napoleon bonaparte, v7-第13章

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at　length；　and　related　numerous　remarkable　anecdotes；　some　of　which
remain　engraven　on　my　memory。　　A　staff…officer　of　his　Majesty　said；　〃I
thought　I　had　lost　my　finest　horse。　　As　I　had　ridden　him　on　the　5th　and
wished　him　to　rest；　I　gave　him　to　my　servant　to　hold　by　the　bridle；　and
when　he　left　him　one　moment　to　attend　to　his　own；　the　horse　was　stolen　in
a　flash　by　a　dragoon；　who　instantly　sold　him　to　a　dismounted　captain；
telling　him　he　was　a　captured　horse。　　I　recognized　him　in　the　ranks；　and
claimed　him；　proving　by　my　saddle…bags　and　their　contents　that　he　was　not
a　horse　taken　from　the　Austrians；　and　had　to　repay　the　captain　the　five
louis　which　he　had　paid　to　the　dragoon　for　this　horse　which　had　cost　me
sixty。〃

The　best　anecdote；　perhaps；　of　the　day　was　this：　M。　Salsdorf；　a　Saxon；
and　surgeon　in　Prince　Christian's　regiment；　in　the　beginning　of　the
battle　had　his　leg　fractured　by　a　shell。　　Lying　on　the　ground；　he　saw；
fifteen　paces　from　him；　M。　Amedee　de　Kerbourg；　who　was　wounded　by　a
bullet；　and　vomiting　blood。　　He　saw　that　this　officer　would　die　of
apoplexy　if　something　was　not　done　for　him；　and　collecting　all　his
strength；　dragged　himself　along　in　the　dust；　bled　him；　and　saved　his
life。

M。　de　Kerbourg　had　no　opportunity　to　embrace　the　one　who　had　saved　his
life；　for　M。　de　Salsdorf　was　carried　to　Vienna；　and　only　survived　the
amputation　four　days。




CHAPTER　XXI。

At　Schoenbrunn；　as　elsewhere；　his　Majesty　marked　his　presence　by　his
benefactions。　　I　still　retain　vivid　recollections　of　an　occurrence　which
long　continued　to　be　the　subject　of　conversation　at　this　period；　and　the
singular　details　of　which　render　it　worthy　of　narration。

A　little　girl　nine　years　old；　belonging　to　a　very　wealthy　and　highly
esteemed　family　of　Constantinople；　was　carried　away　by　bandits　as　she　was
promenading　one　day　with　her　attendant　outside　the　city。　　The　bandits
carried　their　two　captives　to　Anatolia；　and　there　sold　them。　　The　little
girl；　who　gave　promise　of　great　beauty；　fell　to　the　lot　of　a　rich
merchant　of　Broussa；　the　harshest；　most　severe；　and　intractable　man　of
the　town；　but　the　artless　grace　of　this　child　touched　even　his　ferocious
heart。　　He　conceived　a　great　affection　for　her；　and　distinguished　her
from　his　other　slaves　by　giving　her　only　light　employment；　such　as　the
care　of　flowers；　etc。　　A　European　gentleman　who　lived　with　this　merchant
offered　to　take　charge　of　her　education；　to　which　the　man　consented；　all
the　more　willingly　since　she　had　gained　his　heart；　and　he　wished　to　make
her　his　wife　as　soon　as　she　reached　a　marriageable　age。　　But　the　European
had　the　same　idea；　and　as　he　was　young；　with　an　agreeable　and　intelligent
countenance；　and　very　rich；　he　succeeded　in　winning　the　young　slave's
affection；　and　she　escaped　one　day　from　her　master；　and；　like　another
Heloise；　followed　her　Abelard　to　Kutahie；　where　they　remained　concealed
for　six　months。

She　was　then　ten　years　old。　　Her　preceptor；　who　became　more　devoted　to
her　each　day；　carried　her　to　Constantinople；　and　confided　her　to　the　care
of　a　Greek　bishop；　charging　him　to　make　her　a　good　Christian；　and　then
returned　to　Vienna；　with　the　intention　of　obtaining　the　consent　of　his
family　and　the　permission　of　his　government　to　marry　a　slave。

Two　years　then　passed；　and　the　poor　girl　heard　nothing　from　her　future
husband。　　Meanwhile　the　bishop　had　died；　and　his　heirs　had　abandoned
Marie　（this　was　the　baptismal　name　of　the　convert）；　and　she；　with　no
means　and　no　protector；　ran　the　risk　of　being　at　any　moment　discovered　by
some　relation　or　friend　of　her　familyand　it　is　well　known　that　the
Turks　never　forgive　a　change　of　religion。

Tormented　by　a　thousand　fears；　weary　of　her　retreat　and　the　deep
obscurity　in　which　she　was　buried；　she　took　the　bold　resolution　of
rejoining　her　benefactor；　and　not　deterred　by　dangers　of　the　road　set　out
from　Constantinople　alone　on　foot。　　On　her　arrival　in　the　capital　of
Austria；　she　learned　that　her　intended　husband　had　been　dead　for　more
than　a　year。

The　despair　into　which　the　poor　girl　was　plunged　by　this　sad　news　can　be
better　imagined　than　described。　　What　was　to　be　done？　　What　would　become
of　her？　　She　decided　to　return　to　her　family；　and　for　this　purpose
repaired　to　Trieste；　which　town　she　found　in　a　state　of　great　commotion。
It　had　just　received　a　French　garrison；　but　the　disturbances　inseparable
from　war　were　not　yet　ended；　and　young　Marie　consequently　entered　a　Greek
convent　to　await　a　suitable　opportunity　of　returning　to　Constantinople。
There　a　sub…lieutenant　of　infantry；　named　Dartois；　saw　her；　became　madly
in　love；　won　her　heart；　and　married　her　at　the　end　of　a　year。

The　happiness　which　Madame　Dartois　now　enjoyed　did　not　cause　her　to
renounce　her　plan　of　visiting　her　own　family；　and；　as　she　now　had　become
a　Frenchwoman；　she　thought　this　title　would　accelerate　her　return　to　her
parents'　favor。　　Her　husband's　regiment　received　orders　to　leave　Trieste；
and　this　gave　Madame　Dartois　the　opportunity　to　renew　her　entreaties　to
be　allowed　to　visit　Constantinople；　to　which　her　husband　gave　his
consent；　not　without　explaining　to　her；　however；　all　she　had　to　fear；　and
all　the　dangers　to　which　this　journey　would　again　expose　her。　　At　last
she　started；　and　a　few　days　after　her　arrival　was　on　the　point　of　making
herself　known　to　her　family；　when　she　recognized　on　the　street　through
her　veil；　the　Broussan　merchant；　her　former　master；　who　was　seeking　her
throughout　Constantinople；　and　had　sworn　to　kill　her　on　sight。

This　terrible　'rencontre'　threw　her　into　such　a　fright；　that　for　three
days　she　lived　in　constant　terror；　scarcely　daring　to　venture　out；　even
on　the　most　urgent　business；　and　always　fearing　lest　she　should　see　again
the　ferocious　Anatolian。　　From　time　to　time　she　received　letters　from　her
husband；　who　still　marched　with　the　French　army；　and；　as　it　was　now
advancing；　he　conjured　her　in　his　last　letters　to　return　to　France；
hoping　to　be　able　soon　to　rejoin　her　there。

Deprived　of　all　hope　of　a　reconciliation　with　her　family；　Madame　Dartois
determined　to　comply　with　her　husband's　request；　and；　although　the　war
between　Russia　and　Turkey　rendered　the　roads　very　unsafe；　she　left
Constantinople　in　the　month　of　July；　1809。

After　passing　through　Hungary　and　the　midst　of　the　Austrian　camp；　Madame
Dartois　bent　her　steps　towards　Vienna；　where　she　had　the　sorrow　to　learn
that　her　husband　had　been　mortally　wounded　at　the　battle　of　Wagram；　and
was　now　in　that　town；　she　hastened　to　him；　and　he　expired　in　her　arms。

She　mourned　her　husband　deeply；　but　was　soon　compelled　to　think　of　the
future；　as　the　small　amount　of　money　remaining　to　her　when　she　left
Constantinople　had　been　barely　sufficient　for　the　expenses　of　her
journey；　and　M。　Dartois　had　left　no　property。　　Some　one　having　advised
the　poor　woman　to　go　to　Schoenbrunn　and　ask　his　Majesty's　assistance；　a
superior　officer　gave　her　a　letter　of　recommendation　to　M。　Jaubert；
interpreting　secretary　of　the　Emperor。

Madame　Dartois　arrived　as　his　Majesty　was　preparing　to　leave　Schoenbrunn；
and　made　application　to　M。　Jaubert；　the　Duke　of　Bassano；　General　Lebrun；
and　many　other　persons　who　became　deeply　interested　in　her　misfortunes。

The　Emperor；　when　informed　by　the　Duke　of　Bassano　of　the　deplorable
condition　of　this　woman；　at　once　made　a　special　order　granting　Madame
Dartois　an　annual　pension　of　sixteen　hundred　francs；　the　first　year　of
which　was　paid　in　advance。　　When　the　Duke　of　Bassano　announced　to　the
widow　his　Majesty's　decision；　and　handed　her　the　first　year's　pension；
she　fell　at　his　feet；　and　bathed　them　with　her　tears。

The　Emperor's　fete　was　celebrated　at　Vienna　with　much　brilliancy；　and　as
all　the　inhabitants　felt　themselves　obliged　to　illumine　their　windows；
the　effect　was　extraordinarily　brilliant。　　They　had　no　set　illuminations；
but　almost　all　the　windows　had　double　sashes；　and　between　these　sashes
were　placed　lamps；　candles；　etc。；　ingeniously　arranged；　the　effect　of
which　was　charming。　　The　Austrians　appeared　as　gay　as　our　soldiers；　they
had　not　feted　their　own　Emperor　with　so　much　ardor；　and；　though　deep　down
in　their　hearts　they　must　have　experienced　a　feelin