napoleon bonaparte, v12-第12章

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the　newspapers　I　received　in　my　retreat；　since　the　great　political　change
to　which　the　name　of　the　Restoration　was　given；　and　it　seemed　to　me　to
need　only　the　simplest　common…sense　to　see　the　marked　difference　which
existed　between　the　government　which　had　been　overthrown　and　the　new。　　In
all　departments　I　saw　a　succession　of　titled　men　take　the　places　of　the
long　list　of　distinguished　men　who　had　given　under　the　Empire　so　many
proofs　of　merit　and　courage；　but　I　was　far　from　thinking；　notwithstanding
the　large　number　of　discontented；　that　the　fortunes　of　the　Emperor　and
the　wishes　of　the　army　would　ever　restore　him　to　that　throne　which　he　had
voluntarily　abdicated　in　order　that　he　might　not　be　the　cause　of　a　civil
war　in　Dance。　　Therefore；　it　would　be　impossible　to　describe　my
astonishment；　and　the　multiplicity　of　varied　feelings　which　agitated　me；
when　I　received　the　first　news　of　the　landing　of　the　Emperor　on　the　coast
of　Provence。　　I　read　with　enthusiasm　the　admirable　proclamation　in　which
he　announced　that　his　eagles　would　fly　from　steeple　to　steeple；　and　that
he　himself　would　follow　so　closely　in　his　triumphal　march　from　the　Bay　of
Juan　to　Paris。

Here　I　must　make　a　confession；　which　is；　that　only　since　I　had　left　the
Emperor；　had　I　fully　comprehended　the　immensity　of　his　greatness。
Attached　to　his　service　almost　from　the　beginning　of　the　Consulate；　at　a
time　when　I　was　still　very　young；　he　had　grown；　so　to　speak；　without　my
having　perceived　it；　and　I　had　above　all　seen　in　him；　from　the　nature　of
my　duties；　the　excellent　master　rather　than　the　great　man；　consequently；
in　this　instance　the　effects　of　distance　were　very　different　from　what　it
usually　produces。　　It　was　with　difficulty　I　could　realize；　and　I　am　often
astonished　to…day　in　recalling　the　frank　candor　with　which　I　had　dared　to
defend　to　the　Emperor　what　I　knew　to　be　the　truth；　his　kindness；　however；
seemed　to　encourage　me　in　this；　for　often；　instead　of　becoming　irritated
by　my　vehemence；　he　said　to　me　gently；　with　a　benevolent　smile；　〃Come；
come！　　M。　Constant；　don't　excite　yourself。〃　　Adorable　kindness　in　a　man
of　such　elevated　rank！　　Ah；　well　I　this　was　the　only　impression　it　made
on　me　in　the　privacy　of　his　chamber；　but　since　then　I　have　learned　to
estimate　it　at　its　true　value。

On　learning　that　the　Emperor　was　to　be　restored　to　us；　my　first　impulse
was　to　repair　at　once　to　the　palace；　that　I　might　be　there　on　his
arrival；　but　more　mature　reflection　and　the　advice　of　my　family　made　me
realize　that　it　would　be　more　suitable　for　me　to　await　his　orders；　in
case　he　wished　to　recall　me　to　my　former　service。　　I　congratulated　myself
on　deciding　to　take　the　latter　course；　since　I　had　the　happiness　to　learn
that　his　Majesty　had　been　kind　enough　to　express　his　approval　of　my
former　conduct。　　I　learned　from　most　reliable　authority；　that　he　had
hardly　arrived　at　the　Tuileries；　when　he　condescended　to　inquire　of　M。
Eible；　then　concierge　of　the　palace；　〃Well；　what　is　Constant　doing？　　How
is　he　succeeding？　　Where　is　he？〃〃Sire；　he　is　at　his　country…place；
which　he　has　not　left。〃〃Ah；　very　good。　　He　is　happy　raising　his
cabbages。〃　　I　learned　also　that；　during　the　first　days　of　the　Emperor's
return；　his　Majesty　had　been　investigating　the　list　of　pensions；　and　had
been　good　enough　to　make　a　note　that　mine　should　be　increased。　　Finally；
I　experienced　an　intense　satisfaction　of　another　kind；　no　doubt；　but　none
the　less　sincere　in　the　certainty　of　not　being　considered　an　ingrate。
I　have　stated　that　I　had　been　fortunate　enough　to　procure　a　position　for
M。　Marchand　with　the　Emperor；　and　this　is　what　was　related　to　me　by　an
eye…witness。　　M。　Marchand；　in　the　beginning　of　the　Hundred　Days；　happened
to　be　in　one　of　the　saloons　of　the　palace　of　the　Tuileries；　where　several
persons　were　assembled；　and　some　of　them　were　expressing　themselves　most
unkindly　in　regard　to　me。　　My　successor　with　the　Emperor　interrupted　them
brusquely；　saying　that　there　was　not　a　word　of　truth　in　the　calumnies
which　were　asserted　of　me；　and　added　that；　while　I　held　the　position；　I
had　uniformly　been　most　obliging　to　all　persons　of　the　household　who　had
addressed　themselves　to　me；　and　had　done　no　injury　to　any　one。　　In　this
respect　I　can　affirm　that　M。　Marchand　told　only　the　truth；　but　I　was　none
the　less　deeply　grateful　to　him　for　so　honorably　defending　me；　especially
in　my　absence。

Not　being　in　Paris　on　the　20th　of　March；　1815；　as　we　have　just　seen；　I
could　have　nothing　to　say　of　the　circumstances　of　this　memorable　epoch；
had　I　not　collected　from　some　of　my　friends　particulars　of　what　occurred
on　the　night　following　the　re…entrance　of　the　Emperor　into　the　palace；
once　again　become　Imperial；　and　it　may　be　imagined　how　eager　I　was　to
know　everything　relating　to　the　great　man　whom　we　regarded　at　this　moment
as　the　savior　of　France。

I　will　begin　by　repeating　exactly　the　account　which　was　given　me　by　one
of　my　friends；　a　brave　and　excellent　man；　at　that　time　sergeant　in　the
National　Guard　of　Paris；　who　happened　to　be　on　duty　at　the　Tuileries
exactly　on　the　20th　of　March。　　〃At　noon；〃　he　said；　〃three　companies　of
National　Guards　entered　the　court　of　the　Tuileries；　to　occupy　all　the
interior　and　exterior　posts　of　the　palace。　　I　belonged　to　one　of　these
companies；　which　formed　a　part　of　the　fourth　legion。　　My　comrades　and　I
were　struck　with　the　inexpressible　sadness　produced　by　the　sight　of　an
abandoned　palace。　　Everything；　in　fact；　was　deserted。　　Only　a　few　men
were　seen　here　and　there　in　the　livery　of　the　king；　occupied　in　taking
down　and　removing　portraits　of　the　various　members　of　the　Bourbon　family。
Outside　could　be　heard　the　clamorous　shouts　of　a　frantic　mob；　who　climbed
on　the　gates；　tried　to　scale　them；　and　pressed　against　them　with　such
force　that　at　last　they　bent　in　several　places　so　far　that　it　was　feared
they　would　be　thrown　down。　　This　multitude　of　people　presented　a
frightful　spectacle；　and　seemed　as　if　determined　to　pillage　the　palace。

〃Hardly　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　we　entered　the　interior　court　an
accident　occurred　which；　though　not　serious　in　itself；　threw
consternation　into　our　ranks；　as　well　as　among　those　who　were　pressing
against　the　grating　of　the　Carrousel。　　We　saw　flames　issuing　from　the
chimney　of　the　King's　apartments；　which　had　been　accidentally　set　on　fire
by　a　quantity　of　papers　which　had　just　been　burned　therein。　　This
accident　gave　rise　to　most　sinister　conjectures；　and　soon　the　rumor
spread　that　the　Tuileries　had　been　undermined　ready　for　an　explosion
before　the　departure　of　Louis　XVIII。　　A　patrol　was　immediately　formed　of
fifteen　men　of　the　National　Guard；　commanded　by　a　sergeant；　they　explored
the　chateau　most　thoroughly；　visited　each　apartment；　descended　into　the
cellars；　and　assured　themselves　that　there　was　nowhere　the　slightest
indication　of　danger。

〃Reassured　on　this　point；　we　were　nevertheless　not　without　anxiety。　　In
returning　to　our　posts　we　had　heard　numerous　groups　shouting；　'Vive　le
Roi！　　Vivent　les　Bourbons！'　and　we　soon　had　proofs　of　the　exasperation
and　fury　of　a　part　of　the　people　against　Napoleon；　for　we　witnessed　the
arrival　in　our　midst；　in　a　most　pitiable　condition；　of　a　superior　officer
who　had　imprudently　donned　too　soon　the　tricolored　cockade；　and
consequently　had　been　pursued　by　the　mob　from　the　Rue　Saint…Denis。　　We
took　him　under　our　protection；　and　made　him　enter　the　interior　of　the
palace；　as　he　was　almost　exhausted。　　At　this　moment　we　received　orders　to
force　the　people　to　withdraw；　as　they　had　become　still　more　determined　to
scale　the　gates；　and　in　order　to　accomplish　this　we　were　compelled　to
have　recourse　to　arms。

We　had　occupied　the　post　at　the　Tuileries　an　hour　at　most　when　General
Excelmans；　　who　had　received　the　chief　command　of　the　guard　at　the
chateau；　gave　orders　to　raise　the　tricolored　banner　over　the　middle
pavilion。

〃The　reappearance　of　the　national　colors　excited　among　us　all　emotions　of
the　most　intense　satisfaction；　and　immediately　the　populace　substituted
the　cry　of　'Vive　l'Empereur'　for　that　of　'Vive　le　Roi；'　and　nothing　else
was　heard　the　whole　day。　　As　for　us；　when　we　were　ordered　to　don　the
tricolored　cockade　it　w