napoleon bonaparte, v12-第13章

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was　heard　the　whole　day。　　As　for　us；　when　we　were　ordered　to　don　the
tricolored　cockade　it　was　a　very　easy　performance；　as　a　large　number　of
the　guard　had　preserved　their　old　ones；　which　they　had　simply　covered
with　a　piece　of　white　cambric。　　We　were　ordered　to　stack　arms　in　front　of
the　arch　of　triumph；　and　nothing　extraordinary　occurred　until　six
o'clock；　then　lights　began　to　shine　on　the　expected　route　of　the　Emperor；
and　a　large　number　of　officers　on　half　pay　collected　near　the　pavilion　of
Flora；　and　I　learned　from　one　of　them；　M。　Saunier；　a　decorated　officer；
that　it　was　on　that　side　the　Emperor　would　re…enter　the　palace　of　the
Tuileries。　　I　repaired　there　in　all　haste；　and　as　I　was　hurrying　to　place
myself　on　his　route；　I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　meet　a　commanding　officer；
who　assigned　me　to　duty　at　the　very　door　of　Napoleon's　apartment；　and　to
this　circumstance　I　owe　the　fact　that　I　witnessed　what　now　remains　to　be
related。

〃I　had　for　some　time　remained　in　expectation；　and　in　almost　perfect
solitude；　when；　at　fifteen　minutes　before　nine；　an　extraordinary　noise
that　I　heard　outside　announced　to　me　the　Emperor's　arrival；　and　a　few
moments　after　I　saw　him　appear；　amidst　cries　of　enthusiasm；　borne　on　the
arms　of　the　officers　who　had　escorted　him　from　the　island　of　Elba。　　The
Emperor　begged　them　earnestly　to　let　him　walk；　but　his　entreaties　were
useless；　and　they　bore　him　thus　to　the　very　door　of　his　apartment；　where
they　deposited　him　near　me。　　I　had　not　seen　the　Emperor　since　the　day　of
his　farewell　to　the　National　Guard　in　the　great　court　of　the　palace；　and
in　spite　of　the　great　agitation　into　which　I　was　thrown　by　all　this
commotion；　I　could　not　help　noticing　how　much　stouter　he　had　become。

〃The　Emperor　had　hardly　entered　his　apartments　than　I　was　assigned　to
duty　in　the　interior。　　Marshal　Bertrand；　who　had　just　replaced　General
Excelmans　in　the　command　of　the　Tuileries；　gave　me　an　order　to　allow　no
one　to　enter　without　informing　him；　and　to　give　him　the　names　of　all　who
requested　to　see　the　Emperor。　　One　of　the　first　to　present　himself　was
Cambaceres；　who　appeared　to　me　even　more　pallid　than　usual。　　A　short　time
after　came　the　father　of　General　Bertrand；　and　as　this　venerable　old　man
attempted　to　pay　his　respects　first　to　the　Emperor；　Napoleon　said　to　him；
'No；　monsieur！　　nature　first；'　and　in　saying　this；　with　a　movement　as
quick　as　his　words；　the　Emperor；　so　to　speak；　threw　him　into　the　arms　of
his　son。　　Next　came　Queen　Hortense；　accompanied　by　her　two　children；
then；　Count　Regnault　de　Saint…Jean　d'Angely；　and　many　other　persons　whose
names　have　escaped　me。　　I　did　not　see　again　those　I　announced　to　Marshal
Bertrand；　as　they　all　went　out　by　another　door。　　I　continued　this　duty
till　eleven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　at　which　time　I　was　relieved　of　my
duties；　and　was　invited　to　supper　at　an　immense　table　of　about　three
hundred　covers。　　All　the　persons　presented　at　the　palace　took　their
places　at　this　table；　one　after　the　other。　　I　there　saw　the　Duke　of
Vicenza；　and　found　myself　placed　opposite　General　Excelmans。　　The　Emperor
supped　alone　in　his　room　with　Marshal　Bertrand；　and　their　supper　was　by
no　means　so　splendid　as　ours；　for　it　consisted　only　of　a　roast　chicken
and　a　dish　of　lentils；　and　yet　I　learned　from　an　officer　who　fad　attended
him　constantly　since　he　left　Fontainebleau；　that　his　Majesty　had　eaten
nothing　since　morning。　　The　Emperor　was　exceedingly　fatigued；　I　had
opportunity　to　mark　this　each　time　his　door　was　opened。　　He　was　seated　on
a　chair　in　front　of　the　fire；　with　his　feet　on　the　mantelpiece。

〃As　we　all　remained　at　the　Tuileries；　word　was　sent　us　about　one　o'clock
that　the　Emperor　had　just　retired；　and　that　in　case　any　soldiers　should
arrive　during　the　night　who　had　accompanied　him；　he　had　given　orders　that
they　should　be　on　duty　at　the　palace　conjointly　with　the　National　Guard。
The　poor　creatures　were　hardly　in　a　condition　to　obey　such　an　order。　　At
two　o'clock　in　the　morning　we　saw　two　of　them　arrive　in　a　most　pitiable
condition；　they　were　perfectly　emaciated；　and　their　feet　blistered。　　All
that　they　could　do　was　to　throw　themselves　on　their　bags；　on　which　they
fell　sound　asleep；　and　they　did　not　even　awake　while　the　duty　of
bandaging　their　feet　was　attended　to　in　the　room　which　they　had　reached
with　so　much　difficulty。　　All　were　eager　to　lavish　every　attention　on
them；　and　I　admit　that　I　have　always　regretted　not　having　inquired　the
names　of　these　two　brave　grenadiers；　who　inspired　in　all　of　us　an
interest　I　cannot　describe。

〃After　retiring　at　one　o'clock；　the　Emperor　was　on　his　feet　at　five
o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　the　order　was　immediately　given　to　the
soldiers　on　half　pay　to　hold　themselves　ready　for　a　review；　and　at　break
of　day　they　were　ranged　in　three　ranks。　　At　this　moment　I　was　deputed　to
watch　over　an　officer　who　was　pointed　out　as　suspicious；　and　who；　it　was
said；　had　come　from　Saint…Denis。　　This　was　M。　de　Saint…Chamans。　　At　the
end　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour　of　arrest；　which　had　nothing　disagreeable　in
it；　he　was　simply　asked　to　leave。　　Meanwhile；　the　Emperor　had　descended
from　the　palace；　and　passed　through　the　ranks　of　the　soldiers　on　half
pay；　speaking　to　each　one；　taking　many　of　them　by　the　hand；　and　saying　to
them；　〃My　friends；　I　need　your　services；　I　rely　on　you　as　you　may　rely　on
me。〃　　Magic　words　on　the　lips　of　Napoleon；　and　which　drew　tears　of
emotion　from　all　those　brave　soldiers　whose　services　had　been　ignored　for
a　year。

〃From　the　morning　the　crowd　increased　rapidly　on　all　the　approaches　to
the　Tuileries；　and　a　mass　of　people　asseriabled　under　the　windows　of　the
chateau；　demanding　with　loud　shouts　to　see　Napoleon。　　Marshal　Bertrand
having　informed　him　of　this；　the　Emperor　showed　himself　at　the　window；
where　he　was　saluted　by　the　shouts　which　his　presence　had　so　often
excited。　　After　showing　himself　to　the　people；　the　Emperor　himself
presented　to　them　Marshal　Bertrand；　his　arm　resting　on　the　marshal's
shoulder；　whom　he　pressed　to　his　heart　with　demonstrations　of　the
liveliest　affection。　　During　this　scene；　which　deeply　affected　all　the
witnesses；　who　cheered　with　all　their　might；　officers；　standing　behind
the　Emperor　and　his　friend；　held　above　their　heads　banners　surmounted　by
their　eagles；　of　which　they　formed　a　kind　of　national　canopy。　　At　eleven
o'clock　the　Emperor　mounted　his　horse；　and　reviewed　the　various　regiments
which　were　arriving　from　every　direction；　and　the　heroes　of　the　island　of
Elba　who　had　returned　to　the　Tuileries　during　the　night。　　All　seemed
deeply　impressed　with　the　appearance　of　these　brave　men；　whom　the　sun　of
Italy　had　tanned；　and　who　had　traveled　nearly　two　hundred　leagues　in
twenty　days。〃

These　are　the　curious　details　which　were　given　to　me　by　a　friend；　and　I
can　guarantee　the　truth　of　his　recital　the　same　as　if　I　myself　had　been
an　eye…witness　of　all　that　occurred　during　the　memorable　night　of　the
20th　and　21st　March；　1815。　　Continuing　in　my　retreat　during　the　hundred
days；　and　long　after；　I　have　nothing　to　say　which　all　the　world　would　not
know　as　well　as　I　concerning　this　important　epoch　in　the　life　of　the
Emperor。　　I　have　shed　many　tears　over　his　sufferings　at　the　time　of　his
second　abdication；　and　the　tortures　inflicted　on　him　at　St。　Helena　by　the
miserable　Hudson　Lowe；　whose　infamy　will　go　down　through　the　ages　side　by
side　with　the　glory　of　the　Emperor。　　I　will　simply　content　myself　by
adding　to　the　preceding　a　certain　document　which　was　confided　to　me　by
the　former　Queen　of　Westphalia；　and　saying　a　word　in　conclusion　as　to　the
destination　I　thought　best　to　give　to　the　first　cross　of　the　Legion　of
Honor　which　the　First　Consul　had　worn。

Princess　Catharine　of　Wurtemberg；　the　wife；of　Prince　Jerome；　is；　as　is
well　known；　a　woman　of　great　beauty；　gifted　at　the　same　time　with　more
solid　qualities；　which　time　increases　instead　of　diminishing。　　She　joins；
to　much　natural　intelligence；　a　highly　cultivated　mind；　a　character　truly
worthy　of　a　sister…in…law　of　the　Emperor；　and　carries　even　to　enthusiasm
her　love　of　duty。　　Events　did　not　allow　her　to　become　a　great　queen；　but
they　have　not　prevented　her　remaining　an　accomplished　wife。　　Her
se