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158 scape-goat must be Dupleix. Therefore Godeheu was sent to supersede him.

The ship, the Duc de Burgogne, having Godeheu on board, anchored, as I have said, the 1st of August, off Pondichery. Arguing from the previous relations between them, in which he had been the benefactor and Godeheu the benefited, Dupleix went at once on board to welcome his ancient comrade. His reception was most frigid. Godeheu declined to become his guest, or even to land until a house should be fitted up for him. He handed to him, however, three documents: the first a letter expressive of his desire to make his position as little painful as possible; the second a demand for a complete statement of the affairs of the Company; the third an order for his recall. The next day he landed; and, proceeding to the Council Chamber, caused his commission to be read out. The silence which followed the reading was broken by Dupleix, not by the utterance of any querulous complaints, but by the loyal cry Vive le Roi.

For ten weeks Dupleix was forced to remain at Pondichery whilst his accounts were overhauled by his successor. Dupleix had advanced to the Company vast sums, and the accounts showed him to be a creditor of the Company to the extent of upwards of £240,000. Godeheu, whose object it seemed to be not merely to belittle but to ruin his predecessor, had no sooner ascertained this fact than he forbad the Commissaries he had employed to proceed further