NothingdisastrousoccurreduponthisoccasioninspiteofthetemptationthrowninAlexander’swaytosinktheraftandthusridtheworldofadangerousrivaltohissupremacy。Theconferenceresultedinatreatyofpeace,concludedonthe7thofJuly,1807,andbyitafewmorethroneswereaddedtotheBonapartecollection。
Jerome,whohadbeentryingtomakealivingasamusicteacherinAmerica,havingbeendivorcedfromhisAmericanwifeandmarriedtoanother,wasmadeKingofWestphalia。
"HavingmadeafailureintheWest,mydearbrother,"saidBonaparte,"whatcouldbemoreappropriate?"
LouiswasmadeKingofHolland,andJoseph’skingshipofNapleswasfullyrecognized,and,further,BonapartewasenabledtoreturntoParisandshowhimselftothecitizensofthatficklecity,whoweregettingrestiveunderJosephine’srule。
"TheylikeJosephinewellenough,"wroteFouche,"butthemenprefertohaveyouhere。Thefactthatthingsrunsmoothlyunderawoman’sruleisgivingthefemalesuffragistsagreatboom,andthemensaythatdomesticlifeisbeingruined。Cooksarescarce,havingdesertedthekitchenfortheprimaries,andaltogethertheoutlookiseffeminate。Therefore,comebackassoonasyoucan,forifyoudon’tthefirstthingweknowthewomenwillbevoting,andyou’llfindyou’llhavetogiveupyourseattoalady。"
TheEmperor’sreturntoPariswasmarkedbygreatrejoicing,particularlybythelargenumberofhattersandlaundressesandstable—boyswhomhehadinthemeantimepaidfortheirearlyservicesbymakingthemdukesandduchesses。Thecourtwasmagnificent,andentirelynew。Nosecond—handnobleswereallowedwithinthesacredcircle,andtheresultwasoneofextremesplendor。Inasmallway,tomaintaintheinterestwhichhehadinspired,aswellastokeepupthedisciplineofhisarmy,afewconquests,includingthoseofSpainandPortugal,wereindulgedin。Josephwasremovedfromacomfortable,warmthroneatNaplesandmadeKingofSpain,andMuratwassubstitutedforhimatNaples。TheEmperor’selderbrotherdidnotlikethechange,butsubmittedasgracefullyasever。
"Napleswasextremelycomfortable,"hesaid,"butthisMadridpositionisnotatalltomytaste。Iprefermacaronitogarlic,andIcannotenduretheseCarmencitadances——theyremindmetoomuchofthegreen—appleseasonintheoldCorsicandays。However,whatmybrotherwillsIdo,merelyfromforceofhabit——notthatIfearhimorconsidermyselfboundtoobeyhim,mindyou,butbecauseIamaversetofamilydifferences。Onemustyield,andIhavealwaysbeentheself—sacrificingmemberofthefamily。He’sputmehere,andI
hopetoremain。"
ThispromotionofJosephwasamisstepforonewhodesiredpeace,andBonapartesoonfoundanotherwarwithAustriaonthetapisbecauseofit。EmperorFrancisJoseph,jealousperhapsofthecopyrightonhisname,declinedtorecognizeKingJosephofSpain。WhereuponBonaparteagainsetoutforAustria,where,onthe6thofJuly,1809,AustriahavingrecognizedthestrengthofBonaparte’sarguments,backedup,astheywere,byanoverwhelmingforceofmen,eachworthyofamarshal’sbaton,andallconfident,underthenewregime,ofsomedaysecuringit,anarmisticewasagreedupon,andonthe14thofOctoberatreatysatisfactorytoFrancewassigned。
"IfIhavetocomebackagain,mydearEmperorJoseph,"Bonapartesaid,ashesetoutforParis,"itwillbeforthepurposeofgivingyouanewposition,whichyoumaynotlikesowellastheneatandrathergaudysinecureyounowhold。"
"Whichis——?"addedtheAustrian。
"I’llbringyouasnow—shovelandsetyoutoclearingoffthesteps。"
"Whatsteps?"queriedtheAustriananxiously。
"Theback—steppesofRussia,"repliedNapoleon,sternly。"TheonlythingthatkeepsmefromdoingitnowisthatI——ah——Ihatetodoanythingunkindtothefatherof——ah——yourdaughterMarie—Louise,whomImetatthedancelastnight,andwho,betweenyouandme,looksremarkablyliketheonlywomanIeverloved。"
CHAPTERX:THEFALLOFTHEEMPIRE
1810—1814
Justbeforetheopeningoftheyear1810,whichmarkedthebeginningofBonaparte’sdecay,Fouchedemandedanaudience。
"Well,Fouche,"saidtheEmperor,"whatnow?"
"ThisEmpirecan’tgomuchfurther,YourMajesty,unlessmorenoveltyisintroduced。I’vehadmymenoutallthroughFrancetakingnotes,andthere’sbutoneopinionamong’emall。You’vegottodosomethingneworstoptheshow。Ifyou’donlydonewhatIsuggestedatAusterlitz,andlostaleg,itwouldhavebeendifferent。Thepeopledon’taskmuchsong—and—dancebusinessfromaone—leggedman。"
"Wecompromisedwithyouthere,"retortedNapoleon。"AtRatisbonourimperialfootwaslaidupforaweek。"
"Yes——butyoudidn’tloseit,"returnedFouche。"Can’tyouseethedifference?Ifyou’dlostit,andcomehomewithoutit,there’dhavebeenevidenceofyoursuffering。Asitis,doyouknowwhatyourenemiesaresayingaboutyourfoot?"
"Wedonot,"saidtheEmperor,sternly。"Whatdotheysay?"
"Well,theBourbonssayyousteppedonitrunningawayfromtheenemy’sguns,andtheextremeRepublicanssayyourwoundisnothingbutgoutandtheresultofhigh,undemocraticliving。Now,mydearsir——Sire,Imean——ItakeagreatdealofinterestinthisEmpire。
Itpaysmemysalary,andI’vehadchargeofthecalciumlightsforsometime,andIdon’twantourlustredimmed,butitwillbedimmedunless,asIhavealreadytoldyouamilliontimes,weintroducesomenewactonourprogramme。1492didn’tsucceedonitsmusic,oritsjokes,oritslivingpictures。Itwastheintroductionofnoveltieseveryweekthatkeptitontheboardsforfourhundredyears。"
"Well——whatdoyoupropose?"askedBonaparte,recognizingthetruthofFouche’swords。
"I——ah——Ithinkyououghttogetmarried,"saidFouche。
"Weammarried,you——you——idiot,"criedBonaparte。
"Well,marryagain,"saidFouche。"You’vebeengivingotherpeopleawayatagreatrateforseveralyears——what’sthematterwithacquiringarealprincessforyourself?"
"Youadvisebigamy,doyou?"askedBonaparte,scornfully。
"Notonyourlife,"returnedFouche,"butarealelegantdivorce,followedbyanimperialwedding,wouldrattlethebonesofthisblaseoldParisastheyhaven’tbeenrattledsinceRobespierre’sday。"
Bonapartereddened,then,risingfromthethroneandputtinghishandtothesideofhismouth,hesaid,inalow,agitatedtone:
"Closethedoor,Fouche。Closethedoorandcomehere。Wewanttowhispersomethingtoyou。"
Theministerdidashewasbidden。
"Fouche,oldboy,"chuckledtheEmperorintheearofhisrascallyaide——"Fouche,you’reamind—reader。We’vebeenthinkingofjustthatverythingforsometime——infact,eversinceWemetthatoldwomanEmperorFrancisJoseph。He’dmakeanelegantmother—in—law。"
"Precisely,"saidFouche。"HisdaughterMarie—Louise,anarchduchessbybirth,istheoneIhadselectedforyou。HistorywillnodoubtsaythatIopposethismatch,andpubliclyperhapsImayseemtodoso,butyouwillunderstand,mydearSire,thatthisoppositionwillserve,asitisdesignedtoserve,asanadvertisementofourenterprise,andwithoutadvertisingwemightaswellputuptheshutters。Shallwe——ah——announcetheattractiontothepublic?"
"Notyet,"saidNapoleon。"Wemustgetridofourleadingladybeforewebringontheunderstudy。"
Itisasadchapterinthehistoryofthiseminentmanwhereinistoldtheheart—breakingstoryofhissacrifice——thegivingupthroughsheerloveofhiscountryoftheonlywomanhehadeverloved,andweshouldprefertopassitoverinsilence。Wealludetoitheremerelytoshowthatitwasbroughtaboutbytheexigenciesofhisoffice,andthatitwasnothingshortofheroicself—abnegationwhichledthisfaithfulloverofhisadoptednativelandtoputthebeautifulJosephineawayfromhim。HehadbuildedanEmpireforanoperabouffepeople,andhewasresolvedtomaintainitatanycost。
InMarch,1810,Bonaparte,havinginhisanxietytosparethefeelingsofthedivorcedJosephine,wooedMarie—LouisebyproxyinthepersonofMarshalBerthier,methisnewfianceeatSoissons。
"ItisthreemonthssincewelostourbelovedJosephine,"hesaidtoFouche,withtearsinhisvoice,"butthewoundisbeginningtoheal。
Wefearweshallneverloveagain,butforthesakeoftheEmpirewewillnowbegintotakenoticeoncemore。Wewillmeetourbride—
electatSoissons,andescorthertoParisourself。"
Thiswasdone,andonthe2ndofApril,1810,Marie—LouisebecameEmpressofFrance。Josephine,meanwhile,hadretiredtoMalmaisonwithalimonyof3,000,000francs。
Fouchewasdelighted;Pariswasprovidedwithconversationenoughforayearinanyevent,andBonapartefounditpossibletorelaxalittleinhiseffortstoinspireinterest。Hismainanxietyintheensuingyearwasastohisfamilyaffairs。Hisbrothersdidnotturnoutsohighlysuccessfulasprofessionalkingsashehadhoped,anditbecamenecessarytodeposeLouistheKingofHollandandplacehimunderarrest。Joseph,too,desiredtoresigntheSpanishthrone,whichhehadfoundtobefarfromcomfortable,andtherewasmuchelsetorestoreBonaparte’searlypronenesstoirritability;norwashislotrenderedanymorehappybyMarie—Louise’sexpresseddeterminationnottogototeawithJosephineatMalmaisononSundaynights,astheEmperorwishedhertodo。
"Youmaygoifyouplease,"saidshe,"butIshallnot。Familyreunionsareneveragreeable,andthecircumstancesofthisaresopeculiarthateveniftheyhadredeemingfeaturesthisonewouldbeimpossible。"
"Wecallthatrebellion——don’tyou?"askedBonaparteofFouche。
"No,"saidFouche。"She’sright,andit’sforyourgood。IfsheandJosephinegotchummingandcomparednotes,I’mratheroftheopinionthatthere’dbeanotherdivorce。"
Fouche’sreplysoenragedtheEmperorthathedismissedhimfromhispost,andtheEmpirebegantofall。
"Ileaveyouatyourzenith,Sire,"saidFouche。"YousendmetoRomeasgovernorinthehopethatIwillgettheRomanfeveranddie。
Iknowitwell;butletmetellyouthatthereactionisnearlydue,andwiththelossofyourstagemanagerthefarcebeginstopall。
Farewell。Ifyoucanhookyourselfontoyourzenithandstaythere,doso,butthatyouwillIdon’tthink。"
ItwasasFouchesaid。PerplexitiesnowarosewhichbadefairtooverwhelmtheEmperor。ForamomenttheyclearedawaywhentheinfantsonofMarie—LouiseandBonapartewasborn,buttheybrokeoutwithincreasingembarrassmentimmediatelyafter。
"Whathasyourson—in—lawnamedhisboy,FrancisJoseph?"askedAlexanderofRussia。
"KingofRome,"returnedtheAustrian。
"What!"criedAlexander,"andnotafteryou——orme?Thecoxcomb!I
willmakewaruponhim。"
Thisanecdoteisheregiventotheworldforthefirsttime。ItisgenerallysupposedthattheruptureoffriendlyrelationsbetweenAlexanderandBonapartegrewoutofothercauses,butthetruthisasindicatedinthisstory。HadFouchebeenathand,Bonapartewouldneverhavemadethemistake,butitwasmade,andwarwasdeclared。
Afterasuccessionofhard—foughtbattlestheinvadingarmyoftheEmperorenteredMoscow,butNapoleon’sspiritwasbroken。
"TheseRussiannamesaregivingusparesis!"hecried。"HowIevergothereIdon’tknow,andIfindmyselfunprovidedwithareturnticket。ThenamesoftheRussiangenerals,tosaynothingofthoseoftheirriversandcities,makemyheadache,andhaveruinedmyteeth。Ifear,Davoust,thatIhavehadmyday。ItwaseasytocallonthePollylukestosurrenderinAfrica;itneverundulytaxedmypowersofenunciationtospeakthehoneyednamesofItaly;theAustriantongueneverbotheredme;butwhenItrytoinspiremysoldierswithremarkslike,’OntoSmolensko!’or’DownwithRostopchin!’and’ShallwebediscouragedbecauseTchigagoff,andKutusoff,andCarrymeoffski,oftheUpperjnavykCgoldSdreamGards,opposeus?’Iwanttoliedownanddie。Whatisthesenseofthesebarbed—wirenames,anyhow?Why,whenIwastoldthatBarclaydeTollyhadabandonedVitepsk,andwasmarchingonSmolenskowithafairchanceofunitingwithTormagoffandWittgenstein,IwassomixedthatIcouldn’ttellwhetherVitepskwasabrigadier—generaloraRussiansummer—resort。Nevertheless,wehavearrived,andIthinkwecanpassacomfortablewinterinMoscow。IsMoscowacoldplace,doyouknow?"
MarshalNeylookedoutofthewindow。
"No,YourMajesty,"hesaid;"Ijudgefromappearancesthatit’sthehottestplaceincreation,justnow。Look!"
Bonaparte’sheartsankwithinhim。Helookedandsawthecityinflames。
"Well,"hecried,"whydon’tyoudosomething?Whatkindoftheatricalsoldiersareyou?Ringupthefiredepartment!Ah,Fouche,Fouche,ifyouwereonlyherenow!Youcouldatleastarresttheflames。"
Itwastoolate。Nothingcouldbedone,andtheconqueringheroofnearlytwentyyearsnowexperiencedthebitternessofdefeat。
Rushingthroughtheblazingtown,heorderedaretreat,andwassoonsadlywendinghiswaybacktoParis。
"Weareafraid,"hemurmured,"thatthatMoscowfirehascookedourimperialgoose。"
Then,findingtheprogressofthearmytooslow,andanxioustohearthenewsofParis,NapoleonlefthistroopsunderthecommandofNeyandpushedrapidlyon,travellingincognito,notbeingdesirousofacceptingsuchreceptionsandfetesinhishonorastheenemyhadinstoreforhim。
"Idonotliketoleavemyarmyinsuchsorestraits,"hesaid,"butImust。IamneededattheTuileries。TheKingofRomehasfalleninlovewithhisnurse,andIunderstandalsothatthereisaconspiracytostealthethroneandsellit。Thismustnotbe。
Reassurethearmyofmylove。Tellthemthattheyare,aswasthearmyofEgypt,mychildren,andthattheymayplayoutinthesnowalittlewhilelonger,butmustcomeinbeforetheycatchcold。"
Withthesewordshewasoff。Paris,asusual,receivedhimwithopenarms。Thingshadbeendullduringhisabsence,andhisreturnmeantexcitement。ThetotallossoftheFrenchinthiscampaignwas450,000men,nearlyathousandcannon,andseventy—fiveeaglesandstandards。
"It’saheavyloss,"saidtheEmperor,"butittookasnow—stormtodoit。I’dratherfightbearsthanblizzards;buttheFrenchmustnotbediscouraged。Letthemjointhearmy。TheRussianshavecapturedthreethousandandforty—eightofficerswhoseplacesmustbefilled。Ifthatisn’tencouragementtojointhearmyIexpecttoraisenextspringIdon’tknowwhatis。Asfortheeagles——youcangetgoldeaglesinAmericafortendollarsapiece,sowhyrepine!Onwiththedance,letjoybeunconfined!"
Itwastoolate,however。TheEmpirehadpalled。BonapartecouldhavestartedacomicpaperandstillhavefailedtorouseParisfromitslethargy,andParisistheheartofFrance。Stormsgathered,war—cloudsmultiplied,thenationsoftheearthunitedagainsthim,theKingofRomebegancuttinghisteethanddestroyedtheEmperor’srest。Thefoot—balloffatethatchancehadkickedsohighcamedowntoearthwithasickeningthud,andMr。BonaparteofCorsicayieldedtotheinevitable。
"Fouche,"hesaid,sendingfortheexiledministerinhisextremity,"whenIlostyouIlostmyleadingman——thestarofmyenterprise。
Duringyourabsencetheprompter’sboxhasbeenempty,andIdon’tknowwhattodo。Theworldisagainstme——evenFrance。Iseebutonethingleft。DoyouthinkIcouldrestoreconfidencebydivorcingMarie—LouiseandremarryingJosephine?Itstrikesmethatanannualshaking—upofthatnaturewouldsortoflivenmattersup。
"No!"saidFouche,"itwon’tdo。They’vehadonedivorce。Youmustn’trepeatyourselfnow。YouforgetthethingI’vealwaystriedtoimpressuponyou。BeNew;notparvenuoringenue,butplainupanddownNewiswhatyouneedtobe。Itwouldhavebeenjustthesameifyou’dthrashedRussia。They’dhaveforcedyoutogoonandconquerChina;thenthey’dhavedemandedawarwithJapan,afterwhichthey’dhavedethronedyouifyoudidn’tannextheSandwichIslandstotheUnitedStates,andthenbagthewholethingforFrance。ThisiswhatyougetforwantingtoruletheFrenchpeople。
Youcan’tkeepquiet——you’vegottohaveamoveonyouconstantlyortheywon’thaveyou。Furthermore,youmustn’tmake’emlaughexceptattheotherman。You’vehadluckinthatrespect,butthere’snotellinghowlongitwillcontinuenowthatyouhaveason。He’sbeginningtosayfunnythings,andthey’regenerallyatyourexpense,andoneortwopeoplehereaboutshavesnickeredatyoualready。"
"Whatdoyoumean?"saidNapoleon,withafrown。"Whathastheboysaidaboutme?"
"HetoldtheMinisterofFinancetheothernightthatnowthatyouwerethefatherofarealEmperor’sgrandson,youhadavalidclaimtorespectability,andhe’dbitetheheadoffthefirstpersonwhosaidyouhadn’t,"saidFouche。
"Well——thatcertainlywasstandingupforhisdaddy,"saidtheEmperor,fondly。
"Ye—e—es,"saidFouche,"butit’soneofthosedoubleback—actionremarksthatdomoreharmthangood。"
"Well,"saidBonaparte,desperately,"lettheboysaywhathepleases;he’smyson,andhehasthatright。Thethingforustodecideis,whatshallwedonow?"
"Therearethreethingsleft,"saidFouche。
"Andthey?"askedtheEmperor。
"WriteTrilby,abdicate,orcommitsuicide。Thefirstisbeyondyou。
YouknowenoughaboutParis,butyourstyleisagainstyou。Asforthesecond,abdication——ifyouabdicateyoumaycomeback,andthetroublewillbeginalloveragain。Ifyoucommitsuicide,youwon’thaveanymorerows。TheFrenchwillbestartled,andsaythatit’sasplendidclimax,andyouwillhavethesatisfactionofknowingthatsomeothermanwilltrytopleasethemwiththesameresult。"
"Itshallbeabdication,"saidtheEmperor,withasigh。"Idon’tmindsuicide,but,hangit,Fouche,ifIkilledmyselfIcouldnotreadwhatthepaperssaidaboutit。AsforwritingTrilby,itwoulddomoreforroyaltythanforme。ThereforeIwillgotoFontainebleauandabdicate。IwillgointoexileatElba。Exilesaremostinterestingpeople,anditmaybethatI’llhaveanotherchance。"
Thiscoursewastaken,andonthe20thofApril,1814,Bonaparteabdicated。Hisspeechtohisfaithfulguardwasoneofthemostaffectingfarewellsinhistory,andhadmuchtodowiththeencorewhichNapoleonreceivedlessthanayearafter。Escortedbyfourcommissioners,onefromeachofthegreatalliedpowers,Austria,Russia,England,andPrussia,andattendedbyafewattachedfriendsandservants,BonapartesetoutfromParis。Thepartyoccupiedfourteencarriages,Bonaparteinthefirst;andastheyleftthecapitaltheex—Emperor,leaningoutofthewindow,lookedbackatthetrainofconveyancesandsighed。
"What,Sire?Yousigh?"criedBertrand。
"Yes,Bertrand,yes。Notformydepartedglory,butbecauseIamalivingFrenchman,andnotadeadIrishman。"
"Andwhyso,Sire?"askedBertrand。
"Because,myfriend,ofthecarriages。Therearefourteeninthisfuneral。Think,Bertrand,"hemoaned,inatonerendereddoublyimpressivebythefactthatitremindedoneofHenryIrvinginoneofhismostmanneredmoments。"ThinkhowIshouldhaveenjoyedthismomenthadIbeenadeadIrishman!"
CHAPTERXI:ELBA——THERETURN——WATERLOO——ST。HELENA
1814—1815
Bonaparte’sspiritsroseasthepartyproceeded。Therewereremarkableevidencesallalongthelineofmarchthathisgreatness,whiledimmedinonesense,hadnotdiminishedinothers。Aseriesofattacksuponhimhadbeenarranged,muchtothefallenEmperor’sdelight。
"Ifyouwanttomakeafellowpopular,Bertrand,"heremarkedafteroneofthem,"kickhimwhenhe’sdown。I’llwagerIamhavingabettertimenowthanLouisXVIII。,and,afterall,Iregardthismerelyasavacation。I’llhaveagoodrestatElbawhileLouisispushingthebuttonofgovernmentatParis。AfterawhileI’llcomebackandpressthebuttonsandLouiswilldotherest。There’ssomehoneyintheoldBeesyet。"
AtValence,however,theEmperorhadabittercuptodrain。MeetingAugereauthere,withwhomhehadfallenout,headdressedhiminhisold—timeimperialstyle,askinghimwhatrighthehadtostilllive,andrequestinghimtostandoutofhislight。Augereau,takingadvantageoftheEmperor’sfallenestate,repliedinaspiritedmanner,callingNapoleonanex—Emperorandatinsoldier,aswellasapplyingseveralotherepithetstohisdethronedmajestywhichmightbeprintedinaFrenchbook,butcanhavenoplaceinthis。
"Weshallmeetagain,"retortedBonaparte,withathreateninggesture。
"NotifIseeyoufirst,"repliedAugereau。"Ifwedo,however,itwillbeunderanewsystemofetiquette。"
"I’llbetyouacrownyou’llbesinginganewtuneinsideofayear,"
criedtheexasperatedBonaparte。
"I’llgoyou,"saidAugereau,snappinghisfingers。"Putupyourcrown。"
Napoleonfeltkeenlythestingingsatireofthisretort。Bowinghisheadwithagroan,hehadtoacknowledgethathehadnocrown,butinaninstantherecovered。
"ButIhaveaNapoleonleftinmyclothes!"hecried,withadrylaughathisownwit。"I’llbetitagainstyourincomeforthenextfortycenturies,whichisgivingyoulargeodds,thatIshallreturn,andwhenIdo,MonsieurAugereau,yournamewillbeDenis。"
TheappreciationofthoseaboutthemofthissallysoenragedAugereauthathewasdiscomfitedutterly,andheleftBonaparte’spresencemutteringwordswhicharefortunatelyforgotten。
ArrivedatCannes,BonapartehadhischoiceofvesselsuponwhichtomakehisvoyagetoElba,oneEnglishandoneFrench。"I’lltaketheEnglish。IshallnottrustmylifetoaBourbonshipifIknowmyself。I’drathergotoseainabowl,"saidhe。
HenceitwasthatanEnglishvessel,theUndaunted,hadthehonoroftransportingtheillustriousexiletohisislanddominion。Onthe4thofMayhelanded,andimmediatelymadeasurveyofhisnewkingdom。
"Itisn’tlarge,"heobserved,ashemadeamemorandumofitsdimensions,"butneitherisacanvas—backduck。Ithinkwecanmakesomethingofit,particularlyasthepeopleseemgladtoseeme。"
Thiswasindeedthetruth。TheElbeseweredelightedtohaveBonaparteintheirmidst。Theyrealizedthatexcursionsteamerswhichhadhithertopassedthembywouldnowcomecrowdedfrommain—
toptokeelwithpersonsdesirousofseeingtheillustriouscaptive。
Hotelratesrose200percent。,andonthefirstSundayofhisstayontheislandthereceiptsoftheIslandMuseum,asitwasnowcalled,weresufficienttopayitstaxestotheFrenchgovernment,whichhadbeeninarrearsforsometime,tentimesover。
"Ifeellikeanossifiedmanoraturtle—boy,"saidtheEmperortoBertrand,asthecuriousvisitorsgapedawe—strickenatthecagedlion。"IfIonlyhadafewpicturesofmyselftosellthesepeopleI
couldbuyupthenationaldebt,foreclosethemortgage,andgobacktoFranceasitsabsolutemaster。"
ThepopularityofBonaparteasanattractiontooutsiderssoendearedhimtotheheartsofhisnewsubjectsthathepracticallyhadgreaterswayherethanheeverhadinthepalmydaysoftheEmpire。Thecitizensmadehimmasterofeverything,andBonapartefilledtheroletothefull。Providedwithguardsandservants,hesurroundedhimselfwithallthegaudandglitterofamilitarydespotism,and,indefaultofcontinentstocapture,hekepthishandintrimasacommanderbytheconquestofsuchsmallneighboringislandsasnaturehadplacedwithinreach,butitcouldhardlybeexpectedthathecouldlongremaintranquil。HiseyessoonweariedofthecircumscribedlimitsofElba。
"It’sallverywelltobemonarchofallyousurvey,Bertrand,"saidhe,mournfully,"butasforme,givemesomeofthethingsthatcan’tbeseen。Imightaswellbethatolddried—upfigofaP。T。OlemyoverthereinEgyptasEmperorofavest—pocketEmpirelikethis。
Isn’tthereanynewsfromFrance?"
"Yes,"returnedBertrand,"Parisismurmuringagain。Louishasn’tstoppedeatingyet,andtheFrenchthinkit’stimehisdinnerwasover。"
"Ha!"criedBonaparteinecstasy。"Ithoughtso。He’stoomuchofarevivalisttosuitParis。Furthermore,I’mtoldhe’sbroughtouthisshop—wornaristocracytodazzleFranceagain。They’reallwoolandayardwide,butyouneedn’tthinkmyhandmadenobilityisgoingtoeffaceitselfjustbecausetheMontmorenciesandtheRohansdon’taskitouttodine。Mydukesandduchesseswillhavesomethingtosay,I
fancy,andifmyoldlaundress,theDuchessofDantzig,doesn’ttakethestarchoutoftheoldregimeI’llbemightilymistaken。"
Andthiswastheexactsituation。AsBonapartesaid,theoldregimebytheirhauteursoenragedthenewregimethatbythenewyearof1815itwasseenbyallexceptthoseinauthoritythatthereturnoftheexile,CorporalViolet,ashewasnowcalled,wasinevitable。Soitcameaboutthatonthe20thofFebruary,hispocketsstuffedwithimpromptuaddressestothepeopleandthearmy,Bonaparte,eludingthosewhosedutyitwastowatchhim,setsail,andonthe1stofMarchhereachedCannes,whenceheimmediatelymarched,gainingrecruitsateverystep,toParis。
AtLyonshebegantoissuehisimpromptuaddresses,andtheywereinhisbeststyle。
"PeopleofFrance,"ranone,"Iamrefreshed,andhavereturnedtoresumebusinessattheoldstand。March21stwillbebargainday,andIhaveonhandaselectassortmentofsecond—handgoods。Oneking,onearistocracy,muchwornandslightlydog—eared,andamonarchywillbedisposedofatlessthancost。Comeearlyandavoidtherush。Adukedomwillbegivenawaywitheverypurchase。Donotforgettheaddress——TheTuileries,Paris。"
Thiswassigned"Napoleon,Emperor。"Itseffectwasinstantaneous,andtheappointmentwasfaithfullykept,forontheeveningofMarch20ththeEmperor,amidgreatenthusiasm,enteredtheTuileries,wherehewasmetbyallhisoldfriends,includingFouche。
"Fouche,"hesaid,asheenteredthethrone—room,"givemycardtoLouistheXVIII。,andaskhimifhisluggageisready。Makeouthisbill,andwhenhehaspaidit,tellhimthatIhaveorderedthe6:10
traintostartat9:48。Hecaneasilycatchit。"
"Hehasalreadydeparted,Sire,"returnedFouche。"HehadanimperativeengagementintheNetherlands。Inhishastehelefthiscrownhangingonthehat—rackinthehall。"
"Well,sendittohim,"repliedBonaparte。"Idon’twantHIScrown。
Iwantmyown。ItshallneverbesaidthatIrobbedapoorfellowoutofworkofhishat。"
Settledoncemoreuponhisimperialthrone,themainquestionwhichhadpreviouslyagitatedtheEmperorandhisadvisers,andparticularlyhisstage—manager,Fouche,whomhenowrestoredtohisoldoffice,cameuponcemore。"Whatnext?"anditwashardertoanswerthanever,forBonaparte’smindwasnolongeralert。Hewaslistlessandgiventodelay,and,worstofall,invariablysleepy。
ItwasevidentthatElbahadnotprovedasrestfulashadbeenhoped。
"Youshouldnothavereturned,"saidFouche,firmly。"Americawasthefieldforyou。That’swhereallgreatactorsgosoonerorlater,andtheymakefortunes。AseasoninNewYorkwouldhavemadeyouanewman。Asitisyouareanoldman。ItseemstomethatifanIrishmancanleaveQueenstownwithnothingbuthisbrogueandtheclothesonhisbackandbecomeanaldermanofNewYorkorChicagoinsideoftwoyears,youwithalltheadvertisingyou’vehadoughttobeabletogetintoCongressanyhow——you’vegotmoneyenoughfortheSenate。"
"Buttheyarenotmychildren,thoseAmericans,"remonstratedNapoleon,rubbinghiseyessleepily。
"Well,Franceisn’tthefamilyaffairitoncewas,either,"retortedFouche,"andyou’llfinditoutbeforelong。However,we’vegottodothebestwecan。SwearoffyouroldwaysandcomeoutasamanofPeace。FlattertheEnglish,andbyallmeansdon’taskyourmother—
in—lawFrancisJosephtosendbacktheonlywomanyoueverloved。
He’sgotherinVienna,andhe’sgoingtokeepherifhehastoputherinasafe—depositvault。"
ItwouldhavebeenwellforNapoleonhadheheededthisadvice,butashewalkedabouttheTuileriesalone,andlistenedinvainfortheKingofRome’sdemandsformorecandy,andfailedtoseethatinterestinginfantslidingdownthebanistersandloadinghistoycannonswithhismother’sface—powder,hewasoppressedbyasenseofloneliness,andcouldnotresistthetemptationtosendforthem。
"ThiswillbethelastchipI’llputonmyshoulder,Fouche,"hepleaded。
"Verywell,"returnedFouche。"Putitthere,butIwarnyou。ThislastchipwillbreaktheEmpire’sback。"
ThedemandwasmadeuponAustria,and,asFouchehadsaid,theanswerwasamostdecidedrefusal,andtheresultwaswar。AgaintheotherpowersalliedagainstNapoleon。TheforcesoftheenemywereplacedunderWellington。Bonaparteledhisowninperson,buyinganewuniformforthepurpose。"Wecanhandlethemeasilyenough,"saidhe,"ifIcanonlykeepawake。MysituationatpresentremindsmesomuchoftheoldBromidedaysthatIfallasleepwithoutknowingitbyamereassociationofideas。Still,we’llwhip’emoutoftheirboots。"
"Whatboots?"demandedFouche。
"TheirWellingtonsandtheirBluchers,"retortedtheEmperor,therebyshowingthat,sleepyashewas,hehadnotlosthisold—timeabilityatrepartee。
Foroncehewasover—confident。Hefoughtdesperatelyandtriumphantlyforthreeorfourdays,butthefatesheldWaterlooinstore。RoutingtheenemyatLignyandQuatreBras,hepushedontowhereWellingtonstoodinBelgium,where,onthe18thofJune,wasfoughtthegreatestofhisbattles。
"Nowforthetransformationscene,"saidBonaparteontheeveofthebattle。"Iftheweatherisgoodwe’llmaketheseforeignerswishtheyhadwornrunning—shoesinsteadofWellingtons。"
Buttheweatherwasnotclear。Itwasexcessivelywet,andbynightfallBonaparterealizedthatallwasover。Histroopswereinfinecondition,buttherainseemedtohaveputoutthefiresoftheCommander’sgenius。AstheImperialGuardmarchedbeforehiminreviewtheEmperorgazeduponthemfondly。
"They’relikeapicture!"hecried,enthusiastically。"Justseethatline。"
"Yes,"returnedNey。"Verylikeapicture;theyremindmeinawayofacomicpaperprint,butthatismoresuitableforframingthanforfighting。"
TheEmperormakingnoresponse,NeylookedupandobservedthathisMajestyhadfallenasleep。"Thatsettlesit,"hesighed。"To—dayistheWaterlooofNapoleonBonaparte。Whenamansleepsatamomentlikethishisfriendswouldbetterprepareforawake。"
AndNeywasright。WaterloowastheWaterlooofNapoleonBonaparte。
Theopposingarmiesmetinconflict,and,astheworldknows,thestarofthegreatsoldierwasobscuredforever,andFrancewasconquered。Ruinedinhisfortunes,BonaparteatoncereturnedtoParis。
"IsthereasteamerforNewYorkto—night,Fouche?"heasked,as,completelywornout,hethrewhimselfuponhisthroneandlethischinhangdejectedlyoverhiscollar。
"No,Sire,"returnedFouche,withanill—concealedchuckle。"Thereisnot。You’vemissedyourchancebytwodays。Thenisn’tanotherboatfortendays。"
"ThenIamlost,"sobbedNapoleon。
"Yes,Sire,youare,"returnedFouche。"ShallIofferarewardtoanybodywhowillfindyouandreturnyouingoodorder?"
"No,"repliedtheEmperor。"Iwillgivemyselfup。"
"Wiseman!"saidFouche,unsympathetically。"You’resuchaconfoundedriddlethatIwonderyoudidn’tdoitlongago。"
"Ah,Fouche!"sighedtheEmperor,takinghiscrownoutofhiswardrobeandcrushingitinhishandsuntilthediamondsfelloutuponthefloor,"thisshowsthefutilityofmakingwarwithoutpreparingforitbystudy。WhenIwasayoungmanIwasastudent。
Iknewthepagesofhistorybyheart,andIlearnedmylessonswell。
WhileIwasthestudentIwasinvincible。InmimicasinrealwarI
wastheconqueror。EverythingIundertookcameaboutasIhadwilledbecauseIwasthemasteroffacts——Idealtinfacts,andImadenomistakes。To—dayIamaconqueredman,andallbecauseIhaveneglectedtocontinuethestudyofthehistoryofmypeople——ofmyadoptednativeland。"
"Humph!"retortedFouche。"Idon’tseehowthatwouldhavehelpedmattersany。AllthehistoryincreationcouldnothavewonthebattleofWaterlooforyou。"
"Foolthatyouare!"criedNapoleon,desperately,rising。"Can’tyousee?AnybodywhoknowsanythingaboutthehistoryofFranceknowsthatthebattleofWaterlooresultedfatallyforme。HadIknownthat,doyousupposeI’dhavegonethere?NotI!I’dhavegonefishingintheSouthofFranceinstead,andthiswouldnothavehappened。Leaveme!Iwishtobealone。"
LefttohisownreflectionsBonapartepacedhisroomforhours。
Then,tappinghisbell,hesummonedoneofhisfaithfuladherents。
"MonsieurleB—,"hesaid,astheattendantentered,"youhaveheardthenews?"
"Yes,Sire,"sobbedLeB—。
"DoInotcarrymyselfwellinthehourofdefeat?"
"Youdo,YourMajesty。"
"AmIpale,LeB—?"
"No——no——oh,no,notatall,Sire。"
"Tellmethetruth,LeB—。Wemustnotlettheenemyfindusbrokenwhentheyarrive。HowdoIlook?Outwithit。"
"Outofsight,Sire!"repliedLeB—,bendingbackwardasfarashecould,andgazingdirectlyattheceiling。
"Thenbringonyourinvader,andletusheartheworst,"orderedNapoleon,encouragedbyLeB—’sassurances。
Afewdayslater,Bonaparte,havingnothingelsetodo,oncemoreabdicated,andthrewhimselfuponthegenerosityoftheEnglishpeople。
"Iwasonlyfooling,anyhow,"hesaid,withasadsmile。"Ifyouhadn’tsentmetoElbaIwouldn’thavecomeback。Asforthefighting,youallsaidIwasoutsideofthepaleofcivilization,andIhadtofight。Ididn’tcaremuchaboutgettingbackintothepail,butIreallyobjectedtohavingitsaidthatIwasinthetureen。"
ThisjestcompletelywontheheartsoftheEnglishwhowereusedtojustsuchhumor,wholovedit,andwho,manyyearslater,showedthatlovebytheestablishmentofacomicjournalasanasylumforbon—
motssimilarlyafflicted。Theresultwas,notdeath,butanewEmpire,theIslandofSt。Helena。
"This,"saidWellington,"willservetomakehisjokesmorefar—
fetchedthanever;sothatbysendinghimthereweshallnotonlybegracioustoafallenfoe,butaddtothegayetyofournation。"
CHAPTERXII:1815—1821—1895
ItiswithSt。HelenathatallbiographiesofNapoleonBonapartehithertopublishedhaveended,andperhapsitisjustaswellthattheseentertainingworks,preparedbypurelyfiniteminds,shouldendthere。Itiswellforanhistoriannottotellmorethanheknows,aprinciplewhichhasguidedourpenfromtheinceptionofthisworktothispoint,andwhichmustcontinuetothebitterend。Weshallberelentlessandtruthfultothelast,eventhoughinsodoingwearecompelledtooverthrowallhistoricalprecedent。
BonapartearrivedatSt。HelenainOctober,1815。Hehadembarked,everyonesupposed,withtheimpressionthathewasgoingtoAmerica,andthoseabouthim,fearingapassionateoutbreakwhenhelearnedthetruth,triedforatimetoconvincehimthathehadtakenthewrongsteamer;thenwhentheyfoundthathecouldnotbedeceivedinthisway,theymadeallusionstothesteering—gearhavinggotoutoforder,buttheex—Emperormerelysmiled。
"Youcannotfoolme,"hesaid。"IknowwhitherIamdrifting。I
wenttoaclairvoyantbeforeleavingParis,whocastafewdozenhoroscopesformeandtheyallendedatSt。Helena。Itisinevitable。Imustgothere,andallthesefairytalesaboutwrongsteamersandbrokenruddersandsoonareuseless。Isubmit。I
couldreturnifIwished,butIdonotwishtoreturn。ByamerespeechtothesesailorsIcouldplacemyselfincommandofthisshipto—day,turnheraboutandproclaimmyselfEmperoroftheSeas;butI
don’twantto。IpreferdrylandandpeacetoacoupdetarandthethroneofNeptune。"
Allofwhichshowsthatthegreatwarriorwasweary。
Thenfollowedadrearyexileofuneventfulyears,inwhichtheex—
EmperorconductedpapercampaignsofgreatfiercenessagainsttheEnglishgovernment,whichwithunprecedentedparsimonyallowedhimnomorethan$60,000ayearandhouserent。
"Theideaoflimitingmetofivethousanddollarsamonth,"heremarked,savagely,toSirHudsonLowe。"It’spositivelylow。"
"Itstrikesmeaspositivelyhigh,"retortedthegovernor。"Youknowwellenoughthatyoucouldn’tspendtendollarsaweekinthisplaceifyouputyourwholemindonit,ifyouhadn’tinsistedonhavingFrenchwaitersinyourdining—room,whomyouhavetotipeverytimetheybringyouanything。"
"Humph!"saidBonaparte。"Thatisn’tanyargument。I’mamanusedtohandlinglargesums。Itisn’tthatIwanttospendmoney;it’sthatIwanttohaveitaboutmeincaseofemergency。However,I
knowwellenoughwhytheykeepmyallowancedownto$60,000。"
"Whyisit?"askedSirHudson。
"Theyknowthatyoucan’tbeboughtfor$60,000,buttheywouldn’tdaremakeit$60,000andonecent,"retortedthecaptive。"Putthatinyourcigaretteandsmokeit,SirHarlem,andhereaftercallmeEmperor。That’smyname,EmperorN。Bonaparte。"
"AndIbegthatyouwillnotcallmeSirHarlem,"returnedthegovernor,irritatedbytheEmperor’smanner。"MynameisHudson,notHarlem。"
"Prayexcusetheslip,"saidtheEmperor,scornfully。"IknewyouwerenamedaftersomeAmericanriver,Ididn’tknowwhich。However,IimaginedthattheHarlemwasneareryoursizethantheHudson,sincethelatterhassomepretensionstograndeur。Nowpleaseflowdowntotheseaandloseyourself,I’mgettingsleepyagain。"
So,inconstantconflictwithSirHudson,whorefusedtocallhimbyhistitle,andwhominconsequenceherefusedtocallbyhispropername,answeringsuchepithetsas"Corporal"and"Major"withasavagely—spoken"Delaware"oranironicallyrespectful"Mohawk,"
BonapartedweltatSt。Helenauntilthe5thofMay,1821,when,historianstellus,hedied。Thisisanerror,foruponthatdateBonaparteescaped。Hehadfoughtdeathtoomanytimestosuccumbtohimnow,and,whilethewritersofhistoryhaveinasensestatedthetruthwhentheysaythathepassedawayinthenight,theirreadershavegainedafalseimpression。ItisthefactthatNapoleonBonaparte,likeDanteandVirgil,passedoverthedarkriverStyxasthehonoredleaderoftherebelliousforcesofHades。Hedidpassawayinthenight,buthewentashewentfromElba,and,asweshallsee,withmoresuccessfulresults。
ForyearstheGovernmentofErebushadbeenunsatisfactorytomanyofitssubjects,mainlyonaccountofthearbitrarymethodsoftheWeatherDepartment。
"Weareinaperpetualbroilhere,"Caesarhadsaid,"andIforoneamgettingtiredofit。Thecountrydemandsachange。Thisadministrationdoesn’tgiveusanythingbutdog—days。"
ForthistheRomanwarriorhadbeenarrestedandkeptinanovenattherearoftheErebianTuileries,asApollyon’sPalacewascalled,fortwocenturies。
"Thenextrebelgetsagridiron,andthethirdwillbeservedtoCerberusenbrochette,"criedApollyon。
Thusmattershadgoneonforfiveorsixhundredyears,andnoonehadventuredtocomplainfurther,particularlyinviewofCaesar’scommentsuponthehorriddetailsofhisincarcerationpublishedseveralyearsafterhisrelease,underthetitleof"TwoCenturiesinanOven;or,FourThousandandSixintheShade。"
Attheendoftheeighteenthcentury,however,theaspectofaffairshadchanged。Apollyonhadspentagreatdealofhistimeabroad,andhadfailedtonotehowtherevolutioninAmerica,theReignofTerrorinFrance,andthesubsequentwarsinEuropehadmateriallyincreasedtheforcesoftheRepublicanPartyinHades。TheFrencharrivalsaloneshouldhavebeensufficienttoconvinceApollyonthathisattentiontodomesticaffairswasneeded,andthattheAmericanizationofhisdomainwasgainingamostconsiderableheadway。Allthemovementreallyneededwasaleader,buttherewasnonetolead。
"Caesar’sbookhasmadeustimid。Idon’twantanyofit,"saidAlcibiades。
"I’vehadenoughofpubliclife,"saidCharlemagne。
"It’shotenoughforusasitis,"saidallfourofthe"ThreeMusketeers。"
"We’llhavetogetsomebodywhoisnotawareofthepossibilitiesofourclimate,"observedFredericktheGreat。
"TryNapoleonBonaparte,"suggestedLouisXIV。,withachuckle,feelingthatherewasanopportunitytodooneoftwothings,togetevenwithApollyon,or,incaseofthefailureoftherebellion,toberevengeduponBonaparteforhistreatmentoftheBourbonsbysecuringforhimthewarmestreceptiontheKingdomofHadescouldafford。
Thesuggestion,accordingtodocumentsathandwhichseemtobeveracious,wasadoptedwithenthusiasm。Theexilewascommunicatedwith,andjoysettleduponthepeopleofHadeswhenwordwasreceivedthatBonapartewasonhisway。Aswehaveseen,onthenightofthe5thofMayheleftSt。Helena,andonthe10thhelandedontherightbankoftheStyx。Amagnificentarmyawaitedhim。TotheOldGuard,manyofwhomhadprecededhim,wasaccordedthepositionofhonor,andasBonapartesteppedashoretheroofofErebuswasrentwithvivas。Suchascenehasneverbeenwitnessedbefore,andmayneverbewitnessedagain。Thepopulaceflockedabouthim,andstrovetokisshishand;somewentsofarastoclipoffsamplesofhisuniformtotreasureintheirhomes。Itwasevidentthatthegovernmentmustlooktoitself。
"Whatisthisnoise?"askedApollyon,whohadreturnedtohisdomainonlythenightbefore。
"Bonapartehasarrived,"returnedtheheadImp,"andthepeopleareinrevolt。"
Apollyonpaledandsummonedhisministers。
MeanwhileBonapartehadheldacouncilofwar,appointingCaesar,Pompey,Alcibiades,andCharlemagnemarshalsofHades。
"Thefirstthingtobedoneistocapturethecoal—yards,"hesaid,takinginthesituationataglance。"Caesar,letthecoal—yardsbeyourcare。AlcibiadeswilltaketheThreeMusketeers,andbynightwillmakeadetourtotheothersideofthepalaceandopenthesluicesofthevitriolreservoir,whichIunderstandrunintotheStyx。Pompeywillsurprisethestokersinthenationalengine—roomwithaforceoftenthousand,putoutthefires,andawaitfurtherorders。Charlemagnewillaccompanymewiththearmytothepalace,whereIshalldemandanaudiencewiththeking。"
Itwillbeseenatoncethat,grantingthesuccessofallthesemanoeuvres,Apollyoncouldnotpossiblyholdout。AstheHollandershadonlywaterwithwhichtofloodtheircountryandrouttheirenemies,soApollyonhadonlyfirewithwhichtowitheraninvaderorarebelliousforce。ThequickmindofBonapartetookthisinontheinstant。Hewasnolongerlistlessandsleepy,forherewasthegrandestopportunityofhislife,andheknewit。
Fortunefavoredhim。InHadesfortunewasamaterialpersonality,andnotanabstractideaassheiswithus,andwhenshemetBonaparteonhistriumphalmarchalongtheStyx,sheyieldedtothatfascinationwhichevenphlegmaticEnglishmencouldnotdenythathepossessed;andwhenatthismeetingthemanofthehourtookherbythehandandbreathedsoftlyintoherearthatshewasinverytruththeonlywomanhehadeverloved,sheinstinctivelyfeltthathehadatlastspokenfromhisheartofhearts。
"Ibelieveyou,Bonaparte,"shemurmuredsoftly,"andIthinkIhaveshownyouinthepastthatIamnotindifferenttoyou。Iamwithyou——Apollyonisdoomed。"
Thusencouraged,Bonaparte,followedbyhisconstantlygrowingarmy,proceededtothepalace。
Apollyonreceivedhimwithdignity。
"Iamgladtoreceivesodistinguishedaperson,"hesaid。
"Thankyou,"saidBonaparte,"butthisisnotasocietyfunction,YourHighness——Ihavecomehereonbusiness,sosparemeyourflatteries。"
Apollyonturnedpurplewithrage。
"Insolent!"hecried。"Consideryourselfunderarrest。"
"Certainly,"saidBonaparte,calmly。"Willyoukindlyhandmeyourcrown?"
Apollyonroseinhiswrath,andorderedhisaidestoarrestBonaparte,andtocasthimintothefurnace。"MakeitamilliondegreesFarenheit,"heroared。
"Iregrettoinformyourmajesty,"saidthechiefaide,"thatwordhasjustbeenreceivedthatthefiresareout,thecoal—yardhasbeencapturedbytherebels,andfiveadventurousspiritshaveletallthevitrioloutofthereservoirintotheStyx。"
"Summonmyguards,andhavethismanboned,then!"ragedApollyon。
"ItisalsowithregretthatIhavetotellyou,"returnedtheaide,"thattheRoyalGuardhasgoneovertotheenemy,havingbeenpromisedhigherwages。"
"WehaveCerberusleft,"criedApollyon,"lethimtakethisbaseintruderandtearhimlimbfromlimb。"
Napoleonburstoutintoalaugh。"Youwillexcuseme,YourMajesty,"
hesaid。"ButCerberusisalreadyfixed。Wepoisonedtwoofhisheads,andheisevennowwhiningforhislifewiththethird。"
"ThenamIundone,"moanedApollyon,coveringhisfacewithhishands。
"Youare,"saidBonaparte,"butwe’lltieyouupagaininshortorder。We’llputyouononeofyourowngridironsanddoyoutoaturn。"
Ofcoursethiswastheend。
InthreedaysNapoleonhadmadehimselfmasterofthekingdom,hadproclaimedtheEmpirewithhimselfatitshead。Apollyonwastreatedwithconsideration。Hislifewasspared,buthewasshornofhispower。BonapartesenthimintoexileatParis,where,accordingtoreport,hestilllives。
"Nowforanewcoronation,"saidthevictor。"Sendforthepope。"
"Notthistune!"criedCaesarwithalaugh。"Thepopeshavealwaysstudiouslyavoidedthisplace。"
"Then,"saidNapoleonwithasmile,"letFortunecrownme。Afterall,ithasalwaysbeenshewhodidit——whynotnow?"
HenceitwasthatatthedawningofNewYear’sdayof1822,NapoleonBonaparteopenedanewandmosthighlysuccessfulcareer。Hispowerhasincreaseddaybydayuntilnow,whenthereisevidencethathehasthegreaterpartoftheworldinhisfirmgrasp。
SomeyearslaterhisbelovedBourriennearrived。
"Remember,Bourrienne,"hesaid,asheinstalledhisoldandfaithfulsecretaryinhisnewoffice,"youhavealwayswrittenmyautographsforme,andshallstillcontinuetodoso,onlypleasenotethechange。ItisnolongerBonaparte,orNapoleon,EmperoroftheFrench,ithasbecomeNapollyon,EmperorofHades。"
AndtoFouche,whenthatworthyarrived,hesaid:
"Fouche,thisisdifferentfromtheoldshow。ThatoriginalEmpireofminewasruinedbyjustonething。Iwaseternallyanxioustoprovideforthesuccession,andoutofthatgrewallmytroubles;buthere,asthelittlegirlsaidabouttheapple—core,thereain’ta—
goin’tobenosuccession。Iamheretostay。Meanwhile,Fouche,I
haveanimpressionthatyouandAugureautookmorepleasureoutofmymisfortunesthanIdid;whereforeIauthorizeyoutosendforAugereauandtakehimswimminginthevitrioltank。Itwilldoyoubothgood。"
AsforJoseph,whenheheardofhisbrother’snewacquisitionhereformedatonce,ledanirreproachablelifeinAmerica,whitherhehadfled,andwhenhediedwenttotheotherplace。
Footnote:
{1}Napoleon’sEnglishatthistimewasnotofthebestqualityEnd