napoleon bonaparte, v7-第14章

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had　not　feted　their　own　Emperor　with　so　much　ardor；　and；　though　deep　down
in　their　hearts　they　must　have　experienced　a　feeling　of　constraint　at
such　unaccustomed　joy；　appearances　gave　no　sign　of　this。

On　the　evening　of　the　fete；　during　the　parade；　a　terrible　explosion　was
heard　at　Schoenbrunn；　the　noise　of　which　seemed　to　come　from　the　town；
and　a　few　moments　afterwards　a　gendarme　appeared；　his　horse　in　a　gallop。
〃Oh；　oh！〃　　said　Colonel　Mechnem；　〃there　must　be　a　fire　at　Vienna；　if　a
gendarme　is　galloping。〃　　In　fact；　he　brought　tidings　of　a　very　deplorable
event。　　While　an　artillery　company　had　been　preparing；　in　the　arsenal　of
the　town；　numerous　fireworks　to　celebrate　his　Majesty's　fete；　one　of
them；　in　preparing　a　rocket；　accidentally　set　the　fuse　on　fire；　and
becoming　frightened　threw　it　away　from　him。　It　fell　on　the　powder　which
the　shop　contained；　and　eighteen　cannoneers　were　killed　by　the　explosion；
and　seven　wounded。

During　his　Majesty's　fete；　as　I　entered　his　cabinet　one　morning；　I　found
with　him　M。　Charles　Sulmetter；　commissary　general　of　the　police　of
Vienna；　whom　I　had　seen　often　before。　　He　had　begun　as　head　spy　for　the
Emperor；　and　this　had　proved　such　a　profitable　business　that　he　had
amassed　an　income　of　forty　thousand　pounds。　He　had　been　born　at
Strasburg；　and　in　his　early　life　had　been　chief　of　a　band　of　smugglers；
to　which　vocation　he　was　as　wonderfully　adapted　by　nature　as　to　that
which　he　afterwards　pursued。　　He　admitted　this　in　relating　his
adventures；　and　maintained　that　smuggling　and　police　service　had　many
points　of　similarity；　since　the　great　art　of　smuggling　was　to　know　how　to
evade；　while　that　of　a　spy　was　to　know　how　to　seek。　He　inspired　such
terror　in　the　Viennese　that　he　was　equal　to　a　whole　army…corps　in　keeping
them　in　subjection。　His　quick　and　penetrating　glance；　his　air　of
resolution　and　severity；　the　abruptness　of　his　step　and　gestures；　his
terrible　voice；　and　his　appearance　of　great　strength；　fully　justified　his
reputation；　and　his　adventures　furnish　ample　materials　for　a　romance。
During　the　first　campaigns　of　Germany；　being　charged　with　a　message　from
the　French　government　to　one　of　the　most　prominent　persons　in　the
Austrian　army；　he　passed　among　the　enemy　disguised　as　a　German　peddler；
furnished　with　regular　passports；　and　provided　with　a　complete　stock　of
diamonds　and　jewelry。　　He　was　betrayed；　arrested；　and　searched；　and　the
letter　concealed　in　the　double　bottom　of　a　gold　box　was　found；　and　very
foolishly　read　before　him。　　He　was　tried　and　condemned　to　death；　and
delivered　to　the　soldiers　by　whom　he　was　to　be　executed；　but　as　night　had
arrived　by　this　time；　they　postponed　his　execution　till　morning。　　He
recognized　among　his　guards　a　French　deserter；　talked　with　him；　and
promised　him　a　large　sum　of　money：　he　had　wine　brought；　drank　with　the
soldiers；　intoxicated　them；　and　disguised　in　one　of　their　coats；　escaped
with　the　Frenchman。　　Before　re…entering　the　camp；　however；　he　found　means
to　inform　the　person　for　whom　the　letter　was　intended；　of　its　contents；
and　of　what　had　happened。

Countersigns　difficult　to　remember　were　often　given　in　the　army　in　order
to　attract　the　soldiers'　attention　more　closely。　　One　day　the　word　was
Pericles；　Persepolis；　and　a　captain　of　the　guard　who　had　a　better
knowledge　of　how　to　command　a　charge　than　of　Greek　history　and　geography；
not　hearing　it　distinctly；　gave　as　the　countersign；　'perce　l'eglise'；
which　mistake　furnished　much　amusement。　　The　old　captain　was　not　at　all
angry；　and　said　that　after　all　he　was　not　very　far　wrong。

The　secretary　of　General　Andreossy；　Governor　of　Vienna；　had　an
unfortunate　passion　for　gambling；　and　finding　that　he　did　not　gain　enough
to　pay　his　debts；　sold　himself　to　the　enemy。　　His　correspondence　was
seized；　he　admitted　his　treachery；　and　was　condemned　to　death；　and
in　confronting　death　evinced　astonishing　self…possession。　　〃Come　nearer；〃
said　he　to　the　soldiers　who　were　to　shoot；　〃so　that　you　may　see　me
better；　and　I　will　have　less　to　suffer。〃

In　one　of　his　excursions　in　the　environs　of　Vienna；　the　Emperor　met　a
very　young　conscript　who　was　rejoining　his　corps。　　He　stopped　him；　asked
his　name；　his　age；　regiment；　and　country。　　〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　soldier；
who　did　not　know　him；　〃my　name　is　Martin；　I　am　seventeen　years　old；　and
from　the　Upper　Pyrenees。〃〃you　are　a　Frenchman；　then？〃〃yes；　Monsieur。〃
〃Ah；　you　are　a　miserable'　Frenchman。　　Disarm　this　man；　and　hang　him！〃
〃Yes；　you　fool；　I　am　French；〃　repeated　the　conscript；　〃and　Vive
l'Empereur！〃　　His　Majesty　was　much　amused；　the　conscript　was　undeceived；
congratulated；　and　hastened　to　rejoin　his　comrades；　with　the　promise　of　a
reward；a　promise　which　the　Emperor　was　not　slow　to　perform。

Two　or　three　days　before　his　departure　from　Schoenbrunn；　the　Emperor
again　came　near　being　assassinated。　　This　time　the　attack　was　to　have
been　made　by　a　woman。

The　Countess　at　this　time　was　well　known；　both　on　account　of　her
astonishing　beauty　and　the　scandal　of　her　liaisons　with　Lord　Paget；　the
English　ambassador。

It　would　be　hard　to　find　words　which　would　truthfully　describe　the　grace
and　charms　of　this　lady；　whom　the　best　society　of　Vienna　admitted　only
with　the　greatest　repugnance；　but　who　consoled　herself　for　their　scorn　by
receiving　at　her　own　house　the　most　brilliant　part　of　the　French　army。

An　army　contractor　conceived　the　idea　of　procuring　this　lady　for　the
Emperor；　and；　without　informing　his　Majesty；　made　propositions　to　the
countess　through　one　of　his　friends；　a　cavalry　officer　attached　to　the
military　police　of　the　town　of　Vienna。

The　cavalry　officer　thought　he　was　representing　his　Majesty；　and　in　good
faith　said　to　the　countess　that　his　Majesty　was　exceedingly　anxious　to
see　her　at　Schoenbrunn。　　One　morning；　accordingly；　he　made　propositions
for　that　evening；　which；　appearing　somewhat　abrupt　to　the　countess；　she
did　not　decide　at　once；　but　demanded　a　day　for　reflection；　adding　that
she　must　have　good　proof　that　the　Emperor　was　really　sincere　in　this
matter。　　The　officer　protested　his　sincerity；　promised；　moreover；　to　give
every　proof　she　required；　and　made　an　appointment　for　that　evening。
Having　given　the　contractor　an　account　of　his　negotiation；　the　latter
gave　orders　that　a　carriage；　escorted　by　the　cavalry　officer；　should　be
ready　for　the　countess　on　the　evening　indicated。　　At　the　appointed　hour
the　officer　returned　to　the　countess；　expecting　her　to　accompany　him；　but
she　begged　him　to　return　next　day；　saying　that　she　had　not　yet　decided；
and　needed　the　night　for　longer　reflection。　　At　the　officer's
solicitations　she　decided；　however；　and　appointed　the　next　day；　giving
her　word　of　honor　to　be　ready　at　the　appointed　hour。

The　carriage　was　then　sent　away；　and　ordered　for　the　next　evening　at　the
same　hour。　　This　time　the　contractor's　envoy　found　the　countess　well
disposed；　she　received　him　gayly；　eagerly　even；　and　told　him　that　she　had
given　orders　in　regard　to　her　affairs　as　if　she　were　going　on　a　journey；
then；　regarding　him　fixedly；　said；　tutoying　him；　〃You　may　return　in　an
hour　and　I　will　be　ready；　I　will　go　to　him；　you　may　rely　upon　it。
Yesterday　I　had　business　to　finish；　but　to…day　I　am　free。　　If　you　are　a
good　Austrian；　you　will　prove　it　to　me；　you　know　how　much　harm　he　has
done　our　country！　　This　evening　our　country　will　be　avenged！　　Come　for
me；　do　not　fail！〃

The　cavalry　officer；　frightened　at　such　a　confidence　as　this；　was
unwilling　to　accept　the　responsibility；　and　repeated　everything　at　the
chateau；　in　return　for　which　the　Emperor　rewarded　him　generously；　urged
him　for　his　own　sake　not　to　see　the　countess　again；　and　expressly　forbade
his　having　anything　more　to　do　with　the　matter。　　All　these　dangers　in　no
wise…depressed　the　Emperor；　and　he　had　a　habit　of　saying；　〃What　have　I　to
fear？　　I　cannot　be　assassinated；　I　can　die　only　on　the　field　of　battle。〃
But　even　on　the　field　of　battle　he　took　no　care　of　himself；　and　at
Essling；　for　example；　exposed　himself　like　a　chief　of　battalion　who　wants
to　be　a　colonel；　bullets　slew　those　in　front；　behind；　beside　him；　but　he
did　not　budge。　　It　was　then　that　a　terrified　general　cried；　〃Sire；　if
your　Majesty　does　no