napoleon bonaparte, v2-第3章

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have　acted　if　the　evil　reports　spread　by　her　enemies；　and　those　of　the
Emperor；　had　had　the　least　foundation？

Before　her　marriage　Hortense　had　an　attachment　for　General　Duroc；　who　was
hardly　thirty　years　of　age；　had　a　fine　figure；　and　was　a　favorite　with
the　chief　of　state；　who；　knowing　him　to　be　prudent　and　discreet；　confided
to　him　important　diplomatic　missions。　　As　aide…de…camp　of　the　First
Consul；　general　of　division；　and　governor　of　the　Tuileries；　he　lived　long
in　familiar　intimacy　at　Malmaison；　and　in　the　home　life　of　the　Emperor；
and　during　necessary　absences　on　duty；　corresponded　with　Mademoiselle
Hortense；　and　yet　the　indifference　with　which　he　allowed　the　marriage　of
the　latter　with　Louis　to　proceed；　proves　that　he　reciprocated　but　feebly
the　affection　which　he　had　inspired。　　It　is　certain　that　he　could　have
had。　　Mademoiselle　de　Beauharnais　for　his　wife；　if　he　had　been　willing　to
accept　the　conditions　on　which　the　First　Consul　offered　the　hand　of　his
step…daughter；　but　he　was　expecting　something　better；　and　his　ordinary
prudence　failed　him　at　the　time　when　it　should　have　shown　him　a　future
which　was　easy　to　foresee；　and　calculated　to　satisfy　the　promptings　of　an
ambition　even　more　exalted　than　his。　　He　therefore　refused　positively；
and　the　entreaties　of　Madame　Bonaparte；　which　had　already　influenced　her
husband；　succeeded。

Madame　Bonaparte；　who　saw　herself　treated　with　so　little　friendship　by
the　brothers　of　the　First　Consul；　tried　to　make　his　family　a　defense　for
herself　against　the　plots　which　were　gathering　incessantly　around　her　to
drive　her　away　from　the　heart　of　her　husband。　　It　was　with　this　design
she　worked　with　all　her　might　to　bring　about　the　marriage　of　her　daughter
with　one　of　her　brothers…in…law。

General　Duroc　doubtless　repented　immediately　of　his　precipitate　refusal
when　crowns　began　to　rain　in　the　august　family　to　which　he　had　had　it　in
his　power　to　ally　himself；　when　he　saw　Naples；　Spain；　Westphalia；　Upper
Italy；　the　duchies　of　Parma；　Lucca；　etc。；　become　the　appendages　of　the
new　imperial　dynasty；　when　the　beautiful　and　graceful　Hortense　herself；
who　had　loved　him　so　devotedly；　mounted　in　her　turn　a　throne　that　she
would　have　been　only　too　happy　to　have　shared　with　the　object　of　her
young　affections。　　As　for　him；　he　married　Mademoiselle　Hervas　d'Almenara；
daughter　of　the　banker　of　the　court　of　Spain。　　She　was　a　little　woman
with　a　very　dark　complexion；　very　thin；　and　without　grace；　but；　on　the
other　hand；　of　a　most　peevish；　haughty；　exacting；　and　capricious　temper。
As　she　was　to　have　on　her　marriage　an　enormous　dowry；　the　First　Consul
had　demanded　her　hand　in　marriage　for　his　senior　aide…de…camp。　　Madame
Duroc　forgot　herself；　I　have　heard；　so　far　as　to　beat　her　servants；　and
to　bear　herself　in　a　most　singular　manner　toward　people　who　were　in　no
wise　her　dependants。　　When　M。　Dubois　came　to　tune　her　piano；
unfortunately　she　was　at　home；　and　finding　the　noise　required　by　this
operation　unendurable；　drove　the　tuner　off　with　the　greatest　violence。
In　one　of　these　singular　attacks　she　one　day　broke　all　the　keys　of　his
instrument。　　Another　time　Mugnier；　clockmaker　of　the　Emperor；　and　the
head　of　his　profession　in　Paris；　with　Breguet；　having　brought　her　a　watch
of　very　great　value　that　madame；　the　Duchess　of　Friuli　had　herself
ordered；　but　which　did　not　please　her；　she　became　so　enraged；　that；　in
the　presence　of　Mugnier；　she　dashed　the　watch　on　the　floor；　danced　on　it；
and　reduced　it　to　atoms。　　She　utterly　refused　to　pay　for　it；　and　the
marshal　was　compelled　to　do　this　himself。　　Thus　Duroc's　want　of　foresight
in　refusing　the　hand　of　Hortense；　together　with　the　interested
calculations　of　Madame　Bonaparte；　caused　the　misery　of　two　households。

The　portrait　I　have　sketched；　and　I　believe　faithfully；　although　not　a
flattering　picture；　is　merely　that　of　a　young　woman　with　all　the
impulsiveness　of　the　Spanish　character；　spoiled　as　an　only　daughter；　who
had　been　reared　in　indulgence；　and　with　the　entire　neglect　which　hinders
the　education　of　all　the　young　ladies　of　her　country。　　Time　has　calmed
the　vivacity　of　her　youth；　and　madame；　the　Duchess　of　Friuli；　has　since
given　an　example　of　most　faithful　devotion　to　duty；　and　great　strength　of
mind　in　the　severe　trials　that　she　has　endured。　　In　the　loss　of　her
husband；　however　grievous　it　might　be；　glory　had　at　least　some
consolation　to　offer　to　the　widow　of　the　grand　marshal。　　But　when　her
young　daughter；　sole　heiress　of　a　great　name　and　an　illustrious　title；
was　suddenly　taken　away　by　death　from　all　the　expectations　and　the
devotion　of　her　mother；　who　could　dare　to　offer　her　consolation？　　If
there　could　be　any　（which　I　do　not　believe）；　it　would　be　found　in　the
remembrance　of　the　cares　and　tenderness　lavished　on　her　to　the　last　by
maternal　love。　　Such　recollections；　in　which　bitterness　is　mingled　with
sweetness；　were　not　wanting　to　the　duchess。

The　religious　ceremony　of　marriage　between　Louis　and　Hortense　took　place
Jan。　7；　in　a　house　in　the　Rue　de　la　Victoire；　and　the　marriage　of　General
Murat　with　Caroline　Bonaparte；　which　had　been　acknowledged　only　before
the　civil　authorities；　was　consecrated　on　the　same　day。　　Both　Louis　and
his　bride　were　very　sad。　　She　wept　bitterly　during　the　whole　ceremony；
and　her　tears　were　not　soon　dried。　　She　made　no　attempt　to　win　the
affection　of　her　husband；　while　he；　on　his　side；　was　too　proud　and　too
deeply　wounded　to　pursue　her　with　his　wooing。　　The　good　Josephine　did　all
she　could　to　reconcile　them；　for　she　must　have　felt　that　this　union；
which　had　begun　so　badly；　was　her　work；　in　which　she　had　tried　to　combine
her　own　interest；　or　at　least　that　which　she　considered　such；　and　the
happiness　of　her　daughter。　　But　her　efforts；　as　well　as　her　advice　and
her　prayers；　availed　nothing；　and　I　have　many　a　time　seen　Hortense　seek
the　solitude　of　her　own　room；　and　the　heart　of　a　friend；　there　to　pour
out　her　tears。　　Tears　fell　from　her　eyes　sometimes　even　in　the　midst　of
one　of　the　First　Consul's　receptions；　where　we　saw　with　sorrow　this　young
woman；　brilliant　and　gay；　who　had　so　often　gracefully　done　the　honors　on
such　occasions　　and　attended　to　all　the　details　of　its　etiquette；　retire
into　a　corner；　or　into　the　embrasure　of　a　window；　with　one　of　her　most
intimate　friends；　there　to　sadly　make　her　the　a　confidante　of　her　trials。
During　this　conversation；　from　　which　she　rose　with　red　and　swollen　eyes；
her　husband　remained　thoughtful　and　taciturn　at　the　opposite　end　of　the
room。　　Her　Majesty；　the　Queen　of　Holland；　has　been　accused　of　　many　sins；
but　everything　said　or　written　against　this　princess　is　marked　by
shameful　exaggeration。　　So　high　a　fortune　drew　all　eyes　to　her；　and
excited　bitter　jealousy；　and　yet　those　who　envied　her　would　not　have
failed　to　bemoan　themselves；　if　they　had　been　put　in　tier　place；　on
condition　that　they　were　to　bear　her　griefs。　　The　misfortunes　of　Queen
Hortense　began　with　life　itself。　　Her　father　having　been　executed　on　a
revolutionary　scaffold；　and　her　mother　thrown　into　prison；　she　found
herself；　while　still　a　child；　alone；　and　with　no　other　reliance　than　the
faithfulness　of　the　old　servants　of　the　family。　　Her　brother；　the　noble
and　worthy　Prince　Eugene；　had　been　compelled；　it　is　said；　to　serve　as　an
apprentice。　　She　had　a　few　years　of　happiness；　or　at　least　of　repose；
during　the　time　she　was　under　the　care　of　Madame　Campan；　and　just　after
she　left　boarding…school。　　But　her　evil　destiny　was　far　from　quitting
her；　and　her　wishes　being　thwarted；　an　unhappy　marriage　opened　for　her　a
new　succession　of　troubles。　　The　death　of　her　first　son；　whom　the　Emperor
wished　to　adopt；　and　whom　he　had　intended　to　be　his　successor　in　the
Empire；　the　divorce　of　her　mother；　the　tragic　death　of　her　　best…loved
friend；　Madame　de　Brocq；　　who；　before　her　eyes；　slipped　over　a　precipice；
the　overturning　of　the　imperial　throne；　which　caused　her　the　loss　of　her
title　and　rank　as　queen；　a　loss　which　she；　however；　felt　less　than　the
misfortunes　of　him　whom　she　regarded　as　her　father；　and　finally；　the
continual　annoyance　of　domestic　dissensions；　of　vexatious　lawsuits；　and
the　agony　she　suffered　in　beholding　her　oldest　surviving　s