— Oh, here you are, John. The situation is getting worse day by day. It looks as if a real rebellion were going to start.

— Really, if it were not for the help of Royal forces, such a rebellion would have taken place a couple of days ago. If only we had not introduced paper money so quickly…

— I wish I were not a Regent. It’s such a burden! What would we do if they should find out that the Bank has printed more banknotes than necessary, and it can cause great inflation.

— I fear lest we should be accused. I suggest that we should try to come back to the coin-based system again. Besides, it’s time the government turned to the national reserve supplies!

— Be it so! May success attend us! The most shocking news comes from Provence. If they had been more careful with those ships, coming from Syria, there would have been no plague at all. Confound those Arabs!

— Were I in you place, I would prohibit all the trading relations with those countries for some time. The plague is likely to spread over the whole country.

— God forbid! Yesterday I introduced the measures of thorough medical inspection, otherwise the casualty would have been greater. But all the same, my wish is that you should go on with your economical policy. I believe in you.

— Thanks for your gratitude. I don’t think that if we had not started this business at all, the situation would have been better.

— Right. At least we don’t have the debt of 2 billion livre any more. D’Argenson wasn’t likely to change the situation in the country.

— And what are we going to do, if the rebellion should take place?

— I don’t know, really. Three years of my regency are left, and I suppose that you still should not leave France for some other country, England for example.

 

— All right, let’s hope for better.