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Mr.Bonaparte of Corsica
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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

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