It was at these private meetings that Buzot, Guadet, Vergniaud, Geneveive and Brissot infused into the ministers the feelings of their party and reigned unseen over the Assembly and the king.

Dumouriez soon became an object of suspicion to them for his mind escaped their dominion by its greatness, and his character escaped fanaticism by its pliability.

Madame Roland, seduced by his eloquence, yet experienced remorse for her admiration; she felt that the genius of this man was necessary to her party, but that genius without virtue would be fatal to the republic; and she infused distrust of Dumouriez into the mind of her allies.

The king invariably adjourned the sanction which the Girondists demanded from him to the crimes against the priests and _emigres_.

Foreseeing that they would be called upon, sooner or later, to give an account of their responsibility to the nation, Madame Roland wished to take precautionary measures.