and Madame de Talizac uttered a cry of joy. The Marquis was unmoved.
"The details—give us the details!" said the young Marquise.
"We shall reach France through Switzerland," said the German, "and penetrate the heart of the empire. Lord Castlereagh approves of this plan and the Emperor Alexander gives it favorable consideration."