PC l1? CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Mrs. Josef Neuzil Cornell University Library DC 198.A34A5 1901a V.I Memoirs of the emperor Napoleon from Ai 3 1924 024 344 016 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024344016 THE BEDCHAMBER OF MARIE' ANTOINETTE JN THE PALACE OF' FONTAINE'BLEAU Hand-painted photogravure COPYRiaHT, 1901, (V M. WALTER DUNNE, ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME I. The Bedchamber of Marie Antoinette in the Palace OF Pontainebleau Frontispiece Hand-painted photogravure. Napoleon at Cairo 215 Photogravure after GerSine. VOLUME n. Napoleon, 1815 Frontispiece Photogravure after Sandoz. The Throne of Napoleon in the Palace of Pontaine- bleau 233 VOLUME III. The Education of the King of Rome .... Frontispiece After Zamacois. Prince Talleyrand .... 347 Photogravure after Gerard. (vii) SPECIAL INTRODUCTION LAURE Permon Junot, the Duchess of Abrantfes was bom November 6, 1784, at Montpellier, a year after the signing by ourselves and England of the Defin- itive Treaty of Peace. She came of a Corsican family descended, says tradition, from the line of Comnenus, the Eastern Emperors. Madame de Permon, her mother, was an intimate friend of Madame Lsetitia Bonaparte. The two families were neighbors at Ajaccio, the children in consequence playmates. Madame Junot's acquaintance with Napoleon dates then from his boyhood. In these memoirs, as she says, she conducts him, as it were, by the hand almost from the cradle to mature age through the world, which rang with his marvelous deeds to the end of it all — Waterloo. She draws him in many moods and characters — the man in if not of peace as well as the man of blood and conscript youths. She was on terms of close intimacy with Josephine and spent many days at Malmaison. A participant in the excitements and social life of the French Capital and acquainted with the celebrities of the day her memoirs abound in anecdote; and the social recollections from her own life are related in a charming and vivacious style throughout. Doubt- less, as has been said, they bear errors of composition, and, at times, are historically inexact, some of the recol- lections being perhaps more fictitious than real, romance rather than history. But even granting this these memoirs of a remarkable and brilliant woman are full of life and charm and present a truthful picture in the main of illustrious and conspicuous phases of a very wonderful period of the history of France and of the world. It was after the French Revolution that the Permon family came to Paris, sent there, it is said, by the father to secure good matches for his daughters. Their pretty house in Chaussee d'Autin became a favorite gathering place of a mixed society composed of those of the ancien regime who survived the days of Terror, and of the (ix) X MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT young officers who thronged Paris in the days preceding the rising of Napoleon's star of glory. Madame de Per- mon, somewhat of an aristocrat, drew^the former, and the daughters, beautiful and witty, attracted the latter. Madame de Permon herself was beautiful and of remark- ably youthful appearance for her years. Madame Junot says that Napoleon asked her mother to marry him but that she being so many years his senior merely smiled on his suit. This story, however, is probably one of the romances, there being, I believe, no evidence for the truth of it. Among the officers who frequented the Permon's draw- ing rooms the only one that concerns the subject of this note was Andoche Junot, afterward the Duke of Abran- tfes. General of Hussars, Ambassador of France and Com- mander Supreme in Portugal, Governor of Paris and Governor General of Illyria, one of Napoleon's bravest and most energetic captains. To this soldier of France Laure Permon was united in marriage. It was a brilliant contract. Junot in person was eminently handsome but his manners have been represented as coarse and his character rapacious and cruel. He had, however, a con- siderable share of moral as well as physical energy. His portrait as painted by his wife does him more honor than other writers give him. To her he had a " superior mind; he was a stranger to falsehood and was endowed with a generosity which his enemies have endeavored to represent as a vice." This is an allusion to his extrava- gant tastes and reckless expenditure of money — reckless- ness in which his wife unfortunately shared. Of the considerable fortunes, says Las Cases, which the Emperor had bestowed that of Junot was one of the most lavish, the sum he had given him almost exceeded belief, yet he was always in debt, he squandered fortunes without credit to himself and without discernment or taste. At the time of their marriage Napoleon gave Laure Permon and Junot one hundred thousand francs and at the birth of their first child in 1801 another one hundred thousand francs and a house in the Champs Elysfees. This child, a daughter, had for sponsors Bonaparte and Josephine. Her godfather gave her a beautiful pearl necklace and the sum of money above mentioned was given in the name of Josephine and was for the purpose of furnishing SPECIAL INTRODUCTION xi the house. Thus munificently did Napoleon start his boyhood companion on the road of life. But her extrava- gance outran the generosity of even so powerful a friend and her debts piled up as high and as rapidly as the tradesmen would let them. She went with her husband to Lisbon, and there her retinue and surroundings were more expensive than those of a queen. On her return to Paris, her generous style of living increased if it were possible and through a feeling inherited, no doubt, from her mother's partiality to the old class, she opened her drawing room to the older families, as well as to the new men of the Empire. But the Emperor at this time re- garded his old acquaintance with suspicion. Madame Junot accompanied her husband through the Spanish campaign, and, it is said, contrived to give pleasant balls and drawing rooms all along the route. Truly a life replete with the excitement and the glory that were the only thoughts of France. After her hus- band's sad and tragic death in 1813, Napoleon, reverting perh3t;s to his recent suspicion, forbade her return to Paris; but it seems to have been but a perfunctory pro- hibition for she ignored his command and returning to Paris, opened her house and again attracted to it all the celebrities of the day. But the end was soon to come; the Empire terminated and with it many careers and fortunes. Junot had in his lifetime been in possession of an income of more than a million of francs and now his widow, penniless and utterly ruined, was compelled, in her poverty, to seek an asylum in L'Abbaye-au-Bois. Fallen from so high a rank and fortune she exhibited the 'true greatness of her nature and bore her reverses with a fortitude becoming a "woman of France." It was in'this period that she sought solace in recollections of the past and with zeal devoted herself to literature. In this manner her memoirs came to be written. She was the writer also of articles and romances [that were widely read. She died in Paris, June 7, 1838. "At once," as her biographer describes her, "an artist and a fine lady, a woman of letters and of the drawing room, generous to a fault with her money and her intelligence, as cheerful in poverty as in wealth, as much admired by Parisian society in the most humble apartment as in her splendid mansion in the Champs Elysfees, a noble nature. xii MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT above vulgar ambitions and petty calculations, the Duch- ess d'Abrantfes occupies a place apart among the cele- brated women of the Consulate and the Empire." In her life, in her associations and surroundings, and in the friendships she inspired Laure de Permon, Madame Ju- not, Duchess d'Abrantfes was no ordinary woman, and the recollections that she has left to us of her life and times give us pages that will bear many readings before we tire of them. *^> rh , vArCL/tAJfcAiZjKMA CONTENTS VOL. I. PAOB Special Introduction is Prefatory Remarks by the Author i Author's Introduction 3 Chapter I. — Intimacy of the Perm on and the Bonaparte families . g Chap. II. — Napoleon as a young man — Life in Paris i6 Chap. III. — Death of Napoleon's father .in the Permon house . . 22 Chap. IV. — Sub-Lieutenant Bonaparte, his first appearance in uni- form — Scene at Malmaison 28 Chap. V. — Popular ferment — Louis XVI. — Firing on the crowd . 34 Chap. VI. — Opening of the States-General — Mirabeau, his manner, genius, and character 39 Chap. VII. — Revolutionary scenes — Louis XVI. at the Hotel de Ville 48 Chap. VIII. — Murder of the Princess de Lamballe, the King, and Madame Elizabeth 53 Chap. IX. — Arrest of General Bonaparte — His speech at Ajaccio — Lieutenant Junot offers to come to his rescue 57 Chap. X. — Madame Pennon's return to Paris — Visit from General Bonaparte — Reception at Madame Permon's . . ... 64 Chap. XI. — Destitute circumstances of General Bonaparte — His friend Lieutenant Junot — Junot's proposal for the hand of Pau- line Bonaparte ... 70 Chap. XII. — The Convention — Salicetti in hiding — Inconvenient visit of General Bonaparte 77 Chap. XIII. — Suicide of Romme, Goujon, and Duquesnoi ... 87 Chap. XIV. — A new " valet " — The escape of Salicetti — Penetra- tion of Napoleon — Journey to the South of France 91 Chap. XV. — Suspicions of M. Permon — Bonaparte incorruptible . 97 Chap. XVI. — Atrocities in the South — General Bonaparte's kind- ness — The barricades — Death of M. Permon 103 Chap. XVII. — The Veuve Permon returns to Paris — General Bona- parte of great assistance — Furnishing a new house ^ . . .114 Chap. XVIII. — Proposals of marriage — General Bonaparte asks also for the hand of the Veuve Permon, and is refused — Dimo Stephanopoli's commission — Quarrel with General Bonaparte . 121 Chap. XIX. — M. de Geouffre— His marriage with Cecile Pennon — Her early death — The Comte de Perigord — The younger Permon receives an appointment 129 Chap. XX. — Sketches of Parisian society — Madame de D — Madame Tallien — Madame Bonaparte 141 (xiii) xiv MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT PAGE Chap. XXI. — Triumphs of the Army of Italy — Lucien and Christine Bonaparte — Albert Permon's escapade — Reception of Bona- parte in Paris 146 Chap. XXII. — A false alarm of Madame Permon's death, and its consequences .... ... 156 Chap. XXIII. — Joseph Bonaparte and his wife — Caroline Bona- parte ... 160 Chap. XXIV. — Madame Bonaparte's indiscretions — M. de Caulain- court — Napoleon's conversation with Albert Permon . . . 167 Chap. XXV. — Colonel Junot — Junot at the Siege of Toulon — His attachment to Napoleon — Death of Muiron — Junot's gallantry to Madame de Brionne — " La Tempgte " 174 Chap. XXVI. — Junot appointed General — His services in Egypt — Duel with General Lanusse — Junot's ship taken by the English — Admiral Nelson — Sir Sidney Smith's chivalry — He chal- lenges Napoleon to a duel 189 Chap. XXVII. — Madame Bonaparte-Leclerc — Rudeness of Madame de Contades — Madame Marmont 198 Chap. XXVIII. — General Hoche — Madame Tallien (Cabarrus) — La Citoyenne Bonaparte — Junot's flirtation with a pretty y She was led into a court of the prison already strewn with dead bodies, where, on receiv- ing the blow of a dagger, she fell, fainting with the loss of blood ; and soon afterward her body was pierced by a lance, and her noble spirit fled. We dare not relate all the horrors and indignities that were heaped on her. Her head was cut off, and carried through Paris to the Palais Royal, and exposed beneath the window of the Due d'Orl6ans, who gazed on it for awhile without uttering a syllable. He was charged with being privy to this murder by the double motive of revenge and interest; for, by her death, he gained her jointure of a hundred thou- sand crowns, which she received out of the fortune of the Duchesse d'Orllans, who was her sister-in-law. DUCHESS OF ABRANTJ;S 55 sidered satisfactory, and my brother narrowly escaped being arrested on the spot. When he returned home he was in great distress and alarm. He consulted my mother on the means of securing my father's safety; and she, with the admirable spirit and presence of mind which never forsook her, determined to write to her country- man, Salicetti, who was then in Paris awaiting the King's trial. My father had been intimately acquainted with M. Durosoi, who edited a journal entitled "-DAmi du Roi?'' M. Durosoi, who was firmly wedded to his own opinions, happened to meet Salicetti one day in my father's house, and a warm discussion arose between them, my father supporting the arguments of Durosoi, and my mother those of Salicetti. The latter left the house out of humor, and the course of events obliged my mother and father to quit Paris before they had an opportunity of seeing him again. My mother feared that he might bear in mind the part my father had taken in the discussion above mentioned ; and this fear was not so unfounded as it may appear. My father's opinions might be expected to influence his conduct as well as his language ; and this reflection would naturally occur to the man who was asked to be a sort of security for him. My mother felt this difficulty, but she nevertheless determined to write. The letter was that of a wife and a mother. She appealed to his past friendship, to the remembrance of their common coun- try, and concluded by assuring Salicetti that she should owe to him the lives of her husband and her chil- dren. The danger was no doubt great, but perhaps not so great as my mother's fears led her to imagine — at least, as far as regarded my father. My brother was really in much greater danger; for he was required to join the army, and to do that would have been to march to cer- tain death, for the fatigues he had already undergone had brought on a pulmonary inflammation. By the next courier, Salicetti returned an exceedingly kind answer to my mother's letter. After thanking her for giving him an opportunity to serve her, he informed her that he had placed her husband under the immediate protection of the authorities of Toulouse. As to my 56 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT brother, he appointed him his secretary, and sent him his nomination, together with leave to spend three months with his family. My brother accepted the offer of Salicetti, though with- out the knowledge of my father, whose feelings were at that time so deeply wounded that we did not think it advisable to add to his distress by requiring him to con- sent to such a step. In a very grateful letter, my brother informed Salicetti that he should join him in the month of March following. He was then twenty-four years of age. Meanwhile the King's fate was decided. This was a great blow to my poor father, who was greatly attached to his Sovereign. American liberalism had had an influ- ence upon him as well as upon all who had served in the American war ; his opinions were fixed, and he was never happier than on the day when the King accepted the Con- stitution. On this point my father's opinions coincided with those of the great majority of the nation; and while the illusion lasted, that we had or could have a constitu- tional Sovereign, joy and satisfaction predominated. When the fate of the King was made known in the provinces, the grief it excited was sincere aind profound, for, as a man, Louis XVI. was universally beloved. My father owed much to the King, and much also to Ma- dame Elizabeth. He trembled for his benefactress, and the blow he had already received became mortal when he saw the death of Madame Elizabeth announced in the journals. He had already been partially confined to his chamber; but he now shut himself up entirely, and kept his bed for whole days together. We had brought with us from Paris only my father's valet de chambre. My mother was therefore obliged to hire domestics at Toulouse. These servants gossiped to their acquaintances about my father, and the most ridicu- lous stories respecting the cause of his supposed disap- pearance were soon circulated about the town. There was a shoemaker, named Couder, who exercised great influence in the Commune. This man, whose name I never utter without gratitude, warned my mother of the reports which were circulated respecting my father. He was to be summoned and interrogated, and in that case he would have been ruined. We had then a repre- DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 57 sentative of the people who certainly would not have tol- erated my father's answers. At that time my brother was with Salicetti. My mother wrote to him, and the next post brought back a letter in Salicetti's own handwriting, containing testimonials in fa- vor of my father, and recommending him to his col- league.* Couder's opinions were those of a stanch and sincere Republican. His merit was therefore the greater in what he did for us, for he was aware of my father's sentiments. " All I want, " said he to my mother, " is your promise that you will not emigrate. When I see the French going abroad they appear to me like chil- dren abandoning their parents." My mother had for two years been suffering from a complaint of the chest. She was recommended to try the waters of Cauterets, and she set off, taking me and my sister with her. My father could not accompany us; indeed, he remained behind almost as a hostage. On our return from Cauterets we found him still very ill. Public affairs maintained a gloomy and threatening aspect. Robespierre had perished; but the revolutionary executions still continued. Terror was not yet sufficiently abated to admit of a free expression of the joy which the intelligence of his death excited in the provinces. CHAPTER IX. Arrest of Bonaparte — His Conduct in Corsica — Jacobin Club — Bona- parte Disguised as a Sailor — Bonaparte, Junot, and Robespierre the Younger — Friendship Between Bonaparte and Junot — Rivalry of Bonaparte and Salicetti — Examination of Bonaparte's Papers — Erasure of His Name from the List of Generals. AFTER our return to Toulouse my mother received let- ters from my brother which much distressed her. They informed her of the arrest of General Bona- parte, and the circumstances which had caused that measure. Albert was very indignant. He thought Salicetti's conduct in that affair was not what it ought to have been to a countryman and an old friend. My *A man named Mallarm6. S8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT mother wrote to Salicetti, expressing the pain she felt on hearing of Bonaparte's arrest. "Do not," she said, "let his mother add this new affliction to those with which she is already burdened." My brother delivered this letter to Salicetti, and in his mother's name implored a favorable answer. After hav- ing read it, Salicetti said to my brother: " Inform Madame Permon that I am sorry I cannot do what she wishes for General Bonaparte. But you must see yourself that the thing is impossible. The intelli- gence which I have received from Corsica would dictate the step 1 have taken, even if the affairs of Genoa did not render it indispensable. Are you not of my opinion, Permon ?" My brother could not answer "Yes," for he was not of Salicetti's opinion. Bonaparte was accused of being a spy, and my brother did not think him guilty. Besides, he thought that, at all events, it did not become Salicetti to accuse him of Jacobinism. He therefore remained silent. On the subject of the affairs of Corsica, about which so much was said by Salicetti and Albitte, I have been furnished with some details by an eyewitness competent by his intelligence and information to observe all that was passing. They are as follows: In the spring of 1793, Bonaparte, before he went to Toulon, having obtained leave of absence, visited Corsica. At Ajaccio he lodged near the seaport in the house of an old lady, the Comtesse Rossi, a friend of his family. A club was formed in a barrack situated without the city, in what is called the Sea-square. In this club several orators distinguished themselves, and Napoleon Bonaparte was a frequent speaker. Some of the inhabitants at Ajaccio, alarmed at the formidable aspect of this club, established another assem- bly, which was attended by several persons of my acquaintance; among others by a naval officer, whose ship was lying in the roads of Corsica, and who by his talent and courage was very capable of counteracting the measures of the first-mentioned club should they have become dangerous. This assembly was held in a large house on the opposite side of the square. Its object was to maintain tranquillity and prevent disorder. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 59 The club of which Bonaparte was a member at length became so threatening to the public tranquillity that the moderate assembly resolved to send a deptitation to it to point out tke mischief it was likely to occasion to the country. They advised the club to be peaceable — above all, to wait for the decision of France, and to follow the movement of the Republican Government. Bonaparte immediately mounted the tribune, and delivered a vehement speech, the object of which was to show that in times of revolution people must be either friends or enemies, that Solon punished with death every man who remained neutral in civil discord, and that the moderates ought, therefore, to be considered enemies by true patriots. When the sitting was at an end Napoleon went out into the square. He was very much heated, and seemed but little disposed to anything conciliating. However, his violence did not intimidate my friend who was at the head of the deputation. He reproached him for what he had said in the tribune. " Bah, " said Bonaparte, " a mere club speech, nothing else. But, my friend, do you not see the necessity of firmness, and of choosing a wide road instead of a nar- row path ? " " You, " replied the naval officer, " will perhaps lose yourself in the road you have chosen; and in the name of friendship I conjure you to alter your course." Bona- parte frowned, turned on his heel, and went off tp join some of his turbulent colleagues. Some days afterward my friend learned from some of his correspondents in the interior of the island that four thousand peasants intended to make a descent from the mountains, and that their hostility would be especially directed against the families of Salicetti and Bonaparte. My friend warned Bonaparte of the danger. Napoleon wished to know whence he had obtained the informa- tion He was exceedingly angry because my friend would not tell him. At length he said, " No matter, I fear no one." He parted from him very coolly. Early next morning a man came to inform him that he had just seen Bona- parte in the disguise of a sailor stepping into a felucca for the purpose of proceeding to Calvi. My friend went out to ascertain the truth of this statement, which was 6o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUXOT corroborated by the sailors of the port. On inquiring what had become of the Bonaparte family, he was in- formed they had taken refuge at Cargesa. At the time when these circumstances occurred, Bona- parte had just received his commission of captain of ar- tillery. Shortly after he was sent to Toulon to com- mand the works of the siege. About this period of his life Bonaparte was very intimate with Robespierre the younger, with whom Junot was also well acquainted. Young Robespierre was what might be called an agree- able young man, animated by no bad sentiments, and believing, or feigning to believe, that his brother was led on by a parcel of wretches, every one of whom he would banish to Cayenne if he were in his place. On his arrival at Toulon, Bonaparte had the reputa- tion of being a warm patriot. Junot has frequently told me that the general-in-chief, who was very moderate, at first entertained a sort of prejudice against the young officer, whose opinions he seemed to regard as much too violent. The mission given to Bonaparte by the representative Ricord, on the 25th Messidor, year ii., was rather diplo- matic than military. In short, it was an order for su- pervision and inquisition. He was especially instructed to keep a watchful eye upon the French Minister and Charge d'affaires at Genoa. It is therefore evident that he enjoyed the full confidence of the Proconsuls, who then had the control of everything, and this confidence could only have resulted from the knowledge of his opinions and sentiments. Bonaparte was then only five- and-twenty years of age. Ricord must therefore have been very confident of his abilities. Salicetti succeeded Ricord, and it was naturally to be expected that Bonaparte would enjoy the protection of the new representative. They were countrymen, and even friends, in spite of the difference of their age; and though Salicetti came in immediately after a reaction, it is very certain that he entertained what was called TERRORIST Opinions. When Bonaparte was arrested, Junot, who loved him affectionately, determined to save him either by artifice or force. The punishments of the Reign of Terror were not yet at an end, and an individual who was the object DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 6i of any accusation whatever was in great danger. Bona- parte, however, forbade Junot to resort to any violence. " I am innocent, " said he, " and I will trust to the .laws. " The following is a letter which Bonaparte wrote from his prison to Junot: « 1 see a strong proof of your friendship, my dear Junot, in the proposition you make to me, and I trust you feel convinced that the friendly sentiments that I have long entertained for you remain un- abated. Men may be unjust toward me, my dear Junot, but it is enough for me to know that I am innocent. My conscience is the tri- bunal before which I try iny conduct. That conscience is calm when I question it. Do not, therefore, stir in this business. You will only compromise me. Adieu, my dear Junot. Yours, "Bonaparte." This letter was an answer to one which Junot had sent him by a soldier, within the first twenty-four hours after his arrest, when he was not permitted to see him. I do not know why Junot was refused admittance to him, but I think it was because orders had been given to keep Bona- parte in solitary confinement. Junot, in his letter, pro- posed to aid him in effecting his escape, and suggested some plans which could only have entered the head of an enthusiastic young man like himself.* He declared his determination to share his imprisonment, even if it were doomed to be eternal. One motive, I do not mean to say the only one, of the animosity shown by Salicetti to Bonaparte, in the affair of Loano, was, that they were at one time suitors to the same lady. I am not sure whether it was in Corsica or in Paris, but I know for a fact that Bonaparte, in spite of his youth, or perhaps I should rather say on account of his youth, was the favored lover. It was the opinion of my brother, who, as I have already mentioned, was secretary to Salicetti, that Bona- part owed his life to a circumstance which is not very well known. The fact is that Salicetti received a letter from Bonaparte, the contents of which appeared to make a deep impression on him. Bonaparte's papers had been delivered into Salicetti's hands, who, after an attentive perusal of them, laid them aside with evident dissatisfac tion. He then took them up again, and read them a * Madame Mfere, the mother of Bonaparte, always entertained a grateful recollection of Junot's conduct at this period. 62 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT second time. Salicetti declined my brother's assistance in the examination of the papers, and after a second examination, which was probably as unsatisfactory as the first, he seated himself with a very abstracted air. It would appear that he had seen among the papers some document which concerned himself. Another curious fact is, that the man who had the care of the papers after they were sealed up was an inferior clerk entirely under the control of Salicetti; and my brother, whose business it was to have charge of the papers, was directed not to touch them. He has often spoken to me of this circumstance, and I mention it here as one of importance to the history of the time. Nothing that relates to a man like Napoleon can be considered useless or trivial. What, after all, was the result of this strange business which might have cost Bonaparte his head? — for, had he been taken to Paris and tried by the Committee of Public Safety, there is little doubt that the friend of Robespierre the younger would have been condemned by Billaud- Varennes and CoUot d'Herbois. The result was the acquittal of the accused. This result is the more extraor- dinary, since it would appear that at that time Salicetti stood in fear of the young General. A compliment is even paid to Bonaparte in the decree by which he was provisionally restored to liberty. That liberation was said to be granted on the consideration that General Bonaparte might be useful to the Republic. This was foresight ; but subsequently, when measures were taken which rendered Bonaparte no longer an object of fear, his name was erased from the list of general officers, and it is a curious fact that Cambac^rbs, who was destined to be his colleague in the Consulate, was one of the per- sons who signed the act of erasure. Bonaparte, who was then very unfortunately situated, came to Paris to obtain justice, or to endeavor to put into execution some of the thousand projects which, as he used to tell us, he formed every night when he lay down to rest. He had with him only one aid-de-camp — one friend, whom his adverse fortune attached the more strongly to him. This was Junot, who from that moment gave him abundant proofs of the sincere friendship which never terminated but with his life. DUCHESS OF ABRANT^S 63 Duroc was not connected with Bonaparte until the lat- ter took the command of the Army of Italy. It has been frequently asserted that they were acquainted at Toulon, but this is a mistake. Bourrienne, who is well instructed in all these details, relates these facts in their true light. Salicetti and Bonaparte were not good friends, for the former feared his young compatriot, and they were never in each other's confidence. The opinion of Bonaparte, after he became Consul, respecting the men of the Revolution, is well known. He employed in the earlier offices statesmen who had taken part in the Revolution; but, with the exception of Fouch6, whom he never liked,* these were not the indi- viduals who made the most distinguished figure in the revolutionary history. It may be remembered that on the occasion of the Infernal Machine, he made a furious attack, in the Council of State, on those whom he de- nominated the men of blood — the men of September. " France," said he, " will never be happy until they are driven away. It is they who do all the mischief! " * « Fotich6 never was my confidant," said Napoleon. « Never did he approach me without bending to the ground. For him I never had esteem. As a man who had been a Terrorist and a chief of Jacobins, I employed him as an instrument to discover and get rid of the Jacobins, Septembrists, and others of his old friends. By means of him I was enabled to send into banishment to the Isle of France two hundred of his old associate Septembrists, who disturbed the tranquillity of France. He betrayed and sacrificed his old camarades and participators in crime. He never was in a situation to demand my confidence, or even to speak to me without being questioned, nor had he the talents requisite for it* — "Napoleon at St. Helena," by O'Meara: London, Bentley, edition of 1888, vol \\. pp. 191, 192. 64 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT CHAPTjiR X. M. Brunetiere — Curious Mode of Correspondence — My Mother's Visit to Paris — The Hotel de la Tranquillity — Bonaparte's Visit to Us — Paris after the gth Thermidor — Bonaparte and the Mus- cadins — Scarcity of Bread — The Sections Declaiming against the Convention — Politics Banished from Conversation — Salicetti's Boots. MY FATHER had an old friend, an advocate, named Brunetiere, who maintained communications with the powerful men of the day, and who informed him of all that was going- on in Paris — at least, as far as he could do so with safety. We were not then in the height of the Reign of Terror; but there was reason to fear that the revolutionary flame might be rekindled, and caution was advisable. It was no unusual thing to send letters concealed in pies, and in this manner questions and answers traveled under the protection of gastro- nomic dainties. News was frequently sent from Paris to the country in the lining of a coat, the crown of a hat, or a box of artificial flowers. It was customary to send with these packets a letter, saying, * In compliance with your request, I send you such or such a thing." My mother was sometimes very reluctant to pull to pieces the beautiful articles of millinery which came from Paris in this way. I recollect she once wore a hat in which a letter was concealed a whole fortnight, with- out telling my father where it came from, because she knew he would have had it pulled to pieces without mercy. It was to be sure at a moment when no very interesting news was likely to be communicated! At length affairs assumed a more serene aspect, and my father received repeated invitations to proceed to Paris. My mother, finding that she could not prevail on him to go, determined herself to set out for Paris, and take me with her; and it was agreed that my father should repair to Bordeaux, where he had some business to settle, and remain there during my mother's absence. On her arrival in the capital, my mother was to ascer- tain whether it would be safe for my father to join her, and to determine on his future plans. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 65 On our arrival in Paris, we alighted at the Hotel de la Tranquillity, in the Rue des Filles Saint Thomas. We were lodged in a very good suite of apartments on the second floor, overlooking a garden. My mother had only two servants with her — a femme de chambre and a valet. My brother had returned to Paris in company with Salicetti, but he was no longer in his employment; he had given up the situation of secretary two months before. His intention was to go to Holland, and to enter into trade. A day or two after our arrival, my mother received visits from some of her friends who had escaped the terrorist proscription, and who felt as if they were restored to a new life. Among the number was M. de Perigord, who owed his miraculous preservation to his valet de chambre, Beaulieu. Before the revolution my mother had been acquainted with many Corsicans; though their opinions did not coincide with her own, they nevertheless were frequent visitors at her house. As soon as they knew she had returned, they all flocked to see her. Among them were Moltedo, the Abb6 Arrighi, Ar6na, Malicetti, Chiappe, and, above all, Bonaparte. My brother Albert had informed him of my mother's arrival, and he came im- mediately to see us. I may say that it was then I first knew Bonaparte. Previously I had only a confused recollection of him. When he came to see us after our return to Paris, his appearance made an impression upon me which I shall never forget. At that period of his life Bonaparte was decidedly ugly; he afterward underwent a total change. I do not speak of the illusive charm which his glory spread around him, but I mean to say that a gradual physical change took place in him in the space of seven years. His emaciated thinness was converted into a fullness of face, and his complexion, which had been yellow and apparently unhealthy, became clear and com- paratively fresh; his features, which were angular and sharp, became round and filled out. As to his smile, it was always agreeable. The mode of dressing his hair, which has such a droll appearance as we see it in the prints of the passage of the bridge of Areola, was then comparatively simple; for young men of fashion (the muscadins), whom he used S 66 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT to rail at so loudly at that time, wore their hair very long. But he was very careless of his personal appear- ance ; and his hair, which was ill-combed and ill-powdered, give him the look of a sloven. His small hands, too, underwent a great metamorphosis: when I first saw him they were thin, long, and dark; but he was subsequently vain of their beauty, and with good reason. In short, when I recollect Napoleon entering the court- yard of the Hotel de la Tranquillity in 1793, with a shabby, round hat drawn over his forehead, and his ill-powdered hair hanging over the collar of his gray greatcoat, which afterward became as celebrated as the white plume of Henry IV., without gloves, because he used to say they were a useless luxury, with boots ill-made and ill-blacked, with his thinness and his sallow complexion; in fine, when I recollect him at that time, and think what he was afterward, I do not see the same man in the two pictures. My mother, who was the best-hearted and most unaf- fected of women, frankly expressed all the pleasure she felt at seeing him again. She spoke to him of Salicetti, whom, she said, she had blamed for his treatment of him. A smile passed rapidly over the lips of Bonaparte. "He wished," said he, "to ruin me, but my star pre- vented him. However, I must not boast of my star, for who knows what may be my fate ? " I never shall forget the expression of his countenance as he uttered these last words. My mother endeavored to soothe him, and she succeeded better than I could have imagined. I confess that I was much surprised when I saw Salicetti and Bonaparte come next day to dine with us, to all appearance very good friends. At this period Paris was in a most disturbed state. Immediately after the 9th Thermidor the members of the Committee of Public Safety were accused. It was, I think, Legendre who attacked Collot-d'Herbois, Billaud- Varennes, Barrfere, Amar-Vouland, and David. This at- tack took place about the loth Fructidor. Carrier was also brought to the Convention, but it was to be con- demned. He perished on the 26th Frimaire following, and it must be confessed that his last moments were cer- tainly marked by courage. It is true that courage may be an attendant on crime as well as on virtue. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 67 It was in the midst of these circumstances that we arrived in Paris. On the day of our arrival M. Brune- ti^re told us he was very sorry that he had advised us to come. Bonaparte confirmed his apprehension. He had just then received a letter from his mother, in which she observed that the reaction would probably deluge the south of France in b^ood. " It is those Royalist coxcombs, " said Napoleon, * who are making all this uproar. They would be very glad to glean after the battle of the patriots. What fools there are in that Convention! I am very glad to see that Permon has not adopted the ridiculous fashion of these young men. They are all worthless Frenchmen." Those to whom Bonaparte alluded wore gray great- coats with black collars and green cravats. Their hair, instead of being it la Titus, which was the prevailing fashion of the day, was powdered, plaited, and turned up with a comb, while on each side of the face hung two long curls called dogs' earg (preilles de chieri). As these young men were very frequently attacked, they carried about with them large sticks, which were not always merely weapons of defense; for the frays which arose in Paris at that time were often provoked by them. The scarcity of bread and the necessaries of life now be- gan to be sensibly felt. My sister secretly sent us flour from the south. In so doing she was obliged to resort to various subterfuges, for a serious punishment would have been the result of the discovery. The people who had endured misery under Robespierre, because Robes- pierre flattered them, now openly threatened to rebel. Every day the bar of the Convention was invaded by the Sections of Paris, and crowds of people traversed the streets exclaiming, " Bread, bread! We, at least, had bread in 1793! Down with the Republic!" One day Bonaparte came to dine with us, and after dinner we took a walk out in the direction of the Tuileries. Bonaparte offered my mother his arm, and I walked with my brother. After we had crossed the Passage Feydeau and reached the Boulevard, we heard horrid vociferations against the Convention. "Madame Permon," said Napoleon, "let me advise you not to go any farther. These are not scenes for women to witness. Let me conduct you home, and I will come 68 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT and gather what news I can, and return to inform you of what I hear.* We immediately returned home, and Bonaparte and Albert afterward went out. Neither of them returned that night. They informed us that they had found it impossible to get back, and, besides, they had been to the Convention. "There they were," said Bonaparte, "roaring for the Constitution of 1793: they were like so many madmen." "And you. Napoleon," said my mother, "what is your opinion of it ? I think the Constitution of 1793 is a good one." Bonaparte was off his guard, and replied: " Why, it is good in one sense, to be sure ; but all that is connected with carnage is bad." Perceiving that my mother smiled, he recollected him- self, and said: '■'■Ah, Signer a Panoria ! Signora Panoria ! quesfi malissimo! come! mi volete prendere per sopresa ? " * Then he added with a smile : " Oh no ! the Constitution of '93; I do not like it." That same day Salicetti came to see us. He appeared out of humor, was abstracted, and frequently did not answer to the point when he was spoken to. When he was in this sort of humor and conversing with Bonaparte, the discussion was sure to take an angry tone, so that my mother always tried to turn the conversation from politics. A few evenings before the first of Prairial f my mother had a small party. She told the gentlemen whom she invited that she would have no politics introduced. "Is it not enough," said she, "to be roused out of one's sleep of a night by your tocsins and your drums, to say nothing of the harmonious choruses of your market women? Promise me that you will not speak of politics." The promise was given; but the difficulty was to keep it. What was to be talked about? All subjects of conversation were annihilated. The theaters produced nothing, and literature was dead. Bonaparte for a long time endeavored to maintain the conversation; but what could he do? Even M. de Nar- * " Ah, Madame Panoria ! that is very mischievous of you. How ? You wish to take me by surprise, do you?" t The i8tli of May, 1795. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 69 bonne or M. de Talleyrand must have failed. At length it was proposed to tell stories: Bonaparte liked this way of passing an evening, and he began to relate a number of anecdotes which were interesting in themselves, but which were rendered doubly so by his original manner of telling them. He spoke French very badly, frequently committing the greatest mistakes, and his ignorance on certain points of ordinary education was remarkable. Yet in spite of those disadvantages everyone listened to him with delight. However, after a time the conversation flagged, and an inclination to touch upon the forbidden subject soon predominated. I recollect that at that moment Salicetti, who was in none of the best of humors, was walking about the drawing-room, while the creaking of his boots made that monotonous and irritating noise which always annoyed my mother, but which was now quite intolerable to her, for she was vexed by the dullness of the com- pany. "Salicetti," said she, "can you not be at ease yourself and permit others to be so ? '* Salicetti, whose thoughts were at that moment wan- dering in a world far removed from my mother's tea-table circle, gravely turned round, and, bowing with an air of constrained politeness, said: " No more, I thank you, I have taken two cups, and I already feel the effect on my nerves." He then resumed his pacing backward and forward, while his odious boots creaked more loudly than ever. Patience was never my mother's prevailing virtue. She hastily rose from her seat, and advanced toward Salicetti with that light step which was so peculiarly her own. Seizing his stout arm with her little hand, she turned him completely round, and he stood not a little astonished at his own pirouette. "Salicetti," said she, "I like to be heard when I speak, and when I make a request I wish it to be complied with. This is somewhat despotic, perhaps, but I cannot help it. I am too old to accommodate myself to your new-fashioned customs, and what is more, I will not. We women are all queens without kingdoms. We are dethroned ; I feel this to my cost ; but still, I trust, I retain a little power in my own house. Here, at least, I am a 70 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT sovereigfn, and my subjects must obey me. Do you mean to rebel against my authority ? " "No," exclaimed Salicetti, delighted at the graceful manner in which my mother had rebuked him, and seia- ing her two little hands, which he kissed alternately, said, " I rebel against your authority ! Certainly not. What have I done that could lead you to suppose so ? ** His answer was repeated to him, and it turned out as the company had already guessed, that he thought my mother was offering him another cup of tea. CHAPTER XI. New Troubles in Paris — Bonaparte's Poverty — His Servant and My Mother's Femme de Chambre — The Jardin des Plantes — Mutual Confidence — Junot in Love with Paulette Bonaparte — Napoleon's Characteristic Reply — Revolutionary Scenes. MY MOTHER proposed to make a visit to Gascony to settle some business, and afterward to return to Paris with my father, the state of whose health made her uneasy. She wished to bring him within reach of the best medical assistance; but how was she to re- turn to Paris at a moment when the Revolution, suffer- ing from the crimes committed in its name, could offer no guarantee or security to anyone? The Convention, which at that time included many pure and honest Republicans, beheld its power braved and dis- avowed; everything seemed to be returning to that un- happy state, the bare remembrance of which excited horror. In spite of this, balls were resumed, and the theaters were filled every evening. It may truly be said of the French that they meet death singing and dancing. Balls, theaters, and concerts were nightly crowded, while famine was star- ing us in the face, and we were threatened with all the horrors of anarchy. Bonaparte came daily to visit my mother, and he fre- quently entered into warm political discussions with per- sons whom he met at her residence. These discussions almost always led to violent language, which displeased my DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 71 mother. But Bonaparte was unfortunate ; she knew it, and that consideration rendered her indulgent to him. My mother told me one day that she had learned some particulars respecting General Bonaparte which much dis- tressed her, the more especially as she could do nothing to assist him. These particulars had heen communicated to her by Mariette, her femme de chambre. Mariette was a very pretty and good girl; Bonaparte's servant admired her and wished to marry her. She, how- ever, did not like him; and as he was, moreover, poor, she declined his offer. I give these details because they are connected with an affair which I shall presently have to allude to. Bonaparte's servant informed Mariette that the General was often in want of money. "But," added he, *he has an aid-de-camp who shares with him all he gets. When he is lucky at play, the largest share of his winnings is always for his General. The aid-de-camp's family sometimes sends him money, and then almost all is given to the General. The Gen- eral," added the man, "loves this aid-de-camp as dearly as if he were his own brother." This aid-de-camp was no other than Junot, who was destined at a later period to be my husband! On Bonaparte's return to Paris, after the misfortunes of which he accused Salicetti of being the cause, he was in very destitute circumstances. His family, who were banished from Corsica,, found an asylum at Marseilles; and they could not now do for him what they would have done had they been in the country whence they derived their pecuniary resources. From time to time he received remittances of money, and I suspect they came from his excellent brother Joseph, who had then recently married Mademoiselle Clary; but with all his economy, these supplies were insufficient. Bonaparte was therefore in absolute distress. Junot often used to speak of the six months they passed together in Paris at this time. When they took an even- ing stroll on the Boulevard, which used to be the resort of young men, mounted on fine horses, and displaying all the luxury which they were permitted to show at that time, Bonaparte would declaim against fate, and express his contempt for the dandies with their whiskers and their oreilles de chien, who, as they rode past, were 72 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT eulogizing in ecstasy the manner in which Madame Scio sang paole pafum^e, paole panachde.* " And it is on such beings as these, " he would say, "that Fortune confers her favors. Heavens! how con- temptible is human nature ! " Junot, whose friendship for Bonaparte was of that ar- dent kind which is formed only in youth, shared with him all that he received from his family, who, though not rich, were in easy circumstances. He used some- times to resort to the gaming table, but before he did so he invariably deposited in the hands of Bonaparte three-quarters of the allowance he had received from Burgundy: the other quarter was allotted to the chances of vingt-et-un. Junot was often successful at play: on •i;hose occasions the two friends used to make merry, and pay off their most pressing debts. One morning Bonaparte and Junot were walking together in the Jardin des Plantes.f Bonaparte was always fond of these solitary promenades: they rendered him communicative and confiding, and he seemed to feel himself nearer to the presence of the Deity, of whom he used to say a faithful friend is the true IMAGE. I About this time the Jardin des Plantes had been greatly improved by the exertions of a man whom France ought to remember with gratitude. The Jardin des Plantes, which had originally been confined exclusively to the cultivation of medical plants, became, under the superintendence of M. Tournefort, a nursery for all branches of botany. " There, " Junot used to say, " we not only inhaled pure air, but it seemed, as soon as we passed the gate, that we left a heavy burden behind us. All around us pre- sented the aspect of peace and kindliness. The evening was generally the time for our visits to M. D'Aubenton. *This affected mode of dropping the »- was common among the dandies of that time, or, as they used to be called, the incroyables. \ Junot's uncle, the Bishop of Metz, a distinguished naturalist, was the intimate friend of D'Aubenton and Buffon. Junot, therefore, was always kindly received by the former, and often visited the Jardin des Plantes accompanied by the General. % I give this phrase literally ; I have often heard it repeated by Bona- parte. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 73 We used to find him like a patriarch surrounded by his laborers, whose planting and digging he was superintending. He was actively assisted by the broth- ers Thouin, whose zeal for the science of botany induced them to work in the plantations like common garden- ers. " The elder of these two brothers was a man of rare acquirements; and Bonaparte used to be fond of walk- ing with him round the extensive hothouses, which were already beginning to be filled with rare plants, and which subsequently, under his auspices, became the finest temple ever raised to Nature in the midst of a city. On one of Bonaparte's visits to the Jardin des Plantes, after he had lingered longer than usual in conversation with the brothers Thouin, he strolled with Junot into some of the shady avenues of the garden. It was a delicious evening, and a thousand rose trees in full bloom scattered perfume through the air. The two friends walked together arm-in-arm, and in confidential conversation: they were then in closer com- munion with each other than they ever were afterward in a gilded cabinet. A lovely night has always a pow- erful influence on minds susceptible of ardent feeling. Bonaparte was afterward governed by an overpowering passion, which subjugated every other within him, and reigned paramount: I need not name it. But at this period he was very young, and his heart beat warmly, for he loved. He made Junot his confidant, and spoke on the sub- ject with much acerbity, for his love was not returned. Junot has often told me that if Bonaparte had not him- self torn asunder the fetters which then bound him, the consequences of his passion might have been terrible. On this occasion his voice trembled while he expressed his feelings, and Junot was deeply affected by his emo- tion. But it was even then plain that there was within him an extraordinary force which struggled against his weakness. He broke off the conversation himself, and appeared to have forgotten the cause of his agitation. Confidence creates confidence. Junot had also a heart full of feelings which required to be disclosed to a friend, and the ear of Bonaparte had often heard his story. 74 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Junot loved to infatuation Paulette Bonaparte. His youthful warmth of feeling could not withstand so charm- ing a creature as Paulette then was. His passion was a delirium ; but his secret was not a week old when it was made known to his General. Honor commanded the disclosure, since his reason had not enabled him to re- sist his passion. Bonaparte received his declaration neither with assent nor dissent. He consoled him, however. But what gave Junot more satisfaction than all the words of his friend, was a belief, amounting almost to certainty, that Paulette would say « Yes " with pleasure, as soon as he should be able to offer her an establishment — not a rich one, as Bonaparte used to remark, but sufficient to be a security against the distressing prospect of bringing into the world children destined to be miserable. On the very day of which I have been speaking, Junot emboldened by what Bonaparte had told him in dis- burdening his own heart, was more than ever urgent on the subject of Paulette. He had received a letter from his father which he showed to Bonaparte. In this letter M. Junot informed his son that he had nothing to give at the moment, but that his share of the family property would one day be 20,000 francs. " I shall then he rich, " said Junot, " since with my pay I shall have an income of 1,200 livres. My dear General, I beseech you, write to Madame Bonaparte, and tell her that you have seen my father's letter. Would you wish him to write to Marseilles himself?" On leaving the Jardin des Plantes they crossed the river in a boat, and passed through the streets to the Boulevard. Having arrived in front of the Chinese Baths, they walked about in the opposite alley. While ascend- ing and descending this part of the Boulevard, Bonaparte listened attentively to Junot; but he was no longer the same man as when under the odoriferous shades they had just quitted. It seemed that on returning to the bustle of life, the tumult of society, he resumed all the fetters and obligations imposed by the State. His man- ner was, however, always kind. He only pretended to give advice. "I cannot write to my mother to make this proposal," he said, "for you are to have at last, it seems, 1,200 DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 75 livres of income — and that is very well; but you have not got them yet. Your father wears well, my good fel- low, and will make you wait a long time for your livres. The truth is, you have nothing but your lieutenant's pay ; as to Paulette, she has not so much. So, then, to sum up: you have nothing, she has nothing — what is the total ? Nothing. You cannot, then, marry at present. You must wait. We shall perhaps see better days, my friend — yes! We shall have them, even should I go to seek them in another quarter of the world. " * At this period insurrections were things of daily occur- rence. That of the 12th of Germinal, which was almost entirely the work of women, had a peculiar character. In the evening and in the course of the following day we saw several deputies who described the events. Some were quite cast down, and constantly exclaimed, *' France is ruined! '* The account they gave of what had passed was doubt- less alarming. Women had forced their way into the hall in which the representatives of the nation were as- sembled, and had driven them out. " It was from mere fatigue," said my brother, "that the mob retired." "And what did the Mountain do during the disturb- ance ? " asked my mother. " It supported the demands of the mob. All that I can further say is, that I was told that the noise made by the female insurgents was so great that nobody could understand what was going on. After their departure the deputies ventured to resume their seats and to proceed to business." Amid our conversation Salicetti was gloomy and silent. He made me, as usual, sit down beside him, and spoke of my sister's marriage, or anything else, without paying attention to what I said. However, he thus kept himself in countenance, and avoided a conver- sation the subject of which was to him too important to allow of his treating it with indifference. At the epoch of the first of Prairial there were ele- *I have described this conversation fully as Junot related it, be- cause I think the conduct of Bonaparte during the evening in which it occurred was very remarkable. Junot recollected all that passed minutely, and could point out the part of the Boulevard on which they were when Bonaparte spoke those words which later events have rendered so worthy of notice. l(> MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUKOT ments in the Convention capable of producing the most terrible effects. The terrorist party sought to save such of its members as were compromised not only in public opinion, but by the fact of being subject to a regular charge of impeachment. The contest was terrible, for it was for life or death. Billaud-Varennes, Collot-d'Herbois, and Barrfere, were the men chiefly dreaded. From Carnot, Robert Lindet, and others, no evil was to be apprehended, because, though they might perhaps be misled by adopting an erroneous opinion, the public could rely on their honesty. But, good heaven! what a reaction would there have been had the Thermidor party been overthrown! That, however, was the point at issue. The terrorists stirred up the people, who, in a season of scarcity, were easily led astray; and, consequently, we had mobs daily assembled by the cry, " Vive la Consti- tution de 'pj.'" Fortunately the seditions were suppressed. During the trials of the terrorists, Carnot was the only one who displayed a noble character; all the others were miser- able creatures; and the whole Convention was almost as contemptible. Had not Andr6 Dumont moved and urged with energy the banishment of Barrfere, Billaud-Varen- nes, and Collot-d'Herbois, it is not improbable that the whole Convention would have been outlawed. The sentence of exile was voted by acclamation, and six deputies were condemned to imprisonment in the castle of Ham.* But such was the infatuation of the Convention, that if two steps were made forward toward a public good, they were sure to be followed by four backward. The deputies ordered to be arrested walked about Paris, and if they had chosen they might have gone to the theater on the night of the 13th, for though condemned they were still at liberty: these were indeed the days of anarchy! It was necessary to act decisively; but at a moment when every journeyman perruquier took the name of Brutus, or Mutius Scaevola, there was not in the whole Convention, notwithstanding the great talents which formerly shone in it, a man whom anyone would have been simple enough to call a Cicero. * Leonard Bourdon, Hugues, CbSJes, Faussedoise, Duhem, and Choudien. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 77 However, Thibaudeau at last arose. In an energetic speech he reminded the Convention of its duty to watch over the public safety. The outlawry of the deputies was decreed. General Pichegru received the necessary orders of the Convention, which were speedily executed. Paris remained tranquil, and three deputies were sent to Rochefort.* CHAPTER XII. The 2oth of May — Death of Ferraud — Project of Bombarding the Faubourg Saint Antoine — Salicetti on the List of the Proscribed — He Flies for Refuge to My Mother's Lodgings — His Conceal- ment — Bonaparte's Visit to My Mother — Remarkable Conversation. THE Convention was no longer popular, because it manifested no readiness to alleviate the sufferings of the people, now rendered intolerable. Aversion had succeeded to the attachment which the public once fondly cherished for the Convention, and this was especially the case in Paris. Meanwhile, the enemies of order took advantage of these elements of mischief and did all in their power to fan the flame. On the morning of the 20th of May we were awakened by loud shouts in the streets; the tocsin sounded to arms, and another day of blood was added to the calendar which took its date from 1789! Enough has already been said of that dreadful day. I recollect that terror reigned everywhere. The conspirators had promised a day of pillage to the three faubourgs, and particularly to that of Saint Antoine. The whole population of this last dis- trict was in arms; they were in the extreme of misery. There was greater reason to dread the issue of this day than that of the 14th of July, the 6th of October, or the loth of August. It was not a castle or a court to which the animosity *Barrere went there with the others, but, as usual, he took care not to make one in a disagreeable party. He contrived to stop at Rochefort and did not embark. The French, who laugh at everything, said this was the iirst time that Barrfere did not follow the stream. A man of wit has said of him that he is one of those characters who are neither esteemed nor bated. 78 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT of the people was directed, but everything elevated above the very lowest grade of society was marked out in the list of proscription. This it was that saved France as well as the Convention. All those who had anything to lose united themselves into corps, which were very superior to unorganized masses acting without any plan, and ap- parently without leaders. While the most frightful scenes were passing in the Convention, the respectable inhabitants of Paris shut themselves up in their houses, concealed their valuables, and awaited with fearful anxiety the result. Toward evening, my brother, whom we had not seen during the whole day, came home to get something to eat; he was almost famished, not having tasted food since the morning. Disorder still raged, and we heard the most frightful noise in the streets, mingled with the beating of drums. The Faubourg Saint Antoine, which had been regularly armed in pursuance of the proposition of Tallien, excited the most serious alarm. My brother had scarcely finished his hasty repast, when General Bonaparte arrived to make a similar demand upon our hospitality. He also told us he had tasted nothing since the morning, for all the restaurants were closed. He contented himself with that which my brother had left, and, while eating, he told us the news of the day. It was most appalling! My brother had informed us of but part. He did not know of the assassination of the unfortunate Ferraud, whose body had been cut almost piecemeal. "They took his head," said Bonaparte, "and presented it to poor Boissy-d'Anglas,* and the shock of this fiend- like act was almost death to the President in his chair. Truly," added he, "if we continue thus to sully our Revo- lution, it will be a disgrace to be a Frenchman." Perhaps the most alarming circumstance was the pro- ject entertained by Barras of bombarding the Faubourg Saint Antoine. "He is at this moment," said Bona- parte, " at the end of the Boulevard, and proposes, so he tells me, to throw bombs into the faubourg: I have counseled him by no means to do so. The population of the faubourg would issue forth and disperse through * The admirable conduct of Boissy-d'Anglas on that day will always be mentioned in history. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 79 Paris, committing every excess. It is altogether very sad work. Have you seen Salicetti during the last few days ? » he inquired, after a moment's silence ; « they say he is implicated in the affair of Soubrani and Bour- botte. It is likewise suspected that Romme is compro- mised in that business. I shall be very sorry for it. Romme is a worthy man, and I believe a stanch and honest Republican. As to Salicetti ! » Here Bonaparte paused, struck his forehead with his hand, contracted his eyebrows, and his whole frame seemed agitated. In a voice trembling with emotion, he continued, " Salicetti has injured me greatly. He has thrown a cloud over the bright dawn of my youth — he has blighted my hopes of glory! I say again he has done me much wrong. However, I bear him no ill will." My brother was about to defend Salicetti. " Cease, Permon, cease ! '* exclaimed Bonaparte ; *' that man, I tell you, has been my evil genius. Dumerbion really loved me, and would have employed me suitably ; but that report spread at my return from Genoa, and to which malice lent its venom to make it the foundation of an accusation — that report ought, in reality, to have been a source of honor to me ! No ! I may forgive, but to forget is another matter. Yet, as I said before, I bear him no ill will." While speaking thus, Bonaparte appeared ab- stracted. About midnight he departed with my brother. The next day we learned that the Convention had or- dered the arrest of several of its members, among whom were Soubrani, Romme, Bourbotte, etc. ; Salicetti 's name was not mentioned. " Here are more proscriptions, " said my mother. " My dear," said she to Albert, "we are no doubt under great obligations to Salicetti for what he has done for your father and you ; but gratitude cannot make me indifferent to the impropriety of receiving a man who is accused of wishing to bring back the days of 1793. Salicetti is not on the lists of the proscribed, therefore I can, with a clear conscience, give him to understand that his visits are not agreeable. His opinions are becoming every day less and less in unison with mine." This was on the 21st of May: my mother expected a party of friends to dinner. She was to leave Paris in a few days for Bordeaux, and in four months was to return 8o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT with my father to Paris. Bonaparte was one of the com- pany invited to dine with us that day. It was six o'clock. One of the guests had arrived, and my mother was sitting in the drawing-room conversing with him, when Mariette came and whispered to her that there was somebody in her chamber, who wished to speak with her alone. The girl added, '* I know who it is, madam — you may come. " My mother immediately rose and went to her chamber, and beheld near the window a man, half concealed by the curtain. He made a sign to her with his hand. My mother called me, and, desiring me to shut the door, advanced toward this man, whom, to her astonishment, she discovered to be Salicetti. He was as pale as death ; his lips were as white as his teeth, and his dark eyes appeared to flash fire! He was truly frightful. " I am proscribed, " he said to my mother, in an under- tone and in breathless haste ; <* that is to say, I am con- demned to death. But for Gauthier, whom I just now met on the Boulevard, I was going to that den of brigands, and should have been lost. Madame Permon," he con- tinued, after a pause, during which his eyes were stead- fastly fixed on my mother ; " Madame Permon, I hope I have not been deceived in relying on your generosity. You will save me. To prevail on you to do so I need not, I am sure, remind you that I saved your son and husband. '* My mother took Salicetti by the hand and conducted him into the next room, which was my bedchamber. Several persons had now assembled in the drawing-room, and she thought she heard the voice of Bonaparte. She was ready to faint with terror. In my chamber she knew she could not be overheard. " Salicetti, " she , said, « I will not waste time in words. All that I can grant you may command ; but there is one thing more dear to me than life, that is, the safety of my children. By concealing you for a few hours, and this house cannot afford you any longer security, I shall not save you, and I only bring my own head to the scaffold, and probably endanger the lives of my children. I owe you gratitude, but I leave you to yourself to determine whether I ought to carry it thus far.'* I never saw my mother look so beautiful as when at this moment sh^ fixed her eyes earnestly on me. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 8i *I am not so selfish," replied Salicetti, "as to ask for anything which may expose you to such danger. My plan is this, and on it rests my only hope. This house being an hotel, will be the last to be suspected. The woman who keeps it has, I presume, no objection to get money; I will give her plenty : let me remain concealed here only eight days. At the expiration of that time you are to set out for Gascony; you can take me with you, and thus save my life. If you refuse me an asylum, even for a few hours, I shall be dragged to the scaffold, there to forfeit my life, while I saved that of your husband and your son. " "Salicetti," said my mother, "this is unkind and un- generous; you know my obligation to you, and you take advantage of it. I ask you again what I can do for you, situated as I am in this public hotel, a house which is filled with strangers, and which is the daily resort of your enemies ; for you know that Bonaparte is your enemy. • Besides, the mistress of this house is hostile to your opinions, and I doubt whether any reward could induce her to hazard her life to serve you. In short, we are surrounded by difficulties." At this moment the chamber door opened, and my mother ran toward the person who was about to enter. It was Albert; he came to inquire why dinner was de- layed. "All the company have arrived," he said, "except Bonaparte, and he has sent an apology." My mother clasped her hands, and raised them to heaven: she desired him to go downstairs, and she fol- lowed him. " I was just reading a letter which I have received from your sister. She has sent me a dinde aux truffes, and if our friends will wait so long for dinner, we will have it cooked for to-day; if not, it will be a reason for another little party." My mother uttered these words as she entered the drawing-room, holding in her hand a letter which she had snatched up in passing through her own chamber. Her reason for inventing this long story was that the gentleman whom she left in the drawing-room, when Mariette called her out, was a most notorious gossip, and she took it for granted that he had already told all the company that there was something very mysterious in her disappearance. But her manner was so natural that 6 82 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT no one had the least doubt of the arrival of the dinde aux truffes, which it was unanimously agreed should be cooked next day. My mother then begged leave to re- tire for a few moments to finish her letter. She hastened to her chamber, slipped the bolt of her door, and rejoined Salicetti, whom she found seated in a chair with his head leaning on both his hands. " We may esteem ourselves happy," said she, " that Bonaparte is not here to scrutinize our words and looks. Now let us settle what is to be done." " If you are willing, " said Salicetti, " the thing is easy : will you consent to save me? " My mother did not give an immediate reply. Her fre- quent change of color betrayed the violent agitation of her feelings. At length she became so pale that I thought she would have fainted away. Salicetti, who interpreted her silence as a refusal, took up his hat, muttered some words which I did not distinctly hear, and was about to leave the room when my mother caught him by the arm. " Stay, " she said ; " this roof is yours. My son must discharge his debt, and it is my duty to discharge my husband's. " '* Enough, enough, " said Salicetti, " all will be well. Now go and join your guests. Mariette will take care of me. I have said but two words to her, yet those two magic words have power to make her lay down her life to serve me. My dear girl," said he to me, drawing me back as I was about to follow my mother, " I have spoken before you because I know you cannot remain in ignorance of this affair. I need n'^t warn you of the consequences of indiscretion." " Ah ! fear nothing, " I exclaimed, throwing myself into my mother's arms, whose eyes were fixed upon me with an expression of despair. My dear mother thought only of her children at that moment when her own head was at stake. She stayed a minute longer in her chamber to recover herself. Her ardent feelings rendered her agitation ex- treme; but she was gifted with wonderful self-control, and when she entered the drawing-room nobody would have suspected that she had to conceal an important secret from those who surrounded her. DUCHESS OP ABRANTES 83 The dinner was very gay. The company was animated by a feeling of satisfaction at the result of the events of the two preceding days. Brunetifere was of the party, and, though never deficient in cheerfulness, his spirits seemed that day to be doubled. As soon as the company had departed, my mother acquainted Albert with Sali- cetti's concealment. My brother trembled for her and for me; but he saw the necessity of actively adopting some precautions for Salicetti's security. After some deliberation it was resolved to adopt Sali- cetti's suggestion and communicate the secret to Madame Gretry, the mistress of the hotel. She readily entered into our views. " I can manage this affair, " said she. " It is only nec- essary that Madame Permon should change her apart- ment. There is a hiding place in her chamber which saved four people during the Reign of Terror. It shall save more. At least, while I live here." All the necessary arrangements were immediately made. We gave out to our friends that my mother had received a letter from my father, in which he mentioned that he was coming to Paris, and that, consequently, my mother was not to set off. Some time after we were to pretend we had received a second letter from my father, request- ing my mother to come to him. It was important to have a reason for everything we did. Next morning, about eleven o'clock, we received a visit from General Bonaparte, and, as the scene which then ensued made a greater impression on me than almost any event of my life, I will describe it minutely: Bona- parte was at that time attired in the costume he wore almost ever after. He had on a gray greatcoat, very plainly made, buttoned up to his chin, a round hat, which was either drawn over his forehead so as almost to con- ceal his eyes, or stuck upon the back of his head so that it appeared in danger of falling off, and a black cravat, very clumsily tied. This was Bonaparte's usual dress. At that period, indeed, nobody, either man or woman, paid any great attention to elegance of appearance, and I must confess that Bonaparte's costume did not then ap- pear so droll as it now does on recollection. He brought with him a bouquet of violets, which he presented to my mother. This piece of gallantry was so extraordinary on 84 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT his part that we could not help smiling at it. He smiled too, and said : " I suppose I make but a sorry cavalier e servente. " "Well, Madame Permon," said he, after some further conversation, "Salicetti will now in his turn be able to appreciate the bitter fruits of arrest! And to him they ought to be the more bitter, because the trees which bear them were first planted by him and his adherents." "How," exclaimed my mother with an air of astonish- ment, at the same time motioning me to close the draw- ing-room door, " is Salicetti arrested ? " " What ? do you not know that he has been proscribed since yesterday ? I presumed that you must know • the fact, since it was in your house that he was con- cealed. " " Concealed in my house ! " cried my mother ; " surely, my dear Napoleon, you are mad! Methinks, before I entered into such a scheme it would be as well to have a place I could call my house. I beseech you, General, do not repeat such a joke in any other place. I assure you it would be endangering my life." Bonaparte rose from his seat, advanced slowly toward my mother, and, crossing his arms, fixed his eyes on her for some time in silence. My mother did not flinch beneath his eagle glance. '* Madame Permon, " he said, " Salicetti is concealed in your house ; nay, do not interrupt me ; I know that yes- terday, at five o'clock, he was seen on the Boulevard, speaking with Gauthier, who advised him not to go to the Convention. He then proceeded in this direction; and it is very well known that he has not in this neigh- borhood any acquaintance, you excepted, who would risk their own safety, as well as that of their friends, by secreting him. Now, he has not been at the Palais Egalit€; he therefore must have fled to you for an asy- lum." "And by what right," replied my mother, with un- shaken firmness, " should Salicetti seek an asylum here ? He is well aware that our political sentiments are at variance; he knew, too, that I was on the point of leav- ing Paris; for had I not received a letter from my hus- band I should have been on the road to Gascony to-morrow morning. " DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 85 ** My dear Madame Permon, you may well ask by what right he should apply to you for concealment. To come to a lone woman, who might be compromised for afford- ing some few hours of safety to an outlaw who merits his fate, is an act to which no consideration ought to have driven him. You owe him gratitude: that is a bill of exchange you are bound to honor; and he has come in person to demand payment. Has he not, Mademoi- selle Loulou ? " As he pronounced these words he turned sharply round toward me. I was sitting at the window at work, and at the mo- ment he spoke I pretended to be looking at one of the pots of flowers which were before me. My mother, who understood my meaning, said: " Laurette, General Bona- parte speaks to you, my dear ! " Thus challenged, I looked up, and my embarrassment might naturally have been attributed to my consciousness of having been unintentionally rude : so I hoped at least ; but we had to deal with one who was not to be imposed upon. Bonaparte took my hand, and, pressing it between both his own, said to my mother, " I ask your pardon, madame, I have done wrong: your daughter has taught me a lesson." " You give her credit for what she does not deserve," replied my mother; "she has taught you no lesson, but I will teach you one by and by, if you persist in an as- sertion for which there is no foundation, and which, if repeated abroad, would entail very serious consequences to me." In a tone of considerable emotion Bonaparte replied: « Madame Permon, you are an excellent woman, and Salicetti is a villain; you could not close your doors against him, he was well aware; and he would cause you to compromise your own safety and that of your child! I never liked him, now I despise him; he has done me mischief enough; but for that he has had his motives, and you have known them. Is it not so ? " My mother shook her head. " What ! has Permon never told you ? " « Never." "Well, that is astonishing! But you shall know some day or other. Salicetti, in that affair of Loano, behaved like a wretch. Junot would have killed him if I had 86 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT not prevented him. That spirited youth, animated by friendship for me, wanted to challenge him, and swore he would throw him out of the window if he refused to meet him. Now Salicetti is proscribed, and in his turn will have to experience all the misery attendant on a broken fortune ! " "Napoleon," said my mother, taking him by the hand, and fixing upon him a look of kindness, " I assure you on my honor that Salicetti is not in my apartments ; but stay — shall I tell you all ? " " Tell me ! tell me ! " exclaimed Napoleon, with a vehe- mence uncommon to him. "Well, then, Salicetti was under my roof yesterday at six o'clock, but he left in a few hours after. I pointed out to him the moral impossibility of his remaining with me, living as I do in a hotel. Salicetti admitted the justness of my objection, and took his departure." While my mother was speaking, Bonaparte kept his eyes fixed upon her with indescribable earnestness ; when she had concluded, he began to pace about the room with hurried steps. " 'Tis just as I suspected ! " he exclaimed. " He was coward enough to say to a woman, * Expose your life for mine.* But did the wretch who came to interest you in his fate, did he tell you that he had just assassinated one of his colleagues ? Had he, think you, even washed his gory hands before he touched yours to implore your protection ? " " Napoleon ! Napoleon ! " exclaimed my mother in Ital- ian, "this is too much! Be silent; if you are not, leave me! Though the man has been murdered, it does not follow that it is his fault." Whenever my mother was violently excited she always spoke Italian or Greek, and often to people who under- stood neither the one nor the other. Salicetti heard tha whole of this conversation, for he was separated from us only by a thin partition. As for me, I trembled under the momentary expectation of seeing him issue from hia hiding place. I then knew but little of the world. After some further conversation of the same kind, Bona- parte rose to take his leave. " Then you really believe he returned home ? " said he, as he took up his hat. " Yes, " replied my mother ; " I told him that, since he DUCHESS 'OF ABRANTfeS 87 must conceal himself in Paris, it were best to bribe the people of his own hotel, because that would be the last place where his enemies would think of searching for him." Bonaparte then left us, and it was high time, for my poor mother was exhausted. She beckoned me to go and bolt her chamber door, and open that of Salicetti's retreat. I never liked Salicetti. There was something about him which to me was always repulsive. When I read the story of the *' Vampire," I associated that fictitious char- acter with the recollection of Salicetti. His pale jaun- diced complexion, his dark glaring eyes, his lips, which turned deadly white whenever he was agitated by any powerful emotion, all seemed present to me. When I opened the door after Bonaparte's departure the sight of Salicetti produced in me a feeling of hor- ror which I shall never forget. He sat on a small chair at the bedside, his head leaning on his hand, which was covered with blood, as was likewise the bed itself, and a basin over which he was leaning was full. He had been seized with a hemorrhage, and streams of blood were running from his mouth and nose. His face was frightfully pallid, and his whole appearance affected me to such a degree that it haunted me in dreams a long time after. My mother ran to him; he had nearly swooned. She took his hand; it was quite cold. We called up Mariette, and on her applying some vinegar to his nose he recovered. CHAPTER XIII. The Trial of Romme, Soubrani, and Their Colleagues — Project for Saving Salicetti — Sentence and Death of the Prisoners — Horrible Scene. PREPARATIONS wcrc making for the trial of the parties accused of the proceedings of May. The officers were on the lookout for Salicetti and another repre- sentative. Salicetti was not beloved by his colleagues. 88 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT He was certainly a man of talent, and full of ambition; but the projects he wished to realize were of a nature to bring down on their author severe retribution. Romme, a distinguished mathematician, was already arrested, as was also Goujon, who, since the opening of the Convention, had rendered himself remarkable for his private virtues and Republican sentiments ; Soubrani, Duquesnoi, Duroi, and Bourbotte were also in custody. Each of these individuals was distinguished, as well by his personal character as by his statesmanlike qualities. What reflections were awakened at seeing such men seated on the criminal bench! My mother received a letter from my father, who, having heard of the danger of Salicetti, desired her to do whatever she could to render him assistance. This letter was delivered to her by M. Emilhaud, of Bordeaux, a gentleman who appeared to possess the full confidence of my father. One day, when M. Emilhaud called upon my mother, he brought with him a Spanish General, named Miranda. While these gentlemen were in the drawing-room con- versing with my mother, I had occasion to pass through the antechamber; but no sooner had I entered than I started suddenly. I thought I saw Salicetti standing be- fore me. Never was resemblance more striking, except that the individual whom I for a moment mistook for Salicetti was not quite so tall as he. The man was a Spaniard, in the service of General Miranda. By chance I mentioned this resemblance without think- ing it a matter of importance. However, it happened to suggest a lucky idea to my mother. « We are saved ! " she exclaimed. " It will be hard in- deed if we cannot find in all Paris a man five feet six inches ( French ) high, with a face like General Miranda's servant." My brother, Salicetti, and Madame Gr^try were immediately summoned to hold a council. " I must look out for a valet, " said my mother ; " and when I find one who will suit me, I will take him to the Section to get a passport. Having got possession of the passport, I can easily find a pretense to quarrel with my valet, and if I turn him off with a month's wages he will no doubt be very well satisfied." My mother clapped her little hands at the thought of this stratagem. DUCHESS OP ABRANTES 89 She was quite overjoyed; but, alas! a scene speedily ensued which changed all her happiness to grief and horror. Meanwhile the trial of the prisoners came on. They had been brought to Paris, and the special court-martial appointed to try them held its sittings in the Rue Neuve- des-Petits Champs. Salicetti was the only one who had escaped the grasp of justice; and, urged by his anxiety, my brother was constantly on the road from our hotel to the Rue Neuve-des-Petits Champs during the short time that was expended in deliberating on the fate of the unfortunate men. One day he returned home dreadfully agitated. He had witnessed an awful scene. Romme, Soubrani, Duroi, Duquesnoi, Goujon, and Bourbotte were condemned. During their trial they had exhibited the most admirable fortitude, feeling, and patriotism. The conduct of Romme, in particular, is said to have been sublime. When sentence was pronounced on them they surveyed each other calmly and serenely, and on descending the grand staircase, which was lined with spectators, Romme looked about as if seeking somebody. Probably the per- son who had promised to be there had not the courage to attend. « No matter," said he; "with a firm hand this will do. Vive la Liberti!''^ Then, drawing from his pocket a very large penknife, or perhaps it might more properly be called a small poniard, he plunged it into his heart, and, drawing it out again, gave it to Goujon, who, in like manner, passed it to Duquesnoi. All three fell dead instantly without uttering a groan. The weapon of deliverance, transmitted to Sou- brani by the trembling hands of Duquesnoi, found its way to the noble hearts of the rest ; but they were not so for- tunate as their three friends. Grievously wounded, but yet alive, they fell at the foot of the scaffold, which the executioners made them ascend, bleeding and mutilated as they were. Such barbarity would scarcely have been committed by savages. My brother stood so near Romme, to whom he wished to address a few words of friendship and consolation, that the blood of the unfortunate man dropped upon him. My brother's coat was stained with the scarcely-cold blood of a man who only a few days before was seated in the 90 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT very chamber, perhaps in the very chair, in which Albert was then sitting. The appearance of Salicetti inspired nothing but horror; indeed, I could not bear to look on him, so much did I dread his aspect. Without any consideration for my brother's feelings, he made him repeat, over and over again, the dreadful details of the tragedy he had just witnessed. Bonaparte had gone to Saint- Maur to spend a few days. He was in the habit of going there occasionally, though I do not know to whom. I have since put the question to Junot, who declared he knew nothing of the matter, and added that Bonaparte was very reserved on some sub- jects. When informed of the horrible catastrophe detailed above, he expressed the genuine emotions of his heart; and in spite of all that Madame Bourrienne says,* I maintain that at this period he was a very feeling man. Bonaparte had in general a bad delivery; I mean to say he was not eloquent in his manner of expressing himself. His concise style took from his language that air of courtesy, or at least of elegance, which is indis- pensable to the most ordinary conversation. The fact is, *«I remarked at this period, » wrote Mme. de Bourrienne of Na- poleon, in 1795, "that his character was reserved, and frequently gloomy. His smile was hypocritical, and often misplaced ; and I recol- lect that a few days after our return he gave us one of those specimens of savage hilarity which I greatly disliked, and which prepossessed me against him. He was telling us that being before Toulon, where he commanded the artillery, one of his officers was visited by his wife, to whom he had been but a short time married, and whom he tenderly loved. A few days after, orders were given for another attack upon the town, in which this officer was to be engaged. His wife came to General Bonaparte, and with tears entreated him to dispense with her husband's services that day. The General was inexorable, as he him- self told us, with a sort of savage exultation. The moment for the attack arrived, and the officer, though a very brave man, as Bonaparte himself assured us, felt a presentiment of his approaching death. He turned pale, and trembled. He was stationed beside the General, and during an interval when the firing from the town was very heavy Bona- parte called out to him, The officer, instead of moving to one side, stooped down, and was literally severed in two. Bonaparte laughed loudly while he described the event with horrible minuteness." — Bourrienne's "Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte," edited by R. W. Phipps ; London : Bentley, 1885, vol. i., p. 31. DUCHESS OP ABRANTfeS 91 he was only eloquent at moments when his heart ex- panded ; then it was, as the fairy legends say, that pearls and rubies dropped from his mouth. The present was one of those occasions, and the un- fortunate men who had just suffered found in Bonaparte an admirable panegyrist. Far different was his language toward Salicetti, Pr6ron, and all those who, he said, wanted to renew the Reign of Terror. The mention of these names led him to speak of himself, and of his blighted hopes and his misfortunes. " Yet I am only twenty-six years old, " exclaimed he, striking his forehead — "only twenty-six." He then regarded my mother with a look so melancholy that she said, after he was gone, " When I think on that young man's unhappiness, I almost reproach myself for what I have done for his enemy." CHAPTER XIV. Salicetti's Proxy — We Procure Our Passports — Our Departure for Bordeaux — The -First Post — Generous Letter from Bonaparte — Sali- cetti's Ingratitude — Om Arrival at Bordeaux — Difficulty of Obtain- ing a Vessel for Salicetti — We Proceed to Cette — Salicetti Sails for Genoa — Our Arrival at Montpellier. WE HAD above thirty applicants for the valet's situa- tion, but none of them would do. When any- one presented himself who did not possess the requisite personal qualifications, my mother immediately sent him about his business. What trampling there was up and down the staircase of the Hotel de la Tranquil- lit6! At last an overgrown boy, named Gabriel Tachard, made his appearance. He bore, it is true, no resem- blance to Salicetti, yet we thought he might pass very well for his proxy at the Section. He was a stupid fel- low, who would not certainly have remained in my mother's service a week, but he possessed the conjoined recommendations of being exactly five feet six, with black eyes and hair, a straight nose, round chin, and a 92 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT sallow complexion, and slightly marked with the small- pox. The next quality to be combined with all these was the right age, or at least the semblance of it; for Sali- cetti was, I believe, at that period thirty. However, we went to the Section, my brother, myself, Mariette, Gabriel Tachard, and Madame Gr6try, who was to answer for her lodger. We were supplied with passports, and all returned pleased, my mother and myself at the prospect of leav- ing Paris, Gabriel at having, as he thought, obtained a good place, and Madame Gr^try at getting rid of her lodgers; for, spite of its name, her hotel had been one uninterrupted scene of tumult ever since Salicetti had, by dint of gold, obtained permission to make it his hid- ing place. For the last eight days my mother had given out to her friends that my father expected her at Bordeaux. She now received another letter, enjoining her instant departure. In consequence, she determined to set off in two days. "You do well to go," said Bonaparte, taking her hand, and looking at her significantly ; " and yet you were wise in not going sooner. " " Why so ? '* "Oh, I cannot tell you now ; but you shall know before you return to Paris. " " But I cannot wait ; you know that we women are curi- ous. " " Well, you shall know the reason. At what time do you set out ? " "I do not exactly know ; but I sup- pose about eleven or twelve to-night, in order to avoid the heat. It is best in hot weather to travel by night and sleep by day. '* " Exactly so ; an excellent thought, that. Well," continued he, "you shall know my little secret when you arrive at Longjumeau." "And why at Longjumeau ? " " It is a whim of mine, " replied he. " Well, be it so ; but I must tell you en passant, my dear Napoleon, that you are a sad teazer." While this conversation was going on our dinner hour arrived and Napoleon stayed and dined with us. During dinner he said to my mother: " I wish you would take me with you on this journey. I will go a,nd see my mother while you are settling your business at Bordeaux and Toulouse; I will then rejoin you and M. Permon, and we will all return together to DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 93 Paris. I am quite idle here, thanks to that villain who has ruined me. I am now ready to be anything — a Chinese, a Turk, or a Hottentot. Indeed, if you do not take me with you I shall go to Turkey or to China. There the British power may be most effectively injured by a commercial treaty with the Turks or Chinese." He then began to talk on politics with my brother, and in less than an hour's time the Emperor of China was converted to Catholicism, and the Grand Calao was superseded by a Minister of Justice. At length the day of our departure arrived. Several of our friends came to take leave of us, and, among others, Bonaparte. He stepped up to my mother, and, taking her by the hand, said in a low tone, " When you return, think of this day. We may, perhaps, never meet again. Ere long my destiny will lead me far from France; but, wheresoever I go, I shall ever be your faithful friend." My mother answered him that he might at all times reckon on her friendship. " You know, my dear Bona- parte, " she added, « that I look upon you in the light of my Albert's brother." Our friends departed; post horses were procured, and Madame Gr^try, though already munificently rewarded, was promised besides a considerable present when Sali- cetti should have embarked. As to the valet, my mother dismissed him with a month's wages in advance, to his infinite satisfaction. Salicetti then assumed the name of Gabriel Tachard, under which he was to travel into the south of France. We set out. Salicetti seated himself on the box of my mother's traveling berlin, and we got out of Paris with- out any other delay than that occasioned by the exam- ination at the barrier. The postilion, on the promise of something to drink, brought us with the speed of light- ning to the Croix de Bemey. As we were about to start again, the first postilion from the Paris post came to the door of the coach and asked for citoyenne Per- mon. My mother asked him what he wanted. " I have a letter for you, " said he. « You surely are mistaken ! " said my mother ; " it cannot be for me ! • No," rejoined the man; "I do not mistake, if you are citoyenne Permon. " 94 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT At that instant the recollection of the words of Bona- parte flashed across my mother's memory. She took the letter, and offered the bearer an assignat of five francs; but he refused to accept it, saying that he had been already paid by the young man. At the season of the year at which we were traveling the nights were short; my mother's curiosity was not, therefore, kept long in suspense ; daylight soon enabled her to peruse the letter. The handwriting neither of us knew. I have since, however, learned that it was Junot's. This very singular epistle places the character of Na- poleon in a light from which his enemies have often sought to exclude it. It was couched in the following words : ( Translation. ) « I never like to be thought a dupe. I should seem to be one in your eyes if I did not tell you that I knew of Salicetti's place of concealment more than twenty days ago. You may recollect, Madame Permon, what I said to you on the first of Prairial. I was almost morally certain of the fact ; now I know it positively. * You see then, Salicetti, that I might have returned the ill you did to me. In so doing I should only have avenged myself ; but you injured me when I had not offended you. Which of us stands in the preferable point of view at this moment ? I might have taken my revenge ; but I did not. Perhaps you will say that your benefactress was your safe- guard. That consideration, I confess, was powerful. But alone, un- armed, and an outlaw, your life would have been sacred to me. Go, seek in peace an asylum where you may learn to cherish better sentiments for your country. About your name my mouth is closed. Repent, and appreciate my motives. "Madame Permon, my best wishes are with you and your child. You are feeble and defenseless beings. May Providence and a friend's prayers protect you ! Be cautious, and do not stay in the large towns through which you may have to pass. «Adieu.» The letter had no signature. My mother, after having read it, remained for some time absorbed in profound reflection. She then handed it to me, desiring me in Greek to read it to myself. I was thunderstruck. The look which accompanied the few words my mother said to me in Greek sufiiciently indicated on whom her sus- picion lay; and, I confess, I could not help sharing it. I looked at Mariette, who rode in the carriage with us. She was pale, and her eyes were red with weeping. I had observed that she had been singularly low-spirited, DUCHESS OP ABRANTSS 95 and sighed frequently during the whole of the journey. I was convinced my conjecture was right. We stopped to breakfast. I think it was at Etampes; and my mother showed Salicetti the letter. He read it over and over at least ten times. At length he ex- claimed, «I am lost! I am lost! Fool that I was, to trust to a woman's prudence ! " "Salicetti,* said my mother, suppressing her irritation, **you yourself have been the only imprudent person in this affair, and your unjust reproach is a compliment to us — I mean to my daughter and me; for you must rely very confidently on our generosity, when you can venture to reward us thus for all that we have done for you." Before my mother had ended her reply, Salicetti al- ready repented of his foolish exclamation. He very hum- bly asked our pardon. He then said he had heard us express some suspicion of Mariette. "Never mind — never mind,'* said my mother. "You ought rather to admire the noble conduct of Bonaparte; it is most gen- erous!" "Generous!" repeated Salicetti, with a contemptuous smile. " What would you have had him do ? Would you have wished him to betray me ? " My mother looked at him steadfastly, and then said: " I do not know what I would have him do ; but this I know, that I should wish to see you grateful." I may here mention that Mariette was really the guilty party. Bonaparte's servant was her lover; his master profited by this circumstance; and the present of a gold cross induced the poor girl to betray a secret which might have compromised the safety of the whole house. As to my mother, her fate was certain. When we had passed through Tours, Salicetti traveled inside the berlin. As we drove along we heard noth- ing but imprecations against the Convention, and all those who had wished to bring back the Reign of Ter- ror. The people were in a state of great excitement. " Heavens ! " said my mother, " if you were known here, what would become of us ! " We had good reason for alarm in several parts of our journey; but at length we arrived in safety at Bordeaux. There, to our great surprise, instead of finding my father, we found only a letter from him, in which he informed 96 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT us that he was obliged to depart for the country, but that his friend M. Emilhaud would attend my mother; and he gave her his address, that she might send for him on her arrival. In a quarter of an hour afterward M. Emilhaud was with us. We learned from him that my father had made unavailing inquiries for a vessel that would convey a passenger to Italy. None would start for the space of a fortnight. Ships were going to the United States, to St. Domingo, and to England ; but Salicetti neither could nor would go anywhere, except to Genoa or Venice. My mother was in despair. Next day, however, Laudois, my father's valet de chain- bre, came to us. He informed us that my father had as- certained that at Narbonne or at Cette a vessel would sail for Genoa, and several for Venice. He had, in con- sequence, made an arrangement with the master of a yacht to convey us up the Garonne as far as Toulouse, and from thence by the canal to Carcassonne. The car- riage could be taken on board the yacht; and from Car- cassonne we should only have to travel a few leagues to reach Cette or Narbonne. My father thought this mode of traveling much safer for us than by land, on account of the rigid orders that had everywhere been issued. Salicetti was quite of my father's opinion; and, with the assistance of Laudois, we were soon on board the yacht and sailing up the Garonne. We soon arrived at Carcassonne, and from thence reached Narbonne; but here we found no vessel going to Italy. We proceeded to Cette; and there we learned that two vessels were about to sail, the one in two days for Tri- este, and the other that same evening for Genoa. The captain of the latter vessel, which, singularly enough was named the "Convention," informed us that he should be under way at nine o'clock ; and, as the wind was fair, he should not be long in reaching his destina- tion. Salicetti was inclined to wait for the vessel bound for Trieste, but my mother would hear of no further de- lay. She observed that the wind might not be fair for Trieste on the day appointed, and that it was best to take advantage of the favorable breeze that was blowing that evening. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 97 We sat down to dinner; and when we had ended our repast Laudois and the servants of the inn conveyed the baggage of the fugitive on board the vessel. Salicetti stepped up to my mother, and taking both her hands in his said: " I should have too much to say, Madame Permon, were I to attempt to express my gratitude by words. As to Bonaparte, tell him I thank him. Hitherto I did not believe him capable of generosity; I am now bound to acknowledge my mistake. I thank him." He jumped into a little boat with the captain of the "Convention,'? and was soon on board the vessel which was to convey him to the shore where he hoped to find refuge rather than hospitality. We slept that night at the inn at Cette; and next morning, after breakfast, we set out for Montpellier. On our arrival there I discov- ered that death, emigration, and civil discord had com- mitted melancholy ravages in that city. CHAPTER XV. Couder's Invitation to My Father — Salicetti's Letter to My Mother — Madame de Saint Ange — Her Present to Bonaparte — Trading Speculation — Bonaparte and Bartolomeo Peraldi. MY father's health had suffered from the miseries of the Revolution. His feelings and his interests were alike wounded. The vexations he had suf- fered brought on a serious illness, which was augmented by the state of seclusion in which he chose to live. My mother was accustomed to mingle with the world, and her quick perception soon enabled her to discover that my father's situation was not without danger. Couder, the procureur of the Commune, whom I have already mentioned as a worthy, honest man, warned my mother of the disagreeable reports which were in circu- lation at Toulouse respecting my father. « It is said, » observed Couder, " that he is ill of the aristocratic fever; I denied the truth of the report, and contended that the citizen Permon was a stanch Repub- lican. I know very well," replied he, smiling signifi- 7 98 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT cantly, " that that is not quite true ; but there is no harm in a little falsehood sometimes. However, if you will take my advice you will force citizen Permon a little more into society. If he would do me the honor to accept a place in my box at the theater — if . . ." Here Couder was a little embarrassed. « Generous man!" cried my mother, as she shook the honest shoemaker's rough hand; "generous man! — yes, we will come to your box ; I am sure Permon and I will feel honored by your kind offer." "Charles," said she to my father, as soon as the pro- cureur had left her, "do you know what Couder has been saying ? " and she related the conversation which had taken place, without forgetting the proposition about the box. My father turned red and made no reply. But when my mother pressed him for an answer, he shrugged his shoulders and, with a bitter smile, said: " What a question ! What would you have me do ? Citizen Couder" (and he laid a great emphasis on the word citizen) " summons citizen Permon to the bar of his box. We must of course go; that is better than to be dragged to a dungeon by gendarmes; I have only that alternative. I believe this is a second Thirion. O Marie, Marie, you might have spared me this insult ! " My mother burst into tears. " Charles, " she exclaimed, "you view this matter in a wrong light; you misconstrue the intentions of your friends. Do you believe that I would have listened to an invitation which bore the least ap- pearance of an insult to you ? " " Doubtless, my dear Marie, " exclaimed my father, impatiently interrupting her; "let this man make your shoes, but speak to me no more about his box. I am tired of this," said he, throwing himself upon his couch. There the conversation ended; and it may be supposed that my father did not go to the theater. Couder was told that my father was ill, and he received the excuse without appearing hurt. Had he listened to the dictates of wounded pride he might have done us a great deal of harm. Salicetti often wrote to my mother. Shortly after the scene I have just described she received a letter from him which showed that he had heard my father was hos- tile to the Government. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 99 «Be on your guard, dear Signora Panoria," he said; *I hear that plots are being secretly and silently organ- ized. They say the Royalists are about to rise. Cer- tainly, I am far from suspecting citizen Permon of engaging in any conspiracy, for I have pledged my WORD FOR HIM. But Others, dear citizen, will suspect that his wish to remain secluded arises from the desire to conceal some culpable design from scrutinizing eyes. Prevail on him to mix a little more with society; you always had an attractive house. Why should not your drawing-room at Toulouse be as it was in Paris ? » My mother showed this letter to my father, who at length saw the danger of exciting toward us the attention of suspicious authority. My mother knew already almost everybody in Toulouse, and our home was speedily one of the gayest in the town. By a singular chance my mother found in Toulouse one of her cousins, from Corsica, whom I used to call my aunt. Mademoiselle Stephanopoli had married M. de Saint Ange, a distin- guished naval officer, who, having quitted the service at the breaking out of the Revolution, purchased at Saint Michel de Lunez, near Castlenaudary, an ancient chdteau, formerly belonging to the Polignacs. There he resided with his wife and seven lovely children. Madame de Saint Ange and my mother were delighted to meet again. Mademoiselle Stephanopoli was, like my mother, the friend of Laetitia Bonaparte. "Well, Panoria," said she one day, "you see one of Laetitia Ramolini's sons has made his way in the world. That young man is likely to become a General of Division. I confess that I should not have expected it, for Joseph was the one I thought would raise up the family. And the Archdeacon " "Oh! do not mention the Archdeacon," exclaimed my mother ; " I was tired of hearing his name before we left Corsica. " " But, figlia mia, " replied my aunt, who was as lively as a girl of fifteen, " though the Archdeacon is no favorite of yours he is nevertheless a person of great importance in the Bonaparte family. I think with him that Joseph is the flower of the flock. He is so handsome and so well bred. Napoleon is downright ugly, figlia mia; as .TOO MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT stupid as a mule, and very ill-behaved — though he is your prot^gd, figlia niia ! " "Ah, cousin," replied my mother, " I see he has done something to offend you, and, like a true Corsican, you will not forgive him. " My aunt laughed. The fact was, Bonaparte had offended her only a few months previously. I will relate how. At that period almost everyone endeavored to increase the little fortune they might have saved from the wreck. Few were such fools as to be too proud to do this. My aunt found that she might earn some money by trans- mitting to the ports of Provence goods for the Corsican market, and bartering them for others. Some time after the siege of Toulon she sent to Marseilles cloth and linen to be shipped for Calvi. Her agent, however, wrote to acquaint her that the English maintained the blockade with such vigilance that he was unable to effect the trans- mission of the goods. " Take my advice, " added he, " and dispose of your goods either at Toulon, at Antibes, or at Nice. There are troops at those places, two-thirds of whom, to my knowledge, have not shirts to their backs. Your cloth is good in quality and reasonable in price;* therefore it will sell well. You know General Bonaparte ; write to him, and you will, I make no doubt, realize fifty per cent profit. " My aunt saw that the project would answer; she therefore addressed a letter to Bonaparte, which she took care to write in Italian, sprinkled here and there with a few Corsican words, with the view of reminding him of his country and his friends. This done, she sent the packet under the care of an old domestic of her father, who had settled in the environs of Marseilles. This man was a Corsican, named Bartolomeo Peraldi. He knew all the Bonaparte family, and of course Napo- leon among the rest. The General's epaulettes did not intimidate Peraldi, and having delivered to him the let- ter from the Signora Catalina, he seated himself with- out any ceremony. Though it was early in the morning, and in the midst of winter, Bonaparte was up and dressed, booted, spurred, and ready equipped to mount his horse. * It was made in the Chatea^i of Saint Michel ; my aunt and cousins spun the hemp and the flax. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES . loi Bartolomeo, who surveyed the General with a scrutinize ing eye, remarked that Bonaparte's countenance under- went a sensible change while he read Madame Saint Ange's letter. First an ironical smile played over his features, then his forehead lowered into a frown, and sur- veying Bartolomeo, he said, "What is all this non- sense ?" These words were spoken in French, and in so high a tone that it seemed he wished them to be heard by two officers who were in the next apartment. Bartolomeo perceived Bonaparte's design, and felt a little nettled. He replied in Italian, though he could speak French very well, " Signor Napoleon, I do not understand you. You know that in Corsica we poor devils speak only our patois^ as you call it here. Do me then the favor to speak to me in our dear native tongue. " Bonaparte surveyed the man with a look of surprise. "• I left Corsica too young to be able to express myself easily in Italian,^' said Napoleon, turning on his heel; " besides, I see no necessity to speak your patois as you rightly term it, for Signora Catalina tells me in her let- ter that you have been living for fifteen years on the coast of Provence." "• Si, signor,'''' replied Bartolomeo. ** Surely, then, you can speak French," said Bonaparte, with impatience. " What do you mean by this insolence, fellow ?» Peraldi was now a little confused, but speedily resum- ing his confidence, and putting on his red and blue bonnet, which he had taken off on his entrance, he ad- dressed Bonaparte in the following words: "There is no need for all this jesting and calling me such names, M. Napoleoncino. Tell me what answer I am to take to the Signora Kalli." Bonaparte darted at him an inquir- ing glance. " Yes, sir, the Signora Catalina and the Sig- nora Kalli are both the same. In short, Madame de Saint Ange. What am I to tell her ?" * Know you the contents of this letter ?" demanded the General, pointing to my aunt's epistle, which lay on the table at his side. Bartolomeo nodded assent. "Then," rejoined Bonaparte angrily, and in a very loud tone, "you are more impu- dent than I thought you. Here," continued he, address- ing the officers in the next room, " this fellow has brought me a packet from one of my countrywomen, who wants I02 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT me to get some trumpery cloth sold to the Republic. It is true she allows me a commission. Here, pray read the letter, citizens." So saying, he took my aunt's let- ter, to which there was attached a small bit of paper, with patterns of the cloth and linen, and their prices marked. "You see," continued he, "that she offers me the piece marked No. 2 as a bribe, and if she seduce me, it will not be, as you perceive, by the splendor of the present." The two young officers laughed immoderately when they looked on the pattern, which was coarse and brown, and scarcely fit for soldiers' shirts. I cannot conceive what my poor aunt was thinking of when she offered such a present to Napoleon. " Begone ! " said he angrily to Bar- tolomeo; "it is lucky for you that you are only the bearer of this impudent message! Begone, I say!" "I am going — I am going! Good God! what a piece of work! And all for what? Because good Madame de Saint Ange has sent him a few ells of cloth to make him half a dozen shirts. Eh! I have seen the day, and not long ago either," continued he, all at once changing his language, and speaking in good French — "I have seen the day when the half of this piece of cloth would have been gladly accepted by your mother. General Bona- parte, to make shifts for your sisters, though now they have the finest that can be procured in Marseilles — and not much to the credit of one of them." These last words he muttered between his teeth and then with- drew. Napoleon was afterward sorry for having shown so much ill humor in this foolish affair. I am sure he never pardoned Bartolomeo Peraldi for the lesson he gave him before two officers, who, as they did not belong to his corps, conceived they had no reason to keep the secret. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 103 CHAPTER XVI. The Fair of Beaucaire — Atrocities Committed in the South — Mutilated Women — Short Stay at Bordeaux — Decline of My Father's Health — Return to Paris — Our H&tel Rue de la Loi — Domiciliary Visit — My Father's Illness — Bonaparte's Daily Calls on My Parents — Com- motions in Paris — The Convention and the Sections — The 13th Vendemiaire — Bonaparte at My Mother's on the 14th, and Their Con- versation — Death of My Father. TARASCON and Beaucaire are, as everybody knows, sepa- rated only by the Rhone, and the houses of the two towns line either bank of the river. On seeing those narrow streets, those houses with high Gothic gables, those windows with small sashes and close lattices, the irregular pavement formed of large flints from the river, you fancy yourself in the Middle Ages; for there is nothing about Beaucaire that reminds you of the age in which we are living. The fair of Beaucaire is one of the most celebrated in Europe ; it is on a par with those of Frankfort and Leipsic. Its originality is one of the causes that draw thither so many customers. The merchant of Bagdad there sets up his booth beside the manufacturer of London; the trader of Astracan repairs thither to deal with the weaver of Lyons ; and the pearl fisher of the coast of Coromandel does business with the jeweler of Paris, through the medium of the garlic merchant of Marseilles. This may appear extraordinary at first sight, but it is nevertheless a fact; and whoever has been to the fair of Beaucaire will recollect the immense heaps of garlic* Had I not been formerly at the fair of Beaucaire I could not say that I knew anything about it, for this year was the first since the Revolution had overthrown all the customs of this kind ; accordingly, signs of it were to be seen in the singular arrangement of the shops and goods. From the fear with which they displayed their *They are from fifteen to twenty feet high, and proportionably wide at the base. The sum put into circulation for this commodity alone is estimated at upward of 600,000 francs, or about ;f 24,000; at least, so I have been assured by the inhabitants of the town. 104 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT stuffs and exhibited their precious stones, you would have imagined that they dreaded a reaction, and were afraid lest their merchandise should become the property of others without the formality of a sale. The South was actually in such a state as to excite great uneasiness in those who were merely traveling through it, and who could not hope for any aid from lustice and the laws, since both were then absolutely powerless, in case they were attacked by one of those unruly parties which drenched the earth with blood by their quarrels and combats, and by assassinations. These parties assumed all colors, all watchwords were alike to them, and the most atrocious cruelty, the most refined horrors — if I may be allowed the expression — presided over these acts of cannibals, under pretext of avenging the province for the evils inflicted by the days of terror. They fancied that with blood they could wipe away blood — strange baptism ! Women, aged men, and children had been thrown from the tops of the towers of the castles of Tarascon. In a cavity formed by the rocks, a little below the town of Beaucaire, we saw the mutilated bodies of two women, whom the current had carried into that cavern. There they remained, and the wind at times wafted from the spot a stench that made one sick at heart. We stopped at Beaucaire no longer than was necessary to see the singular assemblage which the fair brought together. On this occasion, to my great regret, the tarasque was not paraded about as usual; it was justly apprehended that, at a moment when popular efferves- cence had reached the highest pitch, this procession might be attended with fatal consequences. The precise origin of the tarasque is not known, and the manner in which it is conducted throws no light upon this ceremony ; still, like the beast of the Gevaudan, it must have had for its primary cause the destruction of some mischievous and dangerous animal. The remembrance of it is thus perpetuated at Beau- caire: an immense machine of wickerwork, covered with oilcloth, and held together by large strong hoops, is shaped like a dragon or some other fantastic beast; this machine, from twenty to twenty-five feet long, is filled by a party of young men appointed by the town, when DUCHESS OP ABRANTES 105 the ceremony of the tarasque is decided upon. It was an honor to be admitted into this number. When they were in this strange sort of vehicle they set off, and, darting away at full speed, ran about the town, upsetting everything before them. "Woe to the blind and the slow- motioned whom they encounter — they are sure to be thrown down. I saw this exhibition a few years after- ward, and I must confess that I fancied myself among a people of maniacs. It is seldom that it is not pro- ductive of serious accidents. On leaving Beaucaire we returned to Bordeaux. The news which my mother received from my father gave us so much uneasiness as to prevent our compliance with the wishes of several of our friends, who earnestly begged us to go to Marseilles, to Avignon, and to Aries. We returned by the same road we had come, stopping only at Toulouse and Castlenaudary, whence we pro- ceeded to my aunt Saint Ange. We found her still a model for her sex; her virtue had so sincere a character that you were forced to admire it, and this feeling was experienced by all who approached her. My mother, as I have observed, was tenderly attached to her; but, as she herself said laughingly, she could never come up to her, if she must, for that purpose, rise at four in the morning and " eat leg of goose more than four times a year. '* "If your virtue could permit you to rise at nine, and not eat so much salt, I could accommodate myself to it well enough, cousin; if you will agree to that, I will come hither with Loulou, and we will be your best work- people. '* '^Altro, altro, figlia mia,'''' replied my aunt lifting my mother as she would have taken up a feather. " Let us each go on in our own way." Dear and admirable woman! I saw her subsequently, when I dwelt in a palace. "Are you happier now than when you went with your cousins to strip the mulberry trees when you were a girl ? " asked she, on seeing me come home at five o'clock to dress in haste, having scarcely time to kiss my children and get into my car- riage again to perform what were called duties. I had a place at Court. On leaving Saint Michel de Lunez we proceeded to io6 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Bordeaux. My father awaited us at the Hotel Fumele, where he had provided apartments for us. Prepared as we were by the accounts of Laudois and M. Emilhaud for the change in my father, we were shocked on seeing him. His paleness, his emaciation, his dim eyes, and his tremulous voice, everything about him indicated a person struck by death. His character had retained that gloomy and melancholy hue which tinged it at Toulouse. The solitude in which he had persisted in living had proved fatal to him. Our meeting dispelled for a few hours that sullen reverie in which he was always plunged; but he soon relapsed, and seemed to attach no importance to the flight of Salicetti; but, after listening to our narrative of the manner in which we had saved him, he smiled with most expressive bitterness, and said to my mother: "You could do no less than offer him everything; it was not fit that he should accept, still less ask for anything." When he was informed of the conduct of Bonaparte, it made such an impression upon him that he rose from his chair and paced the room several times without uttering a word, but with visible emotion. At length he returned to his seat, and taking my mother by the hand, " My dear, " said he, " this conduct is admirable. " This admission was a good deal for my father; for I never knew a person more sparing of commendation. " I said the same thing to Salicetti," said my mother, "and what answer do you think he gave me ? ' Would you, then, have had him deliver me up ? * said he to me contemptu- ously." My father shrugged his shoulders. "I have almost always seen," he said, "that persons who regard noble and generous conduct in others as the simplest thing in the world, were themselves the most incapable of it." My parents, having finished all their business, left Bordeaux at the beginning of September, 1795, ^.nd' directed their course toward Paris with the intention of settling there again. We arrived the 4th of the same month, and alighted at the Hotel I'Autriche, Rue de la Loi. My brother hastened to join us as soon as he knew of our arrival. He was deeply grieved on perceiving the state of my poor father, who was so fatigued with the journey as to be almost dying when we reached Paris. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 107 Our physician, M. Duchannois, was sent for; he required a consultation. Two days afterward my poor father was very ill. A dangerous fever was superadded to his pre- vious sufferings This was too much. General Bonaparte, apprised by my brother, came im- mediately to see us. He appeared to be affected by the state of my father, who, though in great pain, insisted on seeing him. He came every day, and in the morning he sent or called himself to inquire how he had passed the night. I cannot recollect his conduct at that period without sincere gratitude. He informed us that Paris was in such a state as must necessarily lead to a convul- sion. The Convention, by incessantly repeating to the people that it was their master, had taught them the answer which they now made it in their turn. The Sections were in almost avowed insurrection. The Section Le- pelletier, wherein we resided, was the most turbulent, and in fact the most to be dreaded; its orators did not scruple to deliver the most incendiary speeches. They asserted that the power of the assembled people was above the laws. " Matters are getting from bad to worse," said Bonaparte; "the counter-revolution will shortly break forth, and it will become the source of fresh disasters." As I have said, Napoleon came every day; he dined with us, and passed the evening in the drawing-room, chatting in a low tone beside the easychair of my mother, who, worn out with fatigue, dozed for a few moments to recruit her strength, for she never quitted my father's pillow. I recollect that one evening, my father being very ill, my mother was weeping and in great tribulation. It was ten o'clock. At that time it was impossible to induce any of the servants of the hotel to go out after nine. Bonaparte said nothing. He ran downstairs and posted away to Duchannois, whom he brought back with him in spite of his objections. The weather was dread- ful; the rain poured in torrents. Bonaparte had not been able to meet with a hackney-coach to go to M. Duchannois; he was soaked through. Yes, indeed, at that period Bonaparte had a heart susceptible of attach- ment! io8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Meanwhile we became more and more alarmed every day by the dangers which manifested themselves around us. Paris rang with the tumult of the factions, which drew the sword, and each hoisted its standard. Against the Convention, then the only real authority, were arrayed the Sections, which for some days past had declared war against it. Our Section in particular was in full insur- rection. Paris resembled a garrison town. The Sections had even a military organization. At night we heard the sentries calling to and answering one another, as in a besieged town; the strictest search was made for arms and ammunition ; and the Section was furnished with lists of all the men capable of bearing arms. This measure even occasioned a distressing incident of which our house was the scene. On the 2d of October, at two in the afternoon, my father was dozing a little. He had been exhausted by the effects of an emetic, and we had taken the greatest precautions to prevent his being disturbed by any noise. The doors were all at once thrown open, and three men, talking loudly, stamping with their feet to make some- one hear, and having the manners of porters, entered the apartment, followed rather than conducted by the master of the hotel, who was a worthy, excellent man. " What a deal of ceremony ! " exclaimed one of these wretches with horrid oaths ; " and why cannot we go into this room ? " " Because there is a sick person in it, " said my mother, coming forward to meet him, and shutting the double door of my father's bedroom, for it was nec- essary to spare him any emotion of this kind. "And who is this sick person ? " inquired the same man, with an inflection of voice which showed that he did not be- lieve a word that was said. " My husband. ** " Your hus- band. And why," said he, turning over the leaves of a stitched book which he carried with him, "has not your husband given in his name to the Section ? He is, in fact, inserted in the list of arrivals at the hotel, but we have not seen him. What is the meaning of this con- duct, at a moment when the nation needs all its defend- ers ? " " And pray who are you, " asked my mother, " who come thus to annoy my family ? Do you belong to the Convention ? " "I have probably sufficient author- DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 109 ity to talk to you as I do; but answer my question, and tell me why your husband has not been to the Section ? " My mother was going to cut him short, when the master of the hotel made her a sign which restrained her. "My husband was so ill on his arrival," replied she, " that he took to his bed immediately, as the master of the house can certify." The keeper of the hotel con- firmed my mother's assertion, adding some civil words. The man of the Section then looked at the book. "Why, I see," said he, "that he arrived on the 28th of Fructidor (September 15), that is nineteen days ago. What sort of illness is it ? I should have had time to die and come to life again three times over; but that is nothing to the point ; where is this citizen Permon ? I must see him. " " I have already told you that he is ill, citizen. " " It is no time to be ill, when the country itself is in danger. Come, open the door." "You are either a madman or a monster ! " exclaimed my mother, placing herself before the door of my father's room. " Wretch ! stir not a step farther, or the consequences be upon your own head." At this sharp address the man receded a few steps: my mother's look must have frightened him as much as he had alarmed her. While he hesitated, my mother told me in Greek to go immediately through the other room to my father, and endeavor to counteract the effect whichi this noise must have had upon him. I found my father much disturbed at the tumult which he had heard ; the very cries of the sentries, after dark, had already alarmed him. The nurse, who had not dared to leave him, told me that for above a quarter of an hour he had been wanting to know what this noise was about. I told him that it was a man belonging to the Section, who had come to set him down in the lists of the National Guard, but that on being informed of his illness he had desisted. I was induced to say so, because I heard no further alterca- tion. My father looked steadfastly at me. " Is that quite true ? " he asked. Knowing that a true account of this scene would be liable to cause a fatal crisis, I answered in the affirmative, and my mother's maid, who heard the whole, came in and supported me. My father did not believe it. I heard him utter the words, " Wretches ! my poor coun- no MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT try ! " At length he asked for my mother. I went to fetch her, but in what a state did I find her! For some years past my mother had been subject to nervous paroxysms, of a character the more alarming in- asmuch as she never lost her consciousness, but continued in a dreadfully convulsed state for one or two hours. At such times she disliked to have anybody about her. On reaching the drawing-room I found her in tears, and in one of the most violent spasms. General Bonaparte was with her, endeavoring to soothe her; he would not call anyone, for fear of alarming my father. I hastened to bring a draught, which my mother always took in these fits, and which immediately calmed her. I rubbed her hands — I took her to the fire ; and she was soon able to go to my father, who began to be extremely uneasy because she did not come. General Bonaparte told me that on his arrival he found her on the point of attacking the assistant of the Section, to prevent his entering my father's chamber: fortunately, there was a double door. " I should be glad to spare your mother such scenes, " said he. " I have not much influence; nevertheless, when I leave you, I will go my- self to the Section ; I will see the president, if possible, and settle the business at once. Paris is in a violent con- vulsion, especially since this morning. It is necessary to be very cautious in everything one does and in all one says. Your brother must not go out any more. Attend strictly to this. Mademoiselle Laurette, for your poor mother is in a sad state." This was a dreadful night for my father. The disease made rapid progress, increased as it was by all that he heard, and that we could not keep from his knowledge. The next morning the drums were beat in the Section Lepelletier: it was impossible for us to deceive him in regard to that sound, with which he was but too well acquainted; and when M. Duchannois called to see him, he no longer concealed from us the danger of his situ- ation. My poor father perceived it before M. Duchannois had uttered a word: no doubt he felt it too. Be this as it may, he desired to see M. Brunetifere, and M. Renaudot, his notary. They were sent for. The streets were already very tinsafe, and those gentlemen were not to be DUCHESS OF ABRANTES iii found. M. Brunetifere was not in Paris, and M. Renaudot was from home. The tumult became very great at dusk : the theaters were nevertheless open. Indeed, we are a nation of lunatics! On the morning of the 12th, Bonaparte, who had called according to custom, appeared to be lost in thought: he went out, came back, went out again, and again returned when we were at our dessert. I recollect that he ate a bunch of grapes, and took a large cup of coffee. " I breakfasted very late," said he, «at .* They talked politics there till I was quite tired of the subject. I will try to learn the news, and if I hear anything interesting I will come and tell you." We did not see him again. The night was stormy, especially in our Section. The whole Rue de la Loi was studded with bayonets. General d'Agneau, who com- manded the Sections, had called to see someone in the next house to ours, and one of the officers who were with him had expressed the most hostile disposition. Barri- cades were already erected in our street, but some officers of the National Guard ordered them to be removed. The National Guard was the principal force of the Sections. Its grenadiers and its chasseurs, shopkeepers, and a few private individuals belonging to the party, these were the elements opposed to the troops of the line commanded by experienced generals such as Brune, Berruyer, Montchoisy, Verdier, and lastly Bonaparte. On the morning of the 13th my father was very ill. It was impossible to expect M. Duchannois; our gratitude was the more ardent when we saw him arrive. He stayed nearly an hour with us: in anticipation of what might happen, he left directions as to what was to be done in case he should be out of the way when wanted ; but he did not conceal from my brother and myself the effect which the events in preparation were likely to have on our unfortunate father. « A few days ago, » said he, « I began to have fresh hopes; but the affair of the day before yesterday, of which he was informed by his nurse" (the silly creature had related it to him after my departure, for the purpose of diverting his mind), « has brought on the fever again with redoubled violence. I dare not indulge the hope *J believe it was at Bourrienne's, but I am not sure. 112 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT that he will be insensible to the commotion about to take place." For some hours we flattered ourselves that matters would be adjusted between the Convention and the rebels; but about half -past four the firing of cannon began. Scarcely was the first discharge heard before it was answered from all quarters. The effect on my poor father was terrible and immediate. He gave a piercing shriek, called for assistance, and was seized with the most violent delirium. To no purpose did we administer the draughts prescribed for him by M. Duchannois. All the scenes of the Rev- olution passed in review before him, and every discharge that he heard was a blow as if it struck him personally. What a day! what an evening! what a night! Every pane of glass was broken to pieces. Toward evening the Section fell back upon our quarter: the fighting was continued almost under our windows; but when it had reached Saint Roch, and particularly the Theatre de la R6publique, we imagined that the house was tumbling about our ears. My father was in the agonies of death : he cried aloud ; he wept. Never — no, never — shall I suffer what I did during that terrible night! When we heard barricades forming in the Rue de la Loi, we gave ourselves up for lost. Patrols passed to and fro in all directions: they belonged to all parties; for, in truth, on that disastrous day there were more than two. We were forced to tell my father all. We had at first thought of passing it off as a festival, as salutes of rejoic- ing. As he was exceedingly debilitated by his long and painful illness, we should perhaps have made him believe this, but for the indiscretion of his nurse; in short, he knew all. I loved my father with extreme affection; I adored my mother. I saw one e:9:piring from the effect of the thunders of the cannon; while the other, extended on the foot of his deathbed, seemed ready to follow him. Next day tranquillity was restored, we were told, in Paris. It was then that we could perceive the havoc which a few hours had made in the condition of my father. M. Duchannois came in the morning. My father wished to speak to him alone. He then desired my mother DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 113 to be sent for. Suddenly I heard a violent scream. I ran to my father's chamber: my mother was in one of her most dreadful nervous paroxysms. She motioned to me to call Josephine, her maid, to take her away. Her face, always so beautiful, was quite distorted. Till that day she had flattered herself : her 'hopes had just been utterly destroyed. I can scarcely give any account of the 14th. My father's state, which hourly grew worse, left me no other faculty than that of suffering and trying to impart a little forti- tude to my poor mother. Toward evening Bonaparte came for a moment; he found me in tears. When he learned the cause his cheerful and open countenance suddenly changed. " I should like to see Madame Permon, " said he. I was going to fetch my mother, who entered at that moment; she knew no more than I how important a part Bona- parte had played on that great day. " Oh ! " said my mother, weeping, "they have killed him. You, Napo- leon, can feel for my distress! Do you recollect that, on the first of Prairial, when you came to sup with me, you told me that you had just prevented Barras from bom- barding Paris? Do you recollect it? For my part," con- tinued she, " I have not forgotten it. " I never knew what effect this address had on Bona- parte; many persons have alleged that he always re- gretted that day. Be this as it may, he was exceedingly kind to my mother in these moments of affliction, though himself in circumstances that could not but outweigh all other interests: he was like a son, like a brother. My poor father languished for two more days. We lost him on the 17th of Vend^miaire.* To me he was more than a father: he was a friend, such as friendship very rarely furnishes — indulgent without weakness. My brother was overwhelmed with grief. He, too, had lost a friend still young in my father. He had been edu- cated by him, and owed him a large debt of gratitude for having been so brought up. As for my mother, she was long inconsolable, in the real signification of the word ; she had that affection for my father which causes one to mourn sincerely the loss of the person who has been the object of If. *8th of October, 1/95, 114 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XVII. My Mother's House in the Chaussee d'Antin — Great Change in the Situ- ation of Bonaparte — Ammunition Bread — Dreadful Dearth — Char- ities Bestowed by Bonaparte — The Dead Child, and the Slater's Widow — Comparison between Former Fashions and Those of the Republic. MY BROTHER, as sooii as he was certain of our defini- tive return to Paris, had set about seeking a house where we could all live together, and where we might be able to accommodate my sister when she should come to Paris. All these plans were destined to be cruelly frustrated. As soon as our new habitation was ready my mother hastened to leave the Hotel de I'Autriche, to escape the painful recollections which are inseparable from a residence in a place where a distress- ing event has recently occurred. The house to which we removed was situated in the Chaussee d'Antin; it was the small hotel, or rather the small house (everybody knows that all the houses in this part of the Chaussee d'Antin were nothing more, anterior to the Revolution) of M. de Varnachan, formerly a farmer-general of taxes ; it was commodious, and its small appearance was a rec- ommendation at a time when all were striving to make as little show as possible, and to conceal their wealth. We now learned with astonishment the good fortune which had befallen Bonaparte. My mother, absorbed by her grief, had not a thought to bestow on any singularity which the conduct of the young General might present when compared with his own words; she even saw him again without having the inclination to remind him of it. For the rest, a great change had taken place in Bona- parte, and the change in regard to attention to his person was not the least remarkable. One of the things to which my mother had a particular dislike was the smell of wet dirty boots put to the fire to dry; to her this smell was so unpleasant that she frequently left the room, and did not return till the boots had been thoroughly dried and removed from the fire; but this was followed DUCHESS OF ABRANTES nj by another, namely, the creaking noise produced by the dry sole, to which 1 also have a great antipathy. In those disastrous times, when it was a matter of luxury to ride in a hackney-coach, it may easily be con- ceived that those who had but sufficient to pay the price of a dinner did not take great delight in splashing others, retained sufficient philosophy to soil their shoes or boots by walking. My mother admitted the justice of the remark, but she nevertheless held her perfumed handker- chief to her nose whenever Bonaparte placed his little feet upon the fender. He at length perceived this, and, being at that time exceedingly afraid of displeasing my mother, he would prevail upon our maid to brush his boots before he came in. These trifling details, which are nothing in themselves, become interesting when we recollect the man to whom they relate. After the 13th of Vend^miaire (4th of October) muddy boots were out of the question. Bonaparte never went out but in a handsome carriage, and he lived in a very respectable house, Rue des Capucines. In short, he had become a necessary and important personage, and all as if by magic; he came every day to see us, with the same kindness and the same familiarity; sometimes, but very rarely, he brought along with him one of his aids- de-camp, either Junot or Muiron; at other times his uncle Fesch, a man of the mildest manners and most even temper. One of the persons who came very often with Bona- parte was named Chauvet. I do not recollect precisely what he was, but this I know, that Bonaparte was very fond of him, and that he was a man of gentle disposition and very ordinary conversation. At this period famine prevailed in Paris in a greater degree than anywhere else: there was a real want of bread, and other kinds of provisions began no longer to find their way to the city. This was the effect of a plan of insurrection. The distress was dreadful. The dis- credit of the assignats increased with the general misery. Laboring people ceased to work, and died in their gar- rets, or went and joined the bands of robbers and vaga- bonds which began to collect in the provinces. In Paris itself we were not free from them. Bonaparte was at that time of great assistance to us. ii6 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT We had white bread for our own consumption ; but our serv- ants had only that of the Section, and this was unwhole- some and barely eatable. Bonaparte sent us daily some ammunition bread, which we very often ate with great pleasure. I know not what Madame de Bourrienne means when she talks of a circumstance connected with a loaf of this sort, which happened at her house; but this lean affirm, because Bonaparte thought fit to associate me with himself in the good which he did, that at the period in question he saved more than a hundred families from perishing. He caused wood and bread to be distributed among them at their own homes : this his situation enabled him to do. I have been charged by him to give these bounties to more than ten unfortunate families who were starv- ing. Most of them lived in the Rue Saint Nicolas, very near our house. That street was then inhabited only by the most indigent people: whoever has not ascended to their garrets can have no conception of real wretched- ness. One day, when Bonaparte came to dine with my mother, he was stopped on alighting from his carriage by a woman who held a dead infant in her arms. It was the young- est of her six children. Her husband, a slater by trade, had been accidentally killed, three months before, while at work on the roof of the Tuileries. Nearly two months' wages were due to him. His widow could not obtain payment. Her poor little infant had just expired from want of nourishment ; it was not yet cold. She saw a man whose dress was covered with gold, alight at our door almost every day, and came to ask him for bread, "that her other children might not share the fate of the youngest," she said ; * and if nobody will give me anything, I must even take them all five and drown myself with them." This was not an unmeaning expression, for suicides were then daily occurrences; indeed, nothing was talked of but tragic deaths. Be this as it may, Bona- parte that day came into my mother's with a look of sadness, which he retained all dinner time. He had, for the moment, given a few assignats to the unhappy woman. After we had left the table he begged my mother to cause some inquiry to be made corrcerning her. I undertook the office. All she said was true ; and, DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 117 moreover, this poor mother was an honest and virtuous woman. Bonaparte, in the first place, obtained payment of the arrears due to her husband, and a little pension was afterward granted to her. Her name was Marianne Huv6. She lived for a long time near our house. She had four girls, whom she brought up like a good mother. Two of them frequently came to do needlework for us: they always expressed the most profound gratitude to The General, as they called him. If I have been so particular in this story, which is of little importance in itself, it is for the purpose of exhibiting this fact in opposition to that recorded by Madame Bourrienne, with reference to a dinner at her house, at which Bonaparte and his brother Louis were present. It was some time before we were quite settled. My mother was quiet enough when she was in furnished lodgings, and a mere bird of passage, as it were, in a town ; but when a permanent establishment was in ques- tion she became of all women the most difficult to please. She had formed a plan for furnishing her house half Asiatic, half French, which was the most delightful of inventions. She had already written to Leghorn for the carpets. Notwithstanding my youth, my brother talked to me on a subject which could no longer be put off. This was our situation: it was frightful. The seals were re- moved; my father's papers were examined; nothing was found. My father had left absolutely no money. ** Left nothing ! " said I to my brother ; " and the money carried to England ? " " There is no memorandum of it, no trace whatever. My father, since he came to Bordeaux, always paid for everything; he had money for current expenses. On removing to Paris he did not say a word to Brunetifere. My mother, as you well know, never talked to him about money matters. As for me, if he said nothing about them in England, he was not more communicative here." My mother was my first thought. « Good God ! Albert, » said I, « she will not sur- vive it: this state of destitution will put an end to her life!» My brother and I then agreed to conceal from my mother, at least for some time, the dreadful state of our ii8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT affairs. We had still something in the Funds and some ready money. My brother had also some of his own, given to him by my father, that he might make the most of it. At that period everybody tried this method of making money. " Bonaparte is attached to us, " said my brother; "he will get me an appointment. All that I earn shall be for my mother and you ; but for the present let us conceal from her what has happened; she has no need of new afflictions. " When the political troubles broke out, and my father proposed to place his fortune beyond the reach of danger, he spoke to my mother, in confidence, on the subject. My mother received the communication in like manner, without comprehending anything of the matter; only at my father's death she made sure that, after the payment of my sister's dowry, we should have a decent fortune left; but as she had brought no dowry herself, she did not expect any share in the division of the prop- erty. " My children, " said she to us, " I had nothing when your father married me; to him I owe everything; of course, all is yours. Only," added she, with her win- ning smile, holding out her arms to us, "you will give me a place by your fireside ? " It was no easy matter to complete my mother's estab- lishment. She would not have thought herself properly lodged had she not possessed a number of accessories unknown at the present day, notwithstanding the cata- logue of gewgaws which people agree to call curiosities. Removed to France at the conclusion of the reign of Louis XV., my mother had begun a new existence amid numberless luxuries, habits which had become for her wants of a second nature. Never had the French been more inventive than at that period; never had all sorts of gratifications of sense been so multiplied, in order to surround woman with their refined elegance. We fancy that we have made improvements in this way, and we are egregiously mistaken: a lady who had an income of forty thousand livres fifty years ago lived better than one at the present day who expends two hundred thousand. All that she then had about her can- not be enumerated: there was a profusion of charming trifles, the very uses of which are lost, and for which we have no substitutes. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 119 The establishment of a lady of fashion never com- prised fewer than two femmes de chambre, and almost al- ways a valet de chambre for indoor service. A bath was indispensable, for an elegant woman did not pass two days without bathing; and then there were perfumes in abundance; the finest cambrics, the most costly laces for every season were on the toilet table, or in the amber- scented baskets in which the articles requisite for the toilet of a wealthy female were in the first instance de- posited. This folly extended to everything. The furnishing also constituted a material item in the expenses of a woman. The apartments were expected to be very cool, very fragrant with fiowers in summer, and very warm in winter. As soon as the cold weather set in, Aubusson carpets, several inches thick, were laid down. A lady, on retiring at night to her bedchamber, found it warmed by a large fire; long draperies fell before the double windows; and the bed, surrounded by thick and ample curtains, was an asylum where she might prolong her night without danger of having her slumbers broken by the return of day. When my mother was settled in her new habitation she took delight in arranging every object, and in fur- nishing her bedroom and drawing-room according to her own fancy. In vain did her upholsterer recommend kerseymere and muslin; she told him that she did not wish to look like the wife of a contractor to the Repub- lic, who made up into furniture the bad cloth which he had not been able to dispose of. I recollect that long after this time much was said in Paris of a house which Bertaud, I believe, had just fitted up. It was, we were told, the wonder of wonders. People went to see it without being known to the owner of the house. My mother, who was annoyed by this, one day told Admiral Magon, one of our intimate friends, that she was determined to go and see the house in question. The owner was his banker; the thing, there- fore, was easy. We chose a day when the beautiful mistress was absent, and the Admiral escorted us. I was lost in astonishment; and I must confess that I admired both the taste and arrangement of all I saw; but my mother had no mercy. She looked round the apartment for those things which constitute the charm I20 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT of our dwellings, and which are strewn in orderly dis- order over the furniture of the room. The value of these objects ought to make you forgive their presence. Thus a Chinese basket of ivory will contain female work. Scissors and thimble will lie beside it. These must be of gold, surrounded with enamel or fine pearls. " Rich smelling bottles, beautiful n^cessaires, ought all to be here," said my mother. *'0f course this room is never inhabited. " Wher we had reached home, I was astonished that, on finding jiyself in our own convenient habitation, I did not regret the fairy palace which I had just seen. As for my mother, it was never possible to make her con- fess that this house was an admirable thing. " It is_ a pretty knickknack, and that is all,* she would reply. But when she was told what it had cost, she was ready to ju'ap out of her easy-chair. " I would fit up twenty houses like that, " cried she, " and you should see what a difference there would be. What matters it to luxury, ornament, and convenience, to all those things indispensable in the furnishing and fitting-up of a habitation, that the furniture of a salon, in which you never live, should be of rosewood or mahogany? Would it not be better if the money which those armchairs have cost had been employed in giving them a richer cover and a new shape, since they must have one, and in rendering them more commodious, f*nd not likely to break one's arms ? " DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 121 CHAPTER XVIII. My Mother's Mourning — Decline of Her Health — A Box at the Feydeau Prescribed by the Physician — Bonaparte Accompanies My Mother to the Play — Singular Overtures of Bonaparte to My Mother — He Proposes Three Marriages between the Two Fami- lies — My Mother Refuses to Marry Bonaparte — Stephanopoli, a Relative of My Mother's — Sharp Altercation between My Mother and Bonaparte — Definitive Rupture — Marriage of Bonaparte — He Is Appointed to the Command of the Army of Italy. MY mother's mourning was deep: etiquette required absolute solitude, which preyed daily more and more upon her naturally delicate health. M. Duchannois told her one day that, in the circumstances in which she was placed, decorum might require her not to go into company, but that she ought to take some amusement. In consequence, he recommended her to hire a box at one of the theaters, and to go to it in the most profound incognito ; she might listen to good music, surrounded by friends ; and their attentions, and her soul wrapped in a soft lethargy, would cause her to forget her griefs for a few hours at least. My mother accordingly took a box at the Feydeau, where she passed an hour or two every evening. Bonaparte never missed coming thither. He was not fond of French music, and, to con- fess the truth, the notes of Madame Scio and Gaveaux- Bouche* were not calculated to give him a liking for it. About this time Bonaparte had a strange conference with my mother, so strange, indeed, that even to this day I cannot suppress a smile whenever I think of it. One day Bonaparte told my mother that he had to pro- pose a marriage which should unite the two families. <*It is," iadded he, "between Paulette and Permon. Per- mon has some fortune." (It was not then known that we had found nothing at my father's death.) "My sister has nothing, but I am in a condition to obtain much for those belonging to me, and I can get a good place for her husband. This alliance would make me happy. You know what a pretty girl my sister is. My mother * He had a very wide mouth, and was so called to distinguish him from Gavaudan. 122 MEMOIRS OF Mauamk jujnut is your friend. Come, say 'Yes,' and the business shall be settled.* My mother said neither yes nor no; she replied that my brother was of age, that she should not influence him either one way or the other, and that all depended on his own will. Bonaparte confessed that Permon was so remarkable a young man that, though only twenty-five, he had maturity and abilities which would qualify him for public employments. Thus far what General Bonaparte said was natural and suitable. It related to a match between a young female of sixteen and a young man of twenty- five. This young man was supposed to possess an income of ten thousand livres; he had an agreeable person; painted like Vernet, whose pupil he was; played on the harp much better than Krumpholtz, his master; spoke English, Italian, and modern Greek, as well as French; wrote verses like an angel; transacted business with a facility and intelligence which distinguished him among those who were connected with him in the Army of the South. Such was the man whom Bonaparte demanded for his sister, a beautiful creature, it is true, and a good girl, but nothing more. To all that I have just said of my brother might be added that he was the best of sons, exemplary in his duties as a member of society, as well as in those of a friend, a brother, and a kinsman. I shall perhaps be charged with letting my heart run away with my pen, and listening too much to its suggestions. No, I am not swayed by prejudice; what I say of my brother is noth- ing but the strictest truth. There are still left many of his friends, of his relatives, to whom he was a great benefactor; let them answer the appeal of such as have not known him, and who wish to learn whether my eulogy of him is true; and let them do it without being restrained by that silly and ridiculous vanity which fre- quently prevents people from acknowledging, "There is the man to whom I owe everything! " Such, then, was my brother when Bonaparte proposed to my mother a match between him and Mademoiselle Pauline Bonaparte, called by her family and all her friends, « Pretty Paulette. >* This proposal he followed up by the plan of a second alliance between me and Louis or Jerome. "Jerome is younger than Laurette," DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 123 said my mother, laughing. « Indeed, my dear Napoleon, you are acting the high priest to-day; you are marrying everybody, even in their teens." Bonaparte laughed too, but with an air of embarass- ment. He admitted that when he got up that morning a marriage-breeze had blown upon him ; and, to prove it, he added, kissing my mother's hand, that he had made up his mind to ask her to commence the union of the two families by a marriage between him and herself, as soon as a regard to decency would permit. My mother has frequently related to me this extraor- dinary scene, so that I am as well acquainted with it as if I had been the principal actress in it. She eyed Bona- parte for some seconds with an astonishment bordering upon stupefaction ; and then burst into so hearty a laugh that we heard her in the next room, where there were three or four of us. Bonaparte was at first much vexed at this manner of receiving a proposal which appeared to him quite natural. My mother, who perceived it, hastened to explain her- self, and told him that it was she, on the contrary, who in this affair played at least, in her own eyes, a perfectly ridiculous part. <* My dear Napoleon, " said she, when she had done laughing, "let us talk seriously. You fancy you are acquainted with my age. The truth is, you know nothing about it. I shall not tell it you, because it is one of my little weaknesses. I shall merely say that I am old enough to be not only your mother, but Joseph's, too. Spare me this kind of joke; it distresses me, coming from you." Bonaparte assured her, over and over again, that he was serious; that the age of the woman whom he should marry was indifferent to him, if, like herself, she did not appear to be past thirty ; that he had maturely considered the proposal which he had just made to her; and he added these very remarkable words : « I am determined to marry. They want to give me a woman who is charming, good-tempered, agreeable, and who belongs to the Faubourg St. Germain. My Paris friends are in favor of this match. My old friends dissuade me from it. For my own part, I wish to marry, and what I pro- pose to you suits me in many respects. Think about it. " 124 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT My mother broke off the conversation, telling him laughingly, that for her own part she had no occasion to think any further; but, as to what concerned my brother, she would speak to him about it, and communi- cate his answer on the Tuesday following — it was then Saturday. She gave him her hand, and repeated, still laughing, that though she had some pretensions, they did not aspire so high as to conquer the heart of a man of twenty-six, and that she hoped their friendship would not be interrupted by this little affair. "At any rate, think of it," said Bonaparte. "Well, well, I will think of it," replied my mother, laughing as heartily as before. I was too young to be made acquainted with this con- versation at the time when it occurred. It was not till my marriage that my mother related to me the par- ticulars here detailed. My brother made a note of this singular affair. Had Bonaparte's overtures been accepted, he would never have become what he afterward was. When Junot heard of it he told us that the thing ap- peared less extraordinary to him than to us. About the 4th of October Bonaparte had got himself appointed to some committee of war: I know not what the appoint- ment was, but it was no great thing. His plans, his schemes, had all one object, one direction, which tended toward the East. The name of Comnena might have a powerful interest for an imagination that was eminently creative ; the name of Calomeros joined to that of Comnena might be of great service to him. " The great secret of all these matches lay in that idea," thought Junot; and I think so too. A cousin of my mother, named Dime Stephanopoli, had shortly before arrived from Corsica, and applied to her to assist him in obtaining employment and promo- tion. This carries me back to a period of which I can- not help having a disagreeable recollection, since it reminds me of an unpleasant scene, which set Bonaparte at variance forever with my mother — a circumstance which I cannot forbear deploring whenever the conse- quences of this circumstance, so simple in itself, occur to my memory. It was, as I have said, on a Saturday that Bonaparte had the conversation which I have just detailed with my DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 125 mother. On the preceding Wednesday, when my mother had a party to dinner, she had spoken to General Bona- parte in behalf of her cousin Stephanopoli, begging that he would get him admitted into the Guard of the Con- vention. He was five feet nine inches high (French measure) ; his head was rather too small for that tall stature, but he had handsome features. In short, there was certainly not a regiment but would have been glad to make such an acquisition. This Bonaparte admitted when my mother remarked it, on introducing her cousin to him: he promised a speedy and, above all, a favorable answer. On Friday my mother asked the General if he had thought of her recommendation. " You cannot doubt it, " replied Bonaparte. " I have the promise of the Minister of War : there is but one step more to take, which I pur- pose doing to-morrow, and then I will bring you the commission. " The next day was the unlucky Saturday. My mother asked where was the commission; "for," said she, "I look upon it as mine.* He answered under the influence of what had just passed between them, and though there was no asperity in his words, still, he did not appear to be so well disposed as on the preceding day. " Napoleon," said my mother laughingly, " there are two persons in you at this moment. Continue, I entreat you, to be the man whom I love and esteem, and, above all, do not let the other get the better of you." Bona- parte was at the table at this moment by the side of my mother. He frowned, and pushed his plate sharply from him. " Why be angry ? " said my mother mildly. "You mistake the real cause of my anger," replied Bonaparte. " I am angry with myself. This is Quintidi, and nothing done. But rely upon me for to-morrow." Out of delicacy my mother did not insist upon that day, though she had a good mind to do so. The same evening she spoke to my brother on the subject of the morning's conversation. My brother answered " No. " Reasons foreign to these memoirs prevented his accepting the proposal. On Monday morning General Bonaparte called to see my mother: he was on horseback, and surrounded by a numerous staff. He appeared in high spirits, and said a 126 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT number of amiable and even flattering things to my mother. That very morning Dime Stephanopoli had written his cousin a long and ridiculous letter (I beg his pardon), in which he complained bitterly of the delay of his appointment, which he seemed to lay to the charge of my mother. At the moment when General Bonaparte was kissing her hand, and praising its whiteness, she snatched it from his with violence, and asked whether the commission was at last made out. The General replied that it was not, but that it was promised him for the MORROW. This was an unlucky expression ; my mother would not have been so much vexed by it if he had not twice repeated it since the commencement of the affair. " What does this mean ? " she asked, contracting her two little brows into a frown, and looking at Bonaparte with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks. " What does this mean ? Is it a wager, is it a hoax, or is it ill-will ? In that case it would have been much more simple to refuse me at first. I dare say I should have found friends who would have served me." " Nothing of the kind you have mentioned, Madame Permon," replied Bonaparte; "important business has taken up every moment of my time." " Every moment of your time ! Don't tell me such ab- surdities ! And what can be the important business which prevents you from keeping your word ? Is this the custom which you have nowadays adopted in your new military code ?" Bonaparte turned crimson, which he was not in the habit of doing. "You are rather too severe, Madame Permon. " " Not half severe enough. You want a good shake to waken you from the dream into which the grandeurs of your Republic have lulled you." The conversation, which had at first been general, was suspended, and the most profound silence prevailed ; both of them were ruffled. Chauvet, who, owing to his friend- ship for both, could do more than any other to restore peace, made an attempt and addressed two or three words to my mother; but she was in such a passion that she did not hear what was said. She declared that " she felt herself affronted " DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 127 Twenty times had General Bonaparte given his word (this is quite true) that the commission had been granted, and that some trivial formality depending on himself was the sole cause of the delay. She had explained to him how important it was, for family reasons, that Dimo Stephanopoli should have his commission. General Bona- parte knew all this, and day after day, promise after promise, the time had run away and nothing was done. " Could an enemy have served me worse ? " continued my mother, becoming more animated as she spoke. " In this manner he prevented the steps which I might other- wise have taken. I trusted to him, in short, and " " You are too warm just now not to be unjust, Ma- dame Permon, " said General Bonaparte, taking up his hat to go away. " To-morrow I hope to find you more calm, and consequently more reasonable.* Bonaparte approached my mother, and took her hand to kiss it, but she was so irritated that she drew it from him with violence. In this movement she hit him upon the eye with such force as to give him pain. " You cannot make reparation for what is past, " said she haughtily. " What is done, is done ; with me words are nothing, actions everything. But fare you well. Recollect that if I be not a Corsican by family, I was born in Corsica." « The remembrance of that will always be agreeable to me, Madame Panoria. But I have no apprehension on that account. Give me, therefore, your hand, and let us be reconciled." He advanced and whispered to my mother, at the same time stooping to take her hand, "Those young folks are laughing at us. We look like two children." My mother drew back her hand, and folded her arms with a disdainful smile. Bonaparte looked at her for a moment, as if to solicit a change which he evidently wished for. When he saw that she showed no disposi- tion to relent, he made a motion, which was rather an expression of impatience than a bow, and hastily with- drew. "For God's sake," said Chauvet," don't part thus! Let me call him back, Madame Permon, I entreat you. You have hurt his feelings. It was wrong to talk to him in that manner before his aids-de-camp. See how slowly 128 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT he goes downstairs ; he expects, I am certain, to be called back." My mother's disposition was excellent, and she had an advantage that is very rare in a woman: when she was in the wrong she would admit it. But whether, at this moment, her self-love was too deeply wounded, or whether she actually thought she was not in the wrong on this occasion, she would not allow Chauvet to call back Bona- parte. « See how obstinate he is on his side ! " said my mother. " He is wrong, but nothing would induce him to recede a single step. Why, then, would you have me take that retrograde step?* A servant presently came to say that the General wished to speak with M. Chau- vet. "Go, my dear Chauvet," said my mother giving him her hand; "go. Do not condemn me; I am not to blame. " My brother was absent during this unfortunate scene. Had he been there, I am sure that it would not have happened, or that he would have given a different turn to the affair. When I related the particulars to him in the evening, by desire of my mother (for she could not yet talk of it without being in a passion), he was exceed- ingly vexed. I know not whether it was the same day or the fol- lowing that we saw Fesch. His disposition was kind, mild, and extremely conciliating; he too was much grieved at this quarrel between my mother and his nephew, and endeavored to reconcile them; but there were two obstacles, the more difficult to be removed inasmuch as one of them was known only to my mother and Bona- parte, and the other to himself alone. The latter was perhaps the more important of the two. It arose, as Chauvet had anticipated, from what he had suffered on finding himself treated like a schoolboy who had just left Brienne, in the presence of officers who as yet knew but little about him. Had there been none present but Junot, Chauvet, or some others, he would have been the first to laugh at a thing which now severely mortified him. The other point, which had also a very active part in the whole affair, was the state of ill humor and hostility in which Bonaparte had been ever since the preceding DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 129 Saturday. However, be this as it may, the rupture was complete. We were several days without seeing him : he then called one evening when he knew that we were at the theater, and at last he stayed away altogether. We learned shortly afterward from .his uncle and Chauvet that he was going to marry Madame de Beauharnais, and that he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy. We saw him once more before his de- parture, on a distressing occasion. CHAPTER XIX. Recollections of Toulouse — M. de Regnier, Commandant — Introduc- tion of M. de Geouffre to My Mother — Mutual Passion — Marriage of M. de Geouffre and My Sister Cecile — Melancholy Presentiments of My Sister — Her Death — Visit of Condolence Paid by Bonaparte to My Mother — Destruction of Our Fortune — Comte de Perigord, Uncle of M. de Talleyrand — Admirable Conduct of a Valet de Chambre During the Reign of Terror — Death of Comte de Perigord — My Brother Joins the Army of Italy — Decline of My Mother's Health — Journey to the Waters of Cauterets — The Pyrenees. IHAVE mentioned the reasons which induced my mother to entertain company during our residence at Tou- louse. One day when she had invited several per- sons, among whom was M. de Regnier, Commandant of the place, one of the most assiduous of our friends, he sent, about half an hour before dinner time, to excuse himself. He wrote to my mother that " one of his friends, charged with a mission to him, had just arrived ; that he was obliged to do the honors of the staff of the place, and could not leave him. ** My mother's answer will easily be guessed; she begged him to come and to bring his friend along with him. «An Adjutant General, a friend of Regnier," said my mother, " that must be some old buffer like himself, who will be very dull. Farewell to our plan of music, my young friends" (my brother had just then leave of ab- sence to come and pay us a short visit); "but we have one resource, and that is, to make him play at reversi. An old officer of infantry is sure to know how to play at cards — ay, and how to cheat, too." 9 I30 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT My mother was the more surprised when she saw M. de Regnier followed by a young man of genteel appear- ance, having a handsome face, and the manners of very good society, which at the period in question was an uncommon thing. After dinner the music, so far from being abandoned, was, on the contrary, carried into ex- ecution at the request of M. de Geouffre, who was already persuaded that none but celestial sounds could issue from the mouth of my sister. Since leaving the convent of the Dames de la Croix, my sister had become a charming creature. Her features were not regular when examined separately ; indeed, there was nothing pleasing in them ; but they formed altogether a whole so sweet, so graceful, so much in harmony with the rest of her person, that on seeing her it was im- possible to help exclaiming, " What a delightful girl ! " Large dark blue eyes, with long thick eyelashes, rosy cheeks, teeth perfectly white, the finest auburn hair I ever saw, a slender elegant figure — these advantages, which are by no means exaggerated, greatly outweighed Cecile's external defects, and caused you to overlook too wide a mouth, too long a nose, and hands and arms too large for her height. But my sister had, moreover, what is invaluable in a woman — namely, a charm diffused over her whole person by an air of mild melancholy which rendered her adora- ble. She possessed an excellent temper and good under- standing. All these things combined to form a halo, which enveloped that bright sweet face of sixteen, on which you were quite surprised never to catch more than a transient smile. Cecile would have been distinguished in the world had it been fortunate enough to retain her. The day on which M. de Geouffre was introduced was one of her smiling days, as we called them. I see her still, notwithstanding the many years that have since fled, dressed as she was on that day. She wore a frock of rose-colored crape, laced behind, showing to perfection her slender waist, and floating around her like a roseate" cloud. The sleeves were tight, and trimmed at the bot- tom with white blonde, forming ruffles. Her shoulders and bosom, which were delicately fair, were seen through a fichu of Chambery gauze, likewise trimmed with white blonde. A pink ribbon passing through her hair formed DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 131 a bow on one side. On seeing her thus attired, it was impossible to avoid being struck by the graceful har- mony between her bright youthful face and this costume, equally bright and youthful. It made a deep impression upon M. de Geouffre. In the evening we had music. My sister, a pupil of Herrmann, was an excellent performer on the piano; she played two duets with my brother: she sang, and the evening passed away as by enchant- ment. M. de GeoufiEre was not proof against her charms. He became so enamored of my sister that before he left our house he felt that his future happiness depended on one of its inmates. M. de Geouffre remained at Toulouse, and forwarded his dispatches by an ofEcer to the head- quarters of General Dugommier, by whom he was sent. He called upon us next day, and again the day after- ward: my mother, who immediately perceived the drift of his visits, dared not say anything, but she was uneasy. At length M. de Geouffre prevailed upon M. de Regnier to speak for him, though the latter felt extreme repug- nance to do so, for he was acquainted with my father's sentiments, and though my mother was infinitely more moderate, yet M. de Regnier did not conceal from his friend the certainty that there would be a tacit agreement between them not to give their daughter to an officer of the Republican army. As he had foreseen, my father's first word was a refusal, as well as my mother's. ** And what have you to object against him ? " said Regnier ; " he is of a good family. I have proved to you that he belongs to the Geouffres of the Limousin ; several of that family served in Champagne and Burgundy, and have emigrated. He possesses a good fortune and a fine estate near Brives-la-Gaillarde ; he holds a distinguished rank for his age ; he is highly respected in the army, and Dugommier promises to do great things for him. He is, besides, a handsome man, which is no drawback in an affair of marriage. Lastly, he is a man of sound under- standing. Come, Madame Permon, be persuaded. » My mother admitted the truth of all this, but still said Mo; nor did she change her mifld. Soon after M. de GeoufiEre arrived at Toulouse to take the command of the military division. It was General Dugommier who, out pf friendship for him, and wishing to facilitate big mar« 132 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT riage, thus placed him in a situation to follow up his suit more effectually. Accordingly, when he was at Toulouse, his personal solicitations were joined to those of M. de Regnier. He also interested in his behalf a family with whom we were very intimate, that of Peytes de Mon- cabri6. Madame de Moncabri^ was the first to project a plan which nobody had thought of, how strange soever it may appear, excepting perhaps M. de Geouffre — still, it was nothing more than conjecture. This excellent woman wrote immediately to Madame de St. Ange, who came without delay. She said .nothing to my mother, but watched Cecile. She soon perceived that my sister was attacked by a nervous disease which might prove fatal. " Panoria, ** said she one morning to my mother, " when do you marry Cecile ? " * What a question ! " replied my mother. " You know perfectly well that I have refused. '* "Have you noticed the girl? have you seen how she is altered? do you know that you are accountable for what she suffers ? " "Kalli,* said my mother, who was strongly excited, " I leave you to manage your family as you please; let me beg you not to interfere with mine." "Is that the tone you assume? Well, then, I will tell you, with my habitual bluntness, that you are not a good mother. " " Kalli ! ** " Yes, you are not a good mother. Send for your daughter; ask Loulou how her sister passes the night, and you will alter your tone a little." I was questioned, and obliged to confess that my sister wept a great deal; but she had so strictly forbidden me to mention it that I had been forced to be silent. My mother burst into tears in her turn: my sister was called. The fact is, that the poor girl loved as well as she was loved, but she dared not say a word about it before my mother, of whom she was exceedingly afraid, because, though a good mother, she was to her a very severe one. My father was too ill to be talked to on the subject; my brother was far from us; I was too young for such a topic of conversation. Madame de Moncabri6 was, in her virtuous kindness, the angel who guessed the secret that would ultimately have killed the poor girl. "You wish for this marriage?" said my mother: "well, then, it shall take place. " Accordingly, in a month, my sister. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 133 having become Madame de GeoufEre, was settled at the Hotel Spinola, the headquarters of the military division which her husband commanded. It is difficult to conceive a happiness more complete than that of my sister during the iirst months of her marriage. She was formed to feel it, and accordingly she fully enjoyed it. It was disturbed by one thing only, and that was the idea that her husband might be called from her into the field. It was to no purpose to tell her that the elevated rank which he held he owed solely to his presence in the field of battle, and to several wounds from which he had recovered; she replied to it all by tears only, and begged in a timid voice that her hus- band would send in his resignation. He demonstrated to her with a smile that the thing was impossible; that his army was engaged in active warfare, and that it would be compromising his honor. At length peace between France and Spain was signed, and my sister, who was about to become a mother, made a fresh attempt, which was more successful. Her hus- band, who was passionately fond of her, solicited his dismissal with as much ardor as at that time others solicited appointments. All his friends dissuaded him from this step, which, in fact, blasted his future pros- pects. It was from this same Army of the Eastern Pyrenees that, a few months afterward, Bonaparte selected the multitude of superior officers who formed the nucleus of the Army of Italy, and all of whom were comrades of my brother-in-law. Such were Augereau, Lanusse, Lannes, Marbot, Bessibres, Duphot, Clausel, etc. His destiny would not have been different from theirs; but he yielded to the entreaties of his wife, and they retired to their estate at Objat, near Brives-la- Gaillarde. Thus, at the age of only twenty-four, he returned to civil life, and shut himself out forever from a career which he had so brilliantly begun. When my sister left Toulouse she was five months ad- vanced in pregnancy. At her departure she asked my mother's blessing in the most affecting manner. She felt convinced, she said, that she should not survive her ac- couchement. Her presentiment was, alas! but too well founded. My sister was brought to bed toward the end of January, 1795, soon after the death of my father. 134 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT My brother-in-law had communicated to us this event, which is always attended with apprehensions for a young wife who is confined for the first time, with a joy pro- portionate to his happiness. Cecile had given him a fine boy, and intended to nurse him herself. " My wife is so well, " wrote M. de GeoufEre, " that she is already talk- ing about carrying her Adolphe to her mother to receive her blessing. She is more charming than ever, with a color like that of a rose. You may conceive, my dear mamma, the intense joy of all around her, so dearly is she loved." The rest of the letter contained the par- ticulars of the event, which had been fortunate in every respect. It took place on the 23d, and the letter reached us on the 27th of January. On the I St of February my mother and I were with my brother, who had the second floor to himself. He had caught a violent cold, and we had dined in his room, that he might not expose himself to the cold air. My mother was seated on his sofa: she had placed my brother in a large easy chair, and was laughing like a child at the thought that, if my brother was married, as she wished him to be within six months ( she had a very good match in view for him ), I might also be some time afterward. " Now the game is begun, '* said she, " I see no reason why I may not be grandmother to twenty or thirty children. " At length she ceased laugh- ing. " Cecile must be a charming young mother, " said she with emotion; "I should like to see her in her new functions. " My mother was very changeable in her impressions. When talking of herself as a grandmother, the idea had tickled her so much that she had laughed till she cried. But the moment her imagination presented to her affec- tionate soul the picture of the infant who had made her a grandmother, pressed to the bosom of her daughter, and imbibing life at that source, her eyes ran over, and she fell into a kind of reverie, which my brother and I took good care not to interrupt. It was nine o'clock : all was "quiet, for at that period equipages were rare in Paris, and our quarter, independently of that, was then very lonely. We all three kept silence, which was broken only by a soft and monotonous tune, which my mother hummed in a low tone : you would have supposed DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 135 that she was lulling an infant to sleep. She was think- ing of Cecile and her little Adolphe. All at once there was a knock at the gate, given with such force as to make us start. My brother and I burst out into a laugh. "That knock makes me ill,'* said my mother, pressing her hand to her forehead. "What un- mannerly person can be knocking in that way at this time of night ? " We heard the gate shut, and presently heavy steps on the pavement. My brother rang the bell, and a letter which the postman had just brought was put into his hand. " Ah ! » said Albert, " news from Cecile! It is from Brives, and Geouffre's' handwriting." " Whom can he have lost ? " I exclaimed, the black seal of the letter having caught my eye. In asking this question, to which I attached no importance, I raised my eyes to my brother: he was pale and excessively agitated. "What says Geouffre in that letter?" said my mother, rising and going up to my brother, whose sudden emo- tion revealed to her a disaster. " My sister has been ill, but she is better now," replied Albert, in a tremulous tone. My mother snatched the letter, cast her eyes on it, gave a frightful shriek, and sank upon her knees. My poor sister was dead! None can form any conception of our anguish but those who have lost objects whom they dearly loved in a man- ner equally unexpected: neither can language describe or express it. My mother was very ill for several days. The death of my sister would at any time have deeply afflicted her ; but at the moment when she had become a mother, at the moment when the tomb had scarcely closed over our father! And then that mirth, those songs, amidst which this death had been announced! Poor mother! she was unhappy, very unhappy; for to all these causes of grief was superadded another, which my brother and I had alone been acquainted with, and which wrung her heart when it came to her knowledge. Cecile was regretted by all who knew her. The family into which she had been adopted, her mother-in-law, her father-in-law, mourned her like ourselves. She was gentle and pious as an angel ; endowed with talents, virtues, graces — those attractive charms which are not to be imitated, and which win everybody's love. Bonaparte sent the very next day after we heard of this new calamity which 136 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT had befallen my mother, and called himself to see her. He talked to her in a tone of the sincerest friendship. My mother was so overwhelmed that she could scarcely pre- vail upon herself to admit him. He set out immediately afterward for Italy. He was already married to Madame de Beauharnais. My brother-in-law came almost immediately to Paris. His interview with us was agonizing. My mother felt her misfortune still more keenly when she saw M. de Geouffre. She said to me, when going to bed at night, that perhaps she might not be able to see him again the next day. His presence reminded her of the time when she had withstood all solicitations to unite him to my sister. Cecile loved him, and my mother exclaimed, with tears, "Poor Cecile! thy life was so short, and I have abridged it of six months' happiness ! * M. de Geouffre did not remain long with us. He re- turned to the Limousin, whither he was recalled by the only interest that was left him. He was impatient to be again with his child, whom he had consigned to the care of his mother. On taking leave of him we made him promise to bring Adolphe to us very soon. We had been obliged to apprise my mother that our situation was no longer such as she might suppose it to be. The blow was less painful than I had apprehended. There were in her heart so many bleeding wounds that it was scarcely affected by matters of that kind. She was perfectly sensible of the necessity of making retrench- ments in our household, which had been kept up on too expensive a scale for our almost ruined fortune. My brother, who thought only of our welfare, without caring about himself, resolved to turn his attention to commerce, and had the good luck to succeed in his first speculations. He was about to. devote himself entirely to this career, but was afraid to enter into an engagement which would have bound him for fifteen years. He would have been obliged to go to India, to expatriate himself, and leave us without protection. All this de- terred him. He thanked our friend Magon, who had procured him this chance of making his fortune, and con- fined himself to what he was then doing. My mother had again met with some old friends. The prisons were ooen ever since the downfall of the Direc- DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 137 torial regime, and people began to breathe with more freedom. We had again fallen in with persons to whom we had bidden a painful adieu. This produced a singular impression, a mixture of delight and uneasiness; and it was a long time before we could enjoy the satisfaction of seeing them again at liberty. But how was this satis- faction embittered in regard to many of them! Among these was the dearest of my mother's friends, he whom I loved in my childhood as one loves a grandfather — I mean the Comte de Perigord. Having escaped the san- guinary proscriptions, he returned to society without happiness, without joy. He was already far advanced in years, ailing, afflicted with gout, wholly destitute of for- tune, and absolutely isolated. His two sons had emigrated. His daughter, the Duchesse de Mailly, was dead: there were left behind only a few friends as unfortunate as himself, and whose deplorable situation prevented them from rendering him any assistance.* When we first saw him again my mother could not help starting with sad surprise. So great was the change that the eye of friendship could scarcely recognize him. There was the same kindness in his tone, but he was no longer the same: his eye was dim, and it was evident that the springs of life were worn out. How could I say that he was alone ! how could I have forgotten a man as noble as any titled hero, devoting himself to his master's service, and saving his life by his admirable management ! The Comte de Perigord had in his household a valet named Beaulieu. This man had always been an excellent servant ; he proved that interest had not been his stimulus. From the moment that his master was apprehended all his attention was directed to him. He carried to him whatever he thought would be good for or agreeable to him. In short his devotedness was entire and exclusive. The Comte de Perigord, like all the innocent persons who were then thrown into prison, was persuaded that by wearying the Committee of Public Safety by petitions he should obtain prompt and complete justice. Nothing could be more false than this reasoning, as Beaulieu * From this number must be excepted the Comte de Montchenu, who, having preserved his fortune, did for Comte de Perigord all that devoted attachment can do for a needy friend. 138 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT learned from one of the relatives of the man in whose house Robespierre lodged. Repeated petitions occasioned the death of most of the prisoners. In many instances, the writer had never been thought of. The first petition produced ill-humor; the second aggravated it; and very frequently the wretches brought the poor victims to trial to avoid the annoyance of a third petition. Beaulieu, on hearing of this mode of rendering jus- tice, determined that his master should not obtain it in that manner. Now, poor Comte de Perigord was one of the very persons who cherished the conviction that they could get out of prison only by dint of importunity. In consequence, a petition was daily addressed either to ce bon Monsieur de Robespierre, or to cet excellent Monsieur de Collot-d' Herbois, or again to Monsieur Fouquier- Tinville. " How very odd it is ! '* at length exclaimed Comte de Perigord, "nobody answers me. I cannot understand it." There was a very good reason why his petitions re- mained unanswered. Beaulieu threw them all into* the fire. In this manner he caused his master to be forgot- ten. He bribed the turnkeys handsomely; and, then, as soon as the Comte de Perigord began to be known in one prison he obtained his removal to another. In short, a son could not have shown a more affectionate and, above all, a more active solicitude for his father. When he had the good fortune to recover his liberty, M. de Perigord went to lodge at the house of a friend, M. de Montchenu. Beaulieu was still about him, bestowing on him the most delicate attentions and sacrificing for this purpose all that he had. As a proof of the kind disposition of M. de Perigord, one of his servants in livery, a class of domestics whose sentiments are in general less honorable and less ele- vated, on hearing that his master was again out of prison, went and offered him his services. This man's name was Boisvert. I know not what became of him or Beaulieu at the death of M. de Perigord, which happened shortly after his liberation; but I hope that the Prince de Chalais has duly provided for them ; merit so extraor- dinary has a right to be rewarded. The Comte de Perigord had a clubfoot ; I do not recol- lect whether it was so from birth, or the consequence DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 139 of a hurt; but there are reasons to believe it was a family defect. He came every Thursday to spend nearly the whole of the day with us, and this was sure to give rise to a smart altercation between him and Beaulieu. He insisted upon coming on foot; Beaulieu would not let him, and told him with truth that he could not. His infirmity, in fact, prevented him from walking. He suf- fered great pain. One day he received a letter from M. de Chalais, who was then in England. He told his father that he was starving, that the emigrants in England were reduced to the extremity of want, and that he was completely wretched. M. de Perigord happened to dine at my mother's on the very day when this letter arrived. The change which it had wrought in him was striking; he had persuaded himself that the account of his son's misery was literally true. During the whole dinner he could not help repeating, "Good God! they are perish- ing with hunger!" and the viands remained untouched upon his plate. At length several persons urged that this could not be possible, since he knew himself that M. de Chalais had carried resources away with him. * He may have lost them,'* said the poor father. The very next day he learned to a certainty, from a person who had returned to France (for there were some who had returned so early), that his son was still rich; at any rate that he pos- sessed property which placed him beyond the reach of want. "The emigrants are not all so well off as he is," said M. de N. The Comte de Perigord was more easy, but a blow had been given to a constitution worn out by the four years of revolution which had elapsed. The death of the King and Queen, the captivity of the young King and the Princess, the misfortunes of the monarchy, which had affected him as family calamities, all this work of destruction had inflicted a mortal stroke; the least shock, therefore, was sufficient to put an end to him. Eight days afterward the place which he occupied at our table was vacant, and two days later he was no more. His death was a new calamity for my mother; she fell ill. Her lungs were affected. Sleeplessness, an obstinate I40 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT cough, slight fever, and other alarming symptoms, induced her to consult a physician ; she was ordered to the waters of Cauterets. Meanwhile my brother received a letter which was destined to produce a great change in our situation. He was summoned to Italy to take upon him adminis- trative functions. I am sure that Bonaparte was no stranger to this appointment, though he appeared to have nothing to do with it. The parting was painful. So many misfortunes had burst upon us, so many wounds had been inflicted on the heart of my poor mother, that she dreaded every- thing. She was on the point of begging my brother not to leave her. Had she been alone he would, no doubt, not have done so. But no sooner did her eyes rest upon me than she felt that it was my brother's duty to perform the promise which he had made to my father on his deathbed. My mother therefore consented to his departure. I was left alone to attend her; and, notwithstanding my youth, I was also charged with the management of all her concerns. ** God will give you the strength and judgment necessary to enable you to perform your noble task, my dear girl," said my brother to me, clasping me in his arms at the moment of his departure. " Have con- fidence in God, confidence in yourself, and all will go on well. I will often write to you; and you must inform me of everything. Whenever my mother shall express a wish which the means I leave you are inadequate to gratify, write to me immediately, and that God in whom I put great faith will not forsake two children whose sole aim is the happiness of their mother.'* My brother proceeded to his destination, and we, on our part, set out for the Pyrenees. At a later period I revisited those beautiful mountains. I skirted and crossed their long chain; but it was not till my third journey to Cauterets that I could indulge my ardent wish to ex- plore the mountains which I saw before me. Those noble pine forests which encircle, as it were, the Vignemale, the loftiest of the French Pyrenees, beheld me pursuing alone the tracks trodden by the caprice of pedestrians.* * Queen Hortense made the same tour the year before; her journey has no resemblance to mine. My guides lost their way ; but though her DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 141 La Cerisay, Maourat, le Pont d'Espagne, the Lac de Gaube, and even Esplemousse, were the favorite points of the excursion which I took with my mother, not on foot (for she was unable to walk), but in the odd vehicle of the country. It is a kind of sedan, formed by a small straw stool, to which are attached two strong poles, and which is covered with white cloth, supported by three very slight hoops ; and a small piece of wood, two inches broad, for the feet to rest upon, is attached by two bits of pack thread. When you are seated in this species of cage, two sturdy mountaineers, hawk-eyed and chamois- footed, carry you off with an agility that is at first alarming. There is something romantic in the velocity with which you are hurried along the brink of a dark precipice, the depth of which the eye cannot measure, or in an ascent not less rapid through an ocean of clouds to which the sun communicates every shade of crimson and purple. CHAPTER XX. Our Return to Paris — The Emigrants — Sketches of Parisian Society — Public Balls and Well-Known Characters — Ball at the Thelusson Hotel — Madame de D. — M. d'Hautefort — Madame Bonaparte — Madame Tallien — Madame Hamelin. MY mother's health was nearly re-established when we returned from the waters. Her grief, too, was much softened by change of scene, and still more by the hope of again meeting at Paris a great number of inti- mate acquaintances commonly called friends, and who, though not real friends, gave a peculiar charm to the commerce of life. This charm is unknown to the society of the present day, which is become harsh and ill-natured ; none will admit that in the daily intercourse of life each ought to furnish his contingent of complaisance and affa- bility. Accordingly, we now see none of those assem- blages of forty or fifty persons meeting daily at the houses of five or six of their number. Independently of the pleasures which this way of liv- tour was not attended with perilous risks like mine, she presented her guides ydth a gold medal, inscribed Voyage au Vignemale. 142 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT ing afforded, more important advantages resulted from it. A person who possessed no influence always found a support in the company to which he belonged. If you were not swayed by a feeling of good nature, you were afraid of meeting every day a person whom you had re- fused to oblige ; you would have seen a discontented face. It was therefore obligatory on him who had it in his power to oblige those about him. I admit that then, as still, there existed abuses, and that many of them originated in favor; but I will ask if, under a form more rude, more uncertain for the parties concerned, less agreeable in its results, there are not at this day, as there were at the time of which I am speaking, children of favoritism and immense abuses of power. If I had time to throw away I could make out a fine list of obscure names which the country knows only from their being inserted in patents and grants of pensions. Be this as it may, when my mother heard of the re- turn of the greater part of her acquaintances her joy was extreme. France then wore the appearance of tranquillity, and the emigrants returned in crowds with a confidence which proved very fatal to them a few months later (in Fructidor), but which seemed at that time to be per- fectly well founded. The enchantment of the women, es- pecially, was quite infectious. At length they again beheld that dear native country, beautiful France, the remembrance of which imparts double bitterness to every land of exile, how hospitable soever it may be. I recollect that at the first meeting between my mother and Madame Martois, with whom she had been inti- mately acquainted, that lady (who had been but two days in Paris, and was still quite overcome with joy at the mere sight of the Barriers) threw herself into my mother's arms, burst into tears, and was more than a quarter of an hour before she could overcome her emo. tion. Her daughter told us that the same, thing occurred with all the friends whom she again met; in this there was on her part neither affectation nor acting; it pro- ceeded from an ardent soul, which enjoyed in its pleni- tude all the happiness attached to the term native COUNTRY. But how many disappointments awaited the unhappy exiles on their return to their native land ! Pov- erty, isolation, death, were the lot of most of them. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 143 One of the most painful situations, and to which I was frequently witness, arose from the diversity of shades of opinion. This produced discord in the most united families. The destruction of principles had led, as a nat- ural consequence, to one of a similar nature in the most ordinary habits of life. Thus all those delightful reun- ions which formerly constituted the charm of intimate acquaintance no longer existed, or were poisoned by pol- itics, which engendered contradiction, anger, or quarrels, frequently terminating in ruptures between husband and wife, brother and sister, or father and son. Private individuals were afraid of appearing wealthy by receiving company habitually, and they contented themselves with frequenting public assemblages where, at that time, the best society was to be found. It would scarcely be believed at the present day that the most elegant women went to dance at the Thelusson* and the Richelieu f balls; but persons of all opinions, of all castes, were there intermingled, and laughed and danced together in the utmost harmony. One day at the Thelusson ball a droll adventure befell Madame de D., who sometimes took her daughter with her. Madame de D. had arrived very late. The great cir- cular room was quite full, and it was impossible to find two places. Nevertheless, by dint of elbowing and en- treaties, these ladies penetrated to the center of the room. Madame de D., who was not of an absolutely timid char- acter, looked about on all sides to see if she could at least discover one seat, when her eyes encountered a young and charming face, surrounded by a profusion of light hair with a pair of large dark blue eyes, and ex- hibiting altogether the image of the most graceful of sylphs. This young female was conducted back to her seat by M. de Tr6nis, which proved that she danced well; for M. de Tr^nis invited none to the honor of be- ing his partners but such as deserved the character of GOOD DANCERS. The graceful creature after courtesying with a blush to the Vestris of the ballroom, sat down by the side of * At the H&tel Thelusson, at the extremity of the Rue Cerutti, facing the Boulevard, there was at that time an immense arcade. Murat pur- chased it during the Consulate. f Held in like manner at the H&tel Richelieu. 144 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT a female who appeared to be her elder sister, and whose elegant dress excited the notice and envy of all the women at the ball. " Who are those persons ? " said Madame de D., to the old Marquis d'Hautefort, who es- corted her. " What ! is it possible that you do not recognize the Viscountess Beauhamais ? It is she and her daugh- ter. She is now Madame Bonaparte.* But stay, there is a vacant place by her; come and sit down; you may re- new your acquaintance with her." Madame de D., without making any reply, took the arm of M. d'Hautefort, and drew him, whether he would or not, into one of the little saloons which preceded the great rotunda. "Are you mad?" said she to him, when they had reached the room. * A pretty place, truly, by the side of Madame Bonaparte! Ernestine would of course have been obliged to make acquaintance with her daughter. Why, Marquis, you must have lost your wits. '* * No, 'faith ! What harm can there be in Ernestine's making acquaintance, or even forming a close friendship with Mademoiselle Hortense de Beauharnais ? She is a charming girl, sweet-tempered, amiable." "What is all that to me! I will never connect myself with such per- sons. I do not like people who disgrace their misfortunes." M. d'Hautefort shrugged his shoulders and held his tongue. " Eh ! mon Dieu ! Who is that beautiful woman ? " in- quired Madame de D. , pointing to a female who entered the ballroom, and on whom all eyes were instantly fixed. This lady was above the middle height, but a perfect harmony in her whole person took away all appearance of the awkwardness of too lofty a stature. It was the Venus of the Capitol, but still more beautiful than the work of Phidias; for you perceived in her the same per- fection of features, the same symmetry in arms, hands, and feet, and the whole animated by a benevolent ex- pression, a reflection of the magic mirror of the soul, which indicated all that there was in that soul, and this was kindness. Her dress did not contribute to heighten her beauty, for it consisted of a plain robe of India muslin, with *At this period Madame Bonaparte was not much known in the world, nor had she been presented at the Court of Marie Antoinette. The real fact was, that Madame de D. did not know her. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 145 folds in the antique style, and fastened by a cameo on each shoulder; a gold belt encircled her waist, and was likewise fastened by a cameo ; a broad gold bracelet con- fined her sleeve considerably above the elbow; her hair, of a glossy black, was short, and curled all round her head, in the fashion then called k la Titus; over her fair and finely-turned shoulders was thrown a superb red cashmere shawl, an article at that time very rare and in great request. She disposed it around her in a manner at once graceful and picturesque, and formed altogether a most enchanting figure. "That is Madame Tallien,»* said M. d'Hautefort to Madame de D. " Madame Tallien ! " exclaimed she. "Good God! how could you bring me to such a place, my dear friend ? " "I defy you to find in all Paris a place where better company is brought together." He then muttered some of the civil things which he had at the service of those who displeased him. At this moment a very strong scent of attar of roses suddenly pervaded the apartment. A crowd of young men, of the class then called incroyables, rushed toward the door to meet a young lady who had but just arrived, though it was exceedingly late. Her figure was not good, but her little feet danced to admiration. She was dark, but her black eyes sparkled with expression. Her face beamed with intelligence, and expressed at the same time all the kindness of the simplest person. She was a good friend, and the most amusing of women. In short, she pleased; she was a toast of the day. All the remarkable men surrounded her as soon as she ap- peared. M. Charles Dupaty, M. de Trdnis, and M. Lafitte, immediately asked her to dance with them; she answered each with an expression of good-humor and intelligence, smiling in such a manner as to exhibit her ivory teeth ; she continued to advance, shedding fragrance throughout the whole room. Madame de D., who was annoyed by the perfume, and who, like all busybodies, found fault with what others liked, began to fidget about on the bench upon which she had found a seat, and at length said aloud, "Upon *I have lived at Bardeaiix; I have had friends who owed their lives to Madame Tallien. I have been told all the good she has done, and I cannot say too much on that subject, iO 146 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT my word, I think that must be either Fargeon's wife or his daughter.* 'Tis enough to make the strongest man faint. » «It is Madame Hamelin," said M. d'Hautefort. Next day he told us that nothing had amused him more that evening than being in attendance on Madame de D., and having to, name the persons who were real bugbears to her. "Madame Hamelin!" she exclaimed — « Madame Hamelin ! Come, Ernestine, » added she, in a voice tremulous with anger, " put on your palatine, and let us go.» All that could be said served only to hasten her departure. "And that Marquis, » repeated she, in a tone of indignation, "to assure me that I should here meet with my former society! Yes, indeed; for this hour past I have been falling out of the frying pan into the fire. Come, my dear, let us go." This scene passed a few paces from the bench on which my mother and I were sitting. We were well acquainted with the Marquis d'Hautefort, who was very satirical, and who frequently made us laugh by the account of his adventures at this ball. CHAPTER XXI. The Army of Italy — Triumphs of Bonaparte — My Brother at Massa- Carrara — Lucien-Brutus and Saint Maximin-Marathon — Lucien Bonaparte and Christine Boyer — Excursion to Versailles — Leoben and Campo-Pormio — Adventures of My Brother — Rivalship of Lannes and My Brother — Elopement of Madame Felice — General Lannes and M. Felice — Bonaparte at Paris and General Enthusiasm — Hatred of the Directory for Bonaparte — Ball at M. de Talleyrand's. THE Army of Italy surprised us every day by the prodigies communicated in its bulletins. The Directory, which disliked General Bonaparte, would fain have thrown a veil over the glory of the young hero; but the country, which he had saved from Aus- trian invasion, the soldiers, whom he led to victory, had *Fargeon was a celebrated perfumer, before the Revolution. His son, who succeeded him, and who lives in the Rue de Roule, is also eminent in the same line of business. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 147 thousands of voices to proclaim it, and the only resource left to the ridiculous Government which we had been silly enough to give ourselves, was to injure him whom it would gladly have thrown down after it had exalted him. My brother was then in Italy; he had repaired to headquarters, and Bonaparte had been most kind to him : my brother had carried with him a letter of recommen- dation from Joseph Bonaparte. " What occasion is there for this letter ? " said the General. " Whence arises so great a distrust of your- self?" continued he, looking more seriously at Albert. My brother replied that the slight altercation which had occurred between him and my mother had caused him to fear that the General would bear it in mind. " You are mistaken," said Bonaparte; "that scene was immedi- ately effaced from my memory. I apprehend, indeed, that Madame Permon bears a much stronger grudge on account of it than I do; and that is but natural," added he, laughing; "those who are in the wrong are sure to be most angry." The very reverse was the case on this occasion, for it was Bonaparte who never forgot that unfortunate alter- cation. More than ten years afterward he spoke to me on the subject with asperity. Be this as it may, he was very kind to my brother, received him in the most flatter- ing manner, gave him all the support he could expect, and procured for him a very good appointment. While General Bonaparte hurried on through Italy from victory to victory, his family was collecting at Paris, and forming a colony there. Joseph Bonaparte, after having been Ambassador of the French Republic at Rome, had returned to Paris, bringing with him his wife's sister. Mademoiselle D6sir€e Clary, who was then in the deepest mourning for the tragical death of the brave but unfor- tunate Duphot, who had been murdered at Rome, almost before her face, at the moment when he was going to marry her. Her first grief had abated somewhat of its violence; but there was still enough left to excite much pity. Luckily, she was yet young, and very agreeable. Lucien announced his arrival. He had just obtained a post (I know not where) in Germany, and he was passing through Paris to see his family, nearly the whole of which 148 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT was at that moment assembled there. At this period Lucien had been playing a silly trick, at which the General-in- Chief, who now considered himself as the head of the fam- ily, was excessively mortified. Lucien Bonaparte is a maia who, no doubt, has been known to many persons, but understood by few. I have known him long and intimately, and saw him as he was, without restraint or formality. He was endowed by Na- ture with rare talents; his mind was comprehensive; his imagination brilliant, and capable of grand designs. It has been said that he was a man whom reason did not al- ways influence in important affairs ; this, however, is not true. His heart was kind, and although sometimes hur- ried away by his passions, no serious charge can be brought against him; and as to his conduct toward his brother, the Emperor, it was always honorable. In 1794 or 1795 Lucien obtained the appointment of storekeeper at Saint Maximin, a small village in Provence. At that time folly was the order of the day, even with the wisest. It was therefore necessary to sacrifice to this mania of the moment ; not that I mean to excuse Lucien's folly by asserting that he was forced into it; on the con- trary, I am of opinion that he acted not only with his own free will, but even from inclination, when he assumed the name of Brutus, and also changed, while he was about it, the name of Saint Maximin into Marathon. Brutus and Marathon did not agree over and above well together: but the names were high sounding, and that was sufficient. The village of Saint Maximin-Marathon is not a mag- nificent residence. Lucien-Brutus soon found this out, and ennui would have overpowered him had not love come to his aid. Lucien-Brutus became enamored, desperately enamored, of Mademoiselle Christine Boyer, whose father was at the head of the little public house of Saint Marathon. Lucien was then young, about twenty-three ; he was in love for the first time, and he loved an angel of gentle- ness, virtue, and candor. Christine saw herself adored by an ardent, hot-headed young man, employing against her rustic simplicity all the stratagems, all the resources, with which his short experience of the world had made him acquainted, and which his love taught him to use skill- fully ; and Christine was not proof against such an attack. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 149 She loved as she was loved, but she forgot not her duty, and Lucien was obliged to marry her in order to be happy; he loved her too fondly to think of all the un- pleasant feelings which this alliance was likely to excite in his own family. In fact, no sooner was General Bona- parte apprised of this marriage than he declared that he would never recognize the wife, and never meet his brother again. A post was then given to Lucien in Germany, and the young couple came to Paris for a short time. It was at this period that I saw Lucien Bonaparte for the first time, and that I became acquainted with Chris- tine. There are women whose portraits it is easy to sketch. We say that they have large eyes, beautiful hair, a complexion blending the lily and the rose, and that is all. But is it only on account of her person that a woman is to be valued ? Has she not within her divine qualities to be described ? a profusion of kindness, affec- tion, and love ? All these were to be found in the heart of the excellent Christine. I knew her, and no sooner knew than loved her. Subsequently, when surrounded by the touching halo of maternal love, new treasures of tenderness manifested themselves in her, and constrained you to love her still more. During the short stay of Lucien Bonaparte and his wife in Paris they made an excursion to Versailles, and they allowed my mother no peace till she had consented that I should be of the party. As I had never seen Ver- sailles, I joined my solicitations to theirs and accom- panied them. I cannot describe the terrible impression which this widowed and dismantled Queen produced upon me. On beholding those immense salons stripped and deserted, those dark corridors, and apartments still covered with gilding, apparently awaiting some stately ceremony, all seemed to me so dreary and desolate that, though very young, I retained so vivid an impression of it, that when, in 1821, I went to reside at Versailles, I had a perfect recollection of the feelings produced by the melancholy and scandalous neglect of the residence of Louis XIV. I inquired in what state the palace was, and when I learned that it was precisely what it had been under the Direc- tory, I did not care to enter that royal habitation, will- 1 50 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JtTNOT fully forsaken by its natural guardians: I should have suffered much more from witnessing its forlorn condition in 1821 than I had done in 1796. The garden was the only object of my walk. My mother had a great affection for Lucien, and re- ceived him as his mother would have done. Christine was welcomed by her with equal cordiality. Joseph, who had then returned to Paris, and whom, in fact, each of the younger brothers considered as the head of the fam- ily, opened his arms to the young couple, and they were happy. A few days afterward they set out for Germany. Lucien was but a short time absent. I never knew what had been the object of this tour. His wife had accompanied him, as well as one of her cousins, named Boyer. On their return they lodged in Rue Verte, in the Faubourg Saint Honor^. Madame Bacciochi (Mari- anne Bonaparte) also lodged, I believe, in Rue Verte. Madame Leclerc, who had recently come from Milan, where she had been married, took a house in Rue de la Ville-l'Eveque. Louis and Jerome, too young to be left alone, were, the latter at the College of Juilly, and the other with his brother Joseph.* As for the latter, he had bought a house at the extremity of Rue du Rocher, almost in the fields, at least at that time. Since then so many buildings have been erected there, as every- where else, that the site of Joseph's house is now almost in the heart of a new quarter. The Treaty of Leoben was signed, that of Campo- Formio had followed it, the Congress of Rastadt was in preparation, when we were informed that General Bona- parte would soon return to Paris. My mother appeared to wait the moment with extreme impatience, I knew not at the time why, but I afterward learned that the reason was as follows: My brother was agent for the contributions at Massa-Carrara, and had for his colleague M. Gabriel Suchet, brother of the Duke of Albufera. He is a kind, excellent man, a cordial friend of Albert, and became ours too. My brother lodged at the house of a Monsieur Felice, whose wife was a charming woman. General Lannes, * And with his sister-in-law Madame Bonaparte, Rue Chantereine. He lived with both of them by turns. It was about this time that Josephine began to think of marrying Hortense. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 151 whose division was near Massa, if not at that place, had remarked, as my brother also had done, that Madame Felice was handsome, and that it was not impossible to please her; he therefore took measures to insure success. But the future Duke of Montebello stormed a town more easily than a woman — even an Italian. Albert played delightfully on the harp, sang likewise, spoke and wrote Italian as fluently as French, and made sonnets and canzoni on Madame Felice, not quite equal to Petrarch, and yet so good as to cause the heart of his fair landlady to surrender quietly at discretion; while General Lannes, who was also well aware that it wqs necessary to form a plan of attack, thought to play off the most irresistible of seductions by relating his battles and his victories; and, to tell the truth, this might have been more than enough to win a heart that was free, but Madame Felice's had struck its colors to all the ac- complishments of Albert, and had surrendered more especially to his love, for my poor brother's head was completely turned. At length one day the lovers per- suaded themselves that they could not live any longer annoyed in this way; on the one hand by a jealous and rejected swain, and on the other by an Italian husband, whose character was so ill-regulated that it displeased him to find his wife fond of any other man than himself. The result of this cogent reasoning was, that they took post and left Massa, trusting to love for the consequences of that measure. Next morning, when the forsaken husband discovered his forlorn condition, he began to weep, and ran to ac- quaint General Lannes with his mishap. On hearing it the General gave such a bound in his bed as had well- nigh knocked off the canopy. " Gone ! * he cried — "gone ! And together, say you ? » *< Si, signer Generale. » « And which way are they gone ? " " Ah, General ! how can I possibly know that ? " " Eh, parbleu! » replied General Lannes, leaping out of bed, and slipping on his panta- loons, at the same time eyeing Felice with looks of fury. " Blockhead that you are, go and find out what road they have taken ! '* The poor husband sallied forth to make inquiries, and learned without much trouble that the fugitives had di- rected their course toward Leghorn. As soon as he had 1 52 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT communicated this information to General Lannes, " Come along ! " cried he ; " to horse — to horse ! Morbleu! we shall catch them in a couple of hours. You shall shut up your wife ; and as for this Corydon of a French- man, who has the impudence to run away with our wives, I'll get him removed. Come along, Felice — come along, my friend! Take heart. What the devil ails you ? You are as pale as a sheet of parchment. " " Yes, General; many thanks. I will take heart." While giving this assurance that he would take heart, his teeth chattered like castanets, as General Lannes himself afterward told me. The fact is, that the poor fellow had no stomach for fighting my brother,* and that the General had frightened him out of his wits by ask- ing what weapon he would take with him. At any rate, the scoundrel would have done better to fight than act as he did afterward. General Lannes took the command of the party, and the husband, with his brother-in-law, a cousin, and I know not how many more, marched off under the protection of the banner of General Lannes. '^Ah, cugino Pasquale ! '''' said Felice to a little cousin — "Ah, cousin Pasqual! what a friend, what a brave Gen- eral, and what a charming man ! " The fugitives were overtaken about midday. The stray sheep was carried back to her fold, and inhumanly separated from her companion. I believe that my brother returned to Carrara, and that Madame Felice was re- moved to another town. Thus far the affair had been gay enough; but now this Monsieur Felice, impelled by some demon or other, preferred a criminal complaint against poor Albert. It was this affair, of which I was then ignorant, though my mother knew of it, that tor- mented her exceedingly. She wished to know if General Bonaparte had any accusatory documents relative to this charge. My mother was always easily affected, and any fears which she might reasonably entertain were sure to be doubled by her imagination. It would be very difficult to convey even a slight idea of the enthusiasm with which Bonaparte was received when he arrived at Paris. The French people are vola- * My brother was a first-rate swordsman ; my father, a pupil of Saint Georges, had been his master, as well as Fabien. My brother possessed a formidable advantage — he was left-handed. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 153 tile, not very capable of constancy in their affections, but keenly alive to the sentiment of glory. Give them victories and they will be more than content; the^ will be grateful. The Directory, like all authorities that are too weak and impotent to produce and to direct, though it was called the Executive Directory, regarded with jealousy, which soon became hatred, that feeling of worship and gratitude manifested by the French people for their young hero. A single movement seemed to set in action those five men, not one of whom was capable of com- prehending Bonaparte. Incapacity, corruption, and an unbounded ambition, under a Republican exterior, were the elements of the power which then ruled us, and which desired no glory but that of its immediate crea- tures. Bonaparte had emancipated himself since he had been sent to Italy, and his laurels and those of his army were personal property, as much as anything can legally be. Barras left him unmolested to enjoy his renown ; Mou- lins dared not venture to call to mind that he had ever been a general to run a race with him for fame. Roger- Ducos thought on all points like a good-natured man as he was; and Sifeyes, habitually reserved, as everybody knows, did not deem it necessary to let loose his tongue expressly to anathematize. According to this view of things, what I have said above will appear rather con- tradictory. But to proceed. On this occasion one of the five Directors governed singly the sentiments of the other four. He possessed, not more talent, but more intelligence, than his col- leagues, and boundless ambition, though he declared that he had none — a mere figure of speech, to which nowa- days no value whatever is attached. This man was Gohier. At this period we had every day the bulletin of the Di- rectorial interior, because M. Brunetifere, our friend and my guardian, was equally intimate with Gohier and visited him daily. My mother sometimes inquired the reason of his aver- sion for General Bon?,parte, for, in regard to him, she was rather amusing. She assumed the right of saying what she pleased about him, but she did not like others to attack him, and the malicious things which M. Brune- 154 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT tihre heard said of Bonaparte, and which he reported to us every day, roused my mother's anger against him and the Directory, which she cordially detested. From this time the hatred of Gohier for Bonaparte displayed itself in all his words and actions. He would have patronized to his prejudice the most incapable of men; that is to say, a recommendation from Bonaparte would have been a sufficient reason with Gohier for exclud- ing the person so recommended from an appointment had it depended on him. There certainly was a positive cause of this hatred, which the i8th Brumaire (Novem- ber 8th ) strengthened and rendered implacable. What was it ? I believe simply this : Gohier would have thought it highly conducive to the welfare of France, and more particularly to his own, to get rid, with the aid of the society of the Manage,* of the four puppets associated with him at the head of the Government, and to make himself President, not of the Directory, as it was on the iSth Brumaire, but of the French Republic. This scheme the eagle eye of Bonaparte had detected. He had most probably warned Sifeyes, and the admirable subtlety of the latter had foiled the plans of Washington the younger. Gohier was not deficient in talent, but that talent, which might have some merit before a tri- bunal, was reduced to a cipher in the extraordinary situ- ation which fortune had permitted him to attain. One may now venture to speak out: on looking at the list of the Directors of that period, if we except Carnot, a virtuous man, and a man of eminent abilities, and Sifeyes, who, though his political career has not been quite straightforward, yet possessed merit, what were the chiefs who steered our poor vessel ? Gohier felt, therefore, that he was superior to the Directory as it was composed after the events of Fructidor; and thought that he might seize the reins, which all other hands had suffered to fall, and even to trail in the dirt. His plan was detected ; and this was the cause of his violent hatred of Bonaparte. The reader will presently be convinced of * A name given at the time of the Directory to a party formed out of the remains of the Jacobins who were accustomed to meet in the Riding School of the Tuileries; hence the appellation given above. The Sittings were discontinued on 7th Thermidor, an vii (July 7th, 1799)- DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 155 this when I relate the conversation which M. Brunetifere had with Gohier after the i8th Brumaire. Had Bonaparte's vanity been ever so great, it must have been satisfied; for all classes joined, as I have said, to give him a cordial welcome on his return to his coun- try. The populace shouted, « Long live General Bona- parte! Long live the conqueror of Italy, the pacificator of Campo-Formio!" The shopkeepers said, "May God preserve him for our glory, and deliver us from the yoke of the Directors!" The higher class, ungagged and UNBASTiLLED, ran with enthusiasm to meet a young man who in a year had advanced from the battle of Monte- notte to the Treaty of Leoben, and from victory to vic- tory. He may have committed errors, and even grave ones, since that time, but he was then a Colossus of great and pure glory. All the authorities gave him magnificent entertain- ments; the Directory exhibited itself in all its burlesque pomp of mantles and hats with feathers, which rendered the meeting of the five members of the supreme power sufficiently ridiculous. But in other respects the fites were fine, and they had in particular the charm attached to things which are supposed to be lost, and which are recovered. Money circulated, and the result of all this was that everybody was pleased. One of the most magnificent entertainments, and above all one of the most elegant, was that given by M. de Talleyrand at the Foreign Office. He always dis- played admirable skill in the arrangements of the enter- tainments which he gave; indeed, when a man possesses good sense he shows it in everything he does. He then resided at the Hotel Galifet, Rue du Bac, and, though the rooms were small for the company assembled there that evening, the fite was admirable. All the most ele- gant and distinguished people then in Paris were there. My mother was absolutely bent on going. She was not quite well; but when she was dressed and had put on a little rouge she looked enchanting; and I can affirm that I saw that night very few women who surpassed her in beauty. We were both dressed alike, in a robe of white crape trimmed with two broad silver rib- bons, and on the head a garland of oak leaves with silver acorns. My mother had diamonds and iS6 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT I pearls. That was the only difference between our dresses. In the course of the evening my mother was walking through the rooms, arm-in-arm with M. de Caulaincourt on one side and me on the other, when we found our- selves face to face with General Bonaparte. My mother saluted him and passed on, when the General advanced a few steps and spoke to her. My mother was, in my opinion, rather too dry: her ill-humor was not yet quite dispelled, but in her excellent heart there was nothing like rancor. It was the reverse with the General. Be this as it may, he appeared to look at my mother with admiration. Indeed, that evening in particular she was truly captivating. The General spoke in a low tone for some seconds to the Turkish Ambassador, whom he held by the arm. The Turk uttered an exclamation, and fixed upon my mother his large eyes, to which, when he chose, he could give a look of stupidity, and then made a sort of obeisance. "I told him that you are of Greek extraction," said Bonaparte to my mother, saluting her by way of adieu. Then, holding out his hand, he pressed hers in a friendly manner, and left us after a short conversation, which nevertheless attracted the attention of the company, though it lasted but a few minutes. CHAPTER XXII. illness of My Mother — Domestic Details — M. de Baudeloque and M. Sabatier — A Treble Fright. SHORTLY before the i8th Fructidor* I was exceedingly alarmed on account of the state of my mother's health. She was attacked by a disorder which is dangerous at any age, but particularly so at her time of life. M. Sabatier, M. Pelletan, and Baudeloque came all three to see her almost every day for the fifty-two days that the danger lasted. My affection for her gave me preternatural strength. Such an instance was never heard of as that of a girl of •September 4th, 1797. DUCHESS OP ABRANTSS 157 fourteen being able to go through the watching, fatigues, and alarms of fifty-two successive nights. The three skillful physicians whom I have just named could not believe it, though they were daily witnesses of it. For a moment I was afraid I should not have strength to sup- port the burden. I was alone; my brother was still in Italy. I saw my mother turn her languid eyes to me, and the agonizing expression which momentarily animated them indicated but too plainly how keen a sense she had of her situation. Her daughter was likely to be left an orphan, and alone! I had written to my brother, but had not received any answer. Every now and then my mother called to me in a faint voice to ask if letters had not arrived from Italy. I was obliged to answer in the negative, and I perceived that this reply distressed her exceedingly. All the agony of mind and body that nature is capable of enduring was felt by my poor mother. We had many friends; I have no doubt that until my brother's arrival a dozen houses would have received me ; but, I repeat it, the thought never entered my mind. When I saw my mother so ill as to be unable to leave her bed, my grief was at first violent; but when the symptoms of her painful disease became so aggravated as to threaten her life, my despair overpowered me to such a degree that I had no energy and presence of mind beyond what was requisite to make me the most intelligent of nurses. I could not bear my mother to take a spoonful of medicine or a basin of gruel from any hand but mine. She had an Alsatian femme de chambre, who was an ex- cellent creature, and exceedingly attached to her. She was a clever nurse. But I was not satisfied with her attendance, though I could rely upon her. I could not sleep if I left her alone with my mother. If I lay down for a few hours anxiety kept me awake, and I returned at four in the morning, unable to finish the night in my bed. At length the danger became so imminent that the physicians thought it no longer their duty to conceal the fact. It was, however, difficult to tell a girl who had no other support but her mother that she must die ! Never- theless, I heard this sentence, and I had strength to ask if there was nothing at all that could save her. « Nature 158 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT and incessant attention, not only every minute, but every moment, may do much," replied Baudeloque; "and there- fore you must eat and sleep, that you may have strength. * Sabatier was the one who understood me best. He did not say to me, " eat and sleep, " but he almost forced me to bathe two or three times a week. He recommended to me a generous and strengthening regimen, and he studied in particular to calm my poor head, which was no longer capable of bearing the weight of so many anxieties.* My poor mother was saved. The unceasing attentions paid to her at length triumphed over a dis- ease which the whole faculty of Paris pronounced mortal. On the day that hope was restored to me a singular circumstance occurred. It was noon when the physicians informed me that my mother was out of danger. I wrote immediately to my brother, who was then in Italy ; I was mad with joy. I could not take any rest either in the morning or during the remainder of the day. In vain my mother begged me to go and lie down. " To-night I will," was my invariable reply. At length, when the beloved patient was properly wrapped up for the night, when she had taken her meat jelly, and her drawn curtains admitted only the faint light of a night lamp, when I had kissed her brow, pale and cold as marble, and received 'her blessing, I retired to my little chamber, and prepared to go to bed for the first time for nearly two months, after thanking God with a grateful and deeply-affected heart. I lay down. No sooner was my head upon my pillow than I was over- powered with a stupor rather than real sleep ; I was in a kind of lethargy; not even a dream disturbed this state of complete quietude. I know not whether I have suc- ceeded in conveying an idea of what I then experienced; but the reader may judge how violent the shock must have been which I received when I felt myself shaken by the arm, and heard a tremulous voice stammering in my ear: '■'^ Mademoiselle ! mademoiselle/ ah, mon Dieu! mon Dieu ! Madame — madame has just expired in my ARMS! i» *I shall never forget his kind attentions; and when, thirty years afterward, his daughter became my niece, I could not help expressing, though very briefly, my attachment to her father. A longer phrase than that which I used would have been in bad taste. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 159 I shrieked, and instantly was as wide awake as at the same hour the preceding night. I pushed aside the trembling Josephine, flew to my mother's room, drew back with violence the curtains of her bed, threw myself upon her, called her, and my poor mother was awakened by me as I had myself been by Josephine. She had been fast asleep! My mother was beginning to recover from an illness which did not leave her, I verily believe, above four ounces of blood in her veins. Her paleness, her emacia- tion, were truly frightful: she was naturally extremely fair, and her complexion was now of an alabaster white- ness, without the slightest rosy tinge. Lying thus be- tween the white sheets, her face surrounded by cambric, the reflection of which added to her paleness, my poor mother had, indeed, a look that was rather alarming to any but her own child. My poor mother trembled for above an hour with the fright which I had given her on entering her chamber. At length, toward morning she fell asleep again. As for me, it is easy to imagine how I finished the night. I would not return to my bed, but placed myself in a large easy-chair, which habitually served me to sleep in; and there, though more composed, I could not get so much as an hour's nap. The shock had had such an effect upon me that Sabatier and Pelletan declared I had narrowly escaped two calamities, which might have been the consequence of Josephine's indiscretion — epilepsy and death. i6o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XXIII. Portrait of Marshal Augereau — Consequences of the i8th Fructidor and Deportations — Cruelty of the Directory — Bonaparte the Author of the 1 8th Fructidor — Joseph Bonaparte in the Five Hundred — Madame Joseph — Mademoiselle Clary, Queen of Sweden — Berna- dotte's Marriage — Portrait of Joseph Bonaparte — The Bonaparte Family — Bonaparte in Paris — Preparations for the Expedition to Egypt — Portrait of Louis Bonaparte — Portrait of Lucien — Bona- parte Makes Himself Head of the Family — Arrival of His Mother and Sister Caroline at Paris — Portrait of Caroline Bonaparte — Madame Bacciochi — Madame Leclerc and Paulette. AT LENGTH Came that terrible day, the 4th of September. I call it TERRIBLE, bccause the establishment of a republic in France, such as the fond dreams of our hearts represent it, may be impracticable, but still we had one of some kind even in the Directory. After the institution of this dictatorship, or of this royalty in five volumes, tatters of this republic had daily fallen under the blows of the Directory itself and the anarchists; at any rate, some part of it was yet left. This solemn day utterly destroyed it. The republic, whose foundations had been cemented by the pure and glorious blood of the martyrs of the Gironde, had vanished, was dispelled like a dream; the blood of the victims alone had left reprobatory recollections. The conduct of the Directory on this occasion displayed ability. That body acted at first with a cunning, and afterward with a boldness, worthy of a better cause. In fact the army of Italy exercised over us, even already, some of the ascendency to which we bowed at a later period ; and General Augereau did but execute prescribed and circumstantial orders. He was a man who might possess that daring spirit which hurries along thousands of soldiers in its train, but, for directing a political movement, for organizing the simplest machination, he was a mere cipher. Not only was he a soldier, but his manners were those of a soldier; everything about him betrayed the uneducated man. His vanity was, never- theless, inordinate. DUCHESS OP ABRANTES i6i We met him sometimes at a house where my mother visited a good deal, that of M. Saint Sardos. I confess that his manner not only excited in me that disgust which must be felt by a young girl accustomed to see none but well-bred people, but there was superadded the jealousy which I experienced as a warm admirer of General Bona- parte on account of his campaigns in Italy; it put me out of temper to think that this booby, as I called him, should presume in his pride to dispute the palm of glory with Bonaparte. My mother, who was not always of my way of thinking relative to Bonaparte, agreed with me on this subject. As to the conseqences of that cruel day, they were such as might have been expected. The Directory triumphed as it had fought, in a cowardly and barbarous manner. It was well aware that royalty had been called for, not so much out of love to the royal family, as out of hatred to itself ; the Directory knew this and took a base revenge. The consequences of the 4th of September gave us cause for deep regret in the proscription and exile of several of our friends. During many days we dared scarcely in- quire about persons for whom we felt an interest, and a new terror, as it were, reigned in Paris. Almost every family mourned a relative or a friend. My mother was greatly distressed, and both her opinions and her affections were wounded. The signal for the events of the 4th of September came from Italy; it was the hand of Bonaparte that gave it; he was determined to crush the Royalist party in the assembly. The Clichyans, by refusing Joseph (and I be- lieve Lucien), had incensed him; and from that moment Junot told me, he swore that the men of the guilty party, as he called it, should not see the close of the year while on their curule chairs. After the departure of the unfortunate prescripts, Joseph Bonaparte was nominated deputy of the Liamone to the Council of Five Hundred. He then completed the fitting- up of his pretty house in the Rue du Rocher, and pre- pared to receive company. He was expecting his mother and his youngest sister Caroline. Mademoiselle D^sir^e Clary had just married Bernadotte. We were at the wedding, which took place in a very plain manner in 1 62 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Joseph's house. Mademoiselle Clary was rich, and ex- tremely pleasing in person and manners ; Bernadotte made a very good match. Of all Bonaparte's brothers none have been so mis- represented, and that generally, as Joseph. I have read a multitude of memoirs, and everywhere found a carica- ture, by which he has been judged, substituted for his real aspect. Joseph, moreover, is not the only one of the family that I shall replace in his proper light; and this I can do with the greater facility, because all its mem- bers are as well known to me as my own relations, in consequence of an intimate association of many years, and at a less exalted period of their lives. My brother was particularly intimate with Joseph. I know not when this friendship commenced ; but I believe that it was at the time when my brother, in order to escape the requisition, was at Marseilles and Toulon with Salicetti. Joseph Bonaparte is one of the most excellent men that can be met with. He is good-natured, intelligent, a student of French and Italian literature, and unaffectedly fond of retirement. Much has been said, but to no pur- pose, relative to the weak conduct of Joseph at Naples and in Spain. I know not what he did, or what he could have done at Naples; but this I know, that in Spain he could do no better, because he went there against his inclination, and it distressed him exceedingly to be obliged to go to that unhappy country, filled with troubles and discussions, where the dagger or the blunderbuss threaten you every moment — a country where all the good that he did, and I am certain that he did a great deal, was accounted only as a duty performed. No, no; the man who has been good, honorable, virtuous, for a series of years does not change at once and become cowardly, and even wicked. Joseph is handsome, very like the Princess Pauline. They have both the same delicate features, the same winning smile, the same kind look. Joseph has always been a great favorite with our family. At Montpellier, after his father had breathed his last in my mother's arms, Joseph came to live with his uncle Fesch in the house of my parents. I mention this because Joseph never forgot it; on the contrary, he always tendered me DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 163 his hand to testify his gratitude for what my mother had done for him. Madame Joseph Bonaparte is an angel of goodness. Pronounce her name, and all the indigent, all the un- fortunate in Paris, Naples, and Madrid, will repeat it with blessings; yet she was never at Madrid, and knew nothing of that foreign land but from the accounts of it that were given to her. Never did she hesitate a moment to set about what she conceived to be her duty. Accordingly, Madame de Survilliers * is adored by all about her, and especially by her own household; her unalter- able kindness, her active charity, gain her the love of everybody, and in the land of exile she has found a second native country. She was fondly attached to her sister, the Queen of Sweden. The latter is an inoffensive, and in my opinion an excellent, creature ; but she has one defect which her present situation renders almost a vice — she is a mere cipher. Her character has no color. Nay, more, she may easily be persuaded to do any person an ill turn, merely because she is not aware of the drift of the pro- cedure. The Queen of Sweden was prodigiously fond of everything that was melancholy and romantic. When she married Bernadotte she had a face of which I shall say nothing, because we were then thought to be exceedingly like each other. She had very fine eyes, and a most pleasing smile. Lastly, she had not too much embonpoint as at the time of her departure for Sweden, and she was altogether a very agreeable person. She was fond of her husband, which was natural enough; but that fondness became a downright annoyance to the poor Bearnese, who, having nothing of a hero of ro- mance in his composition, was sometimes extremely per- plexed by the part. She was continually in tears when he had gone out because he was absent; when he was going out, more tears ; and when he came home she still wept because he would have to go away again, perhaps in a week, but at any rate he would have to go. Louis Bonaparte was engaging at eighteen, subse- quently his infirmities gave him the appearance of an old man before his time; this rendered him morose in *The name afterward assumed by King Joseph. The Queen also used it in Germany, where she then resided. i64 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT appearance, and miserable in reality. He resembled the Queen of Naples when he was young and in health; there was the same cast of countenance, and the same expression when the features of the Queen of Naples were at rest; but as soon as they were animated by her smile or her look all resemblance vanished. Louis is a mild, easy, good-natured man. The Em- peror, with his whim of making kings of all his brothers, could not find one who would fall in with it. His sisters, on the contrary, seconded him, for they were devoured by ambition; but on this point the men have always shown a firm and determined will. Louis told him as much when he was setting out for Holland. " I will do what I like, * said the young King to his brother. " Let me act freely, or let me remain here. I will not go to govern a country where I shall be known only by disas- ter." The Emperor was inflexible in his will. He sent Louis to Holland; the unfortunate young man went to experience a slow and cruel agony among its canals and marshes. The greater part of his present ailments pro- ceed from that damp atmosphere, particularly unhealthy for a child of the South like him. He obeyed, and his wife was destined there to feel the keenest anguish — her maternal heart was wrung by the death of her first- born.* Lucien and his wife arrived at Paris at the same time, I believe, as did Madame Lsetitia and Caroline Bona- parte. The General came to Paris, and afterward set out again for Toulon. The Egyptian expedition was in preparation. Applications from all quarters poured in from young men, who, in ignorance of its destination, but hoping that it might be for Constantinople or Eng- land, enrolled themselves in crowds. At the period I am speaking of (that is, in 1797), Lucien might be about twenty -two years of age ; he was tall, ill-shaped, having limbs like those of the field spider, and a small head, which, with his tall stature, would have made him unlike his brothers had not his physiognomy attested their common parentage. Lucien was very near-sighted, which made him half shut his *The eldest of the children of Louis and Hortense Beauharnais died of croup, at the Hag^e, in 1S04. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 165 eyes and stoop his head. This defect would have given him an unpleasing air if his smile, always in harmony with his features, had not imparted something agreeable to his countenance. Thus, though he was rather plain, he pleased generally. He had very remarkable success with women who were themselves very remarkable, and that long before his brother arrived at power. With respect to understanding and talent, Lucien always dis- played abundance of both. In early youth, when he met with a subject that he liked he identified himself with it; he lived at that time in an ideal world. Thus, at eighteen, the perusal of Plutarch carried him into the Forum and the Piraeus. He was a Greek with Demosthenes, a Roman with Cicero ; he espoused all the ancient glories, but he was intoxicated with those of our own time. Those who, because they had no conception of this enthusiasm, alleged that he was jealous of his brother, have asserted a willful false- hood, if they have not fallen into a most egregious error. This is a truth for which I can pledge myself. But I would not with equal confidence assert the soundness of his judgment at this same period, when Bonaparte, at the age of twenty-five, laid the first stone of the temple which he dedicated to his immortality. Not naturally disposed, by the grandeur of his genius, to view things in a fantastic light, and attaching himself solely to their reality, Bonaparte proceeded direct to the goal with a firm and steady step. He had in conse- quence the meanest idea of those who kept traveling on, as he expressed it, in the kingdom of fools. From this rigorous manner of judging persons of ardent imagi- nations, it may be supposed that Lucien was smartly reprimanded whenever he addressed to him any of the philippics or catilinaria of the young Roman. Napoleon forgot that he himself, a few years before, while still in Corsica, had given proof of equally violent exal- tation. Madame Lucien was tall, well-shaped, slender, and had in her figure and carriage that native grace and ease which are imparted by the air and sky of the South ; her complexion was dark, and she was pitted with the small- pox; her eyes were not large, and her nose was rather broad and flat: in spite of all this she was pleasing, i66 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT because her look was kind, her smile sweet, as well as her voice: she was graceful, in short, and good as an angel. Her love for her husband rendered her quick in adapting herself to her position; in a few weeks she became an elegant woman, wearing to admiration all that issued from the hands of Leroi, Mademoiselle Des- paux, and Madame Germon. On his first visit to Paris Lucien made but a short stay there ; on his return from Germany he and his wife settled in Paris, and lived at this period in Grande Rue Verte, Faubourg Saint Honor^. Madame Bacciochi resided, like Lucien, in the Rue Verte. Madame Leclerc, who arrived from Italy soon after the period which I have just mentioned as that of the meeting of the family, took a house in the Rue de la Ville-l'EvSque. We formed, of course, nearly the center of the Corsican colony, in the heart of Paris ; thus, not a day passed on which some of the brothers or sis- ters did not visit us, or we them. Caroline Bonaparte, who was called Annunziata, and who came with her mother from Marseilles, was then twelve years old. Handsome arms, small hands, delight- ful in form and whiteness, small well-turned feet, and a brilliant complexion — such were the characteristics of her beauty, with the addition of fine teeth, rosy cheeks, very fair but round shoulders, a figure rather too robust, and a manner not very elegant. Caroline was in other respects a very good girl, and we were as much together as my more intimate acquaintance with Made- moiselle de Perigord and Mademoiselle de Caseux per- mitted. Caroline was placed in a boarding school at St. Ger- main, with Madame Campan, not to finish her education, for it had not even been begun. Of Madame Leclerc we saw more than of any other in the family. She came every day to my mother, who was very fond of her, and petted her — that is the right word — by passing over with more indulgence than her mother the thousand and one whims which were bred, gratified, and abandoned in a day. Many people have extolled the beauty of Madame Leclerc; this is known from portraits and even statues of her; still, it is impossible to form any idea of what this lady, truly extraordinary as the perfection of beauty, DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 167 then was, because she was not generally known till her return from St. Domingo, when she was already faded, nay withered, and nothing but the shadow of that exquisitely beautiful Paulette, whom we sometimes admired as we admire a fine statue of Venus or Galatea. She was still fresh on her arrival at Paris from Milan; but this freshness was of short duration; by the time she had lived a year in Paris she began to be a very different person from the Paulette of Milan. At this period she was an excellent creature; it has been said since that she was malicious, and this report has been spread even by persons of her household; I know not whether greatness changed her disposition. CHAPTER XXIV. Attention of Bonaparte to the Establishment of His Family — Amours of Bonaparte, and a Box at the Feydeau — Coldness between My Mother and Bonaparte — Levity of Josephine — Marquis de Caulain- court — The Two Brothers, Armand and Auguste — Madame de Thelusson and Madame de Mornay — Fashions — Bonaparte at Paris — Long and Interesting Conversation between Bonaparte and My Brother — Projected Expedition — Implacable Hatred against England. GENERAL Bonaparte was anxious to see all his family comfortably settled at Paris before he left Europe, but knowing that the Republican generals were charged with rapacity, he did not wish his family to live in such splendor as might afford cause for malicious in- terpretations. Nothing was more simple than the style of Joseph's house, though, at the same time, it was re- spectably appointed. Bonaparte had also laid down rules for the guidance of Madame Bonaparte's conduct in this respect; had they been followed, this conquest over Josephine's spirit of dissipation would have surpassed the conquest of Egypt which he was about to undertake. General Bonaparte, though younger than Joseph, and though his mother was still living, assumed from this moment the ascendency and authority of a father and head over his family. The instructions which he left 1 68 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT for their guidance were truly remarkable, and surprised my mother; she had not seen him at her house since her decided quarrel with him on account of my cousin Stephanopoli.* Naturally proud, she was now as glad to avoid Bonaparte as a few years before she had been anxious to meet him. The behavior of the young Gen- eral had deeply hurt her, and the indifference which he had shown in excusing himself completely incensed her against him; but subsequently her excellent understand- ing made allowances for all that might then have occu- pied the head of such a man. Bonaparte was about this time as fond of his wife as his nature allowed him to be when his faculties were wholly devoted to the vast projects he had himself conceived. No doubt he loved Josephine, but those who have asserted that he loved hei more than he ever did any other woman, have not fol- lowed him through his early life, nor discovered him in the character of a romantic lover; they have not seen him redden, turn pale, tremble — nay, even weep. At the old Feydeau theater there was a box, No. ii, in the first tier, which knew much more about this matter than they do. His love for his wife was not of the same nature. He loved her, no doubt, but without making of her one of those divinities which dazzle the acutest understand- ing, and prevent it from perceiving any imperfection, moral or personal, in the beloved object. Besides, there was a counterpoise in the gratitude which, more partic- ularly about the time of his return from Italy, everyone said that Bonaparte owed to his wife. Madame Bonaparte showed a total want of prudence, not only in not imposing silence on those who spread this report, but also in giving it weight by her confi- dences to a host of flatterers, and, above all, of intriguers, who never kept the secret more than an hour. I know that Bonaparte had been informed of the authority, if I may be allowed the term, which Madame Bonaparte gave to the absurd report which the enemies of Napo- leon, and he had many already, circulated respecting him. It may easily be conceived how his spirit must have been wounded when he saw himself the object of *He died at Neuilly, in consequence of having cut a corn on his foot. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 169 a contemptuous look, when he heard the expression: «It is his wife's influence that upholds him.'* This was false and ridiculous, but it was said, and whoever knew Bona- parte well must be aware that nothing more was required to produce an extraordinary effect upon him. Bonaparte was acquainted with the indiscretion of his wife; accordingly, he recommended her to abstain above all things from talking about politics — a subject which she knew nothing of, and which could not fail to lead to conversations liable to compromise him. "What you say is supposed to come from me," he would frequently observe to her; "keep silence, and then my enemies, and you are surrounded by them, will not have it in their power to draw silly inferences from your words." My mother had found again an old friend in her neighborhood, M. de Caulaincourt, whose hotel, in the Rue Joubert, was not above a hundred paces from our house. To name him is sufficient to call to the minds of those who knew this excellent man all that is good, honorable, and honored. The Marquis de Caulaincourt was likewise a friend of Madame Bonaparte; he had rendered her very great services. Of what nature I know not, but my mother knew; they must have been very important, for, subsequently, on the day that his two sons were presented to the First Consul, when M. de Caulaincourt described to my mother the truly re- markable reception which Bonaparte had given to him- self and his sons, " Indeed, I can easily believe it, " said my mother ; " if even the merits of Armand and Auguste had not required this distinction, the gratitude which his wife owes you would have imperatively commanded it." M. de Caulaincourt approached my mother's bed, for she was lying down at the time, and whispered to her for a few moments. " No, no, " said my mother, " 'tis not enough. Consider besides that your sons may aspire to everything. Where do you find men possessing their qualifications, and who, moreover, have at their age their military renown ? " M. de Caulaincourt was therefore a frequent visitor at the house of Madame Bonaparte. He gave her advice, which she listened to without following. He had a gen- uine friendship for her, and he proved it unequivocally; but Madame Bonaparte was excessively frivolous and I70 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT fickle, with the appearance of good nature. M. de Caulaincourt soon became disliked, though he was far from suspecting it; and subsequently, when, in conse- quence of my marriage, I formed one of the select circle at the Tuileries, I did not wound his heart by telling him that he was called the dotard. M. de Caulaincourt was like a living tradition of a period which our fathers themselves considered as be- longing to another age. His sons did not resemble him. Armand, afterward Duke of Vicenza, had much of the look of his mother; Auguste was not like anybody, neither was Madame de Saint Aignan, formerly Madame de Thelusson. Madame de Mornay* was a fine woman, and had much of the elegant carriage and manners of Armand. M. de Caulaincourt was a man of such an original stamp that I should look around me in vain at the present day for anyone resembling him. His features had been very delicate in his youth, and, though short in stature, he was perfectly made. He had dark expres- sive eyes, to which, however, he seldom gave a severe expression. Many years have since passed, and yet my recollection of M. de Caulaincourt is so strong that methinks at this moment I can see him alighting from his horse at my mother's door on his return from Madame Bonaparte, Rue Chantereine. Never shall I forget that pretty pony, which fashion led him to choose : he paid all his visits upon horseback, like a country apothecary. Having formerly been a cavalry officer, highly esteemed in his corps, he had retained, in spite of time, reform, and revolution, the clumsy jack-boots, long queue, coat with large metal buttons, and waistcoat with flaps. Below these flaps hung two immense watch chains, with such a collection of trinkets that, when I did not hear the usual noise made by the horse and himself, their jingle, as soon as he began to ascend the stairs, apprised me of his approach. He was thoroughly convinced that the most graceful fashion of the day could not stand a comparison with his; and, to speak the truth, I should be puzzled to tell which was most laughable, he or a young incroyable of that time, buried in a muslin cravat two yards wide, with "Afterward Madame d'Estemau. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 171 a coat the skirts of which reached a little lower than the hips, while pantaloons, ample enough to make a gown, gave to the lower part of his person the appearance of a woman. Add to this capricious costume hair falling in long thick corkscrews over the immense cravat, and a hat so extremely small that it was difficult to keep it upon the head, which it scarcely covered. M. de Caulaincourt called me his daughter, and I called him my little papa. Armand, afterward Grand Equerry to the Emperor, and I were long accustomed, even at Court, to call one another brother and sister. The portrait of the Duke of Vicenza has not been favorably drawn by prejudice and envy. He was not liked. He was perhaps rather too much convinced of his superiority over most of those who formed the military circle of the Emperor, and this conviction gave him an air of reserve which superficial persons took for haughtiness. He was clever, and had as much the manners of a gentleman as any man in France. His brother was far from being equal to him. Augusta's temper was by no means agree- able, and I have frequently heard my mother reprimand him severely for unpoliteness, even to the friends of his father. At this period both brothers were with their regiments. General Bonaparte, after staying but a few weeks at Paris, when on the point of leaving Europe with the chance of never returning, had been influenced by a feeling of violent irritation. My brother, who in Italy had always kept upon the best terms with the General, had called to see him at Bonaparte's request. Albert went several times, and always came back more and more certain that Napoleon was excessively mortified by the course of events. "I plainly perceive," said Albert, "that his great spirit is too much compressed in that narrow center, within which those needy Directors wish to confine it: it is a free flight in untrammeled space that such wings demand. He will die here; he must begone. This morning, " added Albert, * he said to me : * This Paris weighs me down like a cloak of lead ! ' And then he paced to and fro." " And yet," replied Albert, " never did grateful country hail more cordially one of its children. The moment you appear, the streets, the promenades, the theaters. 172 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT ring with shouts of * Vive Bonaparte.' * The people love you, General." While my brother thus spoke, Bonaparte, he said, looked steadfastly at him. He stood motionless, his hands crossed behind him, and his whole countenance expressing attention mingled with the liveliest interest: he then began walking again with a pensive look. " What think you of the East, Permon? * he abruptly asked my brother. " You seem to have had an excellent education : for your father, I believe, originally destined you for the Diplomatic Service, did he not? " My brother re- plied in the affirmative. "You speak modern Greek, I believe?" Albert nodded assent. "And Arabic?" Albert answered in the negative, adding that he could easily learn to speak it in the course of a month. " Indeed ! Well in that case I " Here Bonaparte paused, as if fearful that he had said too much. He nevertheless reverted to the subject a moment afterward, and asked Albert if he had been at M. de Talleyrand's ball. " That was a delightful fite, " he added ; " my Army of Italy would be very proud if it knew that its Com- mander had received such high honors. Yes, the Direc- tors have done things nobly. I should not have supposed that they had such skill in paying compliments: what luxury!" He walked about for a considerable time with- out speaking, and then resumed : " It was more magnifi- cent than our royal entertainments of old. The Directory ought not thus to forget its republican origin. Is there not pretension in appearing in such pomp before those who, in fact, can counterbalance its power? I represent the army ! " added Bonaparte ; " yes, I represent the army, and the Directors know whether the army is at this mo- ment powerful in France." Nothing could be more true than this last insinuation of Bonaparte. At this period the army actually possessed great influence, and a distant expedition was already much talked of in public. Bonaparte asked my brother several questions relative to this subject. Albert answered that it was generally believed that the projected expedi- tion was destined against England. The smile that now played upon Napoleon's lips,, as Albert afterward told us, had so strange, so incompre- DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 173 hensible an expression, that he could not tell what to make of it. « England! » he then rejoined. « So you think in Paris that we are going to attack it at last ? The Parisians are not mistaken ; it is indeed to humble that saucy na- tion that we are arming. England ! If my voice has any influence, never shall England have an hour's truce. Yes, yes; war with England forever, until its utter de- struction! Permon, if you choose, I will take you with me; you speak fluently English, Italian, Greek. Yes; I will take you with me." The conversation detailed here is the summary of what passed at five or six interviews. My brother heard in all quarters a variety of surmises concerning the projected expedition. The secret was long kept, but at length it was divulged; for Bonaparte, covetous of all kinds of glory, resolved to surround himself with the splendor which the arts and sciences impart to everything. He laid the Institute itself under contribution. An immense battalion accompanied the new Alexander to the banks of the Nile, whence it was destined to bring back a trophy more brilliant than any that blood can give to posterity. As soon as my brother learned that the expedition was destined for so distant a country his resolution was taken ; he arranged his affairs, and prepared for his departure. My mother, when she knew it, threw herself in a man- ner at his feet, entreating him not to forsake her. Al- bert needed no second supplication; he remained. 174 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XXV. Family of Junot — His Education — His Character — The Battalion of the C6te d'Or — Junot a Grenadier — Promoted to Sergeant — The Siege of Toulon — First Meeting of Junot and Bonaparte — Extraor- dinary Scene — Junot Is Bonaparte's First Aid-de-Camp — Curious Correspondence Between Junot and His Father — Remarkable Dream Muiron and Marmont — Death of Muiron — Wounds of Junot — Inexplicable Errors in the Memorial of St. Helena — Politeness of Junot — Adventures of Madame de Brionne at Dijon — She Pre- sents Junot with Her Portrait — Baron de Steyer. AMONG the young officers whom Bonaparte had intro- duced to my mother, when he was appointed to the command of the Army of the Interior, she dis- tinguished one, as well on account of his manners, blunt without rudeness, and his open countenance, as for the extreme attachment which he manifested for his General. This attachment bordered upon passion. He evinced an enthusiasm so touching that my mother, whose elevated soul and loving heart were capable of appreciating all exalted sentiments, had immediately distinguished Colonel Junot, and from that moment she felt the sincerest friendship for him. I was then quite a girl, and never dreamed that the handsome Colonel, with light hair, ele- gant dress, engaging countenance, and yet serious look, would come three years afterward and, out of love, solicit the hand of the little girl whom at that time he scarcely noticed. Of all the officers composing Bonaparte's staff Colonel Junot had the most adventurous and the most fortunate destiny. He bore, in recent scars, the glorious marks of a valor which his bitterest enemies have not attempted to deny him. The General-in-Chief had known how to appreciate it, and with the origin of his fortune were connected several remarkable acts, not only of courage, but also of honor and generosity. It was at the siege of Toulon that the General had become acquainted with him, and in a manner which, for its singularity, deserves to be related at length. Junot was born at Bussy-Legrand, in the department of the Cote d'Or, on the 24th of September, 1771, and it may be observed, by the way, that he received for a DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 175 Christian name that of the saint whose festival happened to fall on the day of his birth; hence he had the most singular name perhaps in France — it was Andoche. What trouble this unlucky name gave in the sequel to the masters in the art of pleasing, who took it into their heads to celebrate the ruling powers ! Junot's parents were respectable bourgeois; his family was in easy circumstances. His mother's two brothers were, the one a physician at Paris, where he was de- servedly esteemed, and the other first Canon of the cathedral of Evreux, possessing good benefices, which he meant to leave to the elder of his nephews, M. Junot, who died Receiver-General of the Upper Saone. The Abbd Bien-Aini6 was a worthy priest, whose memory I revere. He died Bishop of Metz, in 1806, regretted by his whole diocese, the poor of which called him le Bien- NommL As, prior to the Revolution of 1789, the class of the bourgeoisie never put their sons into the army, Junot was destined for the bar. His education, begun at Montbard under an excellent man named Heurt^, of whom he frequently spoke with gratitude, was completed at the college of Chatillon-sur-Seine. * Here he first became acquainted with Marmont, who was a pupil at the same college, and here they contracted that friendship which nothing ever diminished, though both of them pursued the same career- This friendship ended only with Junot's death in 1813. * « When General Junot returned from the Egyptian expedition, he went into Burgundy to see his relatives and friends, and to show them that prosperity had not altered his sentiments toward them. At Mont- bard where he had received what little education he possessed, he called on his schoolfellows, whom he saluted with great cordiality ; but his emotion was much greater when he met with his former preceptor, whom he had believed to be dead. He threw his arms around the old man's neck, and kissed him. Surprised to receive such testimonies of regard from a stranger, especially from one so richly habited, the school- master looked foolish, and was unable to utter a word. « < Do you not know me ? > inquired the young officer. < I have not that honor, sir.> < What ! not know the idlest, the most dissolute, and the most worthless of your scholars 7 > inquired the old man with the utmost naiveti. The General laughed, again embraced his tutor, and on going away settled on him an annual pension." — «The Court and Camp of Napoleon » (1836), p. 194. 176 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT Junot was a man of very extraordinary character, which was not always duly appreciated by those about him, because he himself sometimes threw an obstacle in the way, in consequence of a defect which really was a drawback from his many good qualities — I mean an extreme irri- tability, easily excited in him by the mere appearance of a fault. Whenever he had reason to suspect anyone, more especially a person under his command, of neglect in matters connected with the service, he could not help reproving him for it, and the more harshly, as, in the like case, he would have been just as severe toward one of his own relations. On such occasions his frank- ness did not allow him one circumlocutory word. Junot had lofty ideals ; he was a stranger to falsehood, and was endowed with a generosity which his enemies have endeavored to represent as a vice, but which his numerous family, who for fifteen years had no other support than him, a great number of crippled soldiers, of widows encumbered with children, who received pen- sions and relief from him, will never call anything but the virtue of a noble heart. He possessed in an eminent degree the qualities of a good son, a warm friend, and an excellent father. I recollect Mr. Fox telling me one day how he was struck the preceding evening, when leaving the opera house, on seeing Junot paying as much attention and respect to his mother as he could have done to the first peeress of England.* How many college friends, how many in- digent relatives, has he succored and saved ! How many ungrateful persons are there to whom he was a patron, a brother, and whose fortunes he made ! Junot doted on his children. Who can know, as I have done, all that anxiety, so strong and so tender, which he felt even in the midst of personal danger? What letters he would write me ! How affecting they were for their candor and ingenuousness! At one time he would inquire whether his boy had cut his tenth tooth. At another he would say: "But when shall you wean little Rodrigue ? » And then his girls, what were they doing ? * Mr. Fox meant by no means to satirize Prance by appearing to think it admirable that a son should give his arm to his mother. It was the extraordinary care and attention that struck him, as he himself acknowledged. DUCHESS OP ABRANTES 177 Were they grown ? Did they work at their needle ? These details may appear trivial, but the letters were written under the fire of the enemy, amid the snows of Russia, or perhaps an hour after receiving a wound, which had not even been dressed. I preserve all those invaluable letters, which shall descend as a sacred inheritance to my children. Having begun life with the Revolution, Junot was absolutely one of its children. He was scarcely twenty when the first roll of the drum was heard. A war cry rang throughout the kingdom; the most discreet panted for combat; all were tired of repose. Had not Junot been my husband, I should tell how he became all at once a young Achilles. Suddenly smitten with a passion for arms, he wholly forgot the luxurious and indolent life which till then he had led. It was then that he entered into that celebrated battalion of volunteers of the Cote-d'Or, so renowned for the number of generals and great officers of the Empire who sprang from its ranks. Its commander was the amiable and unfortunate Cazotte. After the surrender of Longwy, the battalion was ordered to Toulon to join the forces collected to retake it from the English. This was the most critical moment of the Revolution. Junot was sergeant of grenadiers, which rank had been conferred on him upon the field of battle. Often, when relating to me the circumstances of the first years of his adventurous life, did he speak of that event as the most extraordinary that had befallen him. He said, with that accent which persuades because it is true, that, in the whole course of his career of honors, nothing ever threw him into such a delirium of joy as that which he experienced when his comrades, all of them as brave as himself, appointed him their sergeant, when their commander confirmed their appointment, and he was lifted on a tremulous platform supported by bayonets still dripping with the blood of the enemy. It was about this time that, being one day on duty at the battery of the Sans-Culottes, a commandant of artillery, who had come a few days before from Paris to direct the operations of the siege, in so far as the artillery under the command of Cartaux was concerned, applied to the officer of the post for a young subaltern, 178 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT possessing both courage and intelligence. The Lieuten- ant immediately called La Tempite — Junot stepped for- ward. The Commandant scrutinized him with an eye that seemed already to look through the man. "Pull off your coat,* said the Commandant, "and carry this order yonder," pointing to the most distant part of the coast, and explaining what he wished him to do. "I am not a spy," said he to the Commandant; "seek somebody else; I shall not take your order." He was retiring. " So you refuse to obey ? " said the superior officer in a sharp tone: "do you know to what punish- ment you render yourself liable ? " "I am ready to obey," said Junot, "but I will go in my uniform or not at all; and that is honor enough for those rascally Eng- lish." The Commandant smiled, as he looked steadfastly at him. " But they will kill you, " replied he. " What is that to you ? You don't know me well enough to fret after me; and as for myself, 'tis all one to me. Well, I may go as I am, may not I ? " He then put his hand into his cartridge box. " Well, with my sword and these pills, at any rate the conversation shall not flag, if those fellows have anything to say to me." He then set off singing. " What is that young man's name ? " asked the supe- rior officer, as soon as he was gone. " Junot. " " He is sure to get forward." The Commandant then noted down his name in his pocketbook. This was already an opinion of great weight, for the reader will easily have guessed that the officer of artillery was Napoleon. A few days afterward, being at the same battery of the Sans-Culottes, Bonaparte asked for someone who could write a good hand. Junot stepped out of the ranks and offered his services. Bonaparte recognized in him the sergeant who had already attracted his notice. He told him to place himself somewhere to write a letter, which he would dictate. Junot chose the comer of the battery. Scarcely had he finished the letter when a bomb, fired by the English, burst at the distance of ten paces and covered him as well as the letter, with mold and dust. "Capital!" said Junot, laughing; "we wanted some sand to dry the ink." Bonaparte fixed his eyes on the young sergeant ; he was quite calm, and had not even started. This circumstance DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 179 decided his fortune. He continued with the Comman- dant of the artillery, and did not return to his corps. Afterward, when the city was taken and Bonaparte ap- pointed General, Junot asked no other reward for his good conduct during the siege but to be appointed his aid-de-camp, * preferring an inferior rank to that which he might have had by remaining in the corps; but in this case he would have been obliged to leave Bonaparte, and Junot could not make up his mind to that. Junot was soon attached to his General with a devoted- ness that became adoration. Without taking the full measure of the giant who was before him, his penetra- ting mind set him down for a great man. I subjoin an extract from a letter, the original of which is in my pos- session; it was written in 1794, when Junot 's father, alarmed at the resolution of his son, asked him for in- formation concerning the man to whose fortunes he had attached himself. "Why have you left the Commandant Laborde ? f Why have you left your corps ? Who is this General Bonaparte ? Where has he served ? Nobody knows him here." Junot answered his father, and explained to him why he had preferred the service of the staff, especially that active service which he was likely to have with his Gen- eral, to the more tardy results that would have attended his remaining with his battalion. He then added : *' You ask me who is this General Bonaparte. I might answer in the words of Santeuil: '■^^ Pour savoir ce qu'il est ilfaut Stre lui-mime;'* but this much will I tell you, that as far as I can judge he is one of those men of whom Nature is sparing, and whom she throws into the world but once in a century. ** When Napoleon set out for Egypt he passed through Burgundy on his way to Toulon. He stopped at Dijon, * Junot and Muiron, the latter of whom afterward perished so un- fortunately, were the first aids-de-camp that Bonaparte ever had. t Afterward General of Division and Commandant at Lisbon at the time of the Conquest. It was Laborde who commanded in Oporto when Marshal Soult suffered himself to be surprised by the English, conceiving that it was the Swiss regiment which was crossing the river. i8o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT where my father-in-law then was, and the latter showed him the letter which I just quoted. "Monsieur Junot,'* said the General, "this only serves to confirm me in my conviction of your son's attachment to me. He has given me strong proofs of it, which have deeply touched me. You and he may therefore rely upon it that I will use all my power and influence to advance him in our adventurous career." My father-in-law had then no occasion to ask who this General Bonaparte was. A quarter of an hour after this conversation, what Bonaparte had said to him was written in his pocketbook, and put into his left pocket, as near as possible to his heart. His adoration of Na- poleon became from that moment almost as profound as that of his son. Bonaparte kept the promise which he had made to Junot's father: he was to him a kind and useful patron; but, then, there were important obligations on the other side. We have already seen that Junot, deeply concerned at the arrest and accusation of Bonaparte, wanted to share his captivity ; that he was repulsed from the prison by Napoleon himself, who convinced him that he might be of more use to him by remaining at liberty. We see, in fact, that the defense of Napoleon, addressed to the representatives of the people, Albitte and Salicetti, who had caused him to be apprehended, was Junot's writing: there are merely a few notes to it in Bonaparte's hand. After the liberation of the General, Junot accompanied him to Paris. There he constantly shared his poverty, and always divided with him what he received from his family. " The galleons are not yet arrived, " Bonaparte would say to my mother, when he called to see her, with a long face, and a gray frock coat, which has since become so famous, but was then a very shabby concern ; " the Burgundy diligence has not yet arrived. If it do not come to-night, we shall have no dinner to-morrow — at least, if you don't give us one, Madame Permon. " What Napoleon called the galleons was a remittance of two or three hundred francs, which Junot's mother now and then sent to her son. This he divided with the General. *And I always have the larger share," said Bonaparte. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS i8i When Napoleon, after the 4th of October, was invested with the command of the Army of the Interior, he took other aids-de-camp. Marmont was one of them; and at this period he, Junot, and Muiron were the privileged persons of his staff. Junot and Muiron were on the most intimate terms. They were for some time the only two officers attached to General Bonaparte. Their friendship was not affected by the addition of Marmont to their little staff, and, as I have already observed, Junot and he had been educated at the same college. It was a very remarkable point in Junot's character, or rather in his heart, that he was weak and superstitious in regard to his dearest friends as he was rash and reck- less of his own person ; so that whenever a battle was at hand, he was distressed about the fate of his friends till he saw them again. On the evening before the Battle of Lonato, after having been on duty the whole day, and riding perhaps fifty miles, carrying orders in all directions, he lay down exhausted with fatigue, but without undress- ing, that he might be ready at the shortest notice. During the day he had thought a great deal about Muiron and his situation. Muiron had formed plans for his future establishment, which he had communicated to Junot. He meant, at the end of the campaign, to apply for leave of absence, that he might go to Antibes, for the purpose of marrying a young widow residing there, of whom he was enamored, and who possessed some fortune. It would therefore have been natural enough that Junot's slumbers, receiving a tinge from the impressions of the day, should present to him similar joys, but in a different form. But no sooner was he asleep than he dreamed that he was on a field of battle, covered with dead and dying. He was met by a powerful masked knight on horseback, with whom he fought ; this knight had, instead of a lance, a long scythe, with which he struck at Junot several times, and wounded him deeply on the left temple. The battle was long; at length they closed. In the conflict the tall rider's visor or mask fell off, and Junot beheld a death's-head; the armor then disappeared, and Death, with his scythe, stood upright before him. " I could not take you to- day, " said he ; " but I will take one of your best friends. Beware of me ! * i82 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Junot awoke bathed in perspiration ; day began to dawn ; the bustle which precedes a day such as that which was preparing was already heard; he tried to sleep again, but could not ; he was so much agitated, and this dream pro- duced an uneasiness which increased every moment ; yet, singularly enough, his apprehensions were not directed to Muiron, and on that day his anxiety was exclusively about Marmont. The engagement began. Junot received two wounds on the head, one of which left that fine scar which was long seen on the left temple, the other was near the nape of the neck ; neither of these wounds appeared very dangerous, but there was a chance that the one on the temple might become so in the state of mind in which he then was. The moment he came to himself he inquired after Marmont. He was not to be found. When the officer who had been to look for him returned, and imprudently told Yvan, who was dressing Junot's wound, that he could not find him, Junot, calling to mind his dream, was seized with a kind of delirium, which alarmed the surgeons the more because his blood had been for sev- eral days past highly inflamed. A messenger was sent to acquaint the General-in-Chief with what had hap- pened; he went himself to his favorite aid-de-camp and strove to soothe him; but Junot would not listen to any- thing, and had not Marmont at that moment arrived from executing a commission given him by the General- in-Chief (he had been, I believe, to Massena's headquar- ters), Junot would probably have been attacked by tetanus. As soon as he saw his friend he became com- posed, and seemed to think that he had nothing more to apprehend. "Ah, there you are ! " he exclaimed, taking him by the hand ; " there you are ! " He then examined him with the only eye that was uncovered to see whether he had received any wound, and smiled with satisfaction on per- ceiving no other traces of the battle but disordered hair, and clothes covered with dust and Austrian blood. All at once he was struck by the extreme gloom on Mar- mont's countenance ; the image of Muiron presented itself to his mind. "Where is Muiron?" cried he; "where is Muiron? '* Marmont cast down his eyes, and the surgeon DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 183 gave Heldt, Junot's valet de ckambre, a significant look to enjoin silence. Junot understood them. "The wretch," cried he, « has kept his word, then ! ** Muiron had actu- ally fallen. During the whole of the campaigns in Italy, Junot ac- companied Bonaparte in those fields of glory, and was not sparing of his blood ; he was in all the brilliant days of Areola, Lodi, Castiglione, Lonato, the Tagliamento, etc. He served his General and his country on the field of battle with all the zeal that could be expected from an attachment such as his. Bonaparte, who knew and duly appreciated him, employed him during the cam- paigns in Italy in other duties besides those of an officer of the advance guard. The occupation of Venice, which required both great subtlety and extreme firmness, was intrusted to him ; he brought back with him colors which his arm had assisted in taking, and his mission had, as we shall see, an entirely diplomatic object. I have already observed that Junot lavished his blood for the glory of his country. I shall here mention a few instances. During the campaign in Italy, at the Battle of Lonato, he received, as we have just seen, a wound on his left temple ; but the most frightful of his wounds was a gunshot wound received in Germany when only a volunteer; it must have been terrible, to judge from the scar, which made one shudder. The pulsation of the brain might be perceived there ; this scar was at least an inch long, and seven or eight inches in depth. At fre- quent intervals during the three or four years succeed- ing that campaign, this wound would break open afresh in a manner equally singular and alarming, and, the blood flowing profusely from it, Junot ran the risk every time of bleeding to death. One day, at Milan, being at the house of Madame Bonaparte, where they were playing at vingt et un, Junot was sitting at a round table with his back toward the door of the cabinet of the General-in-Chief. The General opened his door without being heard ; he made a sign to be silent, and, coming up softly, laid hold of the fine light head of hair which the young aid-de-camp then had, and pulled it sharply. The pain was so acute that Junot could not suppress a faint cry; he smiled, but his face turned pale as death and then alarmingly red. i84 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT The General withdrew his hand; it was covered with blood! To a brilliant and creative imagination Junot joined an acute understanding that was most prompt in seizing any- new idea the moment it presented itself to him. He learned everything with inconceivable rapidity. He was very ready at composing verses, was an excellent actor, and wrote wonderfully well. His temper was warm, sometimes passionate, but never was he coarse or brutal; and, during the thirteen years of our union, I never wit- nessed such a scene as that which is described in the Memorial of St. Helena; the Emperor could not have made such an assertion, or, in absence of mind, he must have mentioned one name instead of another. The pic- ture of Junot running about in his handsome hotel, as he is alleged to have done in the Memorial, sword in hand, to pay his creditors, is absolutely ludicrous to all who were acquainted with Junot and knew how anxious he was to act in conformity with the elevated post which he occupied. This post, formerly so eminent under the Bourbons, was infinitely more important under the Emperor. The Governor of Paris had the command of nearly 80,000 men ; he was the only Governor who ever had such great power, extending to Blois, and, I believe, even to Tours. All officers of distinction, foreign or French, who passed through Paris, were received by him. Every person of any renown who came to France was admitted to the 1 hospitalities of the Governor of Paris; and, from the first day of his nomination Junot strove to imitate the Due de Brissac, if not in his two queues and his white scarf, at least in the politeness of his manners. The desire of standing well in his intercourse with the social world dates even much further back, notwithstanding Junot's fondness for the Republic and his aversion to ancient customs. I will give an example. When all the world was em- igrating and the revolutionary tempest began to roar, Madame de Brionne was stopped when attempting to leave France at a town (I believe Chalons) where Junot happened to be with his regiment. It was said that Madame de Brionne was carrying with her the Crown diamonds; she was the mother of the Prince de Lam- DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 185 besc,* whose name was held in abhorrence by the people for his affair at the Tuileries ; she belonged, more- over, to the house of Lorraine, and that was enough to render her suspected. She was therefore detained, but, thanks to Junot, this measure, which might have as- sumed a most serious character, was productive of no other unpleasant result than the mere fact of her appre- hension. Madame de Brionne was conveyed to the best inn in the town, and Junot persuaded the Mayor's officers to go themselves and examine her. " She is a woman, " said he ; " you do not arrest her by virtue of a warrant, since you have no commission to do so, but you act out of patriotism; you have received information upon which you act : so far all is right. Consider, however, that your information may be false, and that your action then be- comes the more vexatious, inasmuch as there is no just cause for it: you must act then as if you doubt whether you be right; and, besides, she is a woman and we are Frenchmen. " They replied to Junot with cheers, and, in consequence of this harangue, it was resolved to proceed to the noble traveler, who, not having been forewarned, had well-nigh marred everything. She had thrown herself on a bed upon pretext of fatigue, but probably to avoid the cere- monial of bows and courtesies ; she shrunk from the idea of desiring people such as she then saw to sit down in her presence. By a very simple accident, however, her stratagem was thwarted. The Mayor being absent from the town, there came in his stead an extremely vulgar fellow, who, on entering the room, threw himself into an armchair, say- ing: "I beg your pardon, citoyenne, but I am heavy, you see (he was full two hundredweight), and by your leave I will sit down." At this intrusion Madame de Brionne half raised her- self on the bed, and lifted up her head with an expres- sion which gave her a most gigantic stature of twenty cubits. "By what right, sir, do you interrupt my jour- ney ? " said she to the fat man who acted the part of Mayor. « Is this the liberty people now enjoy in France ? I insist upon your suffering me to proceed this instant." * And of the Prince de Vaudemont. i86 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT The fat man made no other reply to this application than to ask Madame de Brionne who she was and whence she came. In relating this scene to me, Junot said : " Never shall I forget the expression of Madame de Brionne's face; it was not indignation; it was an almost unknown senti- ment; it was stupifaction, madness. She, Madame de Brionne, to be interrogated! Not only her name to be asked, but who she was! 'After all,' said the man of the Commune, 'we must know what is your profession.* Madame de Brionne returned no answer, but it was evi- dent how severely she suffered from the constraint. A young woman who was near her seemed in a whisper to be striving to soothe her. "At length, when she had been questioned for the third time as to her name and quality, she raised her- self with that dignity which never fails to awe when it is inspired by the feeling of what one really is, and ex- claimed, ' Marie Louise de Rohan, Comtesse de Brionne ! As to the charge which you have the stupidity rather than the infamy to allege against me Show them my luggage,* continued she, turning to a valet de chambre; 'they will see that the house of Lorraine possesses wealth without having occasion to rob the house of France. * " I was exceedingly pained at this scene, " said Junot, " and when the clumsy booby had thoroughly convinced himself that Madame de Brionne had nothing with her that could even cause her to be suspected, I said sharply that she might be allowed to take some rest be- fore she resumed her journey, which she wanted to do immediately. At any rate that woman had a noble and dignified courage which excited a lively interest in me, and I strove to screen her from the inconveniences of her situation. '* Madame de Brionne was too much accustomed to good society not to be immediately aware of the attentions paid to her by Junot, which never ceased till her de- parture; and at a moment when she thought she should not be overheard, she said to Junot, " It must be very painful to you, sir, to wear that dress and to live with such people. It is no doubt your father whose opinions Alas! in these disastrous times it is no uncommon DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 187 thing to see persons belonging to our class joining the rabble. " "Madame," said Junot, interrupting her with a smile, «I ought to prevent you from proceeding, and assure you that my father and myself are of the same opinion; and I must confess that I am a plebeian and a stanch Republican. " The young soldier bowed. «Well, then," said Madame de Brionne to the young lady who had previously spoken to her, « there are many of our young coxcombs at Ver- sailles who would not have been either so polite or so attentive to a woman of my age." «I heard it distinctly," said Junot, "though she spoke in a whisper ; and you will hardly believe that one of the things which most engaged my thoughts, after she had spoken of it herself, was to inquire her age. She was still a superb woman; her arms and hands were admira- bly beautiful." [Madame de Brionne was about fifty at the time of this adventure; if anything rather more than less.] " Sir, " said she to Junot at the moment of her depar- ture, "accept this token of remembrance; I hope that it may serve to remind you of one who, on her part, will never forget what you have had the kindness to do for her." This token of remembrance was a snuffbox of white shell, with a portrait of Madame de Brionne. Junot received it with warm expressions of thanks, and always kept it, notwithstanding his wandering life. A singular adventure, not a sequel to but a consequence of that which I have just related, occurred some years afterward. Some time after the victory of the Tagliamento, shortly before the Treaty of Leoben, Junot, being at Clagenfurth with the General-in-Chief, received a visit from a young German officer taken prisoner in the battle. He was handsome and a man of polished manners, but spoke French very ill. In other respects he was quite a gentle- man, for he introduced himself as a relative of Madame de Brionne, in whose name he solicited Colonel Junot's good offices. From what Baron de Steyer told Junot, it appears that Madame de Brionne had always kept her eye upon him, and that the newspapers, in which his name frequently occurred, had furnished her with honorable intelligence 1 88 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT concerning him. She had recommended to the Baron, in case he should meet with such a misfortune as to be taken prisoner, to mention her name to Colonel Junot, and solicit his influence. The confidence of Madame de Brionne was not disappointed. Junot received the young officer in the most cordial manner; he asked and obtained for him his liberation on parole before the exchange of prisoners. My husband was much pleased with this mark of remembrance on the part of Madame de Brionne, and justly so; for what is more amiable than to procure you an opportunity for doing a good action, and to prove that one has relied upon you ? This little story is not foreign to what precedes it, as the reader may perceive. The young man to whom it relates was the same who, from his fiery courage and impetuosity of character, obtained a few months after- ward in the field of battle the appellation of La Tempite from his brave comrades. It is to be presumed that this politeness, which must have been innate in Junot, for it could not have been taught him, was in the sequel rather developed than stifled by the remarkable circumstances in which he was placed. The preceding story, like many others, is not quite in its proper place. But this is a fault — if it be one-— inherent to these Memoirs. They are recollections awak- ened by recollections. Touch one chord, and ten others vibrate, differing in sound, but combining in one har- mony. So do not be surprised if I sometimes break off one story to begin another. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 189 CHAPTER XXVI. Departure of Junot for Egypt — A General at Twenty-seven — Mutual Relations of the Generals of the Army of Egypt — Parties — Quarrel between Lanusse and Junot— Duel by Torchlight on the Bank of the Nile — Remarkable Observations of Napoleon— His Horror of Duels— Letter from Bonaparte to Junot — Junot in Egypt after the Departure of Bonaparte — Letter from Kleber— Departure of Junot — Junot and General Dumuy Taken by the English — Indig- nities from an EngKsh Captain, and Noble Conduct of Nelson — Lady Hamilton's Oranges — Intimacy of Junot and Sir Sidney Smith — Junot Returns to France, and is Appointed Governor of Paris. JUNOT was appointed General in Egypt. This promo- tion, which is generally a desirable thing, especially at Junot's age (he was then twenty-seven), was not so for him. He had to leave the man to whom he was affectionately attached, and was even removed from under his observation ; the army was not numerous, the general officers had not the choice of their cantonments, and they were obliged to go whithersoever the service re- quired. Many generals have been strongly attached to the Em- peror; many ,'of them, by the ascendency of a mighty genius, though they were Republicans, continued to love him even after his coronation, and to serve him faith- fully; but nothing ever approached that blind, that pas- sionate devotedness which several of his officers, at the head of whom was Junot, cherished for him. It was a fault in Napoleon not to believe the reality of this senti- ment, and a still greater to show that he disbelieved it. It is well known that there was a schism between the chiefs of the Army of Egypt; it was the camp of Agra- mant. Napoleon's party was the most numerous, but this division was extremely prejudicial. The personal danger of each party rendered it more irritable, more inflexible, especially toward the opposite faction. Klbber, Damas, and a great number of generals of extraordinary merit in other respects, affected to withdraw themselves from the authority of the General-in-Chief. Among the generals who had placed themselves in I90 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT hostile opposition to the General-in-Chief was Lanusse, the brother of him who lately commanded at Besangon. One day an expression so horrible, and at the same time so alarming for the safety of the army, was reported to Junot, that the favorable prepossessions with which the bravery of Lanusse had inspired him were from that moment utterly destroyed. "I hated him at last," said Junot to me when relating the circumstances of their quarrel. Amicable appearances were nevertheless out- wardly kept up, but their hearts were estranged.* One day Murat, wishing to reconcile the two generals, in- vited them to dine with him, together with Lannes, Bessibres, and I believe Lavalette, who was then aid- de-camp to the General-in-Chief. Dinner passed off agreeably, and the party afterward went to play. During a game at bcuillotte the con- versation turned on a military operation which the army was about to make, when Lanusse suffered a sarcastic smile to escape him; it exasperated Junot. Bessiferes, who sat next to him, kept him quiet for a few moments. Lanusse, misinterpreting the tranquillity which prevailed around him, continued talking about the state of the army in very indecorous terms. In the midst of his observations he stopped short, and addressing Junot : " Junot, " said he, " lend me ten louis ; I am bankrupt." "I have no money to spare," replied Junot dryly. As he had a heap of gold before him, Lanusse, eyeing him steadfastly, rejoined : " How am I to take your answer, Junot?" "Just as you please." * I asked you to lend me ten of the louis that are lying before you. " " And I answer that, although there is money before me, there is none for a traitor (traiire) like you. " " None but a scoundrel could use such an ex- pression," cried Lanusse, overcome with rage. In a moment all were on their legs. " Junot ! Lanusse ! " cried they, endeavoring to soothe them, for, at the epi- thet employed by Lanusse, Junot had become furious. All at once he appeared calm. " Hearken, Lanusse, " said he in a voice the mildness of which formed a strange contrast with his choleric trembling, * hearken *They had previously been intimate, and I know that Lanusse had even laid my husband under obligation. I take pleasure in acknowledging this. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 191 to me; I called you a traitor; I don't think you are so.* You called me a scoundrel; you don't think me one, for we are both brave. But, look you, we must fight ; one of us must die. I hate you because you hate the man whom I love and admire as much as God, if not more.f We must fight, and that immediately. I swear that before I go to bed to-night this affair shall be settled!" All the witnesses of the scene were sensible that such words as had been exchanged demanded blood, and even life. But what was to be done? The General had pro- scribed duels; he would not have any in his army. If the affair were to be deferred till the next day he would know of it, and then it would be impossible to settle it. Murat's garden was spacious ; it sloped down to the Nile. Torches were lighted, and there they might fight that very instant. It was nine o'clock and quite dark. " What weapon shall we take ? » said Junot. " A pretty question! " said Lanusse. "Pistols, to be sure.* Everyone looked at him in astonishment. He had been insulted; according to the laws of dueling he had a right to choose the weapons that should be employed. All were therefore surprised that he should prefer one which, in Junot's hand, was sure to prove fatal. It is well known that he was the most expert marksman with the pistol, not only in France, but almost in Europe. At twenty-five paces he never missed an ace, and could cut the ball in two, and that exactly in the middle, against the blade of a knife. " I will not fight you with pistols," said he coolly to Lanusse ; " you are no marksman, you could not hit a bam door. We ought to fight upon equal terms. We have our swords; let us go." Bessiferes, who was Junot's second with Murat, whis- pered to him that he was a foolish fellow, as Lanusse was a capital swordsman, and he might perhaps stand no chance with him. "Consider, too," said Murat, "that it is for life or death. " Junot would not listen to anything. They proceeded to the garden, and by the way Lanusse * Lanusse was remarkable for bravery, and one of the most dis- tinguished officers of the Army of Egypt. 1 1 have been advised to omit this expression, but I have not done so, because it was actually used by Junot, and, being acquainted with his religious creed, I know how to estimate it. He was not pious, but he was a believer. 192 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT again raised his voice and employed some very offensive expressions with reference to Junot and the General-in- Chief. ** Lanusse, " said Junot, " you are acting now like a man without heart, and yet you are a brave man; one would suppose you were trying to screw up your courage." Lanusse replied with a volley of abuse. Lannes silenced him. "Come along, Lanusse,* said he in the energetic manner with which he adorned all he said; for at this period, and even much later, I never heard him speak two words but the third was an oath. " Come along ; hold your tongue ; you are going to cut one another's throats — what the devil would you have more ? All that you say to him now is positively thrown away. " When they were on the ground the seconds examined it, and they had a good mind not to suffer the affair to take place on that spot. The Nile, after its periodical inundation, had left inequalities which were enough to trip a person up at every step. *' If it were but day- light ! " said Murat, ** but you cannot fight here. " *' Come on," said Junot, "this is child's play." Pulling off his coat, he drew his sword, and Lanusse did the same. Junot was a good fencer. He was nimble, brave, and perfectly cool ; but wishing to finish the affair, and taking his opportunity, he made a stroke at Lanusse, which cut the crown of his hat and spent itself on his cheek. Had he been without a hat he must have been killed. Taking advantage of the movement which had left Junot exposed, he gave him a back-handed cut, which laid open the abdomen and made a wound, the scar of which was more than eight inches long. Junot was removed with great difficulty. The nature of the wound was most serious in a country where inflammation of the intestines is the chief thing to be dreaded. But he was surrounded by persons whose talents and friendship quickly alleviated his alarming situation. The General-in-Chief was furious the next morning when Desgenettes, at Junot's desire, informed him of the occurrence. " What ! " cried he ; " are they determined to cut each other's throats ? Must they go into the midst of the reeds of the Nile to fight among the crocodiles, and leave behind for them the body of the one that shall DUCHESS OF ABRANTJ&S i9i have fallen? Have they not enough, then, with the Arabs, the plague, and the Mamelukes? You deserve, Monsieur Junot," said he, as though his old aid-de-camp had been present — "you richly deserve putting under arrest for a month when you get well.* Such were the very words of Bonaparte. He went to see Junot a considerable time after the affair — that is to say, when Junot was almost convalescent — for at first Napoleon would not see him, saying that he was more culpable than Lanusse. However, the very next day, when apprised of the result and cause of the duel, he exclaimed : * My poor Junot ! Wounded for me ! But, then, the idiot! why did he not fight with pistols?" When Bonaparte left Egypt, Junot was at Suez, where he commanded. It is well known how secret the depar- ture was kept. How kind and afEectionate is the letter which he sent on this occasion to Junot ! It is as follows : I- Bonaparte, General-in-Chief, Member of the Institute, to the Gen- eral of Brigade, Junot. « I am leaving Egypt, my dear Junot, and you are too far from the place of embarkation for me to take you with me. But I shall leave orders with Kleber to let you set out in the course of October. Be assured that, in whatever place and in whatever situation I may be, I will give you positive proofs of the afEectionate friendship which I have vowed to you. — Health and friendship. « Bonaparte." Klfeber wished to keep Junot, but he would not stay. He could not meet with a vessel to return to Europe, and it was painful to him to be far distant from his country and from the man who alone had enabled him to endure the separation. At length he spoke out with such energy and feeling that Klfeber gave him permis- sion to depart in the following letter: '■'■KUber, General-in-Chief, to the General of Brigade, Juneau* «The feeling of gratitude which you express so well, and which attaches you to General Bonaparte, only augments the esteem which I entertain for you. You shall go. General, and I have ordered General Damas to furnish you with a passport immediately ; it grieves me ex- ceedingly that I cannot give you in any other way the assurance of mv sincere and cordial attachment. * An orthographical blunder would be nothing more than one might expect of Klpber, who did not pride himself on being able to write French ; but it is surprising that he did not know how to spell Junot's name. 13 194 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT Notwithstanding the apparent frankness of this letter, Klfeber caused his departure to be attended with unpleas- ant circumstances. A report was circulated in the army that Junot was carrying away the treasures found in the Pyramids by the General-in-Chief. *' He could not carry them away himself" (such was the language held to the soldiers), "and so the man who possesses all his confidence is now taking them to him.'* The matter was carried so far that several subalterns and soldiers proceeded to the shore, and some of them went on board the merchantman which was to sail with Junot the same evening. They rummaged about, but found nothing. At length they came to a prodigious chest, which ten men could not move, between decks. " Here is the treasure ! " cried the soldiers ; " here is our pay that has been kept from us above a year. Where is the key ? » junot's valet, an honest German, shouted to them in vain, with all his might, that the chest did not belong to his chenerdl. They would not listen to him. Unluck- ily Junot, who was not to embark till evening, was not then on board. The mutineers seized a hatchet, and be- gan to cut away at the chest, which they would soon have broken up had not the ship's carpenter come run- ning quite out of breath. "What the devil are you at," cried he, " madmen that you are ? Hi ! stop ! Don't de- stroy my chest; here is the key." He opened it imme- diately, and lo ! the tools of the master carpenter of the ship. A scene like this wounded Junot to his heart's core. To be suspected of such baseness was to him a deep in- jury; but to suspect his General of a crime of which he was less capable than any other — he, the father of the soldier ! Junot deemed the charge beneath both of them. He oould have proved that he had been obliged to bor- row a thousand crowns for his return to Europe, but he should soon see again his own dear country, the man who was not less dear, and his family. In short, the feelings that crowded upon his ardent soul (so well fitted to en- joy all the happiness that he anticipated) neutralized his indignation; he quitted that ancient Egypt, from which he carried away nothing except glory, without regret and without remorse, and, turning his face toward Eu- rope, thought of nothing but France. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 195 The odious calumny, the stupid invention, relative to the treasures of the Pharaohs, had meanwhile found be- lievers elsewhere, as well as in the army. The English, for example, had been simple enough to give credit to this story. A ship was even cruising off Alexandria, and the merchantman in which Junot had sailed was obliged to bring-to at the first summons of the "Theseus" man- of-war. Captain Steele; while Junot and his aid-de-camp. Captain Lallemand, had not the power to make the least resistance, how well disposed soever they might have been to do so.* Captain Steele was the most impertinent of men, and everybody knows that when the English take up the pro- fession of impertinence they are adepts in it. Junot was a prisoner, and an unhappy prisoner ; all that could aggre- vate the pain of his disagreeable situation was probably stiidied overnight in the head of the captain, that it might be put in practice the next morning. Junot had with him General Dumuy, the oldest General of Division in the French army; he was no longer young, and was invested with a rank which ought to have insured him not only respect, but honor, especially among military men. Well, poor General Dumuy was not only ill-used, which was cruel, but hoaxed, which was infamous. Junot would not put up with any jokes, and I have no need to observe that it would have been dangerous to make the experi- ment with him. Captain Lallemand, on his part, was not more complaisant ; one day he well-nigh threw overboard a petty officer who had amused himself by playing him a TRICK, as he called it. Accordingly Junot and he were at least respected. At length, after enduring for four months a treatment which daily became more harsh and insupportable, Junot spoke out, and with such effect that Captain Steele was obliged to tack about and carry his victims to Jaffa, to be delivered up to Commodore Sir Sidney Smith. I shall speak of Sir Sidney by and by; at present I shall only say that he was most polite to the prisoners, and par- ticularly to Junot, but he could not keep them, and for- warded them by way of Cyprus o Arnetta, to be thence *They left Alexandria at eight in the evening, and were taken about midnight by the English. «We were waiting for you,» said the latter. 196 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT dispatched to Toulon in the ship " Le Vaillant ; " but it was necessary that an English officer should first go to Palermo to receive the orders of Nelson, who was there with Lady Hamilton. The day after " Le Vaillant " had anchored in the harbor of Palermo, a very elegant barge, manned by a dozen rowers dressed in white, and wearing black velvet caps ornamented with a silver leopard, came to reconnoiter the frigate. Junot was in his cabin at the moment with General Dumuy. The Captain of " Le Vaillant " went down to them and told them with the more arrogance, because he fancied that he was backed, " Come up on deck, gen- tlemen; our hero, the great Admiral Nelson, wishes to see the French prisoners." Junot eyed the Captain, then, turning his head, he appeared to be looking round about him. "Am I to understand that it is to me and the General that you are speaking ? " said he. The Captain bowed. " And have you the courage to execute this commission ? Well, take back this answer, at least as far as I and my officers are concerned; go and tell your Admiral — who to me is neither a hero nor a great man, for I am accus- tomed to a measure that would be far too large for him — go and tell him that I am not his prisoner, but the prisoner of his Government; that if I were I would not obey an order given with the brutality with which you would treat strange beasts that you might have brought from Egypt, and of which you were the keeper. If Admiral Nelson wishes to see me he knows where to find me. Say further, he is my superior, his rank is higher than mine; had he civilly expressed a desire to see me I would have gone to him that instant. Now the insult is offered it is too late for him to recede. I do not seek to impose my opinions upon anyone," continued Junot, turning to General Dumuy, who, from the com- mencement of the discussion kept close behind him, jog- ging his elbow, and pulling a face that was enough to make the merriest cry or the most sorrowful laugh. " I have said what I thought, and what I would do, that is all; you are at liberty to act as you please." The good man, if he had had his own way, would have gone up on deck, and walked about somewhat after the manner of a white bear in his den. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 197 The Captain delivered Junot's answer to Nelson, who had the spirit to feel the full force of it. Junot, in his spleen, had said what he was far from thinking, for he admired Nelson, and did not conceal it; but how can you abstain entirely from offensive language when a victorious enemy would insult you ? It is to be presumed that Junot's conduct was appreci- ated by Nelson; for the same evening he sent him a large basket filled with fruit, preserves, and some bottles of claret. Lady Hamilton had added some oranges to the present. Junot rightly thought that it would show bad taste to refuse it; he therefore accepted it, and expressed his thanks with a gratitude which he really felt. After all, if what he had said to the Captain was faithfully reported to the Admiral, this tacit reparation of his affront, or perhaps of that offered by the Captain of the "Theseus,** argues great magnanimity in his char- acter. Nelson, however, canceled Sir Sidney Smith's orders for the return of the prisoners to France, and they were conveyed to Port Mahon, there to await the answer of the Admiralty. That answer could not be doubtful, but it might be delayed some time, and to remain longer under the yoke of the Captain of the frigate was beyond the bounds of human patience. Sir Sidney Smith appeared to Junot under an aspect which, though different from that of Nelson, was not more encouraging in regard to social life, and the inter- course which there must be between two men living, if not under the same roof, on the same deck, and which was about to be established between them. General Bonaparte was not mistaken in regard to the real cause of the disasters consequent upon the long resistance of St. Jean d'Acre. In his mind, Sir Sidney Smith and those disasters were inseparable. Those around him, who so easily caught the reflection of his enmities and his friendships, when, like Junot in particular, they lived in his life, beheld in Sir Sidney a man to whom General Bonaparte had a strong dislike, and to whom, of course, they took a dislike also. <' Nevertheless, '* said Junot to me one day, * the Em- peror always regarded Sir Sidney Smith as a man of honor, and he said as much; only he thought him mad; igS MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT and he could not comprehend, he said, how a sensible man could attempt such insane things." The first moments were of course irksome; but this did not last long. Sir Sidney and Junot, when they be- came acquainted, conceived a high esteem for one another. Junot said that Sir Sidney was chivalry personified, with all its bravery and generosity. They passed together about two months, which would have appeared short to Junot had he not been anxious to return to France. Every consideration was absorbed by that desire, which became a real homesickness. Sir Sidney perceived it, and strove to expedite his return to France, as if he had been his own brother. It was to the active influence of Sir Sidney Smith that Junot was indebted for the cartel of exchange, the original of which I have carefully pre- served. It is scarcely necessary to remark that ten English prisoners were released in exchange for him. Junot continued to cherish the most affectionate regard for the Commodore. Notwithstanding the war, they wrote and sent presents to one another. In spite of all his efforts, however. Sir Sidney could not obtain the entire exchange of Junot, who could not serve against England till the business was finally settled. CHAPTER XXVII. The Returned Emigrants — Portraits from Nature — MM. de Bouill6 and Madame de Contades — Drawing-Room Scenes — My Mother's Ball — The Rival Beauties — Madame Leclerc's Ears — My Mother's Conversation with Paulette — MM. de Perigord — Despr^aux's As- semblies. AMONG the ladies who had recently returned to France, and who were frequent visitors at my mother's house, there was one who is still vividly present to my recollection as though I had seen her only a few days since. This was Madame de Contades, the daughter and sister of the MM. de Bouill^ who distinguished them- selves at the affair of Varennes. Madame de Contades was a person whose appearance never failed to make a profound impression at first sight. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 199 She was not remarkable for beauty, but there was some- thing very pleasing about her. There was an expression in her look and smile which I never observed in any but one woman besides herself. She was not gloomy, far from it ; and yet one could scarcely venture to laugh in her presence unless she first set the example. When she turned round her goddesslike head, crowned with luxuriant black hair, and cast a glance at anyone, that look was a command which exacted obedience. Her hatred of Bonaparte was exceedingly amusing. She would not grant him the merit of deserving his military fame. " Pshaw ! » she would say when my mother spoke of his victories in Italy and Egypt; «I could do as much with a look." She was no less diverting when Bonaparte's sisters came under her review. She would not acknowledge the beauty of Madame Leclerc any more than the glory of her brother. Her eccentric opin- ion on this subject once gave rise to a tragi-comic inci- dent at my mother's house. Bonaparte had just departed for Egypt; and the differ- ent members of his family, bright with the reflections of the glory he had cast upon them during his brief stay in Paris, had already commenced their novitiate of royalty. Madame Leclerc, who had a taste for abso- lute power, was nothing loath to unite the influence of her brother's reputation to that of her own beauty. That beauty, indeed, appeared so perfect that nobody ever thought of disputing it. As her dominion as yet consisted only of her beauty, she spared no pains to make the most of it; and in this she certainly suc- ceeded, when she did not, as unfortunately too often happened, display the airs of an insufferable, spoiled child. One evening my mother gave a ball at her residence in the Rue Sainte Croix. She had invited, according to her custom, the most select society of the Faubourg St. Germain. As to the other party, the only indi- viduals belonging to it were the Bonaparte family, and a few gentlemen, who, like M. de Trenis, were fine dancers, and were for that reason regularly invited by the few families who gave parties at that time. Madame Leclerc informed us that she had prepared for the occasion a dress which, to use her own expres- sion, she expected would immortalize her. This dress 200 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT was a subject o£ the most serious consideration with her, at least a week before she was destined to wear it, and she enjoined the strictest secrecy on Madame Germon and Charbonnier.* She requested permission to dress at our house, which she frequently did in order that she might enter the ballroom with her dress completely fresh and in all its beauty. Only those who knew Madame Leclerc at that time can form any idea of the impression she produced on entering my mother's drawing-room. The headdress consisted of bandelettes of a very soft fine kind of fur, of a tiger pattern. These bandelettes were surmounted by bunches of grapes in gold; but the hair was not dressed so high as it is now worn. She was a faithful copy of a Bacchante, such as are seen in antique statues or cameos; and in truth, the form of Madame Leclerc's head, and the classic regularity of her features, embold- ened her to attempt an imitation which would have been hazardous in most women. Her robe of exquisitely fine India muslin had a deep bordering of gold; the pattern was of grapes and vine leaves. With this she wore a tunic of the purest Greek form, with a bordering similiar to her dress, which dis- played her fine figure to admirable advantage. This tunic was confined on the shoulders by cameos of great value. The sleeves, which were very short, were lightly gathered on small bands which were also fastened with cameos. Her girdle, which was placed below the bosom, as is seen in the Greek statues, consisted of a gold band, the clasp of which was a superbly cut antique stone. She entered the drawing-room without her gloves, dis- playing her beautiful white round arms, which were adorned with gold bracelets. It is impossible to describe the effect her appearance produced. Her entrance seemed absolutely to illumine the room. The perfect harmony in every part of the beautiful whole elicited a buzz of admiration, which was not very complimentary to the other ladies present. The gentlemen all thronged round her as she advanced toward a seat which my mother had reserved for her, for Paulette was a particular favorite of my mother's, who, indeed, regarded her almost as her own child. * A milliner and a hairdresser at that time much in favor. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 201 The ladies were all much piqued at the beauty and the elegant dress of Mademoiselle Bonaparte, the wife of General Leclerc. They whispered to one another, but loud enough to be heard by Paulette, that such an im- pudent display of extravagance was exceedingly unbe- coming in a woman who had been almost starved only three years before. But these expressions of female envy were speedily drowned by the admiration of the other sex. The beauty of Madame de Contades was entirely eclipsed, and soon after Madame Leclerc's entrance she found herself abandoned by her circle of admirers ; or if any of them approached her, it was only to make some provoking remark complimentary to the charms of Paul- ette. " Give me your arm, " said she to a gentleman near her, and the next moment the Diana-like figure of Ma- dame de Contades was seen moving across the drawing- room and advancing toward Madame Leclerc. The latter had withdrawn to my mother's boudoir, because, she said, the heat of the drawing-room and the motion of the dancers made her ill; though, I believe, the true reason was that a long sofa in the boudoir afforded her the opportunity of displaying her graceful figure and attitudes to the best advantage. This ma- nceuver, however, proved unlucky for her. The room was small and brilliantly lighted; and as Madame Leclerc reclined upon the sofa a stream of light descended full upon her head. Madame de Contades looked at her attentively; and instead of making any of the ill-natured observations which had fallen from the other ladies, she first admired the dress, then the figure, then the face. Returning a second time to the coiffure; she expatiated on its taste and elegance; then suddenly turning to the gentleman on whose arm she was lean- ing, she exclaimed, «Ah, mon Dieu! mon Dieu! how un- fortunate that such a pretty woman should be deformed ! Did you never observe it ? What a pity it is ! * Had these exclamations been uttered in the drawing- room it is probable that the sound of the music and the dancing would have drowned Madame de Contades's voice, though she generally spoke in a pretty loud tone; as it was, every word resounded through the little boudoir, and the scarlet which suffused the face of Madame Leclerc Was much too deep to improve her beauty. 202 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Madame de Contades fixed her eyes of fire on Paulette, as if she would look her through, and the tone of com- passion in which she uttered the words, " What a pity ! " sufficiently informed Paulette that her triumph was at an end. All this (which perhaps I have described with rather too much prolixity) took place in the space of little more than a minute; but these details are neces- sary to show the mode in which the attack was man- aged, and the success with which a woman of ingenuity may avenge her wounded vanity. " What is the matter ? " inquired some one who stood near Madame de Contades. " The matter ! * said she. " do you not see the two enormous ears which disfigure either side of her head. I declare if I had such a pair of ears I would have them cut off, and I will advise Madame Leclerc to do so. There can be no harm in advising a woman to have her ears cut off." All eyes were now turned toward Madame Leclerc's head, not, as before, to admire it, but to wonder at the deformity with which its beauty was disfigured. The truth is, that Nature must have been in one of her most capricious moods when she placed two such ears on the right and left of a charming face. They were merely pieces of thin white cartilage, almost without any curl- ing; but this cartilage was not enormous, as Madame de Contades said; it was merely ugly, by contrast with the beautiful features which accompanied it. A young woman but little accustomed to society is easily embarrassed; this was the case with Madame Leclerc when she read in the faces of her surrounding admirers the effect produced by the remarks af Madame de Contades. The result of this scene was that Paulette burst into tears, and on the plea of indisposition retired before midnight. Next morning my mother went to see her. She, of course, said nothing about the ears, which were then concealed beneath a nightcap trimmed with lace; for Madame Leclerc was in the habit of receiving visits, even the most formal ones, in bed. She took her revenge by assailing Madame de Contades, whom she certainly did not spare. My mother allowed her to go on for some time, for she was aware that she had been deeply piqued. "I cannot imagine," said Madame Leclerc, "what can DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 203 make that great tall Maypole such a favorite with all the men ! I am sure there are many women much more attractive in the circle of your acquaintance. There was one who sat near her last evening in your drawing-room, whom I think much handsomer; and she was very well dressed, too. She had a robe and Grecian tunic, just like mine. But," added she, in as serious a tone as though she had been speaking of the most important affair in the world, "hers was embroidered in silver, and mine in gold. That did not become her: she is not fair enough for silver." Patience was not my mother's virtue ; and on hearing this she rose from her chair, evidently displeased. " Paulette, " said she, " my dear girl, you are crazy — absolutely crazy ! " The person of whom Madame Leclerc was speaking was a little fat woman with a short neck and turned-up nose, and so extremely shortsighted that she was continually winking her eyes. In a word, she was the very reverse of Madame de Contades. " I assure you, Madame Permon, I think Madame Chauvelin an elegant woman; she is clever, too, without being satirical. " " Whether Madame Chauvelin be elegant or not is a matter of very little consequence," replied my mother ; " as to her cleverness, I know she has a good deal. But, my dear Paulette, you are strangely mistaken if you live in the belief that she is not satirical when anything of a ridiculous kind presents itself to her notice. She can observe, shortsighted as she is." This affair set Madame Leclerc for a long time in violent hostility to Madame de Contades; though I am sure the latter lady never thought of it from the moment she put on her shawl to leave my mother's party. About this period M. de Talleyrand had persuaded a great portion of his family to return from emigration. His two brothers, Archambaud and Bozon de Perigord, came to France. The former had been forced to fly to save his life, and left behind him a wife and three children. His wife died shortly after his departure. M. Louis Perigord, the eldest of his three children, was a man whose rare qualities rendered him an ornament to society. He enjoyed the favor of Bonaparte, who knew how to appreciate merit. There was a lady, a friend of my mother, who like 204 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT her had the courage to receive company and give balls at this time. This was Madame de Caseaux, wife of the President of the Parliament of Bordeaux. She was a dis- tant relation of M. Talleyrand. She had an only daughter, I>aure de Caseaux, who was then the richest heiress in France. The fortune of M. de Caseaux was estimated at eight or nine millions of francs. Madame de Caseaux occupied the Hotel de Perigord in the Rue I'Universit^, which now belongs to Marshal Soult. There she gave, in the suite of apartments on the ground floor, the first splendid balls which took place in Paris after the Revolu- tion. But these balls represented the Faubourg Saint Germain in all its purity ; and I do not recollect having seen the face of any individual of the opposite party ex- cept Junot, and that not until after our marriage. There was another house in Paris at which good com- pany and agreeable parties were to be met, though money was paid for admittance. This was the house of Despr6aux, the fashionable dancing master. I was his pupil, and at first these assemblies consisted only of his pupils; but they soon became so fashionable that Despr^aux was obliged to remove to a larger house in order to receive all who wished to subscribe to them. It was there I first met Mademoiselle Perregaux, be- fore she was married to General Marmont. She used to be accompanied by a sort of governante, who, instead of having any control over her, appeared to be entirely sub- missive to her authority. Mademoiselle Perregaux was pretty, but my mother could never reconcile herself to the freedom of her manners. Madame Bonaparte some- times brought her daughter to Despr^aux's assemblies. Hortense de Beauhamais was then a charming girl, but I will take another opportunity of drawing her portrait ; it deserves to be more than a light sketch. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 205 CHAPTER XXVIII. The i8th of Fnictidor— Hoche — Probable Manner of His Death — Ma- dame de Re c and Madame Tallien — Flags Presented to the Directory by Junot — Madame Bonaparte — Junot Escorts Her to Italy — Mademoiselle Louise. AN EVENT which took place immediately after the i8th of Fructidor overwhelmed us with grief, for we were intimately acquainted with the relatives and friends of the victim who was sacrificed. I here allude to the death of Hoche, which may be regarded as an event in the history of our Revolution. The loss of Joubert and Hoche have usually been regarded as military misfortunes, like the fate of Marceaux, and subsequently of Desaix, but the case was different. With his military talent Hoche combined extensive abilities of various kinds, and he was a citizen as well as a soldier. When he was sent to La Vendue he quelled dissension, more perhaps by his talents and conciliating manners than by his sword, though he could use it well. Like Joubert, he loved and revered his country. I did not know much of General Hoche personally, but since his death I have been furnished with some curious details respecting him. When his death was made known, the public voice rose in an accusing out- cry against the Directory. I am satisfied that Hoche was the constant object of the hatred of a party then unfortunately powerful, though acting in the shade. It was discovered that the sum of 800,000 francs had been embezzled, and it was alleged that the Commander of the Army of the Sambre and the Meuse had divided it among the officers of his staff. A lady for whom Hoche cherished a deep interest, and who is living at the time I write, received from him at the time letters in which he begged her to raise some money by way of loan at any price. « Above all, " said he in one of these letters, " I should blush if France knew that one of the Generals- in-Chief of her armies should be obliged to borrow money to replace the horses which have been killed under him by the enemy's bullets." 2o6 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT Nothing, it appears to me, can be more conclusive than the language of a man thus addressing a woman who possessed his entire confidence. The lady to whom these letters were addressed resided in Paris, and she favored me, only a few days before these pages were written, with another glance at the correspondence, to which she at- tached the highest value. In another letter General Hoche says : " Do they wish me to come to Paris to renew the scandalous scene of the 1 8th of June ?* If they do, I will come, and in my turn tear to pieces their embroidered coats. Let them not provoke me." Alas! the unfortunate General ought not to have provoked an enemy who was alike cowardly, criminal, and feeble. Scarcely one month elapsed after the date of this last letter, and Hoche was no more. An almost unanimous voice pronounced sentence of murder against those who ought to have placed the civic crown on the head of Hoche instead of consigning him to the grave. As to my own opinion, I entertain a firm con- viction that General Hoche died by assassination. His tragical death forms a remarkable event in our revolution- ary history. I must now revert to a few circumstances of anterior date for the better explanation of some facts which are to follow. Shortly before the Revolution my father, in the course of his financial business, was engaged in rather a curious affair, which at the time was but little known, because one of the two parties concerned belonged to the Polignac family. While this affair was pending my mother was introduced to some of the individuals con- cerned, among others to Madame de Re c, a natural daughter of the Marquis de St. A n. When, in 1796, the revolutionary troubles had some- what subsided, and people who had been dispersed in various directions once more thronged to Paris, my mother, to her great astonishment, one day met Madame de Re c at Tivoli. The lady was splendidly dressed in an extravagant style of fashion. She was walking be- tween two gentlemen; the one on the right was a collet * He here alludes to the indecorous scene which took place between de Lahaye and another deputy, who actually fought until they tore each other's clothes, in the place where sittings of the legislative body were held. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 207 noir, and the one on the left an oreille de chien. She was speaking with a paole pafum^e, and giving herself all the airs of a perfect incroyable. She seemed overjoyed to see my mother, who was rather a formidable person to be encountered by such a woman as Madame de Re c. I recollect that she was put quite out of countenance by the somewhat satirical look of my mother when she scanned her from head to foot with the cool self- possession of the true Parisian dUgante. When Madame de Re c behaved naturally she was a lively and agreeable woman. She recovered her cour- age, and called upon us next day. She told us a great deal about the Directorial court, with which she was well acquainted, and about Madame Tallien, who, accord- ing to her account, was the prototype of all that was fair and good in the world — a perfect divinity. My mother was a woman, and a beautiful woman, whose opinions were not in unison with those which were professed in the salon of Madame Tallien, yet she never withheld her admiration from other females when she felt that it could be justly conferred. My mother had been much struck with the beauty of Madame Tal- lien, and knew too many facts relative to her excellent conduct at Bordeaux not to be convinced that all the praises conferred on her were well deserved. The life of Madame Tallien was one of the most ex- traordinary and diversified I ever knew. She might have become the French Aspasia, and with much greater ad- vantages than were enjoyed by the Aspasia of Athens, with whom her wit, her beauty, and her political influ- ence may serve to establish a comparison. She certainly might have been appreciated much more than Aspasia in spite of the refined taste of the Athenians, though neither of her husbands was a Pericles. The destiny of Madame Tallien was as singular as her- self. She was born in Spain, where her father, M. de Cabarrus, a French banker, settled, and had acquired a great reputation. At twelve years of age Theresa Ca- barrus was the loveliest of all the beauties of Cadiz. Her father sent her from home at that early age, be- cause he was still too young to take upon himself the superintendence of so beautiful a daughter. She was seen about this period by her uncle Jalabert, who could not 2o8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT escape the fascination which the lovely Theresa, with a look and a smile, exercised upon every man who beheld her. He wished to marry her, but she gave the prefer- ence to M. de Fontenay, to whom she was united some time after. With a cultivated mind, and intellectual powers of a high order, Madame Tallien would have pos- sessed, even without her beauty, more than an ordinary share of "attractions. While she was at Bordeaux she composed a discourse on some abstract subject, which was intended to be read by way of a sermon, a custom which was at that time prevalent. She, however, had not courage to read it her- self, and she requested M. JuUien to read it for her. She was present on the occasion, and the audience were much more attentive to her than to the heavy and monotonous eloquence of the person who delivered the •discourse. She Was dressed in a riding habit of dark- blue casimere, with yellow buttons, and collar and cuffs of red velvet. Upon her beautiful black hair, which was cut h la Titus, and clustered in graceful curls round her face, she wore, a little on one side, a cap of scarlet velvet trimmed with fur; in this costume her beauty was really dazzling. At intervals the expression of her countenance showed that she was a little out of humor at the manner in which the discourse was read, and on the following Decadi * she read it herself in the church of the Francis- cans. Madame Tallien was kind and obliging, but such is the effect on the multitude of a name that bears a stain that her cause was never separated from that of her husband. The following is a proof of this. Junot was the bearer of the second flags which were sent from the Army of Italy to the Directory. He was received with the same pomp which attended the reception of Marmont, who was the bearer of the first colors. Madame Bonaparte, who had not yet set out to join Napoleon, wished to witness the ceremony, and on the day appointed for the reception of Junot she repaired to the Directory, accompanied by Madame Tallien. They lived at that time in great intimacy ; the latter was a re- flection of the Directorial royalty, with which Josephine when Madame Beauharnais, and, indeed, after she *Day of Rest. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 209 became Madame Bonaparte, was in some degree invested. Madame Bonaparte was still a fine woman; her teeth, it is true, were already frightfully decayed, hut when her mouth was closed, she looked, especially at a little dis- tance, both young and pretty. As to Madame Tallien, she was then in the full bloom of her beauty. Both were dressed in the antique style, which was then the prevailing fashion, and with as much of richness and ornament as were suitable to morning costume. When the reception was ended and they were about to leave the Directory, it may be presumed that Junot was not a little proud to offer to escort these two charming women. Junot was then a handsome young man of five and twenty, and he had that military look and style for which, indeed, he was always remarkable. A splendid uniform of a Colonel of Hussars set off his fine figure to the utmost advantage. When the ceremony was ended he offered one arm to Madame Bonaparte, who, as his General's wife, was entitled to the first honor, especially on that solemn day; and, offering his other arm to Madame Tallien, he conducted them down the staircase of the Luxembourg. The crowd pressed forward to see them as they passed along. "That is the General's wife," said one. "That is his aid-de-camp, " said another. " He is very young. " " She is very pretty. Vive le Gin^ral Bonaparte! Vive la Citoyenne Bonaparte ! She is a good friend to the poor. " " Ah ! " exclaimed a great fat market-woman ; " she is Notre Dame des Victoires ! " " You are right, " said an- other; "and see who is on the other side of the officer; that is Notre Dame de Septembre ! » This was severe, and it was also unjust. Junot escorted Madame Bonaparte when she went to join the General in Chief in Italy. I am surprised that M. de Bourrienne has omitted mentioning this circum- stance in his " Memoirs. " He must have known it, since he was well acquainted with everything relating to Josephine, and knew many facts of high interest in her life at this period and subsequently. How happens it, too, that he makes no mention of Mademoiselle Louise, who might be called her companion instead of her femme de chambre? At the outset of the journey to Italy she was such a favorite with Josephine that she dressed like 14 2IO MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT her mistress, sat at table with her, and was in all respects her friend and confidante. The journey was long, much too long for Junot, though he was very much in love with Mademoiselle Louise. But he was anxious to join the army, for to him his General was always the dearest of mistresses. Junot has often spoken to me, and to me alone, of the vexations he experienced on this journey. He might have added to his circumstantial details relative to Josephine the conversation he is reported to have had with Bonaparte in Egypt;* but he never breathed a word on the sub- ject, for his character was always noble and generous. The journey to Italy did not produce the effect which usually arises from such incidents in common life — namely, a closer friendship and intimacy between the parties. On the contrary, Madame Bonaparte from that moment evinced some degree of ill-humor toward Junot, and complained with singular warmth of the want of respect which he had shown her, in making love to her femme de chambre before her face. At a subsequent period, however, Madame Bonaparte thought no more about Mademoiselle Louise or the want of respect shown by the aid-de-camp and faithful friend; indeed, I believe she thought but little about Bonaparte himself. I shall, by and by, notice the subject which then absorbed all her thoughts. Madame de Re c often spoke to us about Madame Bonaparte, whom she frequently saw at the Directory when she was not exclusively engrossed by the charms of her Garden of Armida. On this subject Madame de Re c furnished us with some amusing particulars, from which Lucien and the whole family, but especially Madame Leclerc, drew very unfavorable inferences for the futi :e happiness of their brother. * See Bourrienne's "Memoirs." DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 211 CHAPTER XXIX. Moreau Takes the Command of the Army of Italy — Championnet — The Assassination of Rastadt — Destruction of the Regiment of Scheklers — General Joubert — The Two Suchets — Anecdote of Bonaparte and the Ordonnateur Chauvet — The Two Sleeping Nymphs — Bonaparte at Vingt et Un. ON REACHING Italy, Junot served under Moreau, who took the command of 40,000 men, the sad wreck of our military force in Italy, and marched to meet the enemy. The movements of the Austro- Russian army commanded by Suwarrow were, however, better com- bined than his; the consequence was that Moreau was defeated in the battle of Cassano, losing nearly all his artillery, and 15,000 men killed, wounded, or prisoners. Championnet once more brought back victory to our standards by defeating General Mack and taking Naples ; but the Directory determined to sacrifice the glory of one of her sons on the altar of his country, and Cham- pionnet was deprived of his command, arrested, tried by a court-martial, and was on the point of being shot. All this was because he resisted the designs of certain base and avaricious proconsuls. Championnet's force was con- signed to the command of Macdonald, and did not join Moreau's army till after the Battle of the Trebia, where we lost 8,000 of our troops. About this time, in the west of France, the Chouans were raising their odious standard, and the roads of La Vendue were drenched anew with the blood of French- men. Our plenipotentiaries were massacred at Rastadt by the Schekler hussars, and, notwithstanding the in- dignation expressed by all France at that atrocity, vengeance was still very tardy in overtaking the assassins. The two Councils were the first to render a melancholy tribute of honor to the victims. Who that saw that ceremony can ever forget its solemnity ? Who can recollect without emotion the religious silence which reigned throughout the hall and tribunes when the vote was put ? The President then turned toward the curule chair of the victim, on which lay the official costume of 212 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT the assassinated representative, covered with black crape, bent over it, and pronouncing the names of Robertjot and Bonnier, added in a voice the tone of which was always thrilling: " Assassinated at the Congress of Rastadt !" Immediately all the representatives responded: " May their blood be upon the heads of their murderers ! ** This crime was long attributed to the Court of Austria, but I have positive evidence that the Queen of Naples and the Colonel of the Schekler regiment were the sole authors of the murder. I do not now recollect at what battle it was that the Schekler hussars were in such a situation as obliged them to capitulate. Their consciences told them, however, that they ought not to expect quarter. " Will you make us prisoners ?'* demanded the Commander of the corps. He received for answer an exclamation of rage and indignation : " Defend yourselves, wretches!" The whole of the regiment was exterminated. Another misfortune which befell France about this period was the death of Joubert, who was killed at the Battle of Novi, at the time when, touched by the miseries of his country he forgot her offenses and felt nothing but her danger. Joubert was the friend of Championnet. On the latter being arrested, he sent his resignation to the Directory, and it was long ere he would again enter the service. When he did, he was first appointed to the command of the seventeenth military division, the head- quarters of which were then in Paris, and a few weeks after to the command of the Army of Italy. The striking similarity of situation between Joubert and Bonaparte is most remarkable. Both were of equal age, and both, in their early career, suffered a sort of disgrace ; each was finally appointed to command first the seventeenth military division, and afterward the Army of Italy. There is in all this a curious parity of events ; but death soon ended the career of one of the young heroes. That which ought to have constituted the happi- ness of his life was the cause of Joubert's death ; namely, his marriage. But how could he refrain from loving the woman he espoused? Ah! who can have forgotten DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 213 Zephirine de Montholon, her enchanting grace, her playful wit, her good humor, and her beauty! What deli- cacy and spirit on her features ! I think Joubert was very pardonable. The mention of Joubert brings to my recollection a story about Bonaparte and the two Suchets (the Marshal and his brother), who were the intimate friends of Jou- bert. The circumstance I am about to relate happened a little after the siege of Toulon. The town had been in the possession of the French for some weeks, and al- though his military and official duties might naturally have been expected to fill up his time completely, there were still some hours of the day which hung heavy on Bonaparte's hands. Chauvet, the Commissary-in-Chief, had private affairs of his own which kept him free from ennui, but Bona- parte was entirely disengaged. The Director of the Maritime Works (or some such officer) had two very hand- some daughters, on one of whom Chauvet bestowed all his attention. Junot likewise had contrived to fill up his time in a similar way; but Bonaparte, as I have said, was, in the midst of his occupations, the prey of ennui. One day he said to Chauvet, " I must go and dine with Suchet; tell him I am coming." But for the better explanation of what follows it is necessary to premise that Suchet, then Chef de bataillon, was in quarters at La Seille, a pretty little village sit- uated on the the very lowest point of the Bay of Toulon. Suchet occupied a small house, the property of the father of the two fair maidens above mentioned, with one of whom Chauvet was in love. The father and daughters were accordingly invited to dine with the party of young men, the eldest of whom had not reached his twenty-fifth year. Suchet* received his guest in his usual way, his face beaming with pleasure and good-humor, and seeming to say, " Welcome, welcome to my house ! " His brother Gabriel acted the part of housekeeper, and provided an excellent dinner. Gabriel was also an amiable and good- tempered man, and did all he could that day to make eight or ten young madcaps happy. But as pleasure must have a term, it was necessary to think of retiring •Afterward the Marshal Due d'Albufera. 214 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT home. This, however, was found to be impracticable; for, while the company were enjoying themselves, there had been a great fall of snow, succeeded by a hard frost, which rendered communication with the village impos- sible; it was, besides, very foggy. However, with punch, conversation, and laughter, they amused themselves for a few hours longer; but they had to wait for the dawn of day. There was but one bed in all the house — that in which the two brothers slept. What was to be done ? It was then proposed that the two ladies should occupy it; but as the bedchamber was the only room in the house in which a fire could be lighted, they would not hear of it. Bonaparte, who then abhorred what he called dull faces, proposed a game at vingt et un. It was usually the most laughable thing in the world to see him play at any game whatever; he, whose qiiick perception and prompt judgment immediately seized on and mastered everything which came in his way, was, curiously enough, never able to understand the manoeuvres of any game, however simple. Thus, his only resource was to cheat. Well, for some time, vingt et un kept the company alive. But the cold soon overpowered the girls; slumber stole upon them, in spite of their efforts to banish it, and of the glances of Chauvet. At length they could hold out no longer, but threw themselves on the bed, which stood in a corner of the room, and fell forthwith into a sound sleep. Cold, as well as fire, acts as a soporific; and it was not long before all the company, except Bonaparte and Gabriel Suchet, were snoring. Some stretched themselves on wooden benches, which stood around the chamber, and some on chairs, while Bonaparte and Gabriel spent the whole night, a winter's night — that is to say, seven hours at least — in playing at vingt et un. Bonaparte's eyelids never once dropped. Occasionally he would turn his eyes toward the bed and look at the young girls; and when sometimes Gabriel Suchet pointed out the elegant position in which one of them lay, he would smile, but with an air of apathy, rather singular in a young man of twenty-five. The fact is, Bonaparte had but one real passion, and in that all his Other feelings were absorbed. NAPOLEON AT CAIRO Photogravure after Gerdme DUCHESS OF ABR ANTES 215 I Jiave heard Gabriel Suchet say that, notwithstanding the many years which have intervened since the occur- rence of this incident, he often thinks he still sees Bonaparte sitting in the armchair, one of his hands sup- porting his head, and the other stretched forward, as he pronounced the continually-repeated words, carte-content. CHAPTER XXX. Description of Madame Laetitia — Character of Madame Bacciochi — Intelligence of Bonaparte's Return from Egj^pt — Josephine Sets oflf to Meet Him — Bonaparte Refuses to See Her — A Reconciliation Brought About by Hortense and Eugtoe — Sentiments of the Bona- parte Family toward Josephine. 1HAVE already observed that Madame Laetitia Bonaparte was one of the handsomest women in Corsica, though her fine face was wrinkled by many cares. The first time I saw her she was dressed in an absurd way; yet, nevertheless, she made a strong impression upon me. Madame Bonaparte was of a lofty and elevated char- acter. A widow at an early age, in a country where the head of a family is everything, the young mother found it necessary to develop all the energy of het character. She was gifted with that delicacy of perception which distinguishes the Corsicans, but in her this quality did not degenerate into hypocrisy, as in some of her children. Indeed, she was habitually frank. She evinced firmness in certain circumstances, but in others obstinacy. This was obvious in a number of the systematic triflings which composed a part of her life. She was very ignorant, not only of our literature, but of that of her own country. She had, however, some knowledge of the usual forms of society, of which she had seen a little in the course of her acquaintance with M. de Marboeuf and other distinguished men, who visited much at her house at the time of the occupation of Corsica. But this slight knowledge of the world was to her rather a source of inconvenience than of advantage, inasmuch as it put her in constant dread of committing 2i6 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT some blunder. Her haughtiness, which was not ofiEensive, became dignity when elevated to her new situation. She was kind at heart, but of a cold exterior, possessed of much good sense, but, as I have said, of little shrewd- ness or knowledge of the world; and at the period of which I speak she was very scrupulous in exacting from everybody what she considered her due. She was a very good mother, and her children, with one exception, were good to her in their turn. They treated her with every respect, and showed her assidu- ous attention. Lucien and Joseph were particularly at- tached to her. As for Napoleon, he was not so respectful and attentive to his mother as his brothers were; and we shall presently see the cause of his remissness. Madame Bacciochi evinced no particular regard for her mother. But for whom did she ever show regard ? I always thought her the most disagreeable woman I had ever met with; and it is quite astonishing to me how M. de Fontanes, a man of such superior mind, such elegant manners, the very essence of sociability, should have admired Madame Bacciochi in the way he did. On the evening of the 9th of October my mother had a few friends with her. Madame de Caseaux, her daugh- ter, Madame de Mondenard, my mother, and several gentlemen of our acquaintance were seated at a large round table playing at loto-dauphin, a game of which my mother was very fond. Suddenly a cabriolet drove up to the door, a young gentleman jumped out of it, and in a minute was at the top of the staircase. It was my brother Albert. " Guess what news I bring you ! " said he. As we were all in high spirits, and his countenance bespoke him to be so too, all sorts of absurd guesses were made, at which Albert constantly shook his head. "Nonsense!" said my mother, taking up the bag containing the little balls. "If there were a change in the government of the Republic you could not make it an affair of greater importance. " " Well mother, " replied Albert seriously, " what you say now in jest may possibly be realized. Bonaparte is in France!" When my brother uttered these last words the whole party seemed struck motionless, as if by a magic wand. My mother, who had just drawn a ball out of the bag. DUCHESS O^ ABR ANTES 217 held her little hand raised in the air, and the bag hav- ing fallen down, the balls were rolling about the carpet in every direction without exciting the notice of any- body. Everyone sat as if petrified. Albert was the only person who was conscious of the drollery of our position, and a burst of laughter, which he could not repress, brought us to ourselves. "Bonaparte in France!" exclaimed my mother; «it cannot be possible. I saw his mother this very day at five o'clock, and she had no idea of his return. " " It is, nevertheless, true," said Albert. «I was with Brune- tihve just now, when a messenger was sent by Gohier to fetch him. He desired me to wait till he came back from the Luxembourg; and he returned in about half an hour. He informed me that Bonaparte arrived two days ago at Fr^jus. He added that he found Madame Josephine Bonaparte at Gohier's, where she had been dining, and where she received the first announcement of this important intelligence. And," added Albert, speaking in a half whisper to my mother, "I understand she was not so well pleased as might have been ex- pected." No language can convey any idea of the state of excite- ment occasioned throughout France by Bonaparte's arrival. Bourrienne was right in saying that it amounted to a positive frenzy. From the 9th of October all around us was in continual agitation. On the loth Josephine set off to meet her husband, but without knowing exactly what road he would take. She thought it likely he would come by way of Burgundy, and therefore Louis and she set off for Lyons. Madame Bonaparte was a prey to great and well- founded uneasiness. Whether she was guilty or only imprudent, she was strongly accused by the Bonaparte family, who were desirous that Napoleon should obtain a divorce. The elder M. de Caulaincourt stated to us his apprehensions on this point; but whenever the subject was introduced my mother changed the con- versation, because, knowing as she did the sentiments of the Bonaparte family, she could not reply without either committing them or having recourse to falsehood. She knew, moreover, the truth of many circumstances which M. de Caulaincourt seemed to doubt, and which 2i8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT her situation with respect to Bonaparte prevented her from communicating to him. Madame Bonaparte committed a great fault in neg- lecting at this juncture to conciliate her mother-in-law, who might have protected her against those who sought her ruin and effected it nine years later; for the divorce in 1809 was brought about by the joint efforts of all the members of the Bonaparte family, aided by some of Napoleon's most confidential servants, whom Josephine, either as Madame Bonaparte or as Empress, had done nothing to make her friends. Bonaparte, on his arrival in Paris, found his house deserted; but his mother, sisters, and sisters-in-law, and, in short, every member of his family except Louis, who had attended Madame Bonaparte to Lyons, visited him immediately. The impression made upon him by the solitude of his home and its desertion by its mistress was profound and terrible, and nine years afterward, when the ties between him and Josephine were sev- ered forever, he showed that it was not effaced. From not finding her with his family he inferred that she felt herself unworthy of their presence, and feared to meet the man she had wronged. He considered her journey to Lj'ons as a mere pretense. M. de Bourrienne says that for some days after Josephine's return Bonaparte treated her with extreme coLBNEss. As he was an eyewitness, why does he not state the whole truth, and say that on her return Bona- parte REFUSED TO SEE HER, AND DID NOT SEE HER ? It WaS to the earnest entreaties of her children that she owed the recovery, not of her husband's love, for that had Long ceased, but of that tenderness acquired by habit, and that intimate intercourse which made her still retain the rank of consort to the greatest man of his age. Bonaparte was at this period much attached to Eugene Beauharnais, who, to do him justice, was a charming youth. He knew less of Hortense, but her youth and sweetness of temper, and the protection of which as his adopted daughter she besought him not to deprive her, proved powerful advocates, and overcame his resistance. In this delicate negotiation it was good policy not to bring any other persons into play, whatever might be their influence with Bonaparte, and Madapi^ Sonaparte DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 219 did not therefore have recourse either to Barras, Bour- rienne, or Berthier. It was expedient that they who in- terceded for her should be able to say something without the possibility of a reply. Now, Bonaparte could not, with any degree of propriety, explain to such children as Eugene or Hortense the par- ticulars of their mother's conduct. He was there con- strained to silence, and had no argument to combat the tears of two innocent creatures at his feet exclaiming: " Do not abandon our mother ; she will break her heart ! And ought injustice to take from us poor orphans the support of one whom Providence has sent to replace him of whose natural protection the scaffold has already de- prived us ? " The scene, as Bonaparte has since stated, was long and painful, and the two children at length introduced their mother, and placed her in his arms. The unhappy woman had awaited his decision at the door of a small back staircase, extended at almost full length upon the stairs, suffering the acutest pangs of mental torture. Whatever might be his wife's errors, Bonaparte ap- peared entirely to forget them, and the reconciliation was complete. Of all the members of the family, Madame Leclerc was most vexed at the pardon which Napoleon had granted to his wife. Bonaparte's mother was also very ill-pleased; but she said nothing. Madame Joseph Bonaparte, who was always very amiable, took no share in these family quarrels; therefore she could easily de- termine what part to take when fortune smiled on Josephine. As to Madame Bacciochi, she gave free vent to her ill -humor and disdain; the consequence was that her sister-in-law could never endure her. Christine, who was a beautiful creature, followed the example of Madame Joseph, and Caroline was so young that her opinion could have no weight in such an affair. As to Bonaparte's brothers, they were at open war with Josephine. 2JO MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XXXI. The 8th of November — My Brother-in-law Visits Bonaparte — My Mother and I Visit Madame Lsetitia Bonaparte — The Bonaparte Family During the 8th — Their Danger — Moreau Appointed Gaoler of the Directors — Moreau's Character Drawn by Bonaparte — M. Brunetiere and Gohier — Moreau's Harshness toward Gohier — Moulins — Fouch6's Measures — Singular Ignorance of the Bonaparte Family with Regard to the Events of the 8th of November — Madame Lsetitia Relates Napoleon's Birth — A Curious Conversation Respect- ing Bonaparte between M. Brunetiere and Gohier — The Bunch of Keys and Moreau's Sword. ON THE morning of the 8th of November Lucien quit- ted the hoi^se in which he resided in the Rue Verte and established his headquarters at M. Mer- cier's, the President of the Council of Ancients, who then occupied a house beside the Hotel de Breteuil, near the Manage, and who was entirely devoted to hi;m. It was then half -past seven o'clock, and as the decree of removal had not yet appeared, Bonaparte sent almost every in- stant to know if the affair was proceeding. My brother- in-law went to him repeatedly to exhort him to patience. On the first visit the General's servant mistook his name though he knew both him and my brother well, and announced him as the citizen Permon. The General started at the name, for, in truth, he did not expect my brother. M. de Geouffre, however received a welcome, and was presently sent back again to hasten the publica- tion of the decree. My brother-in-law remarked that Bonaparte had a pair of pistols within his reach. Up to that moment he had been quite alone. Soon after my brother-in-law's first visit the Rue Chantereine began to be thronged so thickly with horses and people that scarce- ly anyone could pass along it. At length, at half-past eight or a little later, the news that the decree was ready was carried to Bonaparte by my brother-in-law, and the General immediately mounted his horse to proceed to the Tuileries. On alighting there my brother-in-law met General Debelle, with whom he was intimately acquainted. Debelle was dressed in DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 221 plain clothes, for he had run out on the first intelligence of the movement. "How comes it,» said M. de Geoufire, «that you are not in uniform ? » « Why, » he replied, « I hardly knew what was going on ; but the thing is soon rectified, " and going up to a gunner who was standing by, " Let me have your coat, my brave fellow," said he, at the same time taking off his own. The gunner gave him his coat, and in this costume he attended General Bonaparte to the council chamber. The Revolution of the 8th was completed, and Paris was no longer agitated. We went to see Madame Laetitia Bonaparte, who lived with Joseph. She appeared calm, though far from being easy, for her extreme paleness and convulsive movements whenever an unexpected noise met her ear gave her features a ghastly air. In these moments she appeared to me truly like the mother of the Gracchi. And her situation added force to the idea; she had perhaps more at stake than the famous Roman matron. She had three sons under the stroke of fate, one of whom would probably receive the blow even if the others escaped. This she strongly felt. My mother and myself remained with her a part of that anxious day, and only quitted her on the restoration of her confidence by Lucien's different messages, who frequently sent Mariani, his valet de chambre, to calm her disquiet as well as that of his wife. Leaving, then, these ladies in comparative ease, we proceeded to Ma- dame Leclerc, who was but little frightened, because, indeed, she never reflected upon anything, but who nevertheless raised the loudest clamor of any. Every quarter of an hour she wrote to Moreau. She kept at that period a femme de chambre, a sort of serva padrona, who wrote to her dictation, and fine writing it was! When I arrived with my mother, she wished me to take the pen and write in her name to General Moreau. It was to ask the news for which she was crying out continually, and two hours later she was informed that Moreau was not at home, and that he probably would not return that night. On our departure she made us promise to revisit her early on the morrow. My mother willingly agreed to do so, because she loved Madame Leclerc dearly; for my part, I was at that time tenderly 222 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT attached to Caroline, the youngest of Bonaparte's sisters, who was about my own age. We had scarcely left her when we met my brother-in- law coming to tell us the news. He quitted us to rejoin Lucien, whom he wished not to leave during those per- ilous hours, for even now tranquillity was but apparent, and might be delusive to the Bonaparte family. The danger to which that family was exposed might have been even imminent on the night of the 8th to 9th. If the Directory had not been strictly guarded by the troops under Moreau, who had accepted the charge of Gaoler-in-Chief to the captive Directors; if Moreau had not kept them under even closer restraint than he was ordered to do; if he had not acted an ungracious part — in a word, if he had behaved as he ought to have done, then the Directory and the Councils would have been the victors instead of the vanquished on the 9th of November. The event would, doubtless, have been unfortunate, but then, their cause was that of the Constitution; and if they had triumphed, Bonaparte's brothers would have followed him to the scaffold, and their friends and parti- sans would all have had a prospect of Cayenne, to say the least. I do not recollect the exact period of Moreau's mar- riage ; but I believe it took place a little after the epoch of the 8th of November. Bonaparte wished him ta espouse his sister. Perhaps it was fortunate for both, for all three, that this union did not take place. Indeed, it is difficult to say whether Moreau would have beer; more trustworthy as a brother-in-law than he was as 9 brother-in-arms. Bonaparte had acquired an ascendency over him. The day after he met him with Gohier he went and presented him with a scimitar of surprising beauty and enriched with precious stones — the gift of Mourad Bey. Thus, at the epoch of the 8th of Novem- ber, Moreau was entirely the slave of that charm which Bonaparte knew so well how to cast over those he wished to conquer. But let us return to the memorable day. The con- duct of Moreau on that occasion was a long time a mystery to me. I could not at first incline to my brother's opinion, who constantly maintained that it was DUCEESS OF ABRANTES 223 Moreau's extreme weakness of disposition which had thus placed him at Bonaparte's disposal; but I afterward was confirmed in that opinion by what I heard from Bona- parte's own mouth. I was one day at Malmaison, in Josephine's bedcham- ber; Bonaparte came in for a moment; she handed him a small note; I believe it was from Madame Hulot, Moreau's mother-in-law, for he was then married. Bona- parte read the note, and, shrugging his shoulders, said, "Always the same! Ever at the mercy of those who choose to lead him! now he is the slave of a wicked old woman. It is fortunate that his pipe cannot speak, or that would direct him too ! " Josephine wished to make some reply. "Come," said he, "you must not defend him. You do not understand this matter. " Here he embraced her. " If indeed it had been his lot to be led by such a gentle wife as you! But his dragon of a mother-in-law and his shrew of a wife are very she-devils. I will not have any such about me." Why he made use of this last phrase I know no more than others: I made no inquiry, because I naturally thought that it referred to something in the note. The above, however, are the words he used, and they made the greater impression on me because I myself was but just married. M. Brunetifere was the intimate friend of Gohier, and as soon as he learned what had happened, he proceeded to the Luxembourg, where Gohier lived on a second floor in the Rue du Theatre Frangais. When he reached the first sentinels, he fancied himself upon a field of battle. His natural assurance — and he had his share — rendered him deaf to the repeated exclamations of " You cannot pass. " Uneasy on account of his friend, he wished to see Moreau ; he found that impossible ; he retraced his steps to the Luxembourg; his agitation, his eagerness to visit his unfortunate friend, who might need his assist- ance, gave rise to suspicions. Moreau had given directions that all persons who pre- sented themselves without a written order signed by him, and who insisted on seeing any of the Directors, should be conducted before the commanding officer ; and further, that all who were admitted, either to Moulins or Gohier, 224 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT should be required, on their departure, to swear that they were the bearers neither of a written nor verbal message. Happily, Bruneti^re, seeing the turn things had taken, judged that he was more likely to serve his friend at a distance than he would be near his person, and made the best of his way from the Petit Luxembourg. Gohier's conduct on the 8th and 9th was perfectly in keeping with his character. He refused to see Moreau when he came to him on the 8th of November. Moulins, too, had already treated Moreau with so marked a dis- dain that those who were witnesses of his reception actually felt for him. The Director-General stared at him for some seconds with the most thrilling contempt, surveying him from head to foot, and pointing to an ante- chamber — "Remain there," said he and. left him. But the 9th was to develop the entire plan of the conspiracy ( for we must make use of that expression ) which was only announced by the events of the 8th. A fact sufficiently singular is the entire ignorance in which all that portion of the Bonaparte family who had no share in the action were placed. Everything had been managed so quietly in Paris ; Fouch^ had so well taken his measures to prevent the escape of any intelligence, that Bonaparte's mother and sister were obliged to obtain information of what was passing in the manner I have described. The events of the evening had proceeded so quietly, that the uneasiness of Madame Laetitia Bonaparte was entirely dissipated. It was thought the Councils, after having sanctioned the sending back of three Directors, and voted a dispensation with regard to his age, would proceed to the nomination of Bonaparte, and that every- thing would thus be settled. Albert thought that M. de Talleyrand would be one of the peace-making Directors, and of this I was very glad, because his niece was a friend of mine. My mother expressed her astonishment that Madame Laetitia had not been to see her daughter-in-law on such an emergency. " Signora Panoria," replied Madame Bonaparte, " it is not to that quarter that I look for com- fort! It is with Julie, with Christine. There, indeed, I find maternal happiness ! but for the other — no, no. " As she finished, the sentence, she compressed her lips and DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 225 opened her eyes widely. This was a characteristic indication with her when what she had just spoken strongly interested her. That very day I had occasion to remark the maternal tenderness of Madame Laetitia. We had no company to dinner, and she conversed for hours with my mother with greater freedom than she had yet done since her arrival from Corsica. They hoth began to recall the days of youth. Madame Bonaparte was quite at her ease, because with us she spoke nothing but Italian; indeed, to say the truth, her French was not very intelligible. I recollect she this day told us that, being at mass on the day of the fite of Notre Dame of August, she was overtaken with the pains of childbirth, and she had hardly reached home when she was delivered of Napoleon on a wretched rug. During her pregnancy she had experienced many misfortunes, for when the French entered Corsica many of the principal families, and among them that of Bonaparte, were constrained to fly. They assembled at the foot of Monte- Rotondo, the highest mountain in Corsica. In their flight, and during their sojourn among the mountains, they underwent many hardships. " I know not why, " said she, " it has been reported that Paoli was Napoleon's godfather. It is not true; Laurent Jiub^ga* was his godfather. He held him over the baptismal font along with another of our relations, Celtruda Bonaparte, ''f While this conversation was going on Madame Leclerc was seated on her favorite divan, admiring herself in a glass which was opposite to her, and having at length arranged the folds of her cashmere shawl, she reminded her mother of all the sufferings they had endured during their flight from Ajaccio. Madame Mfere had often talked over those events, but the recital never interested me so powerfully as on the 8th of November, when the space of six years had ren- dered so different the situation of those very children whom she, a lone, feeble woman, had been forced to hurry away beyond the reach of the proscription, carry- ing the youngest in her arms, when overcome by fatigue •*His nephew was afterward Prefect in Corsica. He was a relation of Napoleon. t Daughter of Charles Bonaparte, the Emperor's uncle, and wife of Paravicini, a cousin also of Napoleon. 15 226 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT they could no longer walk, and ultimately, embarking with them in a frail vessel, landing on a shore which increased their dangers. In recording this period of her life, the looks of Madame Bonaparte were as handsome as her language was eloquent. On the evening of the 9th we went to the Theatre Feydeau, which at that period was the most pleasant in Paris. Martin, Madame St. Aubin, Mademoiselle Phyllis, Juliet, and Chenard performed there. I forget what was the first piece represented that evening, but VAuteur dans son manage was the afterpiece. The curtain rose, and the latter piece was proceeding very quietly, when all of a sudden the actors stopped, and the Auteur dans son manage himself appeared, and advancing in front of the stage, dressed in a morning gown of white dimity, ex- claimed in a very loud voice : " Citizens, General Bona- parte has been nearly assassinated at Saint Cloud by traitors to their country." On hearing these words Madame Leclerc uttered so piercing a shriek that immediately the attention of all the company was attracted to our box, spite of the agi- tation which the news had universally excited. Madame Leclerc still continued crying, and her mother, who doubtless was as much affected as she could be at the in- telligence, endeavored to quiet her, though she herself could scarcely hold the glass of water the boxkeeper had handed to us, so great was her agitation. On Madame Leclerc's recovery we all proceeded to the residence of Lucien, conceiving that there we should hear some certain intelligence. My brother-in-law met us on the stairs, and from him we learned the full particulars of the event. We then returned home, where we found M. Brunetifere ; this excellent man was quite downcast. He was much attached to Gohier, whose misfortune afflicted him deeply. A few days after the 8th of November, speaking of the events which had preceded and followed that day, Gohier alluded to Bonaparte with extreme bitterness; he even was so ridiculously blinded by passion as to refuse to al- low him transcendent talent. " Oh, as to that, " observed M. Brunetiere, who was present, "it is too bad." « Not at all," rejoined Gohier; ' the fault of one is often the cause of another's success DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 227 and if, when General Bonaparte came to Paris after Fructidor, Moulins, Barras, and Duces had been willing to second me, this fine fellow would have been in their and my situation. Is there any improbability in such a supposition ? " « But still, " replied Brunetifere, " it seems to me that that would not have been so easy a matter. What pretext would you have advanced ? " " What pre- text ? We might have advanced twenty, the very least of which would have brought him to a court-martial. First of all, the i8th of Fructidor, instigated by him, executed by his orders. " " But it appears to me, ** said M. Brunetifere, * that that event was the saving of the Republic. " " Yes ; a pretty saving, truly ! Consummated by mutilating every portion of its administration, by striking at the very heart of the Directory, by strengthen- ing our political clubs! He was the chief conspirator in that affair." In speaking thus Gohier either forgot, or pretended to forget, that Carnot had been sacrificed to an intrigue to which General Bonaparte was a stranger; at least I believe I have a perfect assurance of that fact ; and as to the Manage and the club of the Rue du Bac, these are at least questionable points. M. Brunetifere, whose judg- ment and discrimination were correct enough when he was not angry — which, however, was the case ten times out of twelve when he was engaged in a dispute — observed to Gohier that it would have been impossible to cite any man before a court-martial on such trifling charges, especially one so loaded with laurels as was Bonaparte on his return from Egypt. " Hear reason, my dear Gohier, " continued he ; " we are both avocats, and can pretty well say what can and what cannot form the basis of an accusation." Gohier shrugged his shoulders, and exclaimed : " But the con- tributions which he levied in Italy! Was he not the exactor ? " " My dear fellow, " replied Bruneti^re, " you are surely joking? Have you brought Mass6na,* or * Massena's appropriations only increased in later years. Prom a letter of Napoleon to Joseph, 12th March, 1806, the following lines are taken : «Mass6na and S have stolen 6,400,000 francs. They shall repay to the last farthing. Let Mass6na be advised to return the 6,000,000 francs. To do so quickly is his only salvation. If he does not I shall 228 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Brune, or twenty others, who have been far more guilty in that respect than Bonaparte ; have you brought any of these to a court-martial ? Nor, indeed, has Bonaparte enriched himself more than they. The Cisalpine Repub- lic made him, General Bonaparte, a present of some splendid diamonds, which he could accept without any compunction. Come! come! disbursement is not so easy a matter." "Well," rejoined Gohier, "all I say is, that his resignation should have been accepted when it was offered. Rewbel was the only man who had the heart to say, as he presented him with the pen, * You desire, General, to retire from service ? The Republic will undoubtedly lose in you a brave and able chief; but she still has children who will not forsake her.* The result of this bombast was, that Bonaparte did not take the pen, that he withdrew the tender of his resignation, and that he departed for Egypt, carrying with him the flower of our troops, of our savants, and all our navy. "We should have smote him," continued the ex- President of the Directory, still fretful from his mis- fortune — " we should have smote him, and that without pity; the Republic would then still have been in existence. Such was my advice, but Sifeyes, who was his accomplice, had influence enough in our Council, to get Bernadotte's resignation accepted, although in fact he had not tendered it, in order to have him sent out of the way, while he uttered not one word of accepting the resignation of a factious wretch who braved the first power in the Re- public by insolently offering his own. " I repeat, " added he with energy, " that if my advice had been taken everything would have been easily settled." The above conversation, which I have detailed with the utmost exactness, affords some idea of the danger of which Bonaparte was apprised when he insisted on his departure for Egypt. Not only had the East always send a Military Commission of Inquiry to Padua, for such robbery is intolerable. To sufifer the soldiers to starve and be unpaid, and to pretend that the sums destined for their use were a present to himself from the province is too impudent! Let S be watched. The details of their plunderings are incredible. The evil is intolerable, and I must apply a remedy. I order Ardent to be arrested. He is an agent of S .» The conduct of Masstoa, Soult, or Lannes, was widely different from the personal disinterestedness of men like Mortier or Suchet. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 229 been the favorite object of his wishes, but, at the very moment when glory had almost immortalized him in his astonishing successes in Italy, he could not bear the thought of remaining in Europe, where every echo told his splendid achievements. Besides, to a vivid desire of raising the ancient war cry of the Crusaders there was an intention to avoid positive danger. I shall by and by relate some facts which preceded and followed his de- parture from Paris, by which the truth of my assertions may be judged — facts with which I became acquainted after my marriage through the medium of Junot and his friends. Some time after the conversation I have detailed above, Gohier met Moreau and M. Garet. The General was embarrassed at the encounter, and was endeavoring to justify his conduct. " General, " said Gohier, addressing him with dignity, " I am by my profession enabled to read people's consciences; do not force me to say that I read in yours nothing which can excuse you. " Moreau began to raise his voice, as if he were hurt by the severe expressions of Gohier. "General," he again said, " I did not seek you, nor will I question you. I do not wish to continue a conversation which must be as painful to you as it is disagreeable to me. I shall only add," said he, touching the pommel of Moreau's sword, "that a bunch of keys would well become this place. " Moreau turned as pale as ashes. The blow was struck; he stammered out some words which Gohier, as he left him, affected not to hear. It is pretended that Moreau deplored his error, and thought to make amends by ex- claiming, « I shall find a way to repair it! " If he thought to do so by pointing the Russian cannon against the French columns, he has at least proved that he never fairly knew what he was about.* * The only excuse that can be pleaded for Moreau in fighting against his own countrymen is that his father was guillotined by them during the excesses of the French Revolution. 230 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XXXII. Revolution of the 8th November — Bonaparte Falsely Accused of Fear — Sagacity of General Bonaparte — Colonel Dumoulin and General Brune — Lucien in|Danger, and His Deliverance — Hopes Created by the Chief of the Consular Government — Lucien Minister of the Inte- rior — Bonaparte's Friendship for Madame Lucien — Residences of the Members of the Bonaparte Family — Visit to Lucien at Le Plessis Chamant — The Poet d'Offreville — Assassination of the Family of Du Petitval at Vitry — Scene at Malmaison, and Conversation with the First Consul. THE Revolution of the 8th of November is undoubtedly the most important of the nine which we have ex- perienced in the course of seven years ; * it not only changed the destiny of France, but exercised a powerful influence upon that of Europe and the world. Neverthe- less, none of the events which had preceded it had passed with so much apparent calm. France was so tired of the Directory that anything which should replace it would have been well received, and was happy in obeying an authority that offered some guarantee ; the past answered for the future which General Bonaparte announced. He only was seen in this Consular Triumvirate ; Sifeyes and Roger- Ducos stood unobserved in the shade; and the young General served as the only point of view to eyes fatigued with weeping, which had so long sought, without being aware of it, a lighthouse that should guide them into port. Thirty days only had elapsed since Bonaparte had landed at Fr^jus, and already he had overthrown the shameful Government by which France was weighed down, and had given it a new one, of which the wheels commenced their movement from the first day. He had * First, the 31st of May, the fall of the Girondins. 2. The 5th of April, the fall of the Priestly party. 3. The 27th of July. 4. The 2d of April, the Defeat of Barrere, Collot d'Herbois, and Billaud-Varennes. 5. The 20th of May, Execution of Romme, Soubrani, etc. , and Defeat of the Jacobins. 6. The 5th of October, the Directorial Government. 7. The 5th of September, the Second Emigration. 8. The igth of June, Fight of the Directors among themselves ; Sieyes and Barras conquer Merlin of Douai, Treilhard, etc. 9. The days of November, and the Establishment of the Consular Govemmeot DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 231 calmed all inquietudes, dissipated all alarms, and revived all hopes. There is one report spread by malevolence, which the friends of Bonaparte have disdained to combat, and which has been finally adopted by credulity and folly — it is the alarm with which Bonaparte is alleged to have been seized on entering the hall of the Five Hundred at Saint Cloud on the 9th of November. This absurd story would fall to the ground of itself if it were not found in some works which appear to offer a guarantee for the faith they demand. In one of these works the author goes so far as to assert that it was he who recalled General Bonaparte to himself, by observing to him that he was speaking with- out knowing what he said. I take the liberty of remark- ing to him in my turn that he never dared suffer such words to reach the ears of General Bonaparte. I say this, because to permit such a statement to remain uncontradicted is to give a totally erroneous impression of the character of Bonaparte. First, then, it is untrue that he spoke on the 9th of November to the Council of Five Hundred in the form of a discourse. It was on the preceding evening, to the Ancients, that he used these remarkable words : " Let us not seek in the past examples that may retard our progress. Nothing in history resembles the close of the eighteenth century ; nothing in the close of the eighteenth century resembles the present moment! We demand a Republic founded upon true liberty. We will have it — I swear it! " This discourse, much longer than the few words I have quoted, bears no resemblance to a crowd of incoherent phrases, as he who recalled General Bonaparte to HIMSELF would represent. This oration, pronounced in the Council of Ancients on the i8th Brumaire, preceded the review which took place in the Tuileries, and the remarkable allocution which General Bonaparte addressed to Bottot, the envoy of the Directory. "What have you done with this France which I left you so glorious ? I left you peace — I return and find war. I left you vic- tories — I find reverses. I left you the millions of Italy — I find despoiling laws and misery throughout! » Truly there was vigor enough in these words to remove all idea 232 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT of pusillanimity. Nevertheless, on the 8th of November he was in the midst of Paris. The Revolution was far from being consummated, and he was in real danger. With respect to the emotion observed in General Bona- parte in the Hall of the Five Hundred at Saint Cloud, the following is its true explanation. On the General's entering the orangery violent outcries were raised against him : " Down with the Cromwell ! " « No Dictator ! '* "Outlaw him!» General Bonaparte knew very well that the Council of Five Hundred was composed of ultra-republicans, and of enthusiastic partisans of the constitution of the year iii. ; but he had relied too much upon the success of Lucien's exertions, who had labored all night to strengthen his brother's party. Surprise at this reception deprived him for a time of the power to reply. His resolution was speedily taken. It was necessary to decide the question instantly, which could not have been done had the Five Hundred entered upon discussion. He might even have been assassinated ; and if he had run the risk, it would not have been a display of valor, but of folly. With an eagle's glance he saw through the circumstances which surrounded him. This self-consultation lasted per- haps some minutes, and the untalented, judging by them- selves, attributed this silence and inaction to fear. But he was not surrounded by those only who were thus in- capable of appreciating his sentiments. I have also collected the opinions of eyewitnesses, who, capable of judging calmly, and possessing, perhaps, as much merit as he whom they looked on, have read his great mind without doing it injustice. It is difficult to believe all the things reported to be said and done in the very short space of time which General Bonaparte passed in the Hall of the Council of the Five Hundred ; it was but an apparition. And, with the same frankness with which I have defended him from the imputation of cowardice, I will add that I do not be- lieve that a poniard was raised against him ; it was Lucien who, after his brother's departure, was in real danger. I know that much has been said of this attempted assassination ; perhaps General Bonaparte believed it him- self ; at least it is true that when he was in the court of DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 233 the Palace he told it to the soldiers, but, I repeat, I do not believe it. It is not, however, any doubt of the hatred of P6n6 Arena against Bonaparte which makes me question the fact, but simply the manner in which the events are said to have taken place. One peculiarity is sufficiently remarkable, that this same day Bonaparte, in addressing the troops, never stood still, and that he moved only in a zigzag direction. Why ? Was he afraid of a pistol shot from the windows ? This conjecture may be correct. My brother-in-law was on the Palace steps when Bona- parte came down. His friendship for Lucien made him extremely anxious for the fate of the young Tribune. He saw his brother making his harangue and his tortu- ous promenade, without taking any step to provide assistance for the President of the Council, who, mean- while, might be murdered in his curule chair. He ap- proached Bonaparte and mentioned Lucien; the General immediately turned toward an officer who was a few paces distant from him. "Colonel Dumoulin," said he, " take a battalion of grenadiers and hasten to my broth- er's deliverance." The choice which General Bonaparte made of this of- ficer shows the tact with which he could seize the small- est circumstances that could be turned to his advantage. Colonel Dumoulin was the first aid-de-camp of General Brune, Commander-in-Chief of a triumphant army in Hol- land. Already Moreau had given his public pledge in acting as guard to the Directors. The first aid-de- camp of Brune, commanding the battalion which dis- persed the opposing Council would cause the impression that Brune himself was in concert with Bonaparte. This assurance was with many people a more than sufficient counterpoise to the fear which the retirement of Jourdan and Bernadotte, both known as warm Repub- licans, had inspired. I am sure that Bonaparte had at first no fixed idea upon this subject; but, with that lively and rapid conception which embraced all things with a single glance, he no sooner perceived Colonel Dumoulin than his name started from his lips. At length we possessed a Government which promised some sort of security for the future. My mother, whose heart always saw the fair side of everything that was 234 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT done by a Bonaparte, at first considered this action of Napoleon only as that of a young enthusiast desirous of liberating his country from the evils by which it was desolated. Never thinking seriously upon politics, she knew the Revolution only by its horrors and its noise. That of the 8th of November, therefore, which was accomplished without firing a gun, she could not understand to be a revolution; though, perhaps, there never had been one more important for us and for Europe. It was the ninth change in seven years, not of the Government, but of the pilot at the helm. Lucien was almost immediately called to the Ministry of the Interior. He had desired another office: but at this period he encountered in Fouch^ an enemy who was determined upon his destruc- tion, and who never ceased his intrigues till his object was consummated. The confidence which Napoleon, without any attach- ment to him, placed in this man, was always an enigma to me. He had sense and talent, no doubt; but did this advantage neutralize the danger with which he sur- rounded Napoleon ? No. And again, the same no is applicable to another genius far superior to Fouch6, who, sharing with him the confidence of Bonaparte, equally contributed to his destruction.* Madame Lucien was not pleased with her husband's change of fortune; all this grand display alarmed her. She was obliged now to give up her time to duties which, with reason, she thought far less important than those she had hitherto fulfilled with so much pleasure. She frequently came in a morning to enumerate her troubles to my mother, and to take her advice upon the new and difficult position in which she was placed. But a circum- stance which she was far from foreseeing gave her com- fort and happiness ; it was the change in her favor which took place in the sentiments of her brother-in-law. The penetration of the First Consul discerned the excellent qualities of Madame Lucien's heart ; and he soon attached himself to her with a truly fraternal regard. I must not omit to mention a visit which, a short time before these great events, we made to Lucien's villa of Plessis Chamant. All Napoleon's family at that time * Talleyrand, DUCHESS OF ABE ANTES 235 possessed fine country houses, which they filled with guests. Joseph had Morfontaine; Lucien, Le Plessis Chamant; Madame Leclerc, Montgobert. At Morfon- taine, excursions upon the lakes, public readings, billiards, literature, ghost stories more or less mysterious, a per- fect ease and liberty, gave charms to the passing hour. To this must be added that which filled the measure of enjoyment, the most friendly, invariably friendly re- ception, which was accorded by the master and mistress of the mansion. They did not admit everyone, but any person once established as a member of their society was sure of experiencing the most courteous hospitality from Joseph Bonaparte and his lady. Madame Lucien was very amiable, but her husband's temper was not always the same. That did not lessen the amusement to be found at Le Plessis; perhaps it in some measure contributed to it. I do not remember in my whole life, even in its most joyous seasons, to have laughed so heartily as during the five or six weeks I spent among a numerous party of guests at that villa. M. d'Offreville, from fifty-five to sixty years of age, a man of great talents, and of some pretension to ex- treme foppery, was the butt of our mirth and the grand subject of our entertainment. He was a poet, and highly satisfied with his compositions ; which, together with the dignity he derived from having held, before the Revolu- tion, the office of cloak -bearer to Monsieur, was the con- tinual theme of his conversation. " It is true, " he would sometimes remark, " I have been peculiarly fortunate in my poems: Voltaire, Racine, even Corneille, have some feeble passages; my poetry has none." Still, notwith- standing this absurdity, and a figure, countenance, and costume by no means calculated to inspire the respect due to his years, he might have passed well enough in a crowd, if he had had more sense than to expose him- self and his follies to the observation and ridicule of a young, gay, and satirical society. Le Plessis Chamant is in a dull situation; the envi- rons present nothing picturesque, and no shade is to be had nearer than the forest of Senlis, at some distance even from the gates of the park. What induced Lucien to fix upon this property, when villas of the most in- viting description were to be purchased in abundance, 236 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT within a dozen leagues on all sides of Paris, I never could comprehend. The subject of villas and country seats reminds me of a terrible catastrophe, in the sequel of which I had an opportunity of remarking the First Consul's demeanor in an affair of interest. In the night between the 20th and 2ist of April, of the year iv., the Chateau de Vitry, at that time the property of M. du Petitval, was entered by a troop of assassins, who murdered M.du Petitval, his mother- in-law, his sister-in-law, and three servants ; the nurse es- caped with an infant son in her arms, passing through the hall filled with men in the dress of the police, and hav- ing drawn swords in their hands. Nothing was stolen; plate, diamonds, watches, and other valuables, all remained in their places; the papers only were missing. The relations of the victims imme- diately made an effort to obtain justice on the perpe- trators of this inhuman crime; the preliminary steps were taken by the local authorities, the procfes-verbeaux were drawn up; but suddenly these symptoms of activ- ity relaxed, and before long the whole transaction re- mained involved in impenetrable mystery. Three years after this horrible event, M. Dubois was appointed Prefect of the Police of Paris. Vitry was within his district, and he immediately showed an active interest in the affair. He demanded from the local mag- istrate all the documents in his possession. The judge who had taken the depositions was dead; search was made among the rolls of his office, but in vain ; no trace of the examinations could be found. It was concluded that all the documents must have been removed to the archives of the criminal tribunal ; but the most minute investigation ended onlj' in the conviction that not the smallest particle of evidence relating to this atrocious murder had been preserved. Some significant reflections arose out of the absence of these documents, which cer- tainly had at one time existed! The relations of the deceased continued to demand jus- tice. I was one day in the apartment of Madame Bona- parte when the First Consul was present; she was persuading him to admit a person who was in waiting and to whom she had promised the favor of an intro- duction. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 237 «I have already said," replied the First Consul, "that I would not give audience upon this affair; accusations ^A^ithout proof, however strong the presumption may be, have no other effect than to increase scandal. However, " he added, after walking to and fro some time without speaking, "let your protege come in; I will retire, and re-enter as if by accident. " I made a movement to with- draw, but was desired to remain; and M. de Bois-Pr6au was admitted, coming, as I learned from Madame Bonaparte, to solicit the First Consul's interference to obtain justice against the murderers of his relation, Du Petitval. Madame Bonaparte approached him with an expression of lively interest; the First Consul almost immediately returned, and she introduced the stranger, who presented him with an address of several pages in close writing. The First Consul took it, glanced rapidly through it, but evidently gave it much attention. After some time he thus addressed M. de Bois-Pr6au: " This, Monsieur, is a delicate affair ; the horror of it in- creases its difficulty. Your accusations are founded only upon moral proofs; these are not sufficient before a legal tribunal; before the tribunal of opinion the case would be different. The wealth of those you accuse will not clear them before either, but it may be supposed that their position in society has afforded them the means of security. " The First Consul, as he spoke, continued, according to custom, to walk about the room with his hands behind his back. What M. de Bois-Pr6au said to him I did not hear, but he replied, " I know it, I know it ; but the proofs — the proofs are indispensable." " Proof is no doubt necessary, " said the petitioner ; "nevertheless, General, I think, and all the friends and relations of the unfortunate victims think also, that if you, as the Chief of the State, would take vengeance into your own hands, it would be secure." The First Consul smiled. " You give me credit," said he, " for more power than I possess, and for even more than I choose to possess; a power which, if it were ac- corded me, I should certainly not make use of. Justice is open to you, why do you not invoke it ? For myself, I regret that it is not within my province to assist you." He then saluted M. de Bois-Pr6au, who, understanding 238 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT that his visit must not be prolonged, retired with an air of melancholy which the First Consul probably remarked ; for he said to him, when he had already reached the door, *' I am truly sorry, I repeat to you, that I cannot oblige you in this case, particularly " but here he stopped short, and taking from the mantelpiece the memoir M. de Bois-Pr6au had presented to him, held it out to its owner. " I entreat you to keep it. General, " said the latter. The First Consul slightly knit his brows, and, still ex- tending his hand, made a movement indicative of impa- tience. " It is not a petition which I have had the honor to commit to you," continued M. de Bois-Pr^au; "it is but a narrative of this melancholy event, and only some- thing more circumstantial than that given by the jour- nals of the time." The First Consul hesitated an instant; then replaced the manuscript on the mantelpiece, saying, with a gra- cious smile of dismissal, * I accept it, then, as a narra- tive." When the petitioner had departed the First Consul took up the document and read it again with great at- tention. He walked up and down as he read, and words escaped him at intervals which showed the profound in- dignation it inspired. " It is infamous ! " he at length exclaimed. " Our children will believe that Frenchmen have been slaughtered by Frenchmen within a league of Paris, and that the crime has not been instantly avenged by the laws." Then, after again perusing the memoir, still walking rapidly, he added, " It is incredible ; a police inert, if not guilty. Dubois would not have acted thus. Let cit- izen Cambac6r&s be informed that I wish to speak to him," continued he, turning to Duroc, and left the room, shutting the door with great violence. When he was gone Madame Bonaparte told us that the First Consul had long formed an opinion upon this sub- ject; murders were at that time frequent, but the cir- cumstances of this were peculiarly striking. DUCHESS OF ABRANTlfeS 239 CHAPTER XXXIII. The Winter of i8oo — The Restoration of Order and General Security — Mass6na and the Siege of Genoa — Passage of Mont Saint Ber- nard — Marmont's Artillery — Moreau's Triumphs on the Rhine — The Campaign of Marengo — Inconceivable Effect Produced at Paris by the News of the Victory — Bonfires — Universal Joy — News from the Army — Particulars of the Battle of Marengo — The Death of Desaix — Kellerman's Admirable Charge — Folly of Gen- eral Melas — Habits of Napoleon in Conversing with Strangers — De Bubna — Services of the Kellermans, Father and Son — Land- ing of Junot at Marseilles — Grief of the Aids-de-Camp of De- THE winter of 1800 was very brilliant in comparison to those which had preceded it. Confidence was re- stored; everyone felt the same sentiments toward General Bonaparte, and at this epoch they were those of attachment. What opportunities has he lost ! How much he was beloved at that period ! Yes, beloved ; and where affection did not exist, admiration and confidence did. The emigrants returned in great numbers, and had every reason to be satisfied with the reception they met with; if they had vexations to endure from Fouch6, on applica- tion to the First Consul they were sure to obtain justice. The First Consul knew too well that the brilliant suc- cess of Mass^na at Zurich, though it had retarded, had by no means overcome the danger with which we were threatened. Austria, irritated by so many reverses when she had reckoned upon victories, had determined upon a final effort for our destruction, and France was again threatened. General Mass6na, after having resisted a combined Russian and Austrian force of threefold his numbers, had retired upon Genoa, where he was soon shut up with 15,000 men and a population of 100,000 souls; he gal- lantly sustained a siege of fifty-two days, which should conduce more to his renown than all his victories. The brave Suchet, separated from his General in Chief, effected a retreat upon Nice, and, in concert with Soult and Compans, exhibited prodigies of valor and talent. But almost all the passages of Italy were open, and the Austrians, with General Melas at their head, prepared to 240 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT make us lament the glory of Zurich; General Otto con- tinued the blockade of Genoa, rejoiced to detain in cap- tivity the conqueror of the Austro-Russian army. Napoleon then took one of those resolutions to which genius only is competent. The passage of Saint Bernard was accomplished. Suwaroff had the preceding year de- clined this enterprise. Napoleon saw its almost impossi- bility; but saw it only to conquer. His powerful hand no sooner pointed to its glassy summits than the obsta- cles disappeared. Everything became possible to the ex- ertions of those men whose talents his penetration had discovered. General Marmont, commander of the artillery, found means to transport the cannon across the most frightful precipices; he caused the trunks of large trees to be hollowed into the form of troughs, and placing the can- nons and howitzers in them, was thus enabled to have them drawn to the most elevated summit of the pass. The journals have commented largely on this famous passage of Saint Bernard ; poetry has celebrated, and the arts have delineated it; but nothing can, at this distance of time, convey an idea of the enthusiasm it communi- cated to the parties interested in the operation: the letters written from Milan, Suza, Verceil, and La Bru- nette, by those who, having traversed the Alps, were reconquering Italy, painted in glowing colors the bril- liance of this undertaking. While the French penetrated into Italy by three passes, which the folly of General Melas had left unguarded, General Moreau, who then loved his country, was acquir- ing celebrity on the banks of the Rhine. The passage of this river, the taking of Fribourg and Memmingen, the battles of Eugen, Biberach, and Moeskirch, and a multitude of lesser engagements, in which the Austrians lost more than 25,000 in killed and wounded, without calculating prisoners — all these were the results of a campaign of thirty-three days ! Ah ! if Moreau had always acted thus, how proud would his country have been of his name.* *The Campaign of the Rhine, which began the 26th of April, 1800, is one of the most glorious military movements of Moreau. Between that day and the 29th of May the Austrians were not only driven across the Rhine, but were obliged to retire beyond Augsbourg. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 241 During the campaign of Marengo Paris became almost a solitude; from Paris to Turin the road was covered with travelers, who, urged by motives of interest — some personal, some general, went to meet the news they were too impatient to await. But this period of expecta- tion was of short continuance. The First Consul crossed Saint Bernard on the 20th of May. On the 21st of June intelligence of the battle of Marengo reached Paris. The effect of this important victory was to raise the funds from twenty-nine to thirty-five francs; six months pre- vious they had been at only eleven. On that day we had breakfasted and dined at Saint Mand6. The house being solitary; and no one but our- selves arriving in the village from Paris, when we returned to town in the evening we received the news amid all that delirium of joy which inebriated the people of the Faubourgs, always so vehement in the ex- pression of their sentiments. Two hundred bonfires were blazing at once in the quarter we had to pass through, and the populace dancing around them were crying, « Vive la Rdpublique ! Vive la Premier Consul! Vive VArmie ! " embracing and congratulating each other as upon a personal and family festivity. A circuitous route home gave us an opportunity of enjoying a truly fine spectacle, that of a great people affectionate and grateful. " Have you seen ? " said one to another, " how he writes to the other consuls ? That is our man ! * I hope the PEOPLE of France will be satisfied with its army '" "■ Yes, yes, " was exclaimed from all sides. " The people are satisfied : " and shouts of « Vive la R^publique ! Vive Bonaparte ! " were redoubled. My brother and I shared the joyful enthusiasm; my mother was more calm. "We shall see hereafter," said she; "Moreau has done great things, of which nothing is said." The coolness which subsisted between my mother and General Bonaparte rendered her unjust to him; Albert and I told her so jestingly. "It is impossible," said she; but repeated, «We shall see." Sometime afterward, when the officers of all ranks were returning to Paris, and different accounts of the battle began to circulate, the conduct of General Keller- man excited universal admiration, and the silence of the First Consul about it caused equal astonishment. 16 i42 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT The action of General Kellerman is one of the finest of our military triumphs. At about five o'clock Desaix fell, struck to the heart by a ball as he led a division of 4,000 men against an army of 20,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, and whose numerical strength was doubled by the pride of victory. The French, rendered desperate by the loss of a general they adored, endeavored in vain to revenge his death; all fell into disorder. The 9th Light Infantry wavered, then gave way, and at length in its precipitate retreat drew the line with it, and all appeared lost. Masked by mulberry trees, from the branches of which the vines they supported hung down in clustering garlands, and which veiled his movements from the enemy. General Kellerman observed the events of the battle, ready to give his assistance wherever it would be most effectual. It was then that, by one of those inspirations upon which the destiny of armies and empires sometimes depends. General Kellerman made, with 500 horse, that magnificent charge which decided the fate of the day. Upon the retreat of our troops the Austrian column suffered itself to be hurried on by the ardor of pursuit. It passed General Kellerman with an inconsiderate ra- pidity, and presented a defenseless flank ; by this fault he profited with that promptitude of apprehension which distinguishes the skillful warrior. He fell upon the Austrians like a thunderbolt amidst their victorious dis- order, and, finding them unprotected by their firearms, made in an instant more than 6,000 prisoners, among whom was General Zach, chief of the staff, and the soul of the Austrian army. General Melas, who, in perfect security of victory, had already resumed his route to Alexandria, imagined him- self the victim of some terrific sorcery when he found himself surrounded on all sides ; for the French army was to pass the Bormida at the break of day, and he knew that the brave Suchet was on his rear, his advanced guard having already passed the mountains. When, there- fore, on the morning of the 15th, General Gardane pre- sented himself at one of the tHes-de-pont of the Bormida, a parley was proposed, and General Melas capitulated. The character of this general, at all times either perfectly credulous or wholly incredulous, made a strange DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 243 exhibition throughout the campaign! Is it not curious to find Melas and his council deciding, on the 13th of June, the very eve of the Battle of Marengo, " that the existence of the Army of Reserve was completely un- known to them; and that, as the instructions of the Aulic Council mentioned only Mass^na's army, the diffi- cult position in which they were placed was entirely the fault of the Ministry, and not at all to be attributed to the General. " The author of the " Memorial du Ddpdt de la Guerre " is right in the opinion that the Emperor acquired much curious information respecting his campaigns against the Austrians from his conversations with general officers and statesmen, Austrian, Bavarian, and Saxon. I have seen him conversing for two hours together with the most distinguished men in Germany, both in the military and diplomatic professions; and when he had ended and the interlocutor departed, he has exclaimed, rubbing his hands, " There is information for twenty pages of my commentary. " Once, either at Compibgne or at Fontainebleau, having just closed a long interview with a person to whom he was not sparing of his questions, and who replied to him with such clearness and precision, and at the same time with such rapidity, that the Emperor was surprised, he stopped and fixed his eyes upon him with so striking an expression of countenance that he had no occasion to speak his thoughts. The interlocutor was not intimidated, and his physiog- nomy, always calm, but not inanimate, betrayed not the slightest emotion. When he had gone, the Emperor re- marked to Junot, " That is one of the most subtle men I know, and yet I believe him to be honest. Just now he answered all my questions with such extraordinary frank- ness, that for a moment I believed he was making game of me ; " and the Emperor's features as he walked about the room wore that musing smile which gave such a charm to his countenance. " But no, " he continued, ** he is right ; the best diplo- macy is to go straight to the object. And then he is a brave man. Be particular in your attentions to him in your quality of Governor of Paris; do you understand me?" This man was M. de Bubna. 244 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT But why was General Kellerman refused in his own country a due share of the glory of the day? Even ad- mitting that the First Consul had ordered this famous charge, he could only have done so vaguely, and the result of its splendid execution, which decided the fate of Italy and France, deserved some better recompense than the cold words of approbation, "You have made a pretty good charge. " It has been said that the Emperor, in making the father of the General a Marshal, Senator, and Due de Valmy, and in giving great commands to the son, had discharged his debt of gratitude. Now, I think, first, that an affectionate word is of as much value in such cases as a more solid recompense. Then, Marshal Kellerman was creditor to the State for the Battle of Valmy, and this debt had nothing in com- mon with that of his son, whose military and political reputation rested on other services besides the Battle of Marengo. I believe, then, that the Emperor would have done him no more than justice by appointing him In- spector or Colonel-General, and by giving him during his father's lifetime the title of Duke of Marengo. He had well named Lannes, Duke of Montebello. Lannes, in gaining that battle, prepared the triumph of Marengo ; General Kellerman decided it. The day of the Battle of Marengo, Junot, who had been taken prisoner by the English on quitting Egypt, landed at Marseilles, and reached his native land once more, after several months' captivity. A thousand times he has repeated to me how greatly the joy of his return would have been damped had he been conscious that the fields of Italy were again the scenes of contest, and that he could not fight at his General's side. Alas ! the same day, and almost at the same hour, while Desaix fell before the murderous cannon of Austria on the field of Marengo, the poniard, which treason had committed to the hand of a fanatic, terminated the existence of Klfeber!* The pride of our armies: they both perished on the same day, and nearly at the same hour. Frequently during this year of the battle of Marengo, which was also that of my marriage, have I seen a din- ner party prolonged until nine o'clock, because Bessiferes, * Klfeber was assassinated at Cairo by a Turk, sent for that purpose by the Vizier, soon after the defeat of the latter at Heliopolis. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 245 Lannes, Eugfene, Duroc, or Berthier, or some others of his companions in arms, or all together, explained to Junot, who was greedy of the most trifling details, all those of this memorable affair. The table then became the plain of Marengo; a group of decanters at the head stood for the village, the candelabras at the bottom fig- ured as the towns of Tortona and Alexandria, and the pears, the filberts, and bunches of grapes represented, as well as they could, the Austrian and Hungarian regi- ments and our brave troops. A woman can have no pretensions to understand the military science; nevertheless, it is a fact, that when in 1818 I passed through Alexandria on my road to France I remained a long time at Marengo, examining its envi- rons, and visited every tree. From having so frequently heard all the particulars of this famous battle described, I soon found myself on a spot replete with recollections which every surrounding object seemed to awaken in my mind. I brought away two views of the village of Marengo: one which I took from the plain, and another from a point where the mistress of the little inn had placed me to enable me to introduce into my sketch a tree under which they at first laid the unfortunate Desaix, believing that he still breathed. Desaix, it is well known, had several aids-de-camp. Among the number were two who made themselves remarkable by the excess of their grief. One of them, in a voice broken by sobs exclaimed, " Ah, my General ! why have I survived you, and the army, and France ? What a loss have both suffered ! " And the good young man shed tears of sincerity over the corpse of him whom he regretted as warmly as the young regretted Turenne. The other aid-de-camp was also young, and he wept as earnestly, but his grief displayed itself in a different manner. "Ah, my God! my general is dead! What will become of me? My God! what will become of me?* I have heard the First Consul imitate the accents of these young officers; one of them still wept for his General many years after his death. It was Rapp,* a worthy and honest creature, a good comrade, and in all respects a man much above the degree in which he had fixed himself by the abruptness and apparent roughness of his manners. * Afterward General Coimt Rapp, of Dantzic celebrity. 246 MEMOIRS OF MADAME jUNOT CHAPTER XXXIV. PStes in Paris, and a Ball at Lucien Bonaparte's — The Gallery of the Due de Brissac — Madame Bonaparte and Madame Lucien — First Attempt at Royal Assumptions — Affecting Death of Madame Lucien — Last Visit to her — Sepulchral Monument at Le Plessis Chamant. LUCIEN Bonaparte, who occupied, as Minister of the Interior, the Hotel de Brissac during the winter of 1800, gave there some splendid fHes in the fine gallery which the Due de Brissac had added solely for this purpose. My mother occasionally took me to these balls; at one of them I remember Madame Bonaparte* took her seat at the upper end of the gallery, assuming already the attitude of sovereignty. The ladies all rose at her entrance and when she retired. The good and simple Christine followed her with a gentle smile upon her lips, and the remark was frequently made that if the one was the wife of the First Consul, the Chief Magis- trate of the Republic, the other was the wife of his brother; and that Madame Bonaparte might, without derogation of dignity, have accorded the courtesies of society and family intercourse, by giving her arm to Madame Lucien, instead of requiring her to follow or pre- cede her. But Christine was Madame Lucien, a name which awoke no good feeling in the mind of Madame Bonaparte, for between her and Lucien a mortal war subsisted. Apparently, however, she was very, friendly both with Lucien and his wife, and it was with an exterior of perfect complaisance that she thus obliged them to follow her. But the amusing part of the business was that Lucien was wholly unconscious of these airs of superi- ority. The mild Christine often wept in private over the mortification to which she was thus subjected ; but she was careful to avoid irritating her husband, who would with- out a doubt have repaired instantly to the Tuileries, and have there enacted a scena before Madame Bonaparte, *Be it understood, once for all, that in future whenever I use the term Madame Bonaparte I speak of the wife of the First Consul. For Madame Bonaparte the mother, I shall always employ the latter title or her Christian name, DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 347 in which the First Consul would probably have sup- ported him, for he had sincerely attached himself to Madame Lucien since he had learned to appreciate her excellent qualities. But a short time afterward we experienced a heavy affliction in the death of Madame Lucien.* I was affected by it as if she had been connected with us by closer ties than those of friendship. There was not, it is true, be- tween us all the points of contact which constitute an intimate connection ; but our friendship had strengthened materially since her residence in Paris; our intercourse, if not familiar, was constant; and her matured imagina- tion, the justness of her reasoning, her love for her hus- band, which taught her to make his gratification her chief object, were all circumstances which daily endeared her to us. My mother, who was tenderly attached to her, bitterly lamented her loss. We went to see her the day before her death. No visits, it may easily be believed, were permitted ; but our intimacy gave us almost the rights of relationship. We found her in a small room adjoining her bedroom. Her apartment had been changed to admit more air, for she was suffocating; and to facilitate her respiration she was lying on a camp bed with two mattresses. This change afforded her some relief, she told us, adding, with a sweet and melancholy smile, but without any accent of complaint, "This bed reminds me of my own bed at St. Maximin, — I can neither sleep nor breathe under those thick curtains, and upon those beds of down." At each . word she looked at my mother with a remark- able expression. Her eyes were animated by fever, her cheeks, one in particular, were highly colored, and varied in tint with every emotion that agitated her, as is always the case with persons suffering under a sudden attack of consumption. " Christine, " said Madame Laetitia Bonaparte, " you know you must not talk, the physicians have positively forbidden it; and if you mean to recover you must attend to them. " The patient shook her head, with the smile so afflicting to those who know that but few days, perhaps but few hours, only are between that moment and dissolution. * She was enceinte, and it was said that her death was occasioned by the want of skill of her medical attendant. 248 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT " Laurette, '* said Madame Lucien, ''come near me, for I am sure that a deathbed does not alarm you." She took my hand; she perceived the effect which its burn- ing pressure made upon me. " Ah ! " said she, " I meant your mother; to you I am but a stranger, and I frighten you, do I not ? " I wept, and only replied by embracing her. She pushed me gently away, saying, "No, no; do not embrace me, the air I breathe is poisonous. When I recover, as mamma says " We took leave, and this adieu was the last. We saw her no more. She died the following day. As soon as my mother received the intelligence she ordered her horses and hastened to the Hotel of the Interior; Lucien was at Neuilly. My mother went there to seek him, but we were not permitted to see him. My brother-in- law came to our carriage to tell us that he was not in a state to speak even to his sisters or his mother. *I have torn him from that unfortunate house,'* said he, "where everything reminds him of the loss he has just experienced. He was in the most violent despair." Madame Lucien was buried in the park of the mansion at Le Plessis Chamant. Her husband erected there to her memory a monument of white marble, surrounded by an iron palisade. When he went to Le Plessis he took his daughters there, that they might pray with him, young as they were. I have heard these notions ridi- culed; but for my own part, being of opinion that the dead may be long lamented, I can easily believe that Madame Lucien was a character to excite such regret, and that it might be great and enduring. I shall never forget when my mother was on the point of death in 1799, Madame Lucien was with Madame Bonaparte the mother, and that they came to seek and comfort the poor young girl whom both believed an orphan! DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 249 CHAPTER XXXV. An Offer of Marriage, and My Mother's Projects — Madame de Caseaux's Interference — Junot's Arrival at Paris — His Interview with the First Consul at Malmaison — Long and Interesting Con- versation of Junot with Bonaparte — The First Consul Threatened with Danger — Othello and Madame Foures — Bonaparte's Senti- ments Toward Kleber, and His Agitation — His Advice to Junot, and the Appointment of Junot to the Command of Paris — Junot Lodges at Meo's — His Predilections for Burgundians — His Hdtel in the Rue de Verneuil — Project for His Marriage — Junot's First Visit to My Mother and the Society of the Faubourg St. Germain — Translation of the Body of Turenne to the Invalides. MY MOTHER was Very unwell; the cruel malady under which she at length succumbed had already taken possession of her. She went out but little, re- clined the greater part of the day upon her sofa, and re- ceived in the evening the friends who came to bear her company. One of the most assiduous of these was Ma- dame de Caseaux, who was sincerely attached to her. I was myself intimately connected with this lady's daugh- ter, and few days passed that did not bring us together. My mother at that time had a marriage for me in con- templation ; probably it might have conduced to my hap- piness, but Madame de Caseaux thought not, on account of the great difference of age between my mother's in- tended son-in-law and myself. " Laurette, Laurette," said she, enforcing her words with her extended finger, "it is not wise, my child, to marry one's grandfather." My mother did not like contradiction in the most triv- ial matters ; and it may be easily conceived that the very reasonable opposition of her devoted friend on an affair of so much importance irritated her extremely. Her dis- pleasure proceeded to the extent of preventing my visits to Madame de Caseaux when she was unable to accom- pany me herself; on this point I must say she was un- just to her friend, who would speak her mind to her, or to me before her, on the subject of this marriage, but never permitted herself to mention it, except in her pres- ence, her rigid principles absolutely interdicting such an interference in the relations of mother and child. 250 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT As soon as Andoche Junot arrived in Paris he hastened to pay his respects to his General, who was then at Mal- maison. What events had taken place since their separa tion! What miracles had not one man accomplished; How many fresh laurels were flourishing around him! Junot, in approaching him, was oppressed by a thousand sentiments, in which, no doubt, joy preponderated; but it was chastened by a profound respect, which, " far from diminishing, " he has often said to me " his affection for Bonaparte, had no other effect than to increase it." " Well, Junot, " said the First Consul to him, as soon as they were alone, " so you were stupid enough to suffer yourself to be taken by those English. But, according to your letter to me from Marseilles, it would appear that they expected you. And notwithstanding the positive orders I left with him, Kleber would not let you go? It is all very well; apparently, he was afraid that I should have too many friends about me. What mean- ness ! I knew very well that he did not love me ; but to adopt such paltry means of expressing his enmity ! Have you seen his letter to the Directory? " Junot replied that Duroc had given it him to read while at breakfast. " However, " continued the First Consul, " his tragical end has cleared all accounts. I have had a great loss in him ; but the irreparable loss, my dear friend, was Desaix! Desaix ! — this is one of the misfortunes which strikes the country. I shall never console myself for the loss of Desaix ! " * The First Consul continued his walk some time without speaking; he was visibly affected. But he never suffered a too lively emotion to be long observed; and returning to Junot, he said to him with an enchanting expression of goodness: "Well, and what do you propose to do ? I have always told you that I would give you proofs of my friendship as soon as I was in a condition to do so. What are your views ? Are you inclined for the service ?* and he looked askance at Junot with an air of good- humored malice. " Have you a mind that I should send you to the Army of the Rhine?" * I have heard the Emperor, speaking of General Desaix in 1808, say, in the presence of above thirty persons, chiefly strangers, « Desaix was the most estimable man I have known: if he had not died I should have made him second to myself." DUCHESS OF ABR ANTES 251 Junot's color heightened to crimson, which always hap- pened when he was strongly affected. " Do you already wish to relieve yourself of me, my General ! However, if you command it, I will go and let General Moreau know that the ' officers of the Army of Italy have lost none of their courage in Egypt. " " There now, my youngster, off at a word!" said the First Consul. "No, no, Monsieur Junot, you do not quit me in such a hurry. I have a great regard for General Moreau, but not sufficient to make him a present of my best friends." And he gave Junot a pull of the ear. "Junot," continued he, in a more serious tone, "I in- tend to appoint you Commandant of Paris. It is a place of confidence, particularly at this moment, and I can- not make a better choice. But " — and he looked nar- rowly round him, as they continued to walk, to observe whether anyone was within hearing* — " but you must reflect before you accept this post. You must at once add ten years to your age; for if it be necessary that the Commandant of Paris should be attached to my per- son, it is equally so that he should be extremely prud- ent, and that he should pay the utmost attention to whatever concerns my safety." "Ah! my General!" exclaimed Junot. " Be quiet, " said the First Consul, " and speak low. Yes you must watch over my safety. I am surrounded with dangers. I should make no effort to avoid them if I were still the General Bonaparte vegetating at Paris before and even after the 4th of October. Then my life was my own — I cared little for it; but now it is mine no longer; my destiny has been exalted, it is connected with that of a great nation, and for this reason my life is menaced. The Powers of Europe, who would divide France, wish me out of their way." He knit his brow, drew his hand across his forehead as if to banish an importunate idea; then, recovering an air of perfect calmness, he passed his arm under Junot's, and resumed the conversation on State affairs. " I am about to appoint you Commandant of Paris, as I told you; but you must marry. That is not only suit- * This conversation took place in the park of Malmaison, and lasted above an hour; it was the second time that Junot had seen the First Consul, and not the iirst, as I have said above. 252 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT able to the dignity of the situation you will occupy, but I know you, and require it of you for your own inter- est. * After a long pause, he asked, ** What is become of Othello ? » * « He is still in Egypt, General, but I in- tend to have him brought over by the first convoy." The First Consul made an inclination of the head in token of assent. " And the mother ? * said he to Junot. "She also remains in Egypt, General; the Commissary General has taken care of her." "That is well." And here the First Consul stopped short, then walked on again, assumed an air of embarrassment not usual with him, and at length, standing before a tree, plucking off its leaves, after having cast his eyes round to see if anyone were near: "And Pauline, f what has become of her ? " asked he, with an accent of marked interest. " I have learned, " he continued, with a bitter smile, " and that from the English journals, that Klfeber treated her ill after my departure; my attachment, it would seem, was sufficient title to proscription from him! Those whom I loved had not the good fortune to please him." Junot made no answer. He felt, as he has since told me, that he could not accuse Kl^ber, who had just fallen by so tragical a death, and he was silent. " Did you not hear ? " said the First Consul, a little out of humor, and raising his voice. " Is it true that this man acted brutally, as the English relate, toward a woman so mild and amiable as this poor Bellilote ? " "I was not with General Klfeber when all this took place. General; but I know that in fact she was not well used by him, and that when she had occasion to request her passport it was by the intervention of Desgenettes that she obtained it, without which I believe the General-in- Chief would have detained her a long time waiting for it. " Junot smiled, without, however, any other idea than the detention of Madame Fourbs; but Napoleon mis- understood the smile, and, seizing Junot's arm, gripped it so violently as to leave the marks of his hand. He became pale, and said with a voice trembling rather with anger than emotion: "What do you understand? What do you mean ? Could that man " And he was so * A nattiral child which had been born to Junot in Eg3rpt of a young Abyssinian slave named Araxarane. t Madame Foures. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 253 violently agitated that his words could not find utterance. It was not love, it was not even remembrance of love, which produced this almost alarming state; the bare suspicion that Klbber might have succeeded him in the affections of Madame Fourfes set his brain on fire. Junot recalled him to the true state of the question; he told him that Madame Fourls had only encountered difficulties in procuring a passport from General Klfeber, which, in fact, was the case with everyone who at that time desired to leave Egypt. But he repeated that she had met with every assistance from the excellent Des- genettes, who obtained all she required, and was toward her, as he is to everyone, and always will be, kind and obliging. The First Consul quickly recovered himself, and changed the subject of conversation by recurring to that which was personal to Junot. He spoke at length upon the importance which he wished him to acquire in the situa- tion of Commandant of Paris, and gave him such advice on this subject as a father would give to his son. This remarkable conversation lasted above an hour. On his arrival at Paris Junot had not set up any estab- lishment. Uncertain of his next destination, he thought it useless to make arrangements which an order to de- part might compel him to abandon at a moment's notice. He lodged at the house of M60, a good restaurateur of that period, and whose hotel had some resemblance to the fine establishment of Meurice; but when the First Consul announced to him the remarkable change which the place he was about to occupy would necessarily make in his situation, he desired him at the same time to find a residence suitable to his new dignity; and Junot re- quested his family, whom he had drawn around him at his Hotel, to look out for one. There were, no doubt, great numbers in Paris in the open and cheerful situa- tions of the Faubourg St. Germain or the Chauss6 d'Antin, all handsome and newly decorated. I know not how they persuaded him to fix upon a Hotel in the Rue de Vemeuil, and even in the dullest and dirtiest part of it; but this house was hired, fur- nished, and ready for occupation in less than three weeks. Junot installed himself in it as Commandant of Paris in the course of the summer of 1800. With handsome car- 254 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT riages, the finest horses, and the best wines of Bur- gundy* in his cellars, he then commenced his search for a wife. The First Consul had especially recommended him to marry a rich wife. « Willingly, '* replied Junot, " pro- vided she please my taste; but how is that to be done, when almost all heiresses are superlatively ugly ? " He was one morning visiting a lady of his acquaint- ance, and who happened to be a friend of ours. He spoke of the order he had received from the First Con- sul to marry, and his own desire to enjoy domestic society. " Have you been to visit Madame de Permon ? " inquired the person to whom he spoke. "No; and I re- proach myself daily. But why ask ? '* * Because I believe that her daughter would suit you exactly." * Her daughter!" exclaimed Junot: "she was but a child when I went to Egypt." " She is young, but no longer a child. She is sixteen. But attend: I have a great inclination to bestow her in marriage at the present moment, but her mother is so bent upon a match she proposes for her, and which has not common sense, for the intended is old enough to be her grandfather, that she turned a deaf ear when I opened my project to her the day before yesterday; though you must understand that the party in question is a charming bachelor, and one of the first names in France." " And what would you have me do against all these obstacles?" said Junot, laughing. " You tell me of a woman with twenty admirers; I do not like so many rivals. Mademoiselle Loulou — I believe that is what she was called — must be a little personage of great preten- sions, a spoiled child, and thoroughly insupportable. No, no; I kiss your hands;" and thus taking leave, he has- tened out of the house. From Madame d'Orsay, Junot went to call upon Ma- dame Hamelin, another lady also of our acquaintance — *A mania which Junot carried to excess was that of being served only by Burgundians. It was natural that his countrymen should have the preference where there was an equality of talent ; but if ever so heavy or stupid, the name of Burgundian was sufficient to ensure it. This was the history of the H6tel in the Rue de Verneuil ; a Burgundian found it for him, a Burgundian furnished it, and a Burgundian was put in charge of the establishment. DUCHESS OP ABRANTfeS 255 an amiable woman who often visited my mother, and was much esteemed by her. Endowed with superior talents, she took pleasure when I was in company with her in bringing me into notice — an unusual mark of kindness which goes direct to the hearts of women in general, and which mine was not backward in acknowl- edging. Junot had scarcely entered when his search for a wife became the topic of conversation. « Ah," said she, " there is a young person whom I should like to recommend to you, but she is about to marry and must not be thought of. " " So, " said Junot, * because she is going to marry, lam not to hear her name.* «0h, with all my heart; you knew her when she was but a child. It is Mademoi- selle de Permon. " Junot laughed; it seemed as if I haunted him. How- ever, as Madame Hamelin's frankness and her intelli- gence were well known to him, and as she had pronounced my name with interest, he asked her some questions concerning me, which she answered with the feeling of an amiable and sensible woman. "Why have you not paid your respects to her mother since your return ? * she inquired, seeing his eyes fixed upon the garden with an absent air. " I do not know, but it appears that I have done wisely, " he replied, smiling ; " for suppose I had fallen in love with your young friend. " * Well ! you would have married her. Are you not wishing to marry ? " " But you have told me your- self that Madame de Permon has a strong desire to marry her to M. de V , and if she wills it, it will be, for she is not one to yield; I have seen instances of that which I shall not forget." The same day, Junot, bearing in mind his conversa- tion with Madame Hamelin, found out a person whom he knew to be intimate with my mother and me, and made himself acquainted with all that concerned me, and also with my mother's intentions respecting M. de V ; they were not doubtful, for she had no stronger desire than to conclude the marriage. Junot took his resolu- tion at once; he had engaged to wait upon my mother with Madame Hamelin the following evening; however, he excused himself upon some pretext, but said nothing of the true cause. 256 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT At this time, my mother, much out of health, did not quit her sofa. My brother and I exerted ourselves to the utmost to lessen the ennui of her retirement. All her friends, and a crowd of acquaintances, assisted us in endeavoring to make her forget that she was condemned to seclusion for the cure of a complaint from which she might never recover. Thanks to the care and advice of Dr. Backer, she was now mending; as she did not suf- fer, we were gay. We had music and singing, and when we were not afraid of too much noise we danced to the sound of our own voices. We laughed and enjoyed our- selves; in short, we were happy. Thus the summer of 1800 passed. The end of Septem- ber arrived. A great change, meanwhile, had taken place in our family. The two marriages which my mother had proposed for me were broken off; one for pecuniary reasons, the other because I had thrown myself at her feet, entreating her, by her love for me, not to make me a sacrifice and my life miserable. My mother was perfectly amiable, and she loved me; she therefore broke off a marriage which in other respects was suitable enough, but to which I had so thorough an antipathy that I should have doomed myself and my husband to misery by saying Yes. I was delighted with this change in my lot. My friends — whether from at- tachment to me, or whether from that sentiment which makes a young girl always unwilling that her companion should marry before her — rejoiced in seeing me at liberty for the following winter. One evening — it was the 21st of September — about a dozen persons were assembled in my mother's drawing- room, chatting, deciphering charades, and laughing, when suddenly the door opened, and the valet de chambre an- nounced General Junot. In an instant, as by a stroke of magic, all was silence. This effect was so sudden and so striking that the General was a little embarrassed; but my mother's reception reassured him. She held out her hand to him, reproached him in the most friendly manner for the long delay of his visit, made him sit down by her side, and attended only to him. The General could not have chosen a worse day for his visit to my mother; no individual of his acquaintance was present. The whole party belonged to the Faubourg DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 257 St. Germain, and the sort of welcome a General of the Republic would find among a circle of emigrants re- turned within the last six months may be easily imagined. But my mother could act the mistress of the house to perfection. She saw that General Junot might find him- self in a constrained position, and she exerted herself so effectually that he was very soon as much at his ease by her side as if he had been one of our most intimate associates. The distinctive character of Junot's mind was acute- ness and rapidity of penetration. He understood that this was not the place for speaking of the First Consul. He was determined to hear nothing to his prejudice; but neither would my mother, though she was no longer partial to him, have suffered anything to be said against him in her house. Junot spoke of Egypt, of what he had seen there which was foreign to our manners, with that ability which all who knew him are so well aware of. Albert, who had been spending the evening at Madame Leclerc's, soon came in, and his presence emboldened Junot to propose to my mother that she should, on the following day, go to the Hotel de Salm to witness the procession which was to pass the Quai de Voltaire. The occasion was worth the trouble; it was the trans- lation of the body of Turenne from the Jardin des Plantes, where it had been deposited since the violation of the tombs of St. Denis, to the Mus^e des Augustins aux Invalides. As Junot was to superintend the cere- mony in his quality of Commandant of Paris, he was desirous that we should see him in his glory, and I be- lieve this was the true motive of the zeal he manifested in overcoming my mother's objections on the score of her health. " Well, then, " said she at length, "• I will go and see our two heroes pass, the living and the dead; but the living soldier must promise to come and dine with me after he has seen M. le Mar^chal installed in his new habitation, or I shall not go." Junot promised, and retired, leaving a most advantageous impression on a party which, with the exception of my mother and brother, were certainly by no means predisposed in his favor. The following day we repaired to the Hotel de Salm; 17 2s8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT we were conducted to a drawing-room, in which Junot had placed a large armchair, with pillows and a foot- stool, for my mother; the valet de chambre of the General said he was ready to execute any orders that might be given to him. "Does your master," replied my mother, « suppose I am one of those invalids to whom he is conveying the body of Turenne? " She was, however, very sensible of the attentions paid to her, and when Junot passed, he saluted us in so marked a manner as to draw the atten- tion of everyone ; a person in the crowd was heard to say, on seeing the General bow to my mother repeatedly: « No doubt that is the widow of the Marshal Turenne ! " CHAPTER XXXVI. Junot's Assiduities to my Mother, and his Silence toward me — First Reports of my Marriage with Junot — A Family Council — Visit of Junot — Demand of my Hand — Consent of my Mother and Brother — Junot's Declaration, and my Embarrassment — Junot's Thought- lessness and Silence toward Bonaparte — My Mother's Reproaches — Junot at the Tuileries — Duroc's Good-nature — Conversation of Bonaparte with Junot relating to his Marriage — Marriage Portion and Presents. TEN days had elapsed from the 21st of September, when Junot first presented himself at my mother's, and now regularly every night he repeated his visit. He never spoke to me, but placed himself beside my mother's sofa, chatted with her, or with any of his acquaintance who happened to be present, but never approached the group to which I belonged, and if at this epoch he had ceased to come to our house I might have aflfirmed that I scarcely knew him. But, however undistinguished I had been by any attention on his part, the society in which we moved had already decided that I was his destined bride; the report was brought to me by my friend Laure de Caseaux, and, with great indignation, I repeated it to my mother and brother; they partook of my feelings upon the subject, and having received a summons to attend my DUCHESS OF ABRANTffiS 259 drawing-master, I left them in my mother's bedroom still discussing the steps to be pursued, for it was yet but noon, and on account of the weak state of her health she did not rise before that time. While we were thus respectively engaged, a carriage drove up to the door, and a waiting maid came in to inquire if General Junot could be admitted. "Yes, yes, let him come up," said my mother; "but, good God! what can bring him here at this hour?" Junot had scarcely entered the chamber before he asked permission to close the door, and, seating himself by the bedside, said to my mother, as he took her hand, that he was come to present a request, adding, with a smile : " and it must be granted." "If it be possible, it is done," said my mother. "That depends upon you and him," replied the Gen- eral, turning to Albert. He stopped a moment, and then continued in the tone of a person recovering from a violent embarrassment : " I am come to ask the hand of your daughter ; will you grant it me ? I give you my word," and he proceeded in a tone of more assurance, "and it is that of a man of honor, that I will make her happy. I can offer her an establishment worthy of her and of her family. Come, Madame de Permon, answer me, with the frankness with which I put my request. Yes or No." "My dear General," said my mother, "I shall answer with all the frankness you have claimed, and which you know to belong to my character ; and I will tell you that a few minutes before your arrival I was saying to Albert that you were the man whom, of all others, I should choose for my son-in-law." "Indeed!" exclaimed Junot joyfully. "Yes; but that says nothing for your request. First, you must understand that she has no fortune; her por- tion is too small to be of any value to you. Then, I am very ill, and I am not sure that my daughter will be willing to quit me at present; besides, she is still very young. Reflect well upon all this, and add to it that my daughter has been educated amid a society and in habits which it is very possible may displease you. Reflect for eight or ten days, and then come to me, and we will enter further into your projects." 26o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT " I will not wait twenty-four hours, " said Junot firmly. " Listen, Madame de Permon. I have not taken my present step without having fully made up my mind. Will you grant me your daughter ? Will you, Permon, give me your sister ? I love her, and I again swear to you I will make her as happy as a woman can be.** Albert approached General Junot, and, taking his hand, said in a voice of emotion, " My dear Junot, I give you my sister with joy; and, believe me, the day when I shall call you brother will be one of the happiest of my life." "And I," said my mother, extending her arms to him, " am happy beyond description in calling you my son. " Junot, much moved, threw himself into her arms. " Well, ** said he, " and what will you think of me now ? — that I am very childish and weak, I fear ; * and, turn- ing to my brother, he embraced him several times in a delirium of joy. "But now," said he, after a few moments, " I have still another favor to ask — one upon which I set a high value, for it is most interesting to me." " What is it ? " asked my mother. " I desire, extraordi- nary as it may appear to you, to be myself permitted to present my petition to your daughter." My mother ex- claimed against this demand ; such a thing had never been heard of — it was absolute folly. " That may be, " said Junot, in a firm but respectful tone; "but I have deter- mined upon it; and since you have received me, since I am now your son, why would you refuse me this favor ? Besides, it is in your presence and her brother's that I would speak to her." "Ah, that makes a difference," said my mother ; " but why this whim ? " " It is not a whim; it is, on the contrary, so very reasonable an idea that I should never have believed myself capable of it. Do you consent ? " My mother answered "Yes," and a messenger was dispatched to my study, where I was drawing with M. Vigliano, to summon me to my mother, an order which I obeyed immediately with the greatest tranquillity, for I supposed General Junot to be long since gone. It is impossible to describe my sensations when, on opening the chamber door, I perceived General Junot seated by my mother's bedside, holding one of her hands, and conversing in an animated manner with her. The DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 261 General rose, offered me his place, took a seat beside me, then, having looked toward my mother, said to me in the most serious tone: " Mademoiselle, I am happy enough to have obtained the consent of your mother and brother to my solicita- tion for your hand; but I have to assure you that this consent, otherwise so valuable to me, will become void unless at this moment you can declare here in their presence that you willingly acquiesce in it. The step I am at this moment taking is not perhaps altogether con- sistent with established forms — I am aware it is not; but you will pardon me if you reflect that I am a soldier, frank even to roughness, and desirious of ascertaining that in the most important act of my life I am not deceiving myself. Will you, then, condescend to tell me whether you will become my wife, and, above all, whether you can do so without any repugnance ? " Since I had been seated in the chair in which General Junot had placed me, I felt as if in an extraordinary dream. I heard distinctly, and understood what was said, but no part of it seemed to affect me; and yet it was necessary to give an immediate answer in one word upon which the fate of my whole life was to de- pend. The most perfect silence reigned in the apartment. Neither my mother nor my brother could with propriety interfere, and the General could only wait my answer. However, at the expiration of about ten minutes, seeing that my eyes still continued fixed on the ground, and that I did not reply. General Junot thought himself obliged to construe my silence into a refusal, and, always impetuous, still more so, perhaps, in his feelings than in his will, he insisted upon knowing his fate that very instant. " I see, " said he, with an accent of bitterness, " that Madame de Permon was right when she told me that her consent was nothing in this affair. Only, Mademoiselle, I entreat you to give me an answer, be it yes or no." My brother, who saw the change in Junot's manner, inclined toward me and whispered in my ear, "Take courage, love, speak out; he will not be offended, even if you refuse him." "Come, come, my child! you must answer the General, " said my mother. " If you will not 262 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT speak to him, give me your answer, and I will repeat it to him." I was sensible that my situation began to be ridiculous, and that I ought to speak; but all the power upon earth could not have made me articulate a word nor raise my eyes from the carpet. From my first entrance into the room my emotion had been so violent that the palpita- tion of my heart threatened to burst my corset. The blood now mounted to my head with such violence that I heard nothing but a sharp singing in my ears, and saw nothing but a moving rainbow. I felt a violent pain, and, raising my hand to my forehead, stood up and made my escape so s^iddenly that my brother had not time to detain me. He ran after me, but could nowhere find me. The fact was that, as if started by an invisible power, I had mounted the stairs with such rapidity that in two seconds I had reached the top of the house, and, on recovering my recollection, found myself in the attic. I came down again, and, going to take refuge in my brother's apart- ments, met him returning from a search for me. He scolded me for being so unreasonable. I wept, and reproached him bitterly for the scene which had just taken place. He excused himself, embraced me, and drew me into a conversation which calmed my spirits ; but he could by no means persuade me to return to my mother's room. I was resolute not to appear there again till General Junot was gone. My brother on his return addressed the General, whom he found still much agitated. "I was," said he, "my dear General, for a moment of your opinion, and permitted my sister to be brought here; but I now see that we have acted in this matter like children, and she, young as she is, has convinced me of it." "Where is my poor Loulou, then, " said my mother ; " I told you, my dear Junot, that such a step was absurd. Where is she ?" "In my room," said Albert, "where I have promised her that she shall not be molested." "And my answer," said Junot, with a gloomy air. " Your answer, my friend, is as favorable as you can desire. My sister will be proud to bear your name — I repeat her own words; as to any other sentiment, you cannot ask it of her without disrespect." " I am satisfied! " exclaimed Junot, embracing DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 263 my brother. « She will be proud to bear my name, and I am content." The conversation now became more calm, and after a short interval my mother said to Junot: "But tell me how you have achieved the greatest of your victories; how you have induced the First Consul to give his con- sent to your marriage with my daughter ? " " He does not know it yet," replied Junot. " He does not know it! " exclaimed my mother ; " you are come to ask my daughter in marriage, and the First Consul does not know it ? Permit me to observe, my dear General, that your con- duct has been very inconsiderate. ** My brother has since told me that he was at the moment of my mother's opinion. " I request you, madame, to inform me in what respect my conduct can be blamable, '* Junot replied, with some hauteur. * How can you ask such a question ? Do you not know the coldness, and even disunion, which has succeeded to the friendship that once existed between the First Con- sul and myself ? Do you think that he will consent to my daughter becoming your wife, and especially without fortune? And what, let me ask, would you do if when you communicate your intended marriage to him, and ask his assent, he should refuse it?" " I should marry without it, " answered Junot very res- olutely. * I am no longer a child ; and in the most im- portant transaction of my life I shall consult my own convenience only, without listening to the petty passions of others." "You say that you are no longer a child, and you reason as if you were but six years old. Would you dissolve your connection with your benefactor and friend because it pleases you to make what he will call an imprudent marriage — that is to say, a marriage with- out fortune? For that is the reason he will give you; for you may easily suppose he will not tell you that it is because he does not like me. What will you do, what will you answer, when he gives you the option between my daughter and himself ? " "But he will never do so!" exclaimed Junot; "and if he could to such an extent forget my services and my attachment, I should always remain a faithful son of France; she will not repulse me; and I am a general officer." "And do you think us capable of accepting 264 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT such a sacrifice?" said my mother. "And though ray daughter is but sixteen years old, can you have formed so unworthy an opinion of her as to suppose she would thus abuse her power over you? " "My dear General," said Albert, who had not yet uttered a word during this discussion, " I believe that all this will be easily arranged; but permit me to observe, in my turn, that you have been a little too hasty in this affair; nevertheless, I have no doubt that all will be right, for I do not think with my mother that the First Consul will interfere as a party, and still less as a judge, in a question of such a nature as this." Junot listened attentively; then, looking at his watch, he suddenly took up his hat, and said to my mother : " I am going to the Tuileries. The First Consul is not yet in council. I will speak to him, and in an hour I shall return." He pressed Albert's hand, kissed my mother's, descended the staircase at two steps, jumped into his carriage, and cried out to the coachman, " To the Tuil- eries at a gallop, only do not overturn us, because I have important business there." " Where is the First Consul ? " was his salutation to Duroc. " With Madame Bonaparte. " " My friend, I must speak to him this very instant. " *' How agitated you are ! " said Duroc, observing his flushed cheek and trembling voice. " Is there alarming news ? " " No, no ; but I must see the First Consul; I must this instant; I will tell you by and by why I am so peremptory." Duroc pressed his hand, and as he understood that he could oblige him, he lost no time in acquitting himself of his commission; and in a few moments Junot was introduced to the cabinet of the First Consul. " My General," said he, entering at once upon the subject, "you have testified a desire to see me married; the thing is settled — I am about to marry." "Ah! ah! and you have run away with your wife ? Your air is perfectly wild. " " No, my General, " replied Junot, endeavoring to calm his feelings for the crisis; for all my mother's objections started at once to his mind, and he felt fear- ful of a rebuff. " Whom are you going to marry, then ? " said the First Consul, seeing that Junot did not speak. " A person whom you liave known from her childhood, whom you used to love, my General, of whom everyone DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 265 speaks well, and with whom I am distractedly in love — Mademoiselle de Permon." The First Consul, contrary to his custom, was not at that moment walking while he conversed. He was seated at his desk, which he was notching with his penknife. On hearing the name, he leaped from his seat, threw away his penknife, and seized Junot by the arm, asking, " Whom did you say you meant to marry ? " "The daughter of Madame de Permon, that child whom you have so often held upon your knee when you your- self were young. General. " " That is not possible ; Loulou is not marriageable ; how old is she ? " " Sixteen years within a month." "It is a very bad marriage you would make; there is no fortune; and, besides, how can you determine to become the son-in-law of Madame de Per- mon ? Do you not know that woman as she is ? You must mind what you are about. She is a spirit * " Permit me to observe, General, that I do not propose to marry my mother-in-law ; and, moreover, I believe " Here he stopped short and smiled. "Well, and what do you believe ? * " That the discussions which had arisen between yourself and Madame de Permon have blended a shade of prejudice with the judgment you have formed of her. What I know perfectly well is, that she is sur- rounded by numerous friends of long standing, and I have seen the love which her children bear her. Her daughter lavishes such care upon her as only the heart of a devoted child is capable of, and has done so for two years past, to the injury of her own health. Her son '* " Ah, that is a brave youth ! " " Well, my General, and do you believe that he could be what he is to his mother if Madame de Permon were not herself not merely a good mother, but an excellent woman ? Children are respectful and attentive to their mother, but to be to her what Mademoiselle Laurette and her brother are to Madame de Permon, she must deserve their respect. Ask Madame Bonaparte, Madame Joseph, Madame Murat; these ladies will tell you how meritori- ous has been the conduct of Madame de Permon's chil- dren from the commencement of her severe illness. " " Is she so very ill, then ? " inquired the First Consul with interest. "Very ill; and the utmost care is necessary to her recovery, and to the relief of her sufferings." 266 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT The First Consul walked the room without speaking; he was serious, but not out of humor. At length he said, " But without fortune, I suppose ; what portion has this young person ? " "I have not inquired. " " You were right in saying just now that you were distractedly in love. What extravagance! Did I not particularly recom- mend you to seek a rich wife ? for you are not rich yourself." "I beg your pardon, my General, I am very rich. Are you not my protector, my father ? And when I inform you that I love a young girl who is poor, but without whom I should be miserable, I know that you will come to my assistance, and portion my betrothed.'* The First Consul smiled. « Oh, is that it? But how has this illness happened? Have you long been a visitor at Madame Permon's ? " " Eleven days. General ; but it is two months since my attention has been attracted to- ward her daughter. I have been spoken to about her, and one of our mutual friends wished to promote this marriage; but Mademoiselle Laurette was then destined to another husband, and after all that I had heard of her, I would not visit the mother lest I should fall in love with the daughter. In the interval, the projected marriage was broken off. I went, accordingly, to pay my respects to Madame de Permon, and my resolution was soon taken. But now, sir, I am about to give you still further advantage over me — I have acted more madly than you can imagine." Here he repeated the scene of the morning in its minutest details. The First Consul listened in silence, with great attention, and when Junot's narrative was ended, he replied: "Though I recognize in all that you have just said the character of Madame de Permon, I cannot but ap- prove her arguments as they respect me, and the sacri- fice you have offered in the true spirit of a Paladin of the Crusades could not be accepted either by her or Permon. You have, however, cut me off from the power of even remonstrating against this rash act by the con- fidence you have just reposed in me; besides, you will not, as you say, marry your mother-in-law, and if the young person be really such as you describe, I see no reason for being severe on the article of fortune. I give you 100,000 francs for your bride's portion, and 40,000 for her wedding clothes. Adieu, my friend; I wish you DUCHESS OP ABRANTfeS 267 happiness! » So saying, he pressed Junot's hand warmly, and said, laughing as he resumed his seat, «0h, you will have a terrible mother-in-law!" then added with a more serious air: "But an amiable and worthy brother- in-law. " CHAPTER XXXVII. Junot's Haste to Conclude Our Marriage — Unwillingness to Quit My Mother — A Family Scene — Intrigues to Lead Junot to Another Mar- riage — M. de Caulaiucourt's Confidential Advice — My Marriage Fixed for the 30th of October — The Marriage of Murat and Caroline Bonaparte — Her Beauty — An Error Corrected — Causes of Napo- leon's Coolness toward Murat — His Boasting, and an Officer's Break- fast — The Mistress of the Revels and the Betraying Cipher — Bonaparte's Project of Marrying His Sister to Moreau — Calumnies on Caroline Bonaparte — Murat's Person and Dress. THE preparations for my marriage were proceeding with activity ; General Junot was extremely desirous that it should take place immediately. He had induced Madame Bonaparte the mother and Madame Leclerc to persuade my mother, and the 20th of October was the day already fixed upon before I had been consulted upon the subject. It was on the loth of that month that my mother proposed to me this speedy separation, to which no arguments she could use had any effect in reconciling me. M. de Caulaincourt, an old and faithful friend of the family, was summoned to the conference. Seated between my brother and myself beside my mother's sofa, he earnestly enforced my mother's plea of the impatience of my lover, and, finding this insufficient, began to explain that to his knowledge Junot was at present the object of much intrigue at the Tuileries; that Madame Bonaparte, always apprehensive of the influence which early intimacy and a sentiment of gratitude for early favors might give my mother over the mind of the First Consul, had seen their mutual coldness with great com- placency; had never attempted to widen the breach by irritation, judiciously considering that in such cases total oblivion is the most eligible result, and was now extremely disconcerted to find that Junot's marriage was likely to bring the family again into notice. To obviate this, she 268 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT had attempted to produce a change in his views, and to direct them toward Mademoiselle Leclerc. To this, which was equally new to all his auditors, he added that delays are dangerous, that the First Consul might be induced by the influence of his wife to withdraw his consent, and that Junot himself might be worked to her purpose. My mother's pride now began to take the alarm, and her kind friend was obliged to soothe it to the utmost; and, finally, the result of all this consultation was that I gave my consent to fix the day for the 30th of October; sooner than this I positively refused to quit my mother. My own marriage has so much occupied my attention that I have neglected to mention that of Madame Murat, which took place soon after the 8th of November. Caro- line Bonaparte was a very pretty girl, fresh as a rose; not to be compared, for the regular beauty of her features, to Madame Leclerc, though more pleasing perhaps by the expression of her countenance and the brilliance of her complexion, but by no means possessing the perfection of figure which distinguished her elder sister. Her head was disproportionately large, her bust was too short, her shoulders were too round, and her hips too thick; but her feet, her hands, and her arms were models, and her skin resembled white satin seen through pink glass; her teeth were fine, as were those of all the Bonapartes; her hair was light, but by no way remarkable. As a young girl Caroline was charming ; when her mother first brought her to Paris in 1798 her beauty was in all its rosy fresh- ness. I have never seen her appear to so much advantage since that time. Magnificence did not become her; bro- cade did not hang well upon her figure, and one feared to see her delicate complexion fade under the weight of diamonds and rubies. In the " M^moires Contemporaines * it is asserted that when Murat demanded Mademoiselle Bonaparte in mar- riage, the First Consul made great difficulties in giving his consent. This is part of the plan now so generally adopted of representing Napoleon and his family in an unfavorable light. But here, as usual, this disposition to accuse throws a veil over the truth. Bonaparte's repug- nance is said to have been founded on the ignoble birth of Murat. I can affirm with certainty that the author has been misinformed. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 269 The true cause of Napoleon's little regard for Murat ( for, notwithstanding their alliance, he never was attached to him) was Murat's imprudent conduct when he came to Paris to present the banners taken by the army of Italy, and aft«r his return to headquarters. Those who know the character of Napoleon as I know it will easily understand that Murat would lose much ground in his General's favor by whispering a boast of his credit with the Directory and the War Ministry through the means of Madame Bonaparte and Madame Tallien. I will here give an anecdote which occurred soon after he had re- joined his General, and which reached the ears of the latter on the very day. Junot was at that time wounded and in his bed, and could not have been the informer upon a fact of which he was himself ignorant for some time. Murat gave a breakfast to Lavalette, some other officers of the general staff, and many of his friends, chiefly young men belonging to the cavalry, whose company Murat preferred to associating with officers of his own rank; perhaps from that habit of boasting, for which he afterward became so remarkable, and to which he would find his inferiors more complaisant than his equals. The breakfast had been very gay. Much champagne had been drank, and there seemed nc occasion for a sup- plement, but Murat proposed punch, adding that he would make it himself. " You never drank better, " said he to his companions ; " I have learned to make it from a charming Creole, and if I could add all the circumstances of that education, you would like it still better." Then ringing for his valet, he ordered not only all that was necessary for ordinary punch, but a number of accessories, such as tea, oranges instead of lemons, etc. , and said aloud : " And be sure not to make a mistake; bring that Jamaica rum which was given me at Paris." He went to his traveling case and took from it a beautiful utensil of silver gilt, made purposely to extract the juice of lemons or oranges without squeezing them with the hand. He then proceeded in the whole affair in a method which proved that he had been under a good instructor. The punch was found excellent, so excellent that the bowl was emptied and filled again 270 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT several times; confidence increased with each renewal; the guests wished to know how such good things were to be learned, and Murat, who perhaps was not quite clear-headed, replied that the finest and prettiest woman in Paris had taught him this and many other things. Then, as may be supposed, questions multiplied; with the mirth and folly of childhood, they desired to hear the whole history. It appears Murat could not resist, but related much that was unsuitable to the breakfast table of a party of hussar officers. But the most unlucky part of the afEair in its consequences was that, without pro- nouncing any name, he indicated so plainly the personages concerned that inductions were speedily drawn and com- mentaries followed. A breakfast, a dinner, and a supper, all in the same day, in the country, that is to say, the Champs Elys6es, formed the principal facts of this boastful tale, and the finest woman in Paris (the prettiest was not quite so clear), all this told the name, and these young heads translated it with much more ease than at that moment they could have construed a line of Virgil. Further explanation was unnecessary; when one of the party, taking up the lemon squeezer, discovered in his examination of it that it had a cipher upon the handle which was not that of Murat. "Ah," exclaimed the young madcap, "now for full information; here we may learn to read as well as to make punch ; " and, brandishing the little utensil which Murat, who retained sense enough to see that this was going too far, wished to snatch from him, he looked again at the handle, and began, ** Ba, be, bi, bo; Bo, — bon, — bona!'* Murat at length succeeded in quieting him, and, the breakfast finished, the chief of the guests forgot the particulars of the morning's entertainment. But two or three, who felt that they might speak without indiscretion, since nothing had been confided to them, repeated the whole history of the punch; on a theater so fraught with wonders as Italy was at that moment, the tale made little impression generally, but all the circumstances of the bacchanalian scene reached the ears of the General. His jealous humor was awakened, and for a moment he proposed requiring an explanation from Murat, but reflection showed him how unwise such a proceeding would be, and he abandoned all thoughts of inquiring into the true cir- DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 271 cumstances of the case; whether they ever came to his knowledge I know not. The silver lemon squeezer disappeared. Murat pro- fessed to regret its loss extremely, and reported that some of his giddy companions had thrown it out of the window in sport, and that it had never been recovered. He averred also that the young man who pretended to have read the cipher had his eyes so dazzled by the fumes of the punch that he had, in fact, mistaken M for B, and that the letter J stood for his own name (Joachim). This scandal was talked of for twenty-four hours, but offered only vague conjectures to those who were but imperfectly acquainted with the parties concerned, which was the case with almost all the guests except Lavalette and Duroc, who thought it advisable not to take further notice of it, and thought, indeed, that the cipher might have been J. M. For my own part, I believe so too ; but General Bonaparte, I have reason to think, was not so credulous ; and the favor shown Murat on occasion of the expedition to Egypt — a favor which certainly his Gen- eral had not solicited for him — seemed to confirm his impolitic boasting, and to indicate that his interest with the Directory was supported by a protector who could not please Napoleon. With respect to the fact itself, I apprehend that there was more of levity in it on Murat's part than of reality. I have known the opinion of mem- bers of the family respecting it, who perhaps saw things in their worst light from being in a degree inimical to Josephine. They excused Murat on account of his youth, but were not so indulgent toward Madame Bonaparte. Junot, whom the "• Memoir es Contemporaines,'" I know not why, make to interfere in the affairs of Murat and Napoleon, did not believe that the General had any cause for his jealousy of Murat, for jealous he certainly was; and it is the same with respect to another person of whom I shall have occasion to speak, and toward whom General Bonaparte's ill-will also took its rise in Italy. When, therefore, Murat requested the hand of Caro- line Bonaparte, the First Consul was very much disposed to refuse it, but not on account of the obscurity of his birth. It is absurd to make him think and act in that manner at this epoch. Murat was in love with Made- 272 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT moiselle Bonaparte ; but in those days of our glory there were twenty young generals round Napoleon who were at least his equals, and whose fame was at that period even greater than his. The First Consul, on his return from Egypt, had a project for marrying his sister to Moreau: this may give the scale of qualification he required in his brother-in-law — much distinction from glory, and none from birth. I know also, for the First Consul has himself told me so, that he once had an idea of giving his sister to Augereau. Caroline Bonaparte, also, was passionately in love with Murat. But this love did not take its rise from Joseph's embassy to Rome; Caroline was at that time, at the most, from eleven to twelve years of age. I do not even believe that Murat ever saw her at Rome. If this love really were anterior to his return from Egypt, it must be dated from their meeting at the Serbelloni Pal- ace at Milan. At any rate I can assert that nothing had occurred to render this marriage desirable to the Bona- parte family, as the "■ Memoir es Contemporaines*'' have said. Caroline Bonaparte married with a reputation as pure and as fresh as her complexion and the roses of her cheeks. I hope I shall not be accused of partiality toward her; but I must be just and speak the truth. I can do so with the more certainty as, at the epoch of her marriage, and during some preceding years, the con- nection between us was very intimate. Murat's good looks and the nobleness of his figpire is a matter which will bear discussion. I do not admit that a man is handsome because he is large and always dressed for a carnival. Murat's features were not good, and I may even add that, considering him as detached from his curled hair, his plumes, and his embroidery, he was plain. There was something of the negro in his countenance, though his nose was not flat ; but very thick lips, and a nose which, though aquiline, had nothing of nobleness in its form, gave to his physiognomy a mon- grel expression at least. I shall speak again of his per- son and of his talents. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 273 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Satisfaction Caused by My Marriage in the Bonaparte Family — Ma- dame Bonaparte Jealous of My Mother — My Mother's Sufferings, and Preparations for My Marriage — Details Respecting the Family of Junot — His Elder Brother in Egypt — Imperious Will of Bona- parte — His Refusal of a Passport to Junot's Brother — Junot's Brother Taken Prisoner by the English — His Return, and the Melancholy Death of His Son — Remarkable Circumstances Attending the Child's Death — Its Extraordinary Attachment to Its Father — The Event Related to the First Consul — Conversation between Bonaparte and Corvisart upon the Subject. MADAME Bonaparte the mother was delighted with Junot's choice, and Lucien, Louis, and Joseph Bona- parte, Madame Leclerc, and Madame Bacciochi, rejoiced in the alliance from personal motives; they con- sidered it a sort of victory gained over the younger Ma- dame Bonaparte. The latter, from the reasons of jealousy mentioned before, and which she had sense enough never to avow, though everyone in the palace was satisfied that a tacit hostility existed between my mother and her, had labored zealously to prevent it; and, knowing that my mother was well aware of this, was herself the first person to speak to me of it after my marriage. Her jealousy was, however, unfounded; at this period Napo- leon was much attached to Josephine, and she might, if she pleased, have acquired a great influence over him; this she never possessed, as I shall often have occasion to show. The 30th of October approached, and our domicile usu- ally so peaceful though cheerful, and especially regular in the hours and manner of living, was now entirely transformed. My poor mother concealed her sufferings, and told me that she had never been better. She fre- quently went out to make purchases which she would trust to no one else, and which her taste certainly en- abled her to choose better than any other person would have done, but which I should have declined if I had believed them to have caused her the smallest pain. All that I could say on the subject would, however, have been wholly unavailing; and my brother and I had agreed 274 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT that it was better not to contradict her. All, therefore, proceeded rapidly. The day when I was to quit my mother drew very near, and I may safely say, brilliant as was the situation it promised me, I saw its approach with terror. Junot's family, to whom he was religiously attached, consisted of a father and mother, both in perfect health, and without any infirmity, the father at this time about sixty years of age, and the mother something older; an elder brother married, two uncles, and two sisters, both married — the younger to a landed proprietor named Maldan, and the elder, against the wishes of her parents, to a cousin-german ; and, as generally happens with mar- riages not sanctioned by the parental blessing, this turned out ill — they had many children and were un- happy. As soon as Junot's marriage was fixed he sent his brother into Burgundy to fetch his father and mother and his wife. M. Junot, the elder brother, was not only a respectful son, an affectionate brother, a tender hus- band and father, but he was also a man of unimpeach- able honor, and of the severest probity. Bonaparte, who knew his worth, was bent upon taking him on his expe- dition to Egjrpt; and when Junot obtained leave to visit his family before he set out, he was expressly com- manded to bring his brother back with him. Fraternal affection, and the great prospect held out to him, wrung from him an unwilling assent. He took leave of a beloved wife and an idolized infant, his only child, a boy two years and a half old, from whom he had yet scarcely been separated for an hour, and pro- ceeded with his brother to Toulon. Here, however, he completely repented, and, too late, endeavored to obtain his dismissal. Bonaparte had appointed him to a con- fidential situation on his civil staff, and had too much esteem for his probity to permit him to recede. In despair he embarked on board '^ L' Orient ^^ — in despair he reached Egypt; and though he never neglected his duties, he never ceased importunately to demand his dismissal. But the General was not to be moved; and it was not till after the departure of Bonaparte him- self that my homesick brother-in-law obtained leave to return to Europe. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 275 Further troubles awaited him: the vessel in which he sailed was taken by the English, and he was, after an imprisonment of some months at Mahon, landed at length on the coast of France, with the loss of all the property he had with him. Rejoicing in the thought of reposing at last under his own roof, he reached it to learn that the son he adored was no more. The affecting manner of his boy's death was not made known to him till his wife had given birth to another child; but he never ceased to feel for this one a sentiment of greater ten- derness than any of his other children inspired. The cause of this infant's death, extraordinary as it may seem, was the ardor of his attachment to his father. He bade him adieu, and had seen him depart; but when' he found that he did not speedily return, his grief, at first moderate, became ungovernable; for some days he cried without cessation, perpetually inquiring where was his father. At length his useless tears were intermitted, but his sighs, his pallid cheeks, and constant recurrence to the subject uppermost in his thoughts, showed that his grief was not abated. His mother, observing with the acutness peculiar to a mother's love that the indefinite idea produced by the uniform answer to his question that his father was gone away only increased his distress, at last replied that he was at Bussy, a small estate the family possessed a few miles from Dijon. <'Then let us goto Bussy," said the child, with the first expression of joy he had shown since his afflicting loss. The family made a rule of indulging all his wishes, and affording every diversion that could be supposed to alleviate his sorrow, and a journey to Bussy was undertaken; but the disappointment here ex- perienced added to, the malady which had now taken deep hold upon him; in turn, a removal to the houses of all his relations was tried, but in vain; at the end of a twelvemonth this extraordinary infant, who at the time of his father's departure was one of the finest, most healthy, and animated of children, expired with his father's name upon his lips. This was related to me a few weeks after my marriage ; and it happened that some anecdotes of extraordinary children formed the subject of conversation at Malmaison one evening about that time, and I related this one, then 276 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT fresh in my mind. The First Consul, who usually did not enter at all into such subjects, paid great attention to what I was saying, and, when I had done, asked me whether I had not abused my privilege of historian, and had not, of a very simple fact, created a romance, the hero of which was a child thirty months old. "I can assure you," I replied, "that far from having added to the affecting parts of my little history, I have curtailed them; and if you heard the same tale related by my worthy mother-in-law, who nursed the poor babe through the whole of its long agony, you would find mine very cold in comparison." The First Consul paced to and fro for some time with- out saying a word. This is known to have been his habit when deep in thought. Suddenly he raised his head, and looking around him, asked for Corvisart, who soon appeared. " Corvisart, " said the First Consul, * is it possible that a child should die of grief in consequence of no longer seeing some one it loves — its nurse for example ? " " I believe not, " said Corvisart. " At the same time nothing is impossible; but nothing can be more rare than such a case, happily, or else what would become of us ? We could not wean a child. * The First Consul looked at me triumphantly, and said, " I was sure of it. " To this I said that I thought Dr. Corvisart had been unfairly interrogated, and that I begged permission to put the question to him in its true shape. I then, in a few words, repeated the history of my little nephew ; and scarcely had he heard me out than he exclaimed, " That is quite another case ; " that a nurse was replaced by a governess, who lavished the same cares upon the child, and gave it food at the hours it had been accustomed to ; but that affection distressed by absence, as that of my nephew had been, might cause death, and that the case was not even of very rare oc- currence. "I have in my portfolios," said this very skillful man, "a multitude of notices relative to the affections of children, and if you should read them. Gen- eral, you would find not only that the germs of the pas- sions exist in their young hearts, but that in some children these passions are developed in an alarming manner. Jealousy, as well as poison, will kill children DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 277 of three years of age, and even younger." "You think then, that this little Junot died of grief from ceasing to see his father ? » asked the First Consul. "After what Madame Junot has just related, I cannot doubt it ; and my conviction is confirmed by her having, without being aware of it, described all the symptoms of that malady of which only beings endowed with the most exquisite sensibility are susceptible. The child is happy in its early death, for he would have been to be pitied throughout his existence, and would have met with a per- petual succession of disappointments." The First Consul rubbed his forehead frequently while Corvisart was speaking. It was evident that his repeated refusals to permit my brother-in-law's return to Europe were agitating his mind, and I am sure that, had the light been directed to his eyes, I should have seen them moist. *' Is Junot, your brother-in-law, still in Paris ? " said he. *' Yes, General. " " Will you tell him that I wish to see him? Is Junot acquainted with the nature of his nephew's death? " " I believe not. General, for my brother-in-law has himself only learned it since his wife's accouchement.'" He again passed his hand over his forehead, and shook his head with the air of a person who would drive away a painful thought; but he never permitted it to be sup- posed that he was long under the influence of any pre- dominating emotion; he walked again the length of the room, and then, placing himself directly in front of Corvisart, said to him with comic abruptness : " Corvisart, would it be better that there should be doctors, or that there should be none? " The modern Hippocrates replied to the malicious glance which accompanied the question by one of equal meaning, then parried the attack with a jest, and added, " If you wish me to speak conscientiously. General, I believe that it would be as well if there were not any. " We all laughed, when Corvisart continued, and added : " But then there must be no old women. '* 278 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XXXIX. Thoughtless Observation of My Mother to Junot Respecting Nobility, and Its Prompt Correction — Intrigues to Break off Junot's Marriage — Great Number of Emigrants in Paris — A Young Girl Seeks Fouch6 — Affecting Scene, and Fouchd's Sang-froid — Fouch6 Com- passionate ! — The Marquis des Rosiferes and His Daughter — The An- cient Lieutenant of the King, and Escapades of Fouch6 — The Emigp'ants Do Justice to the Glory of Our Arms — The Due de Mouchy. M. de Montcalm, the Prince de Chalais, MM. de I'Aigle, and M. Archambaud de Perigord — Rudeness of the Marquis d'Haute- fort — Text of a Curious Letter, Addressed by Berthier to Junot from Madrid during an Embassy — The Passages Omitted — Ber- thier and the Gift of Tongues — Amusing Adventure of Berthier at Milan — The Tailor and the Landlady. TO MANY of our friends my engagement was unwel- come, and some of our noble relatives reminded my mother that though my father had been of ple- beian origin she was not, and that she was wanting in respect to herself in bestowing her daughter upon an up- start General of the Revolution. My mother unadvisedly repeated these observations to General Junot, to whom it may be supposed they were not very acceptable; my mother, observing this, rectified the error with her char- acteristic grace. "And why," she continued, "should this offend you ? Do you think me capable of being affected by such opinions ? Do you imagine that I regret having given you my child — having named you my son, and the brother of my Albert ? No, my dear Junot " ( and she cordially pressed his hand as she said it ) ; " we are now united for life and death ! '* Junot has since told me that this explanation given by my mother had produced a very good effect on him. For some days past he had been disturbed by reports that my family were desirous of breaking off the match, and that, another more eligible having offered, my dis- inclination toward him would be made the pretense for dis- missing him. Another marriage was also strongly pressed upon him, but Junot was too much engaged in honor and in heart to recede; and these attempts had no re- sult, unless it were that of impressing me with a slight degree of hostility against a personage who had thus DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 279 intrigued to exclude me from a society in which I was en- titled, from various reasons, to hold a leading rank. The Emigrants were now returning in crowds: La Vendue was settling peaceably; many persons connected with the nobility were repairing to Paris as a more secure asylum than the provinces. Fouch^, the Minister of Police, on whom their fate so much depended, was wicked only in circumstances which had immediate reference to himself; otherwise he was capable of good actions, of which the following is an example: In the month of September, 1800, Fouch6 was told that a young woman, indifferently dressed, but very pretty, frequently asked for a private audience with him, but without claiming any acquaintance or making use of any name to obtain the in- troduction, while she persisted in refusing to state her own name or residence. Fouch6, who at this time had too many affairs of importance upon his hands to be able to spare any attention to one which offered x)nly an ap- pearance of gallantry, took no notice of this. The young girl, however, continued to besiege his door, notwithstand- ing the insults of the domestics, always so plentifully lavished upon misfortune, till at length the first valet, taking pity upon her, approached and inquired why she did not write to the Citizen Minister. "You might," said he, " by that means obtain an audience, which, I believe, is what you want, is it not ? " The young woman said it was, but that her name was unknown to the Minister, who would therefore probably refuse her request. The poor child wept as she pro- nounced the last words; the valet looked at her and pondered. Whether his thoughts were what they should be I do not pretend to saj', but his resolution was quickly taken. He looked at his watch, and found it was not yet eleven o'clock, and that, consequently, his master would not have finished his breakfast. "Wait a few minutes," said he to the young girl; "but tell me, do you live far off ? " " Yes ; very, very far. " The valet, who was now examining her faded black dress, said to himself, "But how the devil am I to take her in, equipped in that fashion ? " His eyes, raised to inspect her bonnet, at that moment fell upon a most lovely countenance, and he added: "Bah! I should be very absurd to trouble myself about her dress; wait for me, my child." 28o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT " Citizen Minister, " said he, as he entered the private cabinet where his master was breakfasting, and at the same time pursuing his business, " there is without a young girl, who for this month past has come daily to speak to you; she weeps and pretends that her business concerns life and death ; she seems very much distressed. Shall I bring her in!*> « Hum? " said Fouch6; "another of the intrigues of those women who solicit the pardon of their brothers and cousins without ever having had either father or mother. How old is this one?" "About eighteen. Citizen Minister." « It is as I guess, then. And thou, honefet fellow, hast taken charge of her introduction ? But I am armed at all points. Bring the nymph in, and let her look to it if she have not her patent. " * The valet introduced his prot^g^. On seeing her, Fouch^ betrayed, by a movement of surprise, the effect which her really distinguished manner, compared with her wornout apparel, made on him. A sign from the Minister sent away the valet. « What do you want with me, my girl ? " he said to his young visitor. She threw herself on her knees before him, and joining her hands, "I am come," said she, sobbing, "to beg for the life of my father." Fouchd started as if a serpent had crossed his path, in hearing a petition for human life proceed from such lips. " And who is your father ? " said he ; " what is his name ? " " Ah, you will kill him ! " she cried, in a voice trembling with terror, as she perceived Fouch6's sallow complexion take a still more vivid tint and his white lips contract; " you will kill him!" " Peace, simple- ton! Tell me the name of your father. How came he to be in Paris, if he be in fear for his life ? " The young lady then related their history; it was short and affecting. Her father, the Marquis des Ros- ibres, after having been several times made prisoner in La Vendue, was taken at last with arms in his hands, and had escaped by a miracle ; but closely pursued, almost tracked, he had at length arrived at Paris as the safest place of refuge. His daughter was to have rejoined him * Fouche, who, as all the world knows, was a moral man, one day had all the female frequenters of the Palais Royal and similar resorts taken up, that he might compel them to take out a patent. He chose to have order even in disorder. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 281 with her mother, and a young sister about twelve years of age. «But,» continued she, «I lost my mother and sister, and arrived here alone." «How did both die so suddenly?" asked Fouch^. « The Blues killed them," said she in a low voice, casting down her eyes: for she feared Fouchd would impute it to her as a crime to de- nounce that of the Republican soldiers. " Where do you lodge ? " said the Minister after a mo- ment's silence. Mademoislle des Rosiferes appeared to hesitate. «Very well," said Fouch6, stamping his foot, " you will not tell me where you live ? If you do not tell me with a good grace, my people will know where to find you two hours hence, or sooner." Incapable of resistance, Mademoiselle des Rosi^res again fell upon her knees, extending her hands to him. * Come, be quiet ; let us have no tragedy — I do not like it; only tell me if I may count upon your father. If I obtain his pardon, can I depend upon him ? " The expression of Mademoiselle des Rosiferes's counte- nance at this moment required no interpreter. " You are a foolish child," said Fouch^, with an accent of dis- satisfaction ; " when I wished to know if I might depend upon your father, it was in the name of the First Con- sul. Did you suppose I wanted to make him a police spy ? " He wrote the address of Mademoiselle des Ros- i^res on a card, and before she left the room asked her why she applied to him rather than to the First Consul ? " By my father's desire, " she answered ; " he thought you would have known his name." The Minister was in- stantly struck with a remembrance which had escaped him ; but he still doubted. " Tell your father to write me word this very day whether he were not a lieutenant of the King before the Revolution." M. des Rosiferes's answer was in the affirmative. He had been the King's Lieutenant in Brittany and in Bur- gundy or rather in Franche-Comt^, and in this capacity had had the good fortune to be very useful to the young Ahh6 Fouch6. In a question of town walls escaladed, the doors of a seminary forced — in fine, of very grave mat- ters — the Lieutenant of the King, like the good Samaritan, had enveloped the whole in the mantle of charity. I know not precisely the extent of the obligation he had conferred, but this I know, that the day succeeding 282 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT his daughter's interview with the Minister, M. des Ros- ihres received a safe conduct, and a short time after- ward a free pardon, with a good place as Commandant of a town in Alsace. There his daughter established herself with him in the winter of 1801. She married there and now inhabits her Chateau of Reisberg, some leagues from Colmar. One remarkable circumstance was that the valei de chainbre was discharged. At this epoch the first names of France were happy and proud to march under the shadow of our laurels, though some of them, while triumphing in the glory of their country, were not the less faithful to their original allegiance. France has always been rich in similar ex- amples: I shall only name the Due de Mouchy, M. de Montcalm, the Prince de Chalais, MM. de I'Aigle, M. Archambaud de Perigord, as persons belonging to my mother's society, and because the recollection of asso- ciation with persons upright and constant in their opin- ions is pleasing to the mind. Junot, who was not prodigal in his esteem and attach- ment, accorded both to the persons I have named, and when he met them at my mother's house he was not pre- vented by their presence from reading his news; he was sure that the good fortune of France would be wel- come to them. It was not so with the Marquis d'Haute- fort ; he was by disposition contradictory and quarrelsome ; and though he possessed talents, his constant unreasonable disputations rendered him unendurable as a companion. One evening Junot (it was before he had offered me his hand) had been dining with Carnot, then Minister of War, and having learned news which he presumed would be agreeable to us, came to my mother's with proofs of some of the morrow's journal's, and private letters which he had himself received. One of these, from Berthier, whom the First Consul had sent into Spain, contained some very interesting details. Madame Visconti, who had dined with us, had learned this, and w!as very impatient to see the letter. Before he read it, Junot was remarking upon the smiling and happy aspect of affairs, while only a few months previous France had been a scene of mourning. He described Italy restored to our authority, Russia de- siring our alliance, England renouncing the title of King DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 283 of France, to facilitate her negotiations with the Con- sular Government, Austria beaten at all points, and « Hold there! » interrupted M. d'Hautefort rudely, «that is no reason for boasting. General Moreau has caused that. " Junot was so much astonished, not only at the inter- ruption, but at the manner of it, that at first he turned toward M. d'Hautefort, and fixed his eyes upon him with- out speaking, but soon after observed with a marked emphasis : " I thought, till this moment, that General Moreau was a Breton; and I thought, further, that since the mar- riage of Anne of Brittany with two of our kings, Brit- tany was become a province of France; and from this I came to the conclusion that General Moreau was a Frenchman. " " Let us leave these captious discussions, my dear friend, " said Madame Visconti in a coaxing tone, " for I am longing to hear Berthier's letter.'* "You are right," said Junot, and he read to us the following, which he drew from his pocket: " St Ildefonso, 28 Fructidor, year ix. « You will have learned by the journals, my dear Junot, that I reached Madrid on the evening of the 2d of September. Duroc will also have communicated to you the letter which I wrote to him, and in which I described the fatigue I had undergone from the heat and the dust, particularly in the neighborhood of Madrid. Imagine yourself at Tentoura or at Cesarea — the same misery. In all respects I find great resemblance between the two countries; only that Egypt has the ad- vantage. « On arriving at Madrid, I found that the whole town had deferred their bedtime to come and meet me ; the street of Alcala was illuminated with torches of wax, which had a very good effect. The crowd was so great that my carriage could not proceed. On reaching the hotel appointed for my residence, I alighted from my carriage to the sound of military music, really very fine. Alquier had ordered me an excel- lent supper, of which I assure you that I did not fail to profit; and I slept as if I were but twenty years old. Tell this to some one of my acquaintance. « I have therefore slept equally well on mattresses of white satin as on an iron bedstead. The morning after my arrival I quitted Ma- drid to join the King and Queen of Spain here. In traversing Madrid I was so warmly applauded, for that is the only suitable word, that the tears started to my eyes; I thought at once of my much-beloved General, to whom this applause was addressed. But all this was nothing compared to the reception I met with from their Catholic Maj- esties. The King embraced me, and the Queen, who is very handsome gave me her hand to kiss, and then embraced me also. But that which 284 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT passes all belief is the excessive attachment which their Majesties ex- press for the Republic, and especially for our much- beloved Consul.* His reputation has crossed the Pyrenees, and is come to make friends for him in the heart of Spain. All goes well. I hope to terminate the commission with which I am charged as I have usually done, and merit his approbation. " The Queen of Spain has spoken much to me of a certain person of my acquaintance, whose reputation for beauty, like the renown of the First Consul, has stepped over the boundaries of France. Ah, my dear Junot! how I long to be again among you all! I do not like Spain. Try if the First Consul cannot be induced to replace me by Duroc or Bourrienne. Why I name the latter, I cannot rightly say. Adieu, my dear Junot ! You ask me for details ; I hope those I have sent you are suflSciently interesting. How I long to be in the midst of you! I beg you to tell the Signora Pepita ( that is what I shall call her here ) that I have not forgotten her commission — she might be well assured of that. I wrote to her by the last courier I sent ; but 1 am always happy to repeat that I am her slave, and perhaps she will more readily believe it when .the lips of a friend repeat it for me. Read her, then, this part of my letter. Cara, car a Pepita. You see that I improve. « Adieu, my dear Junot; adieu, my dear friend. Pray tell the First Consul that you know I am ill, and that he should not leave me long here. I know that my mission is but temporary, but I tremble to think of the possibility of remaining here even three months. They write to me from Paris that I am spoken of for the Ministry of War.f I know nothing of it. * Adieu, my friend, "Salutation and friendship, "Alexander Berthier.» I ought to mention, before proceeding further, two things of small importance, but which are connected with this letter. The first is, that it was some time after- ward that I became acquainted with the whole of it. General Junot did not think it necessary to read to us Berthier's expressions of love, thrown into the midst of a serious epistle, otherwise filled with matters of impor- tance to the country. There was something absurd in this ambassador of a great nation, forty-five years of age, soliciting a young man of twenty-seven to associate with him in a falsehood to procure his return a few weeks sooner to the side of his mistress; and Junot would not allow M. d'Hautefort the gratification of remarking upon it. This is not the only letter which Junot received from Berthier in which his attachment to the First Consul is similarly testified, f He was already nominated to it. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 285 The second thing was explained with much less diffi- culty. He told us that Berthier had never in his life been able to learn a single word of a foreign language. "And to such an extent was this eccentricity carried," said Junot, "that in Egypt it was not possible to make him say the word '/«r«.*» He learned it, but as soon as it became necessary to use it in a phrase, it was gone. Being once at Milan, and in immediate want of a tailor, he ordered his servant to fetch him one. The valet, not understanding a single word of Italian, repre- sented to his master that he should lose himself in the town, and that it was necessary to wait for the servant of the house. Berthier was impatient and very peremp- tory, particularly when in immediate want of anything he ordered. "You are a blockhead," said he to the valet; "order the mistress of the house to come up." He brought up the landlady, leading her by the sleeve, for she did not, or would not, understand a word of French. " Madame, " said Berthier, stammering, as he always did when he intended to make an impression, which did not help him at all — " Madame, I wish for a tailor. " The landlady looked at him without answering. "Ma- dame," said Berthier, raising his voice to its highest pitch, that she might understand him the better, " I want a tailor ! " The woman looked at him in silence, but smiled and shook her head in token of not understanding. ^^ ParbleuP^ said Berthier; "this is rather too much! what, you do not know what a tailor is ? " Then, taking the skirt of his own coat and that of his servant, he shook first one and then the other, crying still louder and louder, "A tailor! I say, a tailor!" The landlady, who smiled at first, now began to laugh ; and after awhile, beginning to think that her lodger was mad, called out to her servants as loud as she could, saying, " Ma k matto questo benedetto generale ! per il casso di san Pasquale i matto. " Two waiters ran up at the furious noise made by Berthier, their mistress, and the valet ; and they only in- creased the confusion. "I went just at this moment," continued Junot, who related this story, " to visit Berthier, and from the foot of the staircase heard a noise sufficient to stun one; I could not understand what should cause such a tumult in his apartment, and I hurried upstairs, 286 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT thinking a friendly fist might be useful. I found him with a face as red as fire, and eyes starting from their sockets, marching up and down the room, vehemently exclaiming : " A tailor, a tailor ! It is to provoke me that they will not fetch one; they can hear very well." To make himself better understood, he had taken off his coat, and was shaking it like a lunatic. When I went in, he threw it upon the ground, and, advancing to the landlady, took her by the arms and pulled her before him, saying, " Stand there ! old sibyl" ; then, shaking his two hands, which were by no means handsome, he said to her : " What ! you do not know what a tailor is ? " then imitating with his short thick fingers the action of a pair of scissors, he cried out in a tone of despair, " A tailor, I say; tailleur ! tailleur ! taillum ! taillarum ! '" The sight of Junot overjoyed him. An explanation ensued, and when Berthier heard the word sartor e, which he ought to have used, " Pardieu! " said he, putting on his coat, and wiping his forehead ; " it was worth while the trouble of making me cry out like that! I asked them for a tailor. Well ! tailleur, sartore; it means the same thing after all; and, besides, I showed them my coat. " CHAPTER XL. Madame Bernard's Daily Bouquet — Junot Accused of Being a Con- spirator — His Inexplicable Absence — Lucien Bonaparte and the Abb6 Rose — A New Opera — Discussions upon It — «Les Horaces" — Mysterious Entreaties of Junot to Dissuade Us from Going to the Opera — Half -Confidence of Junot to My Brother — Evening at the Opera — Enthusiasm Caused by the Presence of Bonaparte — The First Consul, My Mother, and the Opera Glass — Lainez, Laforet, and Mademoiselle Maillaret — Junot Frequently Called Away; His Mind Engaged — The Adjutant Laborde — The Gayety of Junot, and the Composure of the First Consul — The Conspiracy of Ceracchi and Ar6na — Quitting the Opera; the First Consul Saved — The Brothers Ar6na — Nocturnal Conversation at My Mother's. DURING the month of October Junot looked in upon us every morning, and then came to dinner, having his coach or his cabriolet always filled with draw- ings, songs, and a heap of trifles from the "Magazine of DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 287 Sikes," or the "Petit Dunkerque,» for my mother and me; and never forgetting the bouquet, which, from the day of our engagement to that of our marriage, he never once failed to present me. It was Madame Bernard, the famous bouquetikre to the Opera, who arranged these nosegays with such admirable art ; she has had successors, it is true, but the honor of first introducing them is her own. One day Junot appeared uneasy, agitated, having been called away from the dining-table. It was then Madame de Contades, seeing him very silent, said jestingly: "General, you are as serious as a conspirator!" Junot colored. " Oh ! " she continued, " I know that you have nothing to do with conspiracies, or at least that yours would only be directed against us poor emigrants, returned and ruined as we are; and really you would have more than fair play ! " " I believe, " said I, " there is litttle danger in conspir- acies ; it is rare that their motives are perfectly pure, and the interest of the country, always the pretense, is gen- erally the last thing intended; and therefore it happens that almost all great conspiracies are discovered before they take effect. The real danger to the chief of a state arises from a fanatic such as Jacques Clement; an insane ascetic, such as Ravaillac or Jean Chatel; or a hand conducted by desperation, like that of Charlotte Corday; those are the blows which cannot be warded off. What barrier can be opposed to them? What guards can pre- vent my reaching the most powerful throne upon earth to hurl its master to the grave, if I am willing to give blood for blood, life for life? » Everyone exclaimed against me. "Come," said my mother, "away with these Grecian and Roman notions." I kissed her hand and smiled; a glance toward General Junot had found his eyes fixed upon me with an expres- sion so singular that an idea crossed my mind that he would not be very solicitous for a union with so resolute a woman, who seemed willing to play with poniards as with her fan. The thought seemed even to myself burlesque, because at that period of my life I was one of the greatest cowards of my sex. I was seated at the foot of my mother's sofa, and leaning toward her, whispered to her in Italian 288 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT the thought which had just struck me. My mother laughed as well as myself, and we both looked toward General Junot, supposing that he would understand us, and approach to partake of our gayety. He came indeed, but instead of replying to our jests, he fixed on me an anxious look, and taking my hand and my mother's, pressed them both. While leaning over us he said to me : " Promise me not to speak again upon this subject; say you will not." " Undoubtedly I will not ; but why? » « I will tell you by and by ; at least, I hope so, " he added, with a singular smile. Lucien Bonaparte, who came in at that moment, would know to what our conference related; for the other interlocutors continued the discussion, and the conspiracies were still as much alive as if we had been in the prsetorian camps. "Bah!" said Lucien; "these subjects of conversation are not suited for women, and I wonder that these gentlemen have suffered them to proceed so long. It would be much better to talk of the opera I am to give you the day after to-morrow.* Albert, M. Hippolyte de Rastignac, and the Abb6 Rose, arrived at this moment from the general rehearsal. One was much pleased with the opera, another did not like it at all. Albert and the Abb6, both good authorities, differed totally in opinion ; music and the opera underwent a long and critical discussion, Lucien and Junot mean- while betaking themselves to private conversation. I re- marked that they never raised their voices, and that the subject which occupied them seemed to be serious and important. The expression of their countenances made me uncom- fortable, though I knew of nothing actually alarming. Everything appeared somber and mysterious around us. It was evident that great uneasiness agitated the persons who were attached to the First Consul. I dared not ask a question. Lucien looked upon me as a child; and nothing could induce me to interrogate General Junot. Joseph, who was goodness itself, was the only person to whom I could have summoned courage to speak upon such a subject ; but he was about to set out for Luneville, and we scarcely saw him again. On the nth of October Junot came early in the morn- ing, which was not usual. He was still more serious DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 289 than on the day of the conversation about conspiracies. We were to go this evening to the first representation of « Les Horaces » of Porta and Guillard. Guillard was the intimate friend of Brunetifere, who interested himself much in its success, and he begged as a favor that we would attend it. This party was then arranged, and I confess much to my satisfaction. My mother was better, and I looked forward to the evening as a great treat. It was then with no very pleasant emotion that I heard Junot ask my mother not to go to the opera. His reasons for making this request were most singular. The weather was bad, the music was bad, the poem was good for nothing; in short, the best thing we could do was to stay at home. My mother, who had prepared her toilet for all the magnificence of a first representation, and who would not have missed it had it been necessary to pass through a tempest, and listen to the dullest of poems, would not attend to any of Junot's objections ; and I was delighted, for I placed full confidence in the Abbe Rose, who said that the music was charming. The General, however, still insisted; so much obstinacy at length made an im- pression upon my mother, who, taking the General's arm, said to him anxiously, " Junot, why this perseverance ? is there any danger ? are you afraid ? " " No, no, " exclaimed Junot. '* I am afraid of nothing but the ennui you will experience, and the effect of the bad weather. Go to the Opera. But," continued he, " if you decide upon going, permit me to beg you not to occupy the box you have hired, but to accept mine for the night." « I have already told you, my dear General, that it is impossible. It would be contrary to all established customs, and I am particular in supporting them. Would you have my daughter, your betrothed bride, but not yet your wife, appear in a box which all Paris knows to be yours ? And for what reason am I to give up mine ? » " Because it is at the side, which is a bad situation for the Opera; and it is, besides, so near to the orchestra, that Mademoiselle Laurette's deHcate ear will be so offended she will not, for the next fortnight, be able to perform herself." 19 290 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT " Come, come, " said my mother, " there is no common sense in all this. We will go and hear this second Cimarosa, who, no doubt, will not equal his prototype: but at all times a first representation is a fine thing. Do you dine with us ? '* "I cannot, " answered the General, " I cannot even come to offer you my arm, but I shall certainly have the honor of seeing you at the Opera.'* On quitting my mother, the General went up to Albert's apartment, and found him in his study, sur- rounded by those peaceful labors which so usefully filled his time. He earnestly recommended him not to lose sight of my mother and myself throughout the evening. " I have endeavored, " said he, " to persuade your mother not to go out this evening, and especially against going to the Opera, but without any effect. There may be trouble there, though there is no actual danger to fear; but I confess I should be better pleased if persons in whom I am interested were at home. Your prudence, my dear Albert, guarantees your silence ; you understand my situation " ; and he left him, promising an explanation of what he had just said the next morning, if not that very night. My brother came to my mother, and the thoughtful- ness of his air struck us immediately. " Ah ! " said my mother, " what means all this? Junot would prevent our going to the Opera; and here is another preparing to accompany us there as if he were going to a funeral. It is worth while, certainly, to lay plans for gayety if they are to be executed in such solemnity. " My brother could not help laughing at this petulant sally, and this restored my mother's good humor. We dined earlier than usual, and took our seats at the Opera at eight o'clock. The boxes ivere already filled. The ladies were alJ elegantly dressed. The First Consul had not yet taken his place. His box was on the first tier to the left, be- tween the columns which separate the center from the side boxes. My mother remarked that the eyes of all persons in the pit, and of nearly all in the boxes, were directed toward it. "And," said Albert, "observe also the expression of interest and impatience on the part of the audience." " Bah ! " said my mother ; " though I am nearsighted, I can see very well that it is but curiosity. We are DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 291 always the same people. Lately, at that f^ie of the Champ- de-Mars, when the Abh6 Sifeyes » ( she never used any other denomination ) « wore feathers like the canopy of the Holy Sacrament under which he formerly carried the Host, did not everyone, and myself among the first, strain our necks to obtain a better sight of him? And the chief of the band of sharpers, was not he also the point of attraction for all eyes in the day of his power? Well, this man is now master in his turn, and he is gazed at as the others have been before him." My brother persisted in saying that the First Consul was loved, and that the others had only been feared. I was quite of his opinion, and my mother only replied by shrugging her shoulders. At this moment the door of the First Consul's box opened, and he appeared with Duroc, Colonel Savary, and, I think, Colonel Lemarrois. Scarcely was he perceived, when, from all parts of the theater, arose simultaneously plaudits so unanimous that they appeared to constitute but one and the same sound. The stage was thought of no more; all heads were turned toward General Bonaparte, and a stifled hurrah accompanied the clapping of hands and stamping of feet. He saluted the audience with much smiling grace; and it is well known that the least smile enlivened his natu- rally stern countenance, and imparted a striking charm to it. The applause continuing, he inclined his head two or three times without rising, but still smiling. My mother observed him through her glass, and did not lose one of his movements. It was the first time she had seen him since the great events of Brumaire, ahd he so entirely occupied her attention that General Junot came into the box without her perceiving him. « Well, do you find him changed since you saw him last ? " said he. My mother turned hastily round, and was ds much Embarrassed as a young girl who should be asked why she looked out of the window when the person who most interested her was passing. We all laughed, and she joined us. Meanwhile, the orchestra had recommenced its harmonious clamor, giving the diapason to Laforet and Lainez, who both screamed in emulation who should be best, or rather who should be worst; and Mademoi- selle Maillaret chimed in with lungs worthy of a Roman 292 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT lady of ancient times, making us regfret that Madame Chevallier no longer occupied the scene. My mother, whose Italian ear could not support such discord, often turned toward General Junot to speak of the enchanting songs of Italy, so soft and so sweet. At one of these moments Andoche slightly touched her arm, and made her a sign to look to the First Con- sul's box. General Bonaparte had his glass directed toward us, and as soon as he perceived that my mother saw him, he made two or three inclinations in the form of a salutation : my mother returned the attention by one movement of her head, which was probably not very profound, for the First Consul, as will be shortly seen, complained to my mother herself of her coldness toward him this night. Junot would also have reproached her at the instant had not one of the officers of the garrison of Paris tapped at the door of the box to request him to come out. It was an adjutant named Laborde, the most cunning and crafty of men. His figure and his manner were at this moment indescribable. Albert, who now saw him for the first time, wished for a pencil to make a sketch of him. General Junot was absent but a few moments. When he returned to the box, his countenance, which all day had been serious, and even melancholy, had resumed in a moment its gayety and openness, relieved of all the clouds which had veiled it. He leaned toward my mother, and said, very low, not to be heard in the next box: "Look at the First Consul; remark him well.* "Why would you have me fix my eyes on him ? " said my mother ; " it would be ridiculous. " " No, no, it is quite natural. Look at him with your glass; then I will ask the same favor from Mademoiselle Laurette. " I took the opera glass from my brother, and looked at him in my turn. ** Well, " said the General, " what do you observe ? *' "Truly," I replied, "I have seen an admirable counte- nance; for I can conceive nothing superior to the strength in repose, and greatness in quiescence, which it indicates." " You find its expression, then, calm and tranquil ? " " Perfectly. But why do you ask that question ? " said I, much astonished at the tone of emotion with which the General had put this question. DUCHESS OP ABRANTfiS 293 He had not time to answer. One of his aids-de-camp came to the little window of the box to call him. This time he was absent longer, and on his return wore an air of joy; his eyes were directed toward the box of the First Consul with an expression which I could not under- stand. The First Consul was buttoning the gray coat which he wore over the uniform of the Consular Guard, and was preparing to leave the box. As soon as this was perceived, the acclamations were renewed as vehe- mently as on his entrance. At this moment, Junot, no longer able to conquer his emotion, leaned upon the back of my chair and burst into tears. "Calm yourself," said I, leaning toward him to conceal him from my mother, who would certainly have exercised her wit upon him. " Calm yourself, I en- treat you. How can a sentiment altogether joyful pro- duce such an effect upon you ? " " Ah ! " replied Junot, quite low, but with an expression I shall never forget; « he has narrowly escaped death ! the assassins are at this moment arrested." I could hardly restrain an exclamation, but Junot per- emptorily silenced me. " Say nothing ; you will be over- heard. Let us hasten out," said he. He was so much agitated that he gave me my mother's shawl, and her mine; then, taking my arm, made me hastily descend the staircase which led to a private door opening upon the Rue de Louvois, reserved for the authorities and the diplomatic body. My mother, conducted by my brother, rejoined us at the glass door, and jestingly asked the General if he meant to carry me off. Junot, though cheerful, still had his mind too much fixed on important subjects to reply to her raillery; my thoughts were wholly occupied by the few words he had said in the box, and the silence and haste imposed upon me alarmed and seriously affected me. Junot observed my paleness, and, fearing that I should faint, ran into the street, though it rained in torrents, without listening to my mother, to find our carriages and servants. He met with his own first ; my mother did not perceive it till she was already on the step, but immediately made an effort to withdraw. Junot, reminding her of the rain and her health, with a gentle pressure compelled her to get in; then whispering to me, "All is right; for heaven's 294 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT sake compose yourself, and say nothing!" called to his coachman, " Rue Sainte Croix. » Then, taking Albert's arm, they went together to seek my mother's carriage, in which they followed, or rather preceded us; for we found them at home on our arrival. My mother was throughout her life a sort of worshiper of etiquette, and of the usages which should form the code of elegance and good breeding. If she ever failed in them herself, it was from an excessive vivacity which she could not always command; not from ignorance of what was correct, or any intention of neglecting it. Notwithstanding her acute and amiable disposition, she attached an extreme importance to these trifles; more so than can be conceived, without taking into consideration the education she had received, and the seal of indelible prejudice which the circumstances of the times had im- pressed upon them. No sooner were we alone and in the carriage than she began to dilate upon the dissatisfaction Junot had caused her. " What is the meaning of all this hurrying backward and forward, and in gala costume too ? Who would ever have believed that I should give my arm to an officer in uniform to leave the Opera ? It is too ridiculous. I will tell him not to go to the Opera again in uniform. He will understand the propriety of it; he has sense and good taste. And then to leave us hanging upon Albert's two arms, making him resemble a pitcher with two handles! Who ever saw a man of fashion give his arm to two women at once ? It is very well for Sike's first clerk to gallant the wife and daughter of his master to the theater in that manner. But a more serious fault which I have to rieproach him with is putting me into his carriage. It is to be hoped no one of distinction was near. Did you observe whether any of our acquaintance were in the corridor ? " I had seen several persons whom I knew just before I got into the carriage, but I should have been very un- willing to increase her displeasure by telling her so; I had not time, however, to answer before we stopped at our own door, and Albert and Junot, already arrived, received us there. Junot led my mother to her apart- ment, placed her on her sofa, surrounded her by those DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 295 thousand and one little things which are necessary to the comfort of an invalid; then seating himself upon a stool at her feet, and taking her hands in his, assumed a tone suitable to the important event he was about to relate. He informed her that Ceracchi and Ar6na — the one actuated by Republican fanaticism, the other by venge- ance — had taken measures to assassinate Bonaparte. As General Junot proceeded in his account his voice became stronger, his language more emphatic; every word was a thought, and every thought came from his heart. In painting Bonaparte such as he saw him daily — such, in fact, as he was at that time — his masculine and sonorous voice assumed a tone of sweetness: it was melody; but when he proceeded to speak of those men who, to satisfy their vengeance or their senseless am- bitions, would assassinate him who was at that moment charged with the futurity of France, his voice failed, broken by sobs, and, leaning his head upon my mother's pillow, he wept like a child; then, as if ashamed of his weakness, he went to seat himself in the most obscure corner of the room. My mother's heart was formed to understand such a heart as Junot's; and, open as she was to all the tender emotions, she was violently agitated by the state in which she saw him. In her turn she burst into tears. " How you love him ! " " How I love him ! " answered he, firmly joining his hands, and raising his eyes to heaven. " Yes, I love him! Judge," continued he, rising and promenading the room as he spoke — " judge what I suffered a few days ago, when your daughter, with an eloquence foreign to her sex and age, convinced us that all barriers, all precau- tions, would fall before the poniard of an assassin, pro- vided he were but willing to sacrifice his own life. But what more particularly hurt me was to hear her repre- sent this same assassin as becoming great by his crime. " My mother looked at me with a countenance of dis- satisfaction. Albert, who was sitting near the fire, said nothing; but I was sure he did not blame me. "All that," said my mother, "comes of Laurette's speaking upon subjects which are not in the province of women. I have often told her how much that habit im- paired her power of pleasing; but she pays no attention 296 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT to what I say on the subject. In my time we only knew that the month of May was the month of roses, and our igorance did not make us the less agreeable. For my scientific education, I never read any book but "Telem- achus," and yet, I believe, I can converse without being tiresome. I hope, my dear child, that you will correct that error." *' Ah, I hope not ! " answered General Junot. " You have misunderstood me: it was not what Mademoiselle Laurette said which gave me pain; but I immediately considered that you were acquainted with Ar^na, that he often visited here; that you also knew Ceracchi; that these men might have heard your daughter speak in the same strain ; and that the soul and the head of the latter especially was capable of replying to the appeal which he might fancy to be thus made to him through the lips of a young girl, and might in consequence develop a few moments sooner his diabolical intentions. All this is very ridiculous, very senseless, is it not? " continued the Gen- eral, seeing my brother smile at the last words, "but I cannot help it; for the last week I have not, in fact, been master of my own thoughts. You may judge if they were likely to be calmed by the First Consul's reso- lution of going to the Opera this evening to expose him- self to the poniards of assassins! We have yet only taken Ceracchi, Ar^na, and, I believe, Demerville.* They are just taken; but they were not the only con- spirators. It is pretended that England and the English committee are concerned — always the English! There are really only two motives: one is the hatred of the family and of Corsica, the other a fanaticism of liberty carried to madness. This is what should alarm the friends of the First Consul. The most active police has no power in such a case, and no means of prevention." "And what, " said my mother, " does Fouch^ say to all this. " The General made no answer, but his forehead became wrinkled and his brows contracted; he crossed his arms on his breast, and continued his walk some time in si- lence; then said, " Don't speak to me of that man." His expression, even in silence, was of such a nature that it stupefied us all. I have since learned the cause * A man of the name of Diana was an accomplice, and arrested the same evening. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 297 of thfs sentiment, which broke through all Junot's efiforts to restrain it; and I felt what he must have sufiEered under such a conviction. « No ; do not speak to me of that man, particularly to- day. I have had a scene with him this morning ! If he had a heart — but he knew better. If he had but red blood in his veins, we should have cut each other's throats like brave men — like men, at least. What nonsense to come and tell me that this affair of Ceracchi was but child's play! — to me, who for twelve days past have followed him step by step, while he . . . But he is in the right, * he continued, with a bitter smile ; " he told me, and I believe it is true, that he should know as much about it in an hour. I am almost sure of the treason of . . .» Albert, who had risen, approached Junot and whispered to him. The General made an inclination of his head, and pressed my brother's hand; they again exchanged a few words, and he resumed: "And what do you think he said upon this resolution of the First Consul to go to the Opera ? He blamed him as I did; but what was the motive? 'Because,' says he, * it is an ambush. * You suppose, no doubt, that this deprecated ambush was for the First Consul ? No such thing ; it was for these honest rascals, whose necks I would wring as willingly as a sparrow's,"" and with no more scruple, after what I have learned of them, and the honor- able function which I find them exercising. He made me an oration, which I believe was taken from his col- lection of homilies, by which he proposed to prove that the affair might be prevented going to this length. As I had already had a very warm discussion upon the same subject with a personage whom the First Consul will know some day for what he really is (and the time is happily not far distant), and as I knew that this person- age and Fouch6 had been emulating each other in their interference in this affair, I was desirous that my way of thinking should be equally known to both of them. I therefore obliged Fouch6 to explain himself clearly, and * I make my husband speak here in the language he used in familiar intercourse, when sufficiently excited to neglect to speak in a more formal style ; which, however, when so disposed, he could do as well as many others, if not better. 298 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT to tell me that it was wrong to lead on these men to the moment of executing their design, since it could be pre- vented. That was his opinion. " 'And thus, ' said I, * you would replace in society two men who have evidently conspired against the Chief of the State, and that not to force him to resign his authority, not to remove him from it, but to murder him for the satisfaction of their own passions. Do you believe that Ceracchi — content to die if, in sacrificing himself, he could kill the First Consul ; putting him to death to glut an inordinate passion, in obedience to a species of mono- mania — do you believe that this madman will be cured by a single admonition, or by an act of generosity ? No; he must kill the man, whom he looks upon as a tyrant, and whom he will never be induced to see in any other light. Or do you believe that Ar^na, during so many years the enemy of General Bonaparte, will abjure his hatred against the First Consul because the latter has taken up the character of Augustus ? No. It is his death they desire. Listen to the expression of Ceracchi in buying a poniard: "I should like better a good KNIFE THAT DOES NOT SHUT, AND THE BLADE SOLID AND SURE, WHICH WILL NOT FAIL IN THE HAND ! " To IcaVC a determined assassin like this to his bloodthirsty contriv- ances, what is it but to ensure to-morrow the full execu- tion of the project you have averted to-day ? * ' This is not my first knowledge of the Arenas. The First Consul, who is thoroughly good-hearted, is willing to forget the evil they have always been forward to do him. But I have not so forgiving a soul. I remember his arrest in the South.* I have heard the particulars of the 1 8th Brumaire,f and am completely acquainted with all the circumstances of the present affair. J Cer- *When Bonaparte was arrested by command o£ Salicetti, the Adjutant-General Ar6na, the Commissary Dennife, and the Command- ant of Gendarmerie Vervain, were the persons intrusted with the execu- tion of the order. f It is Junot who speaks: he was convinced that the representative Arena, elder brother of the conspirator (they must not be confounded), had attempted to assassinate General Bonaparte at Saint Cloud. I do not believe it; he hated Bonaparte, but would not have assassinated Mm. X The plan of the conspirators was to stab the First Consul as he came out of his box, which, as I have before observed, was on the left DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 299 tainly I trembled to see the First Consul go to face death, which, notwithstanding all our cares, he might en- counter; but, on the other hand, I saw but this means of cutting through the net they had cast around him. His existence would be rendered miserable supposing it were preserved. There would be daily new conspiracies — a hydra constantly reviving.' "When Fouch6,» continued Junot, "found that I saw through him, notwithstanding his cunning, he had recourse to the sentiments of humanity. He, Fouch^! He ha- rangued me in the style of a homily, and all this with a head that one would suppose he had stolen from a skeleton. Oh, what a man! And the First Consul will place faith in his words! At length we shall see the conclusion of this afifair, which he and another called child's play — reason in all things." My mother listened attentively, and I remarked that during General Junot's long discourse she and my brother often interchanged signs of acquiescence. When he had ceased speaking, she told him how just she considered his observations upon the Arenas to be. ** They nourish hatred in their hearts," said she — "a hatred which may be dated long previously to the i8th Brumaire, or to the events of Italy. I know not from what it arises, but I am sure that it exists. One thing that surprises me is, that Napoleon, Lucien, and Joseph are the sole objects of this hatred; and I believe .they return it, though, to say the truth, I have only conjectures respecting their senti- ments, while I have proofs of the hatred of the Arenas toward them. With respect to Ceracchi, nothing you could say of him would surprise me. Permon, who knew him in Italy, introduced him to me at a ball at M. Del- anoue's. Since then I have sometimes seen him at Madame Magimelli's, at Auteuil; I acknowledge that his exaggerated notions have made me tremble, yet his dis- taste of life and his profound melancholy rendered him interesting." between the columns. At this period the First Consul went in and out by the general entrance. The gallery and the staircase leading to the Rue de Louvois were always crowded with people to see him pass. The assassins were to strike as he stepped out of the box. Colonel Savary behaved nobly on this occasion ; he would leave the box first, though he was not the person appointed to do so. 30O MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT I have also seen this Ceracchi, and witnessed some of his ebullitions of enthusiastic Republicanism at Madame Magimelli's, and I confess he had not produced upon my mind the same disagreeable impressions that he had up- on my mother. I pitied him warmly, for it was impos- sible not to perceive that his excessive sensibility must render him miserable. The conversation now returned to the Ar6nas; my mother was much affected by this arrest. Her native country was always dear to her heart, and Ar6na was a fellow-countryman. Junot put several questions to her respecting the conduct of the brothers for some years past at Paris. My mother communicated all that she knew on the subject, and it was but little, because, of all the Corsicaris at Paris, the Arenas were those who visited her the least frequently. This conversation, however, brought to my mother's recollection a rather remarkable one which passed between her and P6p6 Ar6na on the 17th Brumaire, the eve of the famous 1 8th. On that day we were visited by several Corsican representatives, whom we had not seen for some time before, and among them P^p4 Ar^na. He came in the morning. His countenance was full of care, and she remarked it to him. He smiled, but his smile was forced. He spoke to her of Corsica, of my grandmother and my uncles, then suddenly inquired if she had seen Lucien lately. My mother answered that she saw him nearly every day, which was true, and, as she had much friend- ship for the young tribune of the people, she spoke of the high reputation he had already acquired as an orator : my brother-in-law, who, as we have seen, was his inti- mate friend, at that time frequently brought us the jour- nals which reported the speeches (almost always extempore) which he pronounced in the Council of Five Hundred. Some of these improvisations contained admirable strokes of eloquence. " I do not always agree in opinion with him, '* said my mother, « but I do not, therefore, the less esteem his talents and his character." " He is very young to wish to direct us, " said Ar^na, with an expression of some bitterness (Lucien was, in fact, the youngest member of the Council of Five Htm- dred). " But it seems to me that your opinions are the same, " replied my mother ; " what, then, signifies the age DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 301 of a man, provided he has ability ? His brother has not waited to be forty years old to gain battles." "Ah, ah! you are reconciled with General Bonaparte. He has been, then, to beg pardon, for, faith, he could do no less." " We are not now discussing the subject of pardon or offenses, " said my ' mother, a little displeased. " I was speaking of Lucien and the glory of his brother. " * At the moment when P^p^ was about to reply some one entered, and the conversation instantly ceased. Ar^na soon after took up his hat to depart; my mother invited him to dine which he declined, pleading an en- gagement in the country. My mother told him, laugh- ing, that he was offended, which he denied; but she afterward told us that from that moment she was con- vinced that Lucien, and whoever bore the name of Bon- aparte, was held in great dislike by Ar6na. CHAPTER XLI. My Mother's Illness and Long Convalescence — My Brother's Treasures — Watching and Supper — The Bath, a Betrayer — Scene of Burglary by Night — Terrible Alarms— Conversation of the Thieves— Fright- ful Situation — Recital of this Adventure to the First Consul — Bona- parte's Singular Question. 1' N THE first year of the Consulate one of those adven- tures happened to me which sometimes influence the whole life of an individual, by making an entire change in the character of some of its attributes. The impression made upon my mind by the terrors of the night I am going to describe was so great that I lost for a time every vestige of courage; and if its effects have at length been sufficiently overcome to prevent me from making myself ridiculous, I have rather to thank the ef- forts of my reason for the remedy than the simple opera- tion of time. My mother was recovering from a malady as alarm- ing as it was painful — an abscess of the head, caused *One of the most curious effects of my mother's relations with Napoleon was that anything said against him in her presence always offended her. She only spoke of her own displeasure with him to her most intimate friends. 303 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT by a severe blow against a marble mantelpiece. During the thirteen days in which the humor was forming, my poor mother's sufferings were distracting, and without a mo- ment's respite. Fortunately it found a vent by the ear; for a long time afterward the smallest unusual noise produced headaches so violent that they were at first at- tributed to tic douloureux. Her convalescence was very tedious, and demanded the utmost care. The doctors particularly ordered that her sleep should be prolonged as much as possible, and that she should be kept per- fectly quiet. My brother was in the habit of spending the d^cadi in the country, and not returning home till the following morning. In consequence of some business he was trans- acting for a friend, he had, on the night I am speaking of, the temporary custody of a large sum of money, and both these circumstances were known to a porter whom he had been long in the habit of employing in various commissions. This man had carried home for my brother a chest clamped with iron, and secured by a capital lock; its contents were valuable, and so heavy that the man was much fatigued by his exertions, and Albert ofiEered him a glass of wine, saying : " Drink, my poor fellow, it will do you good, for you are terribly hot." The porter, shaking his head, observed, « Oh, I am accustomed to act the beast of burden; you could not have carried half as much." My brother, whose cheerful and sociable temper made him always ready with a jest, answered him, laughing, "But I have carried double, though. " At first the man started and exclaimed, *' It is impossible!" but presently added, "Oh, I understand ! " and was about to depart, when he was ordered to fetch my brother's cabriolet for his excursion to Sainte Mand6. When, however, the cabriolet was at the door, and the porter, who by his habits of employment in the family knew that Albert would not return till the next morn- ing, had departed, the plan was changed and the carriage remanded in consequence of my mother's unwillingness to part with my brother. The day passed happily, and my mother went to bed at her usual hour, and in good spirits. I remained by her side till she was asleep, and when convinced by the regularity of her respiration that she DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 303 was so, I left her about midnight, and repaired to my own apartment, separated from that of my mother only by a door, which I left ajar. I then took up a book, being unwilling to retire to my bed till quite satisfied that my mother's sleep would be calm. The silence of night now enveloped the city, only broken at intervals by the rapid passage of a carriage, or a distant murmur, which served to show that some few individuals were still awake; these sounds, however, were more and more rarely heard, till at length the quiet in the street became as complete as that which reigned in my own apartment. By a small timepiece on my little table I observed that it now wanted but a quarter, to one. My mother had then been an hour asleep, and I concluded that I might safely lie down ; but in preparing to do so I found myself hungry, and began to look round for my supper. The habit of sitting up a great part of the night had obliged me to supply the want of rest with an extra meal, and some fruit with bread or cake was generally left in my room for this purpose. Sometimes, however, this was forgotten both by the servants and myself, and on such occasions I seldom slept well. This night I looked in vain for my usual refreshment, but the key of the dining- room lay on my table. The kitchen was in the basement, the ofSces of the domestic establishment on the ground floor, my mother's apartments and mine on the first floor, my brother's on the second, and the sleeping rooms of the servants, not one of whom was lodged below us, all in the attic story. The rooms surrounded the staircase, and were connected by a gallery. On seeing the dining-room key, which was always deposited in my room when the apartments were closed for the night, I remembered that in the buffet I should find something to eat, and, accordingly, with as little noise as possible, fearing that I might wake my mother, I opened my own door and crossed the landing place to that of the dining-room. There I found both straw- berries and bread, and, helping myself, I was about to sit down at the dining-table to eat them, but recollecting that my mother might awake and be alarmed if she called without receiving an answer, I returned with my 304 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT supper to my own room. Having bolted my door rathef from habit than prudence, I sat down with a good appe- tite and commenced with alacrity to make an inroad upon the excellent strawberries. I had long been mistress of the establishment, and one of the rules of good housekeeping which I had found the most difficult in enforcing had always been the retirement of the servants for the night at the same time with ourselves. My instructions were that by twelve o'clock ev^eryone in the house should be in bed; but there were certain parties at dominoes and cards which sometimes kept them up till two o'clock in the morning, and I had threatened, and was determined, to punish the next infraction of my rule which I should detect. I had been at supper about ten minutes, when the perfect quiet of the house was interrupted by a noise below stairs. My suspicions were immediately awakened, and the idea that my imperial will was again disobeyed put me much out of humor. While I was grumbling and eating, my suspicions were changed to conviction; the noise of footsteps, regular, light, and slow, as those of persons fearing to be heard, distinctly reached my ear. I was sure that some persons were coming up the first flight of stone stairs. Determined to confront them in the very act, I noise- lessly approached the door of my room which opened upon the stairs, and was slowly and carefuly withdraw- ing the bolt, saying to myself, * I shall not this time be told that you never sit up after midnight ; it is now one by my timepiece " ; but wishing to make quite sure of my object, I held the second bolt in my hand to wait till the whole procession, shoes in hand as I supposed, should be in the act of passing the door. At this moment a noise, which I could compare to nothing but a stroke upon a great drum, saluted my ears, and made me start. It came from my mother's bath, which stood at one corner of the landing. Still more provoked by this noise, which I feared would wake my mother, I was about to throw open the door, when I suddenly reflected that the servants, who knew where the bath was, would certainly not have suf- fered themselves to be betrayed by it. But if it were DUCHESS OF ABRANT&S 305 not they, who could it be ? This uncertainty made my heart beat and so shook my frame that I was obliged to lean against the doorpost for support, while I instinctively replaced the bolts I had so imprudently withdrawn. During this interval the persons were mounting the second staircase; this being of wood, I could hear them much more distinctly than before, and was satis- fied that their shoes were much stouter and more clumsy than those of any of our household. What was I to do ! Should I wake my mother ? The consequence would cer- tainly be a frightful increase of her illness. I had not, it is true, any certainty that the nocturnal intruders were banditti but at that time the most horrible assassina- tions were common, not only in the neighborhood of the capital, but in Paris itself. These reflections passed through my mind much quicker than I can write them, but brought no counsel that promised relief from my painful state of apprehension. I listened long and anxiously for some further noise, but all was quiet; it was a false alarm, thought I, and was certainly the servants; I began to breathe more freely, and looked at my timepiece, thinking that an hour at least had passed while I was upon the watch; how much was I surprised to find that the hand had only ad- vanced ten minutes! As all was quiet, I proposed to finish my supper and go to bed, but I trembled, and could scarcely swallow; however, I ate my strawberries, and had the last spoonful in my hand, when a very dis- tinct creaking and the repressed sounds of several foot- steps proved that the persons I had before heard were now coming down the second staircase. The noise was not produced by an alarmed imagination — it was real; persons were coming down stairs with precaution, but cer- tainly coming down ; and I could no longer flatter myself that it was the servants. On reaching the landing place between my door and that of the dining-room, two persons sat down on the steps of the staircase and began to converse in an under- tone. Trembling from head to foot, I, however, again approached the door, and, listening, heard a few broken sentences, from which I gathered that they believed Al- bert to be in the country; something, too, I heard of the impenetrable locks of La Dru, two of which fastened 20 3o6 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT his door, and something of its being useless to break into my mother's room. Beyond this I could only collect the broken words — ** late " — " daybreak " — " mother '* — " nothing here " — " upstairs " — " the young one's door. " Something was said in reply, and the answer, " Well, let us try ! " accompanied by the sound of several pieces of iron, gently laid down upon the stone, completed my terror. I considered a moment whether I had not for- gotten to shut the dining-room door, by which an entry would be offered to the whole suite of apartments. I looked round, and the sight of the key lying upon my table just afforded me presence of mind enough to determine how to act; it was manifest they were en- deavoring to open that door ; its resistance could not be long. To wake my mother was now indispensable, and I did so with all the precaution I was capable of. But I could not secure her against alarm ; and I had no sooner pronounced the word "thieves,* than with her usual pre- cipitation she seized the three bell-pulls which were sus- pended by her bed, and pulled them all together, scream- ing at the same time with all her strength. " Oh, recollect Albert ! You will be his death ! '* I ex- claimed, convinced that the first sound of her bell would bring him out quite unprepared to meet the attack of assassins; but while I was making these reflections, and endeavoring to hush her screams, I heard the villains run off, and from the continued sound of hurried steps on the stairs felt convinced that some of them had been left to pursue their attempts upon my brother's patent locks, while the two had been consulting near my door u.pon their ulterior operations. The first sound of the bell had alarmed them, and they were now in hasty retreat. I ran to my window, which overlooked our court, and while I screamed loudly for help, to disturb the coachman and neighbors, saw the last two of the thieves jumping from our wall into the great timber yard, then in the Rue Joubert, and which sep- arated our house from that of M. de Caulaincourt. Meanwhile my mother continued to ring and call, and the family were soon moving; my brother, on opening his door, found a centerbit introduced just below the first bolt, and some progress already made in working it ; but the landing before my door was a perfect arsenal; DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 307 there lay two more centerbits, a crowbar, several iron hooks to serve for picklocks, and two or three keys. My brother put on his greatcoat, and went out to alarm the police. The gate of the timber yard, was found open, and a ladder against our wall; but no further trace of the robbers was discovered. It was morning when he returned; he found my mother better than could be expected, but distracted on my account. I had received a shock, the immediate effect of which was terrible, and threatened to be lasting. I was seized with a fever, which brought on delirium; the impression of the thieves on the landing was always vividly before me, and the idea that they were murder- ing me, and that my poor mother would wake in the midst of assassins, covered with the blood of her child, was for a length of time never absent from my mind. They feared for my life, or at least for my reason. I was conducted from place to place, every effort to divert me was tried, and my own exertions assisting the affectionate attentions of those around me, my health improved; and though for a long time I was the greatest coward imagin- able, and have always continued unreasonably timid, I am now able to rally my thoughts, and to exert some presence of mind, even in circumstances of actual danger. "There, sire," said I to the Emperor, on concluding this history (it was in the year 1806), " is the true cause of my cowardice which you were inquiring about. I am not now so foolish as to be unable, like a child of six years old, to remain for a moment in the dark; but my nervous system continues painfully affected by the con- sequences of this fright. Neither reason nor any effort of mind can remove the impression which the idea of what would have been the consequence had I remained in the dining-room to eat my strawberries has produced. " And though six years had elapsed since that terrible night, the Emperor observed me turn pale, and said so. ",I assure Your Majesty that the same impression has often happened to me after this event, when I have only had occasion to cross that fearful landing place. " " It is strange, '* said the Emperor, and began to pace the room. The Emperor, after continuing his walk some time, and when other recollections had supei^spded in my mind. 3o8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT the history I had related, suddenly stopped opposite to me and said, *' Has not this adventure given you a great antipathy to strawberries ? " For a few seconds I made no answer, and then said " No, sire ; I am, on the contrary, passionately fond of them." "That is the nature of women," said he; "danger attracts them." CHAPTER XLII. Lucien's Republicanism, and a Remarkable Conversation with Him after the Conspiracy of Ceracchi — The Explanation of Lucien's Em- bassy to Spain — The Consul of the Year VIII. and the Consul of the Year IX. — Bonaparte's Observation to Junot on the Occasion of My Marriage and the Conspiracy — Junot's Family — My Brother's Gener- osity, and the Delicacy of His Conduct toward Me — M. Lequien de Bois-Cressy — Signature of My Marriage Contract by the First Con- sul, and Singular Recollections — Goodness of Bonaparte toward My Brother — M. Duquesnoy, Junot's Friend — Accumulated Diffi- culties — Junot's Repugnance to Be Married at Church — My Deter- mination — Conversation between Me and Junot — My Brother's Intervention, and My Marriage at Church Agreed to by Mutual Con- cession — Junot's Motives — Project of a Nocturnal Marriage — My Trousseau and Corbeille — Junot's Present to My Mother. LuciEN came to see us some days after the discovery of Ar^na and Ceracchi's conspiracy ; he was thought- ful, and did not conceal that the repeated attempts upon his brother's life caused him serious uneasiness. This was the third in the course of one year: the first was on the road to Malmaison; the second in the Tuil- eries. "How," said he, "can such strokes be averted? Jacques Clement, Ravaillac, Damiens, Jean Chatel * — all these men executed their projects, because, in form- ing them, they held their own lives as nothing. If Ceracchi had been alone, as was his original intention, my brother had been no more; but he thought, by tak- ing associates, to make his success more certain; he de- ceived himself. " " But, " observed my mother, " your reflections are alarming; for how, then, can your brother • Clement assassinated Henry III., Ravaillac Henry IV., Damiens attempted the life of Louis XV., and Chatel or Chastel attempted that of Henry IV. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 309 be protected?" "He only can protect himself, » replied Lucien. « He is the son of the Revolution ; he must march in the principles it has consecrated; above all things, he must forbear any attempt against the liberty of the citizens. His route is marked out ; he must follow it, or he is lost, and we are lost with him. My brother knows me, and Junot and all who are about him know that I never cease to recall to his mind, with all the energy of a French and free soul, the solemn engage- ments which he contracted with the nation on the 19th Brumaire, and of which I am the guarantee." Then, turning toward Junot, he added: "You remem- ber the conversation you heard four days ago ? Well, I shall always speak thus, and no fear will make me deviate from my path. If the men who surround my brother in the Government choose to assist him in measures op- pressive to the country, I shall not increase their number ; and on the last day of the liberty of the Republic I shall go and seek another country." This conversation proves that Lucien was bent on op- posing Napoleon's plans for a centralization of power. That which Junot had heard at Malmaison was the dis- cussion of many regulations relating to the prefects which Lucien would not authorize, considering them too arbi- trary. To resist Napoleon was to insure his revenge. Lucien was indeed his brother, but the determination of his character was in all things predominant; and this conversation, together with Lucien's perseverance in re- minding his brother of his promise of the 19th Brumaire, explained to me his embassy to Spain, which took place a few weeks afterward. Already the Consul of the year ix. was contrasted with the Consul of the year viii. — the General Bonaparte of Toulon and Italy, founding republics, daughters of France, with the General Bonaparte seeking to concen- trate all the powers of the State in his own person. Lucien might hear in my mother's salon reflections made with a smile, in an undertone, by persons who had not faith enough in Republican vocations to believe that Bonaparte would support the system he announced on the 19th Brumaire. Many were even simple enough to speak of General Monk and Charles II. Lucien heard all this and similar language from various quarters, and 3IO MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT he wished -to prevent, not the evil only, but the suspicion of it. When tranquillity was restored by the arrest of the other conspirators (Topino-Lebrun, Demerville, etc.), the ceremony of my marriage was hastened. The First Con- sul had said to Junot, " Do you know that your marriage has been held by a very slender thread, my poor Junot ? For I believe if these rascals had killed me, the alliance with you would have been little cared for.'* Bonaparte would not have uttered such a sentiment three or four years before; but on attaining absolute power he took up an idea which was perhaps the cause of his ruin, but to which he always attached great importance, that men are governed and led by motives of interest or fear. On the 27th of October all the family of Junot arrived at Paris, and were presented to my mother; and never till this day had I duly appreciated the virtues of his heart. Sensible of the wide difference which a Parisian education and constant intercourse with the best society of Paris made between our manners and those of his mother and sister, who knew nothing beyond the towns of Burgundy, he dreaded to perceive in me a contemptuous ridicule, which would have rendered him miserable; and never shall I forget the expression of tenderness and re- spect with which he presented his mother to mine, and the action which seemed to entreat, though he never used the words, that I would be a daughter to his par- ents. He had no reason to fear. They were too good and too respectable not to demand and to secure my duty and love. The next day the marriage contract was signed, and it was not till that moment that I learned that my brother, from his own means, endowed me with 60,000 francs, in satisfaction, as the marriage settlement expressed it, of my claims on the paternal inheritance. My claims ! when we all knew that none of my father's property ever had been or ever would be realized; the greater part of it was in the English funds; but it would not have been agreeable to General Junot to receive my dower as a gift from my brother, and therefore this clause was intro- duced. Fifty thousand francs more were added by M. Lequien de Bois-Cressy, an old friend of my father, and who was to be my mother's second husband; he gave me DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 311 his dower as his future stepdaughter, secured upon an estate in Brittany. He was rich and liberal ; I was not, therefore, Surprised at this present ; but that my brother, who, from the proceeds of his own industry, had main- tained my mother's house, and furnished my expensive education, should now act so generously, was even more than my gratitude could express; nor was this lessened by the affectionate terms in which he replied to my in- sufficient thanks. " Do not speak thus, " said he, embracing me with that fraternal tenderness which he had always shown me ; " do you not know that my mother and yourself are the sole objects of my affection and of my happiness? I live only for you. It is, then, quite natural that the produce of my labors should be employed for your benefit. A great and an nnhoped-f or marriage is offered you ; the money is my own, and how could I dispose of it better than in making your fortune some way proportionate to the establishment you are about to form?" A circumstance arising out of this will show the First Consul's prodigious memory, even in matters of the smallest importance to himself. The following day, the 29th of October, Junot, accompanied by my brother as my nearest relation, attended at the Tuileries for the signature of the marriage contract. The First Consul received my brother with great kindness, questioned him upon his prospects and his intentions, spoke of my mother with friendship, and of me with an interest which affected me much when Albert repeated the con- versation. But for the singular part of the interview: he desired the contract to be read to him. When the 60,000 francs from my paternal inheritance were named, he made a movement indicative of surprise, and another, though less marked, at the mention of the 50,000 francs of M. de Bois-Cressy, but made no remark upon either. When the reading was completed, he took my brother by the arm, led him to the recess of a window, and said to him, " Permon, I remember that when your father died he left nothing. At that period I visited your mother daily, and you no doubt know," added he, with an embarrassed air, " that at the same time I was desir- ous of marrying you to my sister, Madame Leclerc, and 312 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT of arranging the future marriage of Mademoiselle Loulou with that mauvais suj'et, my brother Jerome. ** ( He did not speak of the principal marriage he planned at that period!) "Well, Madame Permon then told me that her husband left nothing. What, then, does this mean ? " Albert repeated to the First Consul what he had al- ready said to me, entreating him not to mention it. Napoleon looked at him with an indefinable expression, and said, "You are a generous fellow, my dear Permon; you are a generous fellow ; I shall take care of you. But you allow yourself to be forgotten. Why do you never come to the Tuileries ? Your brother-in-law will now remind you of me, and will also remind me of you." Accordingly, a few days afterward, Junot solicited for Albert a situation in which he might give proofs of his attachment to the cause of the 9th of November, and the First Consul appointed him to one of the three then ex- isting posts of Commissary-General of the police of France. The day preceding my marriage, a circumstance at once trifling and serious had nearly caused its rupture. A friend of Junot's, M. Duquesnoy, was Mayor of the 7th arrondissement ; the General, as Commandant of Paris, not belonging more to one mayoralty than another, wished his marriage to be performed before M. Duquesnoy; and he inquired of my mother whether she supposed it would make any difference to me. My mother replied that she was herself perfectly willing, and did not believe that I should be otherwise, but that she would send for me to answer for myself. On General Junot's putting his re- quest to me, I answered, that in this, as in everything else, my mother was mistress of my actions on so solemn a day. I only observed that the distance to the mayor- alty of M. Duquesnoy in the Rue de Jouy, Quartier Saint Antoine, was long, .and that I should not fear fatiguing my mother if it were no farther off than our church of St. Louis, which, being at the extremity of the Rue Thiroux, was directly opposite our house. I did not at that moment remark General Junot's astonishment; but, having embraced my mother, left the room. I was no sooner gone than the General asked my mother if I expected to be married at church. " To be married at church ! " she cried ; " where, then, would you have her expect to be married? Before your DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 313 friend with the scarf, I suppose ? But, my dear boy, you have surely lost your wits. How could you entertain the idea that not my daughter only, but myself and her brother, could consent to a purely civil marriage ? As for Laurette, I promise you she is capable of thanking you for your intentions if you should propose this to her!" General Junot walked about much agitated. "Will you permit me to speak upon the subject to Mademoiselle Laurette in private ? Situated as we now are, there can be no objection to my request." My mother shrugged her shoulders. "You know not what you are talking of, " said she ; " until you become her husband, you are but a stranger, and what you wish to say is not likely to make her your friend: why do you want to make a secret of it ? Why am I not to be present ? " " Because calmness is necessary in treating of such a matter ; but I can speak to Mademoiselle Laurette here, with the door of your chamber open." I was called: nothing could exceed my astonishment, my grief I may say, in hearing this strange proposition. I did not conceal it : the General replied that, situated as he was, it was impossible he could be married at church, " to make a show of myself," added he; "for you could not prevent all the beggars and low people of the Chauss6e d'Antin from surrounding the house, and even filling the church. And I am to appear in uniform amid such a crowd !" "I do not know," I answered, "what you should find disagreeable in being seen to perform an act which is the duty of every Christian (I am not speaking as a devotee), in entering upon the engagements which we propose to take upon ourselves to-morrow. The very Pagans sought the sanction of this act, the most important of their lives, in the temples of their gods. The Turks only are content with the Cadi, and I hope it is not from them you have taken arguments in support of your extraordinary prop- osition. " " I am much hurt by your obstinacy, " said Junot; "how can you, with your sense, persist in a formality which your education ought to haves taught you to consider a nullity?" "I am very young. General, to discuss so serious a question. I understand nothing of the controversy, ex- cept that I was bom in the Christian religion, and that, very certainly, I shall not stir a step from this house if 314 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT it be not to go where my duty calls me. Be assured, General, that notwithstanding the advanced state of the preparations, our marriage will not take place unless the Church shall bless it.» I stood up to go away. The General took my hand, and saw that my eyes were full of tears. He stamped his foot with violence, and let slip a very unusual ex- pression. «Junot! Junot!" cried my mother from her chamber, where she heard all that passed — "Junot! is that proper language to use? " "You afflict me greatly," said the General. "It dis- tresses me to give you pain; but, after all, this is a mere childish whim on your part, which you persist in because you have been told to do so; while to me it is a matter of serious consequence. Do you know that it is nothing less than a confession of faith? " "And suppose it is?" said I; "what was the religion of your fathers? You have been baptized, you have been confirmed, you have received your first communion, you have confessed : here, then, are four sacraments of which you have partaken, and when that of marriage comes in its course, suddenly you turn renegade, apostatej per- haps! No, no. General, it must not be." Having said this I went to my mother's room, where I found my brother. Junot followed me, and addressing himself to Albert, submitted to him the question which caused this debate; he was in despair; what I insisted upon was of no importance whatever, he said, and would seriously compromise him. " Well ! " said I, standing up, "I can say no more upon the subject, of which I ought never to have permitted the discussion. I only regret that General Junot should for a moment have believed that my principles would suffer me to accede to the proposition he has this morning made." I retired to my chamber, and was just then informed that Mademoiselle L'Olive and Mademoiselle de Beuvry were in the salon, and that they had brought in two coaches the articles which composed my trousseau and corbeille;* the two baskets wbich were to contain them * We have no words exactly synonymous with these ; both signify the bridal paraphernalia. The « trousseau " is that part of it which is fur- nished by the bride's family. The '•'• corbeille''* is the bridegroom's present. — Trawslato r. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 315 followed on a truck — that of the trousseau, in particular, was so large that no coach could contain it. I sent to request my brother's presence, and he came to me immediately. "My dear Albert,** said I to him, "this affair will become serious if the intervention of your friendship and excellent sense does not prevent it. Not that I request your advice, because my resolution is irrevocably taken, and if General Junot is equally deter- mined a rupture is inevitable; to you, therefore, I refer to render it as little as possible painful to our poor mother. The blow will be terrible to her." Albert took my two hands in his and embraced me tenderly, wiping away my tears, which flowed abun- dantly. He walked up and down the room in silent medi- tation, then stopped some time before the Nwindow; my maid, Josephine, came to require my attendance in my mother's room. "I cannot go," said I to Albert; and I begged him to go to my mother, whose apartment was only separated from mine by a very small drawing-room, which had no door toward my chamber. lie went, and I had scarcely been ten minutes alone when my mother's room door opened, and she came to me. " My child, " she said, "hare is one who does not ask your pardon, which, nevertheless, I hope you will grant." Those who were well acquainted with General Junot know how much the expression of his countenance varied when he was particularly agitated. At this moment he was scarcely recognizable; he advanced behind my mother, leaning on Albert's arm, changing color so rapidly that he appeared to be ill. "Your brother," said he, "has been showing me how much I have distressed you; he will now explain to you that I am not so much to blame as you may suppose; and if you will take into consideration the character of a soldier full of honor and frankness, but who could not entertain the same ideas with you upon the subject we have been discussing, you will be indulgent and pardon me." My brother then affectionately taking my hand, and holding his other hand to Junot, said to me : " Our friend has been explaining to me that being the Com- mandant of Paris, and invested with the confidence of the First Consul, he objects to appearing in open day on an occasion so solemn as his marriage, to perform in a 3i6 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT church a sacred act of religion, because, on account of his political position, it would make him a sort of a spec- tacle to the whole town. You know me, my sister; you know that my heart is devoted to you and to honor. Well, after what he has said, I have engaged to persuade you to comply with his wishes. The General does not desire to wound any of your religious convictions; he acknowledges that you are right in requiring the religious ceremony, but he requests that it may take place at night. I believe that this mutual concession will remove all obstacles on both sides." I looked at my mother, and receiving a sign of appro- bation from her, had nothing further to object except my dislike to a nocturnal ceremony. It recalled those days of terror when the bridal pair received by stealth the benediction which the priest accorded at the risk of his life. It was necessary, however, to be- reasonable; and I consented, as my mother and brother approved it, that the ceremony should take place in the manner pro- posed. I afterward learned that this sudden opposition was caused by the First Consul. This may appear extraordi- nary to those who remember that two years afterward he signed the Concordat; but all fruits do not ripen in one season. He had just escaped from the dagger of a man who accused him of attempting to overturn the in- stitutions of Republicanism, and he was not willing that the Commandant of Paris, known to possess his entire confidence, should perform a public act which might point to a new system of action on the part of his patron. He therefore particularly required of Junot that he should only go to church at night, supposing the family to insist upon the religious ceremony. Junot, in his zeal to obey, exceeded his instructions. His religious notions — hav- ing passed his youth in an army where none such ex- isted — were not those of incredulity, but of perfect in- difference, and he had no suspicion of the effect his proposition would have upon me; in the first instance, then, he did not even speak of a nocturnal marriage, which in fact supplied all the conditions absolutely required by either party. "At length, then," said my mother, when she had heard me pronounce my consent, "this grand affair is DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 317 settled"; and turning to Junot, she added, « It has been all your fault. Who would ever have thought of coming on the eve of the marriage to say *I will have nothing to do with the Church?' Come, fall on your knees, and beg pardon of your betrothed. Right. Now give him your hand, or rather your cheek, in recompense of that graceful act of submission. It is the last; to-morrow he will be your master. But what now, is it not all set- tled? » The fact was that this nocturnal ceremony, which did not please me at all, had moreover the inconvenience that it would be unaccompanied by a wedding mass; I whispered this new objection to the General, and it was presently removed by the promise that it should take place at twelve o'clock, the hour of midnight mass. My mother laughed on overhearing this discussion. " And now that we are all at length agreed, " said she, " do me the favor. Monsieur my son-in-law, to take your leave for the present; I must show the young lady her trousseau, and hear her opinion of my taste ; we shall afterward both sit in judgment upon yours." On entering the salon, though it was large, I found myself xnuch in the situation of Noah's dove, without a place of rest for my foot. From an immense basket, or rather portmanteau of rose -colored gros de Naples, em- broidered with black chenille, made in the shape of a sarcophagus bearing my cipher, an innumerable quantity of small packets, tied with pink or blue favors, strewed the room; these contained full-trimmed chemises with embroidered sleeves, pocket handkerchiefs, petticoats, morning gowns, dressing gowns of Indian muslin, night- dresses, nightcaps, morningcaps of all colors and all forms; the whole of these articles were embroidered, and trimmed with Mechlin lace or English point. Another portmanteau of equal size, of green silk embroidered in orange chenille, contained my numerous dresses, all worthy in fashion and taste to vie with the habiliments already described. This was an hour of magic for a girl of sixteen. Time passes away ; mature years have already arrived ; old age will follow; but never can the remembrance of my mother as she now appeared be effaced from my mind. How eagerly did she watch my eyes; and when the 3i8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT peculiar elegance and good taste of any article of her own choice elicited my admiring exclamations, how did her fine black eyes sparkle, and her smiling rosy lips display the pearls they inclosed! Who can describe a mother's joy on such an occasion, or the effect it pro- duces on the heart of an affectionate daughter! Taking my head between her two hands, and kissing my eyes, my ears, my cheeks, my hair, she threw herself on a settee, saying, "Come, now, mathia mou* seek something else that will please you." The trousseau being fully examined, the corbeille\ next demanded inspection. At this time the custom of giving a basket or case for the articles of the corbeille was not yet exploded; fifty or sixty louis were spent upon a species of basket covered with rich silk or velvet, and highly ornamented, which stood for six or twelve months on the dressing table of the bride, till, becoming tarnished and worn, it was no longer ornamental, and was con- signed to the lumber room, to be eaten by the rats in spite of its finery. Now they do things with more sense, and lay out the money upon a valuable chest of longer duration. Mine, then, was an immensely large vase, covered with green and white velvet, richly embroidered with gold. Its foot was of gilded bronze; its cover of embroidered velvet, surmounted by a pineapple of black velvet, transfixed by an arrow, from which were sus- pended on each side a crown, the one of olives, the other of laurel, both cut in bronzed gold. This corbeille contained cashmere shawls, veils of Eng- lish point, gown trimmings of blond and Brussels point, dresses of white blond and black lace; pieces of Indian muslin and of Turkish velvet which the General had brought from Egypt; ball dresses for a bride; my pre- sentation dress, and Indian muslin dresses embroidered in silver lama. Besides all these, there were flowers bought of Madame Roux, of Lyons; ribbons of all sizes and colors; bags (or as we now say, reticules), which were then all the fashion, one of them of English point; * Greek words, meaning light of my eyes; a most caressing expres- sion, which my mother habitually used toward me. f Mademoiselle L'OIive, being dressmaker to Madame Bonaparte, had been charged by Junot to prepare the corbeille, under the instruc- tions of Madame Murat. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 319 gloves, fans, and essences. At each side of the corbeille was a "sultan,* or scented bag. The first contained all the implements of the toilet in gold enameled black; the apparatus of the work- table — thimble, scissors, needlecase, bodkin, etc., all in gold, set with fine pearls. The other « sultan » con- tained the jewel casket, and an opera glass of mother-of- pearl and gold set with two rows of diamonds. The casket contained settings for an entire suite of ornaments without the stones ; six ears of golden com and a comb (which, on account of the immense quantity of my hair, was as large as those which are now worn), set with diamonds and pearls ; a square medallion set with large pearls, containing a portrait of General Junot by Isabey, for the resemblance of which the artist's name will vouch, but of a size more fit to be affixed to the wall of a gal- lery than to be suspended from the neck; but this was the fashion of the day, and Madame Murat had one of her husband, also painted by Isabey, and even larger than mine. The casket contained also a number of superb topazes brought from Egypt, of an incredible size, Ori- ental eorals of extraordinary thickness, which I have since had engraved in relief at Florence by M. Hamelin, and several antique cameos; all these were unset. The bridal purse of gold links, connected together by delicate little stars of green enamel, the clasp also enameled green, contained too weighty a sum of money had it not consisted of bank notes,* except about fifty louis in pretty little sequins of Venice. All these elegant presents had been completed under the direction of Madame Murat, and did infinite honor to her taste. At this time such a corbeille was a treas- ure of great rarity; for the first time since the Revolu- tion it had reappeared at the marriage of Mademoiselle de Doudeauville with M. Pierre de Rastignac. Madame Murat's marriage followed after a considerable interval, and her corbeille was very rich; but as mine took place nearly a year later, not only was the corbeille more beau- tiful, but it was composed with more conformity to an- cient customs, and in a more refined taste. After this * The Bank of France was established in the month of February, 1800; I think it opened the following month. The two purses weit made by Foncier, a very celebrated jeweler at that period. 320 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT time the corbeille and trousseau again became common, but were copies, not models, like Madame Murat's and mine. But of all these beautiful gifts, nothing delighted me so much as Junot's affecting attention to my mother. She longed for a cashmere shawl, but would never pur- chase one, because she said she could not afford one so good as she wished for; and I had determined that my wedding gift to her should be a red one, because that was the color she preferred, but I had never whispered my intentions. However, together with my corbeille came a small basket covered with white gros de Naples, embroidered in silks with my mother's cipher on the draperies, from which the first thing that presented it- self was a superb scarlet cashmere shawl. The basket contained, besides, a purse like mine, except that the enamel was a deep blue, and within it, instead of money, was a topaz of a perfect oval round, the size of a small apricot; gloves, ribands, and two magnificent fans. I cannot describe how I felt this amiable attention. When I thanked the General for it with an effusion of heart which I rather repressed than exaggerated, he re- plied, " I foresaw what you now express ; and if I had not loved her who is about to become my mother with filial tenderness, I should have done what I have for the pleasure I enjoy at this moment." CHAPTER XLIII. My Wedding Day — Sister Rosalie and My Confessor — Refusal to Marry Me at Night — Scruples — The Vendean Abbe — The Clergy and the Republican Party — L'Abb6 Lusthier Patronized by Junot, and Appointed Grand Vicar to the Bishop of Orleans — The Cur6 of the Capuchins Engaged — Wedding Toilet — Family Assembled — Junot's Aids-de-Camp, His Witnesses — The Dames de la Halle and Their Bouquet — The Municipality and the Church. ON THE 30th of October, at nine in the morning, everything was in motion in our small house of the Rue de Sainte Croix, and earlier still in the H6tel de Rue Verneuil. At daybreak I had left home, DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 32; accompanied by Sister Rosalie (who on hearing of my approaching marriage had quitted her retreat to be with me), to go to my confessor: this ought to have been done on the eve of my wedding. Having made my confes- sion, I requested the Venerable Abb6, my spiritual father, to perform the religious ceremony of my marriage in the Church of the Capuchins* at a quarter past twelve at night; and great was my astonishment at receiving a dry and peremptory refusal. "What reason," said he emphatically, «can General Junot possibly have for refusing to make you his wife in the light of the sun? What does he fear? Ridicule! No! he has too much good sense for that. There must be some cause of objection unknown to us." I turned pale; but the Abb^, in spite of all Sister Rosalie's entreaties, proceeded: "Who shall satisfy me, who am the priest required to bless this marriage, that he is not already the husband of another?" "Monsieur I'Abb^! Monsieur I'Abb^l " said Rosalie in a voice of lively reproach, of which I should not have conceived the good girl capable toward any ecclesiastic — "Monsieur I'Abbd, for Heaven's sake forbear! What are you doing?" "My duty!" replied he in a stern voice; " I perform that duty which nature and the laws impose upon the guardians of this young girl, and which they seem to have cast upon Providence. I then, as the min- ister of God, of that same Providence, am bound to watch over the interest of the fatherless orphan." " Monsieur -I'Abb^, " said I, rising to go, "my gratitude to you is the same as if your charitable friendship had saved me from a great danger; but it is my duty to remind you that, whatever danger may threaten me, I have a support, a protector, a father; and that M. de Permon, my brother, who unites all those titles, enlight- ened at once by his tenderness for me and his acute penetration, is capable of judging whether I am deceived by a man whose reputation for honor and loyalty stands so high. I have already explained to you, sir, the reason why he wishes to receive the nuptial benediction at night. " "The reason is injurious to you," said the Abb^, with increasing anger. "Why should the Commandant of Paris fear to show himself in uniform in one of the churches * Now the Church of Saint Louis, in the Rue de Sainte Croix. 322 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT which his General has just reopened ? He would not manifest the same repugnance to exhibit himself to-mor- row in the Temple of Victory, now called Sulpice, instead of Saint Sulpice.* (This was, in fact, the denomination now given to Saint Sulpice, and a fite was at this very time announced to be held in the Temple of Victory (Sulpice) in commemoration of our ancestors.) " Young lady, " continued the good man, * do not as- sume that air of displeasure ; it is neither becoming your situation nor mine. Rather thank me for the solicitude I feel for my spiritual child, for such you are, my daughter; and it grieves me to think that you may be deceived. Why should your civil marriage take place in the Faubourg Saint Antoine ? Why are the banns not published at the church ? Why is a nocturnal celebration demanded? The ceremony before the Mayor will take place by day ; but where ? at the extremity of Paris ! in an obscure quarter, where, truly, a former Madame Junot is not very likely to suspect that a successor is being installed in her rights ; all this has an ambiguous appear- ance, and I shall not make myself a party to its execu- tion." It was equally vain to reason or petition; the Abb6 Lusthier turned a deaf ear to all I could say, and I was obliged to depart without the consolation of knowing that the good father would sanction my marriage with his presence; his blessing he gave me, and prayed that his presentiments might prove unfounded. I pressed upon him at my departure a purse contain- ing a handsome sum of money, which my brother had given me for that purpose. I knew that the Abb6 was very poor, and almost destitute of necessaries; I saw in the garret where he lived neither fire nor wood, and the weather was already becoming cold ; he, however, resisted the offer repeatedly, and even with annoyance. I would not listen to the refusal, but left the purse, saying that what he could spare from his own comforts he might distribute as my almoner. Junot never heard of this scene till it was related to him some years afterward with the greatest frankness, by the Abb6 Lusthier himself, on occasion of his calling to request my husband to obtain for him the living of Virginie, a little village near Bifevre. " I hope your fears DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 323 on my account are now at an end," said Junot, smiling, and offering his hand to him. « I assure you, you have no occasion to retain any ; and to prove it I shall request Citizen Portalis to appoint you to a different benefice from the one you have solicited. I know from my wife that your fortune does not correspond either with your merit or your charity, and it is my duty, if possible, to repair the injustice of fate; and I hope, at the same time," added he, laughing, « to prove that I am innocent; for I would not silence by an obligation any person who is entitled to reproach me." The Abb6 Lusthier not only accepted General Junot's offers, but attached himself unreservedly to him. Junot obtained for him an excellent living in the diocese of my uncle, the Bishop of Metz, and he was some time afterward appointed Grand Vicar to his friend the Abb^ Bemier, Bishop of Orleans. But to recur to the interesting period from which this episode has led me. On my return home I related all that had passed, which excited my mother's displeasure. *I hope," said she, "you did not leave him the purse." I looked at her instead of answering. On meeting my eyes she laughed, half angrily and half in jest, and said, " So, I am a simpleton ! And you did leave him the purse, did you not?" "Certainly," I replied, embracing her. " And you know very well that each piece of silver which we have given the Abb6 Lusthier will acquire the value of gold in his hands." Albert then went out to find the Cur^ of the Church of the Capuchins, gave him the necessary instructions, and received his promise to be ready at five minutes past midnight. ' At nine o'clock in the morning my toilet was com- menced in which I was to appear before the Mayor. I wore an Indian muslin gown, with a train, high body and long sleeves that buttoned at the wrist, and which were then called amadis; the whole was trimmed with magnificent point lace. My cap, made by Made- moiselle Despaux, was of Brussels point, crowned with a wreath of orange flowers, from which descended to my feet a veil of fine English point, large enough to envelop my person. This costume, which was adopted by all young brides, differing only according to the degree of 324 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT wealth of the parties, was in my opinion much more ele- gant than the present bridal fashion. I do not think that it is prejudice for the past which makes me prefer my own wedding dress — that profusion of rich lace, so fine and so delicate that it resembled a vapory network, shading my countenance and playing with the curls of my hair; those undulating folds of my robe, which fell round my person with the inimitable grace and suppleness of the superb tissues of India ; that long veil, which in part covered the form without con- cealing it — to the robe of tulle of our modern brides, made in the fashion of a ball dress, the shoulders and bosom uncovered, and the petticoat short enough to per- mit everyone to judge not only of the delicacy of the little foot, but of the shape of the ankle and leg,* while the head, dressed as for a ball, is scarcely covered by a veil of stiff and massy tulle, the folds of which fall without ease or grace around the lengthened waist and shortened petticoat of the young bride; no, this is not elegance. At eleven o'clock the General arrived, with the rest of his family. His mother had preceded him by half an hour. This excellent woman had seen me but twice ; but she had made a correct estimate of the mutual tenderness which subsisted between my mother and myself. Her perfect goodness of heart and excellent judgment had inspired the thought of placing herself between us at the moment of a separation which she foresaw would be so painful. Alas! she knew at that moment better than I did what were my poor mother's feelings; and I was far from understanding the full force of the words which, with tears that could not be restrained, she addressed to her, " I will supply your place to her ! " Andoche brought with him his father, his brother, Madame Junot, his sister-in-law; Madame Maldan, his * Prince Talleyrand began life by saying what are called « witty things. » Being one day present at the Tuileries, when several ladies were to take an oath of fidelity to the Emperor on their new appoint- ments, he particularly noticed the beautiful Madame de Marmier, who wore remarkably short petticoats in order to show the delicacy of her foot and ankle. Some one present asked Talleyrand what he thought of the tout ensemble. « I think, » said the witty minister, « that her dress is too short to take an oath of fidelity. » DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 325 youngest sister; and two of his aids-de-camp, of whom General Lallemand, then a captain, has rendered his name celebrated by the honor and fidelity of his conduct. He was attached to the staff of General Junot in Egypt, where he served in the fine regiment of chasseurs of the General-in-Chief; Junot had a high esteem for him. The other officer was M. Bardin, son of an estimable painter, and himself a very worthy man. He had wit, wrote pretty verses with ease, drew admirably, and had on this occasion laid all his talents under contribution for the bridegroom's service. These two gentlemen were the General's witnesses; mine were the Comte de Ville- manzy. Peer of France, an intimate friend of my father, and M. Lequien de Bois-Cressy; M. Bruneti^re, who had been my guardian, now acted as my father, together with Albert and my uncle. Prince Demetrius Comnenus, who had arrived two days previously from Munich. When we set out for the Rue de Jouy, the Rue de Sainte Croix near our house was filled with people, mostly strangers in our quarter ; and among them nearly all the principal Marchandes de la Halle. Junot was extremely considerate to the people of Paris, and was very popular with them; and I am convinced that in a commotion the mere sight of him would have restored tranquillity; he was very open-handed to them, giving alms very freely. He could, moreover, speak the language of the Dames de la Halle admirably, when any occasion arose. Four of the group requested permission to pay their compliments to me. It was granted, and they entered the salon carrjring each a bouquet, certainly larger than myself, and composed of the finest and rarest flowers, the price of which was greatly enhanced by the lateness of the season. They offered them to me with no other phrase than the following: " Mam'selle, you are about to become the wife of our Commandant, and we are glad of it, because you are said to be kind and good. Will you permit us ? " And the women embraced me heartily. Junot ordered some refreshments for all those who had been good enough, he said, to remember him on the happiest day of his life. We set out for the municipality 326 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT amid their loud acclamations and the repeated cries of « Long live the Bride and Bridegroom ! » On arriving at the mayoralty of the Rue de Jouy, Faubourg Saint Antoine, where it was Junot's whim to be married — not, as the Abb6 Lusthier supposed, to be less in sight, for in this case he would have contrived his matters very ill, but to gratify a friend — we were received and married by M. Duquesnoi, Mayor of this arrondissement. He spared us a long discourse, and only uttered a few well chosen words, which I have never forgotten. We returned to my mother's, and the day passed off much as all similar days do. When the hour of mid- night struck we crossed over to the church, and at one by the clock of the Corps L6gislatif I entered the Hotel de Montesquieu to the sound of the most harmonious music. CHAPTER XLIV. A Grand Dinner at My Mother's the Day after My Marriage — Junot's Friends and the Rest of the Party: a Curious Assemblage — Their Characters and Portraits — General Lannes, the Roland of the Army — Duroc — Bessieres — Eugene Beauhamais — Rappi — Berthier — Marmont, the Best Friend of Junot — Lavalette — His Marriage — The Divorce — The Negro and the Canoness — Madame Lavalette's Beauty and the Ravages of the Smallpox — The Bonaparte Family — Madame Bacciochi in the Costume of a Literary Society of Ladies. ALL who had been connected with Junot in the Army of Italy or the Army of Egypt had special claims upon his friendship, and he was desirous of giving a dinner the day after his marriage to eight or ten of his brethren-in-arms. My mother, who was always anxious to make him adopt what she called stylish habits, vainly remonstrated about this defiance of etiquette, and said that it would resemble a journeyman carpenter giving his companions a treat on his wedding holiday. Junot was firm, and my mother's only resource was to invite his friends herself. " But will they cpme to me without an introduction ' " DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 327 she inquired. Junot assured her that they would, and invitations were sent to Bessiferes, Lannes, Eugene Beau- hamais, Rapp, and some others. Some of Junofs friends, Beillard, Desgenettes, etc., were not yet returned from Egypt; but all those who were in Paris met at my mother's table. This dinner was extremely curious because it was a reunion of all parties. My mother's friends sat down be- side the whole family of Bonaparte, and the new guests made a very interesting accession to the party. At this time I knew none of the above-mentioned friends of Ju- not; I had distinguished their names amid the acclama- tions of the people, when news of some fresh triumphs arrived; but I was acquainted with no generals except Moreau, Macdonald, and Beurnonville, whom we had frequently met at Madame Leclerc's. It afforded me then great satisfaction to be introduced to those men who had seconded Bonaparte, and had been to him at once good comrades and good laborers in the erection of that edifice of glory under which France now found an asylum from her distractions. General Lannes was also lately married. He had been more rapid than Junot, and had been for three weeks the husband of Mademoiselle Louise Gheneuc, a young person of exquisite beauty. Lannes was then twenty- eight years of age, five feet five oi* six inches high, slender and elegant, his feet, legs and hands being re- markable for their symmetry. His face was not hand- some, but it was expressive; and when his voice uttered one of those heroic thoughts which had acquired for him the appellation of the Roland of the army, « His eyes,* said Junot, " which now appear so small, become im- mense, and dart flashes of lightning." Junot told me that he looked upon Lannes as, without exception, the bravest man of the army, because his courage, invariably the same, neither received accession nor suffered diminution from any of those incidents which usually influence military men. The same coolness with which he re-entered his tent he carried into the midst of the battle, the hottest fire, and the most difiicult emergencies. To this invaluable quality Junot consid- ered him to add the most rapid coup d'ceil and con- ception, and the most accurate judgment of any person 328 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT he had ever met with, except the First Consul. He was besides amiable, faithful in friendship, and a good patriot ; he possessed a heart truly French — a heart of the best days of the glorious Republic. One curious trait in his character was the obstinacy with which he refused to have his hair cut short. In vain the First Consul begged, entreated him to cut it off; he still retained a short and thick queue, full of powder and pomatum. This whim nearly embroiled him with Junot, notwithstanding their friendship, on account of the latter having cropped the hair of the famous division of Arras, and the fashion becoming general in consequence throughout the whole army. Duroc came next to Lannes in Junot's estimation, and was a year younger; his person was about the same stature, but with a superiority of manner and figure ; his hair was black ; his nose, chin, and cheeks were too round to admit of his features being at all striking, which even cast a shade of indecision over his countenance; his eyes were large and black, but set so high in his head that they did not harmonize with his smile or any other ex- pression, from which singular effect those who were not partial to him averred that he was not frank; but I, who was his intimate friend, who knew his character perhaps better than any other person, can affirm that it was all openness and goodness. Our friendship, which commenced in 1801, and closed only with his life, was almost that of a brother and sis- ter. Peculiar circumstances made me his confidante, at first against his will, but afterward with his entire acquiescence, in a case which influenced the happiness of his life, and which turned out unfortunate. Numer- ous letters from him, which I still possess, written from all countries, certify that it was long ere he recovered his equanimity, and still longer before he could pardon those who, with one stroke, had given a mortal wound to his moral and political existence. Bonaparte, who was a good judge of men, distinguished him from his companions, and sent him to execute diffi- cult missions in foreign courts; this showed that he understood Duroc's capabilities.* I have a letter of his, * This is not the place to allude to future events, but I cannot forbear remarking that I shall have frequent occasion to show that, far from DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 329 dated from St. Petersburg in 1802, in which he mentions the too flattering estimation he was there held in; the Emperor Alexander, when he visited me in 1814, spoke of many persons whom Napoleon had sent to him, and his opinion of Duroc was still the same as it had been described twelve years before. Bessiferes, at that time a colonel, was among Junot's intimate friends. I always deplored the cessation of this intimacy, for the most futile and ridiculous cause im- aginable; and being frequently called upon to judge be- tween them, I must confess that I could not always think Junot in the right. Bessiferes, who was about the same age, was a stouter man than Lannes ; like him, he was from the South, as the accent of both sufficiently testified; and like him he had a mania for powder, but with a striking difference in the cut of his hair — a small lock at each side projected like little dog's ears, and his long and thin Prussian queue supplied the place of the Cadogan of Lannes. He had good teeth, a slight cast in the eye, but not to a disagreeable extent; and a rather prepossessing address. He was then colonel of the Guides — that is to say, of the Chasseurs k cheval of the Consular Guard — jointly with Eugbne Beauhamais. Eugfene was still but a child ; but already giving promise of being, what he afterward became, a most charming and amiable young man. With the exception of his teeth, which, like his mother's, were frightful, his per- son was perfectly attractive and elegant. Frankness and hilarity pervaded all his actions; he laughed like a child, but never in bad taste. He was good-natured, gracious, polite, without being obsequious, and a mimic without being impertinent, which is a rare talent. He performed well in comedy, sang a good song, and danced like his father, who had derived a surname from his excellence in this art ; in short, he was a truly agree- able young man. He made a conquest of my mother, whom he wished to please, and completely succeeded. Beauhamais, the father, who was called the beau danseur, though well bom, was not of a rank to ride in the King's carriages; and Josephine, his wife, was never being ungrateful toward Bonaparte, as M. de Bourrienne has incon- siderately asserted, Duroc was always among the most devoted of his adherents. 33° MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT presented. He alone was invited on account of his danc- ing, and frequently had the honor of being the Queen's partner. Rapp was then what he continued to be twenty years later, with the exception of a few additional wounds. It is true he had in vain passed through all the forms of courts, French and foreign, but with manners the most rough, ungraceful, and awkward that ever belonged to a man of the world. But if in courts he never lost his rude uncultivated exterior, so also he preserved pure and intact a disinterested soul and virtuous heart. Rapp was always esteemed and loved, because he deserved to be so. Berthier was one of Junot's friends with whom I had the greatest desire to become acquainted. I had seen him frequently at Madame Visconti's; he was small and ill- shaped, without being deformed; his head was too large for his body ; his hair, neither light nor dark, was rather frizzed than curled; his forehead, eyes, nose and chin each in the proper place, were, however, by no means handsome in the aggregate. His hands, naturally ugly, became frightful by a habit of biting his nails; add to this, that he stammered much in speaking, and that if he did not make grimaces, the agitation of his features was so rapid as to occasion some amusement to those who witnessed it. He was the plainest of the three brothers ; Caesar was better looking than he, and Leopold still better than Caesar. Madame O'Ogeranville, their sister, resembled mostly Alexander. Berthier not only loved Napoleon, but he was greatly attached to several of his brother officers ; and often braved the ill-humor of the Emperor, in speaking to him of such of his friends as had committed faults. Berthier was good in every acceptation of the word. "The best and dearest of my friends," said Junot, after having presented his comrades separately to me, " is still in Italy; Marmont will soon return with his wife, to whom I shall introduce you, and whose friendship I hope you will obtain, giving yours in return; he is a brother to me." M. de Lavalette, another of my mother's guests on that day, was no bad representation of Bacchus : a lady might have been proud of his pretty little white hand and pink well-turned nails; his tv.'o little eyes, and immoderately DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 331 little nose, placed in the midst of a fat pair of cheeks, gave to his countenance a truly comic expression, in aid of which came the extraordinary arrangement of his head; not the locks only, but the individual hairs might be counted, and they received distinguishing names from the wits of the staif — as «the invincible," «the redoubtable," « the courageous » ; and one in particular, which defied the discipline of the comb or the hand, and pertinaciously stood upright, they called "the indomitable." Notwithstanding this personal appearance, and an ad- dress almost burlesque, Lavalette knew how to impose respect, and never suffered merriment to take unwar- ranted liberties with him. He had sense and wit; had seen much and retained much ; had related multitudes of anecdotes with remarkable grace, resulting from a cast of ideas at once quiet, brilliant, and acute. M. de Lava- lette was not, however, a superior man ; the horrible and infamous prosecution of which he was the object has placed him on an eminence which he would never other- wise have attained; but he had the essential qualities of a good father, a good husband, and a faithful friend. He married, a few days before his departure for Egypt, Mademoiselle Emilie de Beauharnais, daughter of the Marquis de Beauharnais, brother-in-law of Madame Bona- parte. This young lady — of extreme beauty, gentle, and, thanks to Madame Bonaparte, her aunt, very well educated — had considerable difficulty in marrying, on account of the position of her parents. Her father ob- tained a divorce from his wife that he might marry a German canoness; and her mother married at the same time a negro. The poor abandoned child was fortunate in having attracted the affections of such a man as Lava- lette, which she warmly returned. Her husband, however, had not reached Egypt before the bride took the smallpox, and scarcely escaping with her life, lost her beauty. She was in despair, aad though by degrees the marks of the pustules became less evident; though her figure was still fine, her complexion dazzling, her teeth gdod, and her countenance pleasing, she could not reconcile herself to the change of which both before and after his return she felt conscious that her husband must be sensible. The delicacy of his con- duct never gave her reason for a moment to suppose that 332 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT his attachment was in any way diminished ; but her sighs and tears, her profound melancholy, and weariness of life, showed that she could not overcome her own apprehensions ; the excellent Lavalette had but one wish, and that was that his wife should be happy. Lucien, Minister of the Interior, could not be at my wedding dinner, but Madame Murat, though about to lie in, made an effort to join us. Madame Leclerc was in the height of her beauty. Madame Bacciochi was dressed on the occasion with a degree of eccentricity which even now is fresh to my mind. She had presided in the morn- ing over a female literary society; and proposing to establish a peculiar costume for the associates, she con- sidered the readiest way to effect her purpose was to have a pattern made and appear in it herself, and in this new dress she afterward came to my mother; such a medley of the Jewish, Roman, Middle Age, and modern Greek costumes — of everything, in short, except French good taste — was, I think, never seen. To see Madame Bacciochi thus attired was not surpris- ing, because we were accustomed to her singularities; but it was impossible to resist the ludicrous impression she created by declaring her intention of offering such a dress to the adoption of all good Christians. CHAPTER XLV. Rapp and M. de Caulaincourt — Tragi-comic Scene — M. de Caulain- court's Tribulation — The Duel Prevented, and the Reconciliation — General Lannes — Military Manners — Powdered yueues, and Singular Prepossession — Colonel Bessiferes and General Augereau. MDK Caulaincourt had known Rapp at the Tuil- ^ eries, and it was not without surprise that he recognized him in our society. Approaching me he asked, in an undertone, whether "that great boy" (pointing out Rapp) had paid his visit to my mother. I answered in the negative. ** Then at least he has left his card ? '* " No. * " But, my dear child, it is not possi- ble; you must have been so absorbed in admiration of your corbeille as not to have seen him. It is not credible DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 333 that a man should come and sit down in the house of a woman of good society, and eat at her table, without having first been introduced, and paid his respects to her." As he was proceeding in a very animated tone, Rapp crept softly behind him, then hallooed into his ear: " What are you talking of, dear papa ? Please to move out of my way, on a wedding day, you know, the old must give way to the young." And so saying, he threw his arms round the old gentleman's waist, lifted him gently from the ground, and set him down at a little distance. M. de Caulaincourt's good nature made him generally beloved, but under it was concealed a strength of char- acter known only to those who were much in his society ; and such a circumstance as the present was calculated to show him off as a high-bred French gentleman in the true acceptation of the word. Looking at Rapp with an expression of dignified severity, he said: "Colonel, you and I are neither old enough nor young enough for such play." Then bowing coldly to him, he offered me his arm, saying: "Will you come and see what is passing in the next room ? " The worthy man was agitated. I led him through my mother's room, which was filled with company, and made him sit down in mine, which my mother had converted into a second boudoir. Junot was surprised soon after to find me consoling my old friend, to whom I was endeavoring to represent that the matter did not deserve the serious turn he was disposed to give it. I repeated the whole to Junot, who, in spite of the old gentleman's opposition — for M. de Caulaincourt would by no means permit that he should seek apologies for him — went to remonstrate with Rapp, and in five minutes brought him to us, ready to fall on his knees to entreat pardon for the brutalities which Junot had assured him he had committed. « And Junot tells me also," he added, turning to me, « that I have failed in respect to you in acting so rudely in your presence. I might, however, absolutely refuse to beg pardon, because apologies are only neces- sary when one has done wrong intentionally, and certainly I did not intend to offend." It was impossible to forbear laughing at this quaint excuse, ^nd M- ^^ Caulaincourt, frankly holding out his 334 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT hand, said to him : " You are a good fellow, and I shall be happy to become one of your friends. " Rapp pressed the old gentleman's hand with a very pretty little hand of his own, not at all consistent with his massive figure ; and here ended an afEair from which my friend's high feelings of honor had threatened nothing less than a duel, except that my mother was so offended with Rapp that she scarcely ever spoke politely to him afterward. M. de Caulaincourt, dining at our house some days afterward, requested an introduction to Lannes, who, of all the Republican generals, was the one who pleased him best. I passed my arm through his, and led him to the other end of the salon, where Lannes was conversing with Junot. "General," said I, "permit me to present to you M. de Caulaincourt, an ancient and distinguished general officer, who wishes to be acquainted with you." The pleasing countenance of Lannes was immediately lighted up with a cordial smile, and, shaking him by the hand, he said: "Ah, my old friend! I like the ancients; there is always something to be learned from them. To what branch of the service did you belong? Were you biped or quadruped? Or — ah, Viable ! I believe you are at present attached to the Royal Phlegmatics. " * The fact was that, astonished at Lannes's reception, and the rolling artillery which at that time made a copious part of his vocabulary, M. de Caulaincourt had been seized with a severe fit of coughing which he could not stifle. " Ah, what is the matter ? " said the General, patting him upon the back as we do a choking child. " Why, this is an infirmity that requires reform, Junot; you must make Lassalle enroll him." Lassalle then commanded the veterans of the garrison of Paris, but was no rela- tion to the famous General of the same name. The good old gentleman scarcely knew whether to laugh or to be angry. Meanwhile Junot whispered a word to the General, who, suddenly changing his tone, said with an expres- sion almost respectful: "What, are you the father of those two brave young men, one of whom, notwithstand- ing his early age, is Colonel of a regiment of Carabi- neers ? Then you must be brave yourself! You have * The expression « royal-pituite » is much more ridiculous i;; Frgjjeh than it can possibly be rendered in our language, DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 335 educated them for the country, and you have not, like too many of your class, sold them to foreigners. You must be a good man; I must embrace you." And so sasring, he threw his arms round him, and embraced him heartily. We left the two comrades to resume the conversation we had interrupted, and went to rejoin my mother in an adjoining salon. « How do you like General Lannes? " said I. "Oh! very well! very well. But I expected quite a different kind of man: for example, he swears like a galley-slave; it makes one tremble. To be sure, he may be a good soldier and a brave man for all that. " " And what more could you expect in General Lannes than a soldier distinguished by his valor and his skill in beat- ing the enemy? " " Why, my dear child, what could I think ! It was the fashion of dressing his hair that de- ceived me. I thought that if a man knew how to dress himself he must have something of the manners of other times; how could I think otherwise?" This naive confession stupefied me. "Is it possible, then," said I, "that you have judged a man only by his queue ? You were very unfortunate in not having en- countered General Augereau, in whom you would have found yourself much more mistaken." At this moment a great man passed us, and saluted me with a bow of respect which is only to be met with in well-brought-up persons. " And who is that ? " said M. de Caulaincourt ; " he is powdered too, I think. " " It is Colonel Bessiferes ; shall I introduce him to you, papa?" "No, no," said he hastily; "I have had enough of introductions for to-day!" It was in vain I assured him that Bessiferes left his bad language in the barracks; he felt no inclination for the experiment; but when some time afterward he met General Augereau he remembered liiy words, and had an opportunity of proving their truth. That General sur- passed even himself in swearing, and my poor friend, in relating the conversation he had had with General Fruc- tidor, as he called him, could not find words to express the astonishment he felt at the language he had heard. 336 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER XLVI. My Presentation to the First Consul and Madame Bonaparte — Duroc and Rapp on the Steps — Eleven o'clock — Politeness of Eugene de Beauharnais — Gracious Reception by Madame Bonaparte — Amia- bility of Hortense — Conversation with the First Consul — Bonaparte's Opinion of Mirabeau — The Rogue and the Tribunes — M. de Co ben t- zel and Sing^ular Reserve of Bonaparte — Bonaparte upon the Society of the Faubourg Saint Germain — Portrait of Mademoiselle de Beau- harnais. MY PRESENTATION to the FiTst Consul and Madame Bonaparte was a great affair for my mother; she occupied herself upon my toilet with more minute care than I imagine she had ever bestowed upon her own in the highest tide of her vanity. One thing disturbed her much, no ceremonial. * Nevertheless, he acts the King," said my mother. The truth was that at this time the interior of the First Consul's family was like that of a very rich man, with no more etiquette; Madame Bona- parte had not even yet ladies in waiting. We went to the Tuileries after the Opera, leaving the ballet of '•'■ PsychP'' in the middle that we might not be too late, and arrived at ten o'clock. My heart beat as we alighted at the Pavilion of Flora, at the door which pre- cedes that in the angle so long called the entrance of the Empress. As we ascended the five or six steps be- fore the door on the left, leading to the apartments on the ground floor, we met Duroc and Rapp. "How late you are ! * said Duroc. "■ It is near eleven o'clock. * * Ah ! » added the brave Alsatian, « Madame Junot is a worker of marvels; she is about to make an infidel of of our good Junot." And he burst into a loud laugh. I was desirous of turning back; but Junot replied, " Madame Bonaparte desired me to come here after the Opera. " « Oh ! » said Duroc ; " it is quite a different thing if Madame Bonaparte has appointed the hour." At this moment the folding door of Madame Bona- parte's apartment opened, and Eugbne de Beauharnais ran down. He was sent by his mother, because, having heard the wheels of a carriage within the Court, and finding that no one came up, she began to fear lest by DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 337 mistake, arising from the lateness of the hour, I might be told that she could not receive me. I was sensible of this attention, and the more so as the messenger was himself very fit to dispel apprehen- sions of a Qoubtful reception. M. de Beauhamais gave me his arm, and we entered the large salon together. This fine apartment was so obscure that at first entering I saw no one in it; for it was lighted only by two chandeliers placed on the mantelpiece, and surrounded with gauze to soften the glare. I was very nervous on entering; but an observation from Eugfene de Beauharnais contributed wonderfully to restore my composure. "You have nothing to fear,* said he; « my mother and sister are so kind! " These words made me start; no doubt I might experience that emotion which a young woman is so liable to feel at a first presentation to strangers, especially when she has some reason to imag- ine that she may not be very cordially received ; but my spirits recovered surprisingly. Madame Bonaparte was in the same place which she then occupied as mistress of the house, and where after- ward she was seated as sovereign of the world ; I found her before a tapestry frame prosecuting a work, three- fourths of which was performed by Mademoiselle Dubu- quoy, whose ingenious hint that Marie Antoinette was fond of such employments had inspired Josephine's in- clination for them. At the other side of the chimney sat Mademoiselle Hortense de Beauhamais, an amiable, mild, agreeable girl, with the figure of a nymph and beautiful light hair. Her gracious manners and gentle words were irresistibly pleasing. The First Consul was standing before the chimney with his hands behind him, fidgeting as he had already the habit of doing ; his eyes were fixed upon me, and as soon as I recovered my self-possession I found that he was closely examining me; but from that moment I de- termined not to be abashed, as to allow myself to be overcome by fantastic fears with such a man would be ruin. Madame Bonaparte stood up, came forward, took my two hands and embraced me, saying that I might de- pend upon her friendship. ** I have been too long Junot's friend," she continued, "not to entertain the same sen- 338 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT timents for his wife, particularly for the one he has chosen." "Oh, oh! Josephine," said the First Consul, "that is running on very fast! How do you know that this little pickle is worth loving ? Well, Mademoiselle Loulou (you see I do not forget the names of my old frjends), have you not a word for me?" He had taken my hand, and, drawing me toward him, looked at me with a scrutiny which for a moment made me cast«down my eyes, but I recollected myself immedi- ately. "General," I replied, smiling, "it is not for me to speak first. " The slight contraction of his brow would have been imperceptible to any other person, but I knew his countenance well: he smiled almost instantly, and said, "Very well parried. Oh, the mother's spirit. Apropos, how is Madame Permon ? " " She suffers much ; for two years past her health has altered so seriously as to cause us great uneasiness. " " Indeed ! so bad as that ; I am sorry to hear it, very sorry; make my regards to her. It is a wrong head — a devil of a spirit;* but she has a generous heart and a noble soul." I withdrew my hand, which he had held during this short colloquy, and took my seat near Madame Bonaparte. The conversation became general and very agreeable. Duroc came in, and took part in it. Madame Bonaparte said little on subjects she did not understand, and thereby avoided exposing her ignorance. Her daughter, without saying more than is becoming in a young girl, had the talent of sustaining the conversation on agree- able topics. M. de Cobentzel was expected at Paris, and his arrival was spoken of. Madame Bonaparte said that she had heard some one observe upon the astonishing resemblance between Count Louis de Cobentzel and Mirabeau. " Who said that ? " asked the First Consul hastily. " I do not exactly recollect. Barras, I think." "And where had Barras seen M. de Cobentzel? Mirabeau! he was ugly; M. de Cobentzel is ugly — there is all the resemblance. Eh, pardieu! you know him, Junot; you were with him at our famous treaty, and Duroc, too. But you never saw Mirabeau. He was a rogue, but a clever rogue! he *I have already said that I shall preserve the turn of Napoleon's phrases and his manner of speaking; it was original, and at once Oriental and bourgeoise. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 339 himself did more mischief to the former masters of this house than the States-General altogether. But he was a rogue. " Here he took a pinch of snuff, repeating, " He was a bad man, and too vicious to be tribune of the people; not but in my tribunate there were some no better than he, and without half his talent. As for Count Louis de Cobentzel '* He took another pinch of snufE, and was about to re- sume his observations, but stopped as if struck by a sudden reflection. He thought, perhaps, that the first magistrate of the Republic should not so lightly give his opinion upon a man just named by a great Power to treat with him. He stopped then with a sentence half uttered, and, turning to me, said: " I hope that we shall often see you, Madame Junot. My intention is to draw round me a numerous family, consisting of my generals and their young wives. They will be friends of my wife and of Hortense, as their husbands are mine. Does that suit you? I warn you that you will be disappointed if you expect to find here your fine acquaintances, of the Faubourg Saint Germain. I do not like them. They are my enemies, and prove it by defaming me. Tell them from me, as your mother lives among them — tell them that I am not afraid of them.» This sentence, spoken with harshness, gave me uneasi- ness from two causes: it was disobliging both to Junot and to me; it seemed to reproach him for taking a wife from a hostile society, and to hint that I came into his own with unfriendly disposition. I could not forbear answering, perhaps hastily: « General, excuse me if I cannot consent to do what is not in the province of a woman, and particularly in that of General Junot's wife; and permit me to carry from you to my friends only messages of peace and union; I know that they desire no others.'* I would not interrupt the relation of this interesting interview to describe the person and manners of Ma- demoiselle de Beauhamais, but I think it would be an injustice both to her and my readers to omit to describe her as "she appeared at my first introduction to her. Hortense de Beauhamais was at this time seventeen years old; she was fresh as a rose, and though her 34© MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT fair complexion was not relieved by much color, she had enough to produce that freshness and bloom which was her chief beauty ; a profusion of light hair played in silky locks round her soft and penetrating blue eyes. The delicate roundness of her figure, slender as a palm tree, was set off by the elegant carriage of her head ; her feet were small and pretty; her hands very white, with pink, well-rounded nails. But what formed the chief attraction of Hortense was the grace and suavity of her manners, which united the Creole languor with the vivacity of France. She was gay, gentle, and amiable; she had wit, which, without the smallest ill-temper, had just malice enough to be amusing. A careful education had improved her natural talents; she drew excellently, sang harmoniously, and performed admirably in comedy. In 1800 she was a charming young girl; she afterward became one of the most amiable princesses of Europe. I have seen many, both in their own courts and in Paris, but I never knew one who had any pretensions to equal talent. She was beloved by everyone, though, of all who sur- rounded her, her mother seemed to be the least conscious of her attractions. I do not mean to say that she did not love her, but certainly she did not express that degree of maternal affection which Hortense de Beau- harnais merited. Her brother loved her tenderly: the First Consul looked upon her as his child; and it was only in that country so fertile in the inventions of scan- dal that so foolish an accusation could have been imag- ined, as that any feeling less pure than paternal affection actuated his conduct toward her. The vile calumny met with the contempt it merited, and is now only re- membered to be confuted. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS i^n CHAPTER XLVII. The Wedding Ball — List of Guests — Swearing— Invitation to the First Consul — His Visiting Cards— Diplomatic Breakfast — Visit to the Tuileries, and Invitation to Madame Bonaparte — The Monaco and Les Deux Coqs — The First Consul's Closet— Charm of His Physiognomy— The First Consul Accepts an Invitation to the Ball — The First Anniversary of the i8th of Brumaire, and the Ball Deferred — M. de Caalaincourt's Indiscretion. MY MOTHER had determined to give a ball on the fifteenth day after my marriage ; it was an ancient custom, and though not now the fashion, she would by no means forego it. One evening when vvre had dined with her, she required our assistance in arrang- ing her plans: "For this ball," said she, "must be one of the prettiest that has been given this long time past; my house, it is true, is very small, but it must be turned into an enchanted parterre of flowers. Come, take your place at the desk, Madame Laurette, and make out our list of invitations, for all your husband's friends must be of the party." Junot thanked her, and kissed her hand. * Oh ! surely, " she replied, " your friends are my friends now, only they swear rather too much; and you, I have been told, can do so, too, when you are angry. You must leave off that ugly habit; it does not become a gentleman." Junot laughed, and held up his finger to me. " What, because she tells me that you swear ? " said my mother. " No, I hope she will never cease to pour all her confidence into my maternal ear; besides, remember, she has not yet made acquaintance enough with your ear for it to supplant mine; but come, to work. " Junot took the pen, and wrote down all the names of the ladies, beginning with Madame Bonaparte and Made- moiselle de Beauharnais. He then waited for the name with which my mother would commence the list of gen- tlemen. "The First Consul of the French Republic, One and Indivisible ; is not that the style ? " said my mother. " The First Consul ! " we exclaimed together. " Yes, the 341 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT First Consul; is there anything astonishing in that? I am tired of being on bad terms with anyone, and besides » <* And besides, " said Junot, laughing, " you think that perhaps you were more in the wrong than he." "No, no," said my mother; "that is quite another a£Eair. He was in the wrong altogether ; but I considered that, as Laurette might be daily in his society, this sort of quarrels might produce disagreeable effects for her, and I wished to prevent that — was I not right ? " We embraced her. "But the invitation,'* she added, "is not all. Do you think he will accept it? do you think he will come ? " "I am sure of it ; only name the hour that will suit you best, and I will come to fetch you,** said Junot, enchanted at this prospect of reconciliation between his mother-in-law and his beloved General. My mother looked at him with an air of astonishment perfectly laughable. " Fetch me ! to go where ? '* " Where ! ** returned Junot, as much surprised in his turn ; " to the Tuileries, to tender your invitation to the First Consul and Madame Bonaparte. ** " My dear Junot, ** said my mother, with the utmost seriousness and sang- froid, " you are quite, nay, perfectly mad. ** " It seems to me that what I say is, nevertheless, very sensible; that nothing, in fact, can be more reasonable,** replied Junot, somewhat disconcerted by the apostrophe. "And I tell you, you are mad. Would you have me go to re- quest General Bonaparte to come again to my house, after having forbidden his appearance there?** " How, then, do you propose to invite him ? *' asked Junot, with an accent impossible to describe. "Truly, how should I invite him ? Precisely in the same manner as I do everyone else, except that the card shall be all in writing, and I will write it all in my own neat hand, which he knows perfectly well.** Junot strode up and down the room, exclaiming, " But that cannot be! You had better not invite him at all! He will think that you intend him a disrespect. ** " He would be much mistaken, then. But he would think no such thing; and you will see that, after having received my note of invitation, he will do as all well-bred men would; he will call on me before the ball, or at least he will have a card left at the door. ** " Do you think, then,** said Junot, in the utmost surprise, "that he keeps DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 343 visiting cards ? » "And why not ? My dear child, be- cause Bonaparte gains battles, is that any reason that he should not visit ? " For a long time my inclination to laugh had been sup- pressed with the utmost difficulty; Albert, throwing him- self back in his armchair, had given way to his from the first; and this last observation, together with the stupefied astonishment of Junot, who, with his mouth half open, could not find words to answer, was altogether too much for my gravity, and I burst into one of those fits of wild mirth which one only enjoys at sixteen. My mother and Junot were still no less serious, my mother at intervals murmuring, " I do not see why he should not visit, and certainly I shall not go first." My brother and I became by degrees more reasonable, seeing that she was perfectly in earnest, and certainly intended that the First Consul should come first to her. Now, it is true that not even a thought of royalty was yet attached to his name, but already for twelve months he had exercised the supreme authority of the State ; and this power had placed him on an elevation which , ap- peared quite natural and becoming to him; he was there because it was his proper place. Albert knew my mother's character, and that by further opposition we should irritate without persuading her; he therefore sat down to the desk, and requested her to dictate her list, which she did with as much self-pos- session and composure as if the First Consul had never existed. The list consisted of seventy men and forty ladies — a large number for so small a house; but then, as now, it was a pleasure to be crowded, and the great- est approbation that could be expressed the day after a ball was, " What a charming fite! we were almost suffocated! '* The next morning Albert breakfasted with us, and it was resolved in our little council that we should all three proceed immediately to the Tuileries, and, in my mother's name, make our personal request to the First Consul and Madame Bonaparte to honor with their pres- ence the ball my family were to give on the occasion of my marriage, taking good care to say nothing of the written invitations which had been intrusted to me for delivery. 344 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Madame Bonaparte received us in the most gracious manner; it was in such cases that she appeared to the utmost advantage. She had already gone through all that a royal novitiate demanded, and it can scarcely be imagined with what ease she stepped into the station of Queen. She accepted our invitation for herself and Mademoiselle de Beauhamais; the latter, she said, was absent from the Tuileries. She seemed, however, by no means willing that we should extend our invitation to the First Consul. " He has been, * she said, " but to two fites since his entry upon the Consulate — the one at Morfontaine, where policy led him to meet the American envoy; the other was the fite given him by the Consul Cambac^rfes on his return from Marengo; and besides,'* added she, "■ he dances but little. " " My sister, " said Albert, with his natural mildness of manner, " will not readily admit that ; the First Consul has often, very often, danced the Monaco and Les Deux Cogs with Laurette, to the sound of my eldest sister's piano. Do you know Madame, that we may claim almost the rights of fraternity with General Bonaparte? " " Yes, he has often told me so," she replied, with an affectation of friendliness. But this was not true, for I know that the First Consul never spoke of my mother to Madame Bonaparte, except when she herself led to the subject, which she was not fond of doing. After taking leave of Madame Bonaparte, we proceeded by the staircase of the Pavilion of Flora to the apartments of the First Consul. The aid-de-camp in waiting observed that the hour of admission was past. " But I have an appointment, " said Junot. " And madame ? " asked the aid-de-camp. He was the unfortunate Lacu6e, killed at Austerlitz, nephew of the Comte de Cessac, and cousin of M. de Beausset. " We are too recently married, my friend, » replied Junot, "to be more than one and the same person; therefore announce me, if you please ; and though ladies do not often come to trouble your hermitage, show that you know how to be gallant, and give my wife your arm." When the door was opened, and the First Consul saw me, he said, smiling very good-humoredly, "What means this family deputation ? — there is only Madame Permon wanting to its completion. Is she afraid of the Tuileries, or of me ? *' DUCHESS OF ABE ANTES 345 "General," said my husband immediately, "Madame Per- mon would gladly have joined us, but she is very ill, and finds it impossible to leave her chamber to come to re- quest a favor of you, which she is very desirous to obtain. My wife is charged to address to you her petition in form." The First Consul turned toward me with a smile say- ing, " Well, let me hear. What do you wish for ? " It is difficult, if not impossible, to describe the charm of his countenance when he smiled with a feeling of benevo- lence. His soul was upon his lips and in his eyes. The magic power of that expression at a later period is well known; the Emperor of Russia had experienced it when he said to me, " I never loved anyone more than that man ! " I told the General what had been agreed upon, and had scarcely ended my little harangue, when he took my two hands, and said, "Well, I shall certainly be at this ball. Did you expect I should refuse ? I shall go most will- ingly. ** Then he added a phrase which he often repeated : "Though I shall be in the midst of my enemies; for your mother's drawing-room, they tell me, is full of them. " Junot now made a sign to us to take leave ; we accord- ingly made our parting salutations, and the First Consul, after pressing my brother's hand with as much cordiality as if we were still in my father's house, inquired on what day this ball should take place. " Next Monday, General ; it is, I believe, the loth of November." "What! the loth of November," said the First Consul, going to his escritoire; "that seems to me to be some particular day ; let me see ; " and as he spoke he found the calendar he was seeking. "I thought so," he added, on consulting it. " The loth of November is the anni- versary of the 1 8th Brumaire, and I cannot join a party on that day. Your mother will have no company; your acquaintance of the Faubourg Saint Germain will cer- tainly not quit their retreats to make a festival of the anniversary of the re-establishment of the Republic. What concerns me personally," and his countenance as he spoke assumed an expression serious and severe, "is of little consequence, but I must see the Republic re- spected; it would not, therefore, be suitable that the anniversary of the day which restored it to us entire 346 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT should be celebrated otherwise than as a family festival. I do not refuse Madame Permon's invitation if you will name another day." The change was immediately resolved upon, and he himself named the 1 2th of November. " Do you receive Josephine ? " he inquired. I answered that Madame Bona- parte had accepted for herself and her daughter the in- vitation which my mother, to her great regret, had not been able to give in person. " Oh, I have no doubt but Madame Permon is ill, * said the First Consul; "but there is idleness, if not some other motive, which I will not mention in her absence. Is there not, Madame Loulou ? * And so saying, he pulled my ear and hair till he made my eyes water, which I was not sorry for, as it furnished an excuse for not answering this blunt interpolation, and for the color which flushed my cheeks. While this was passing be- tween us and the future master of the world, another scene took place in the apartments of Madame Bonaparte below stairs. M. de Caulaincourt paid his court very attentively to Madame Bonaparte; an old friendship or relationship between them was connected with a remembrance of protection on his part, and of gratitude on hers. She was, in consequence, on very good terms with my adopted godfather, and almost every morning the pony, with its velvet saddle and gilded bridle, trotted from the Rue des Capuchins to the Tuileries. Here it arrived on the morning of our visit, just as we had left Madame Bonaparte, and the conversation naturally falling upon the invitation we had brought, M. de Caulaincourt, to whom my mother had related all that had passed on the preceding night, glorying in the firm stand she had made in favor of a written invitation, unceremoniously accused me of having mis- taken my instructions, and very innocently repeated to Madame Bonaparte all that he had learned from my mother, of whose plans he perfectly approved. This unlucky incident produced a rather awkward denoue- ment on our return to the salon; but our apologies were graciously accepted, and whether or not the truth evei reached the ears of the First Consul it produced no visible result. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 347 My mother easily perceived that it would be ridiculous for her to celebrate the anniversary of the i8th Brumaire; the change which we had made in the day consequently received her perfect acquiescence, and passed off without Any observation. CHAPTER XLVIII. The Ball and the Flowers — The First Country-Dance — Mademoiselle de Beaunarnais, Mademoiselle de Perigord^ Mademoiselle de Caseatix and Myself — The Minuet de la Reine and the Gavotte — The Fine Dancers — Madame Leclerc and the Toilet of Madame Bonaparte — Noise of Horses and the Arrival of the First Consul — The Dance Interrupted — The First Consul's Gray Overcoat — Long Conversation between the First Consul and M. de Talleyrand — M. Laffitte and the Three-Cornered Hat — M. de Tr6nis and the Grand Bow — The First Consul Listening to a Dancing Lesson — Bonaparte Not Fond of Long Speeches — Interesting Conversation between Bonaparte and My Mother — Jerome, His Debts, His Beard, and Superfluous Traveling Case. ALL was preparation in my mother's house for the expected ball, which she intended should be one of the most agreeable to be given this year in Paris. Our friends also looked forward to it with impatience. My mother had already refused the requests of about forty men and twelve women for tickets. She was delighted when such requests were made to her. The arrange- ments for ornamenting the house were perfect; and when at length all the trees, plants, and flowers assumed the places her taste appointed them, and innumerable lights shone among them from lamps of every color, the staircase and hall perfectly resembled an enchanted palace. Madame Bonaparte arrived about nine o'clock, accom- panied by her son and daughter, and led by Colonel Rapp. My mother met her in the middle of the dining- room; the other ladies she received at the door of the salon. She was polite and gracious to everyone, as she so well knew how to be. She conducted Madame Bona- parte to the armchair on the right of the fireplace, and begged her, with the hospitable grace of the South, to 348 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT make herself perfectly at home. She must have appeared to her, what she actually was, a very agreeable and charming woman. My mother was, perhaps, the prettiest woman in the room, after the First Consul's two sisters. She had been for some time in better health, and the respite from suf- fering had restored to her features that harmony and regularity in which her beauty consisted. She wore on that evening a dress, made by Madame Germon, of white crape, trimmed with bunches of double jonquils. Its form was Grecian, folding over the bosom, and fastened on the shoulders with two diamond clasps. Her head- dress had a degree of eccentricity in its composition which became her admirably. As she could not, or rather did not, choose to appear on the occasion of my marriage with her hair wholly un- covered, she had a toque of white crape ( made by Leroi, who then lived in the Rue des Petits-Champs, and had already acquired some reputation ), through the folds of which her fine black hair appeared, resembling velvet, intermingled with bunches of jonquil, like those which trimmed her gown. She wore in her bosom a large bou- quet of jonquils and natural violets, furnished by Madame Roux, but exhibited neither necklace nor jewels of any kind except two very fine diamond drops in her ears. This attire was set off by a person whose elegance of figure and manner were at least her most striking orna- ment. At a quarter before nine o'clock Junot went to the Tuileries to be ready to attend the First Consul to my mother's, but found him so overwhelmed with business that it was impossible for him to name the hour at which he could arrive ; but he was desired to request as a favor that the dancing might commence, the First Consul giv- ing his assurance that he would certainly come, however late he might be compelled to make his visit. The ball, then, was opened at half-past nine. Junot danced with Mademoiselle de Beauhamais, Eugfene de Beauhamais with me, Hippolyte de Rastignac with Made- moiselle de Caseaux, and Mademoiselle de P with M. Dupaty. M. de Tr6nis was not yet arrived, nor M. Laffitte. These gentlemen were at this time in the ex- treme of everything that is inconceivable; and to join a DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 349 party at two or three o'clock in the morning was nothing unusual with them. I had this evening, in the opinion of my mother and all our old friends, an important duty to fulfill: it was to dance the minuet de la cour and the gavotte. For three weeks Gardel's long lessons had been renewed, that this minuet, which with my whole soul I detested, might be executed in perfection. I had entreated my mother to spare me this painful exhibition, but to no purpose. Not to dance the minuet de la Reine at a bridal ball would have been a dereliction of all established customs, which she could not by any means sanction. M. de Tr€nis belonged to our society: he was a worthy man, and far from meriting the character which he gave himself of being nothing but a dancer. He possessed much information and some wit; natural good sense and a correct judgment, very capable of appreciating the ridiculous extravagance of his own words; that of his dress, though in the height of fashion, was by no means so exaggerated. As of all the fine dancers of the day, he was the one with whom we were the most acquainted, I had engaged him to dance the minuet de la cour with me, hoping to be less timid with him than with M. Laffitte or M. Dupaty. At half -past ten General Bonaparte was not arrived; everyone else was, and the five rooms in my mother's suite of apartments were much more than conveniently crowded. All the Bonaparte family except Joseph, who, I believe, was then at Luneville, came early. Madame Leclerc, always beautiful and elegant, had taken her seat at a distance from her sister-in-law, whose exquisite taste in dress never failed to put her out of conceit with her own appearance, how carefully soever her toilet had been performed. « I do not under- stand,*' said she to me, "how a person forty years old can wear garlands of flowers! " Madame Bonaparte had a wreath of poppies and golden ears of com upon her head, and her dress was trimmed with the same. I was afraid that she would foolishly make the same compliment to my mother, and unwilling that a stupid remark should spoil the pleasure of the evening, I answered that my mother, who was older than Jtfadame Bonaparte, had also flowers on her head and 3=0 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT round her gown. Madame Leclerc looked at me with an air of astonishment. " But it is quite different — quite a different thing," said she. At a few minutes before eleven the trampling of the First Consul's horse guards was heard. Very soon after- ward the carriage drove up to the door, and almost immediately he appeared at the entrance of the dining- room with Albert and Junot, who had received him in the hall. My mother advanced toward him, and saluted him with her most courteous obeisance, to which he replied with a smile: " Eh, Madame Permon, is that how you receive an old friend ? * and held out his hand. My mother gave him hers, and they entered the ballroom together. The heat was excessive. The First Consul remarked it, but with- out taking off his gray overcoat, and was on the point of making the tour of the room, but his searching eye had already observed that many of the ladies present had not risen at his entrance; he was offended, and passed immediately into the bedroom, still retaining my mother's arm, and appearing to look at her with admiration. Dancing had been discontinued as soon as he appeared, and Bonaparte soon perceived it by the stillness of the salon, from whence issued only the murmuring sounds produced by the observations made upon him in an undertone. "Pray, Madame Permon," said he, "let the dancing be resumed; young people must be amused, and dancing is their favorite pastime. I am told, by the by, that your daughter dances as well as Mademoiselle Chameroi. I must see it. And if you will, you and I will dance the Monaco — the only one I know." " I have not danced these thirty years, " replied my mother. "Oh, you are jesting. You look to-night like your daughter's sister." M. de Talleyrand was of the party. The First Consul, after having spok-en to us all in the most agreeable man- ner, entered into a conversation with him in my mother's bedroom, which lasted without interruption for three- quarters of an hour. Toward midnight he returned to the salon, and appeared determined to make himself per- fectly agreeable to everyone. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfilS 351 How great soever my reluctance to dance this unfor- tunate minuet, I had no choice but to answer to the summons of my mother, who, without concerning herself whether I was maid or wife, expected me to be always obedient to her commands. For a moment I thought myself safe. M. de Tr^nis was called for, but could no- where be found. I went to tell my mother, but gained nothing. M. Laifitte was requested to supply his place. He had no hat; my mother soon found him one. All these difficulties removed, I at length went through the dreaded minuet, having whispered to Gardel not to allow the gavotte to be played, and reckoned my last courtesy a real happiness. M. Lafifitte was reconducting me to my seat, holding in one hand an enormous three- cornered hat that he had borrowed of I know not whom, and leading me with the other, when we met M. de Tr^nis. He looked at me with so terrible an air that I became uneasy for the consequences of having danced the minuet with another person. I told him mildly that I had waited till past midnight, and that my mother had at length required that I should dance with M. Laffitte. **I hope, my dear sir, that you will forget this nonob- servance of my engagement, and particularly as your absence was its sole cause.** He acquiesced in his disappointment, and, seating him- self between my friend Mademoiselle de Merigny and myself, commenced a most ludicrous harangue upon the regret he experienced, which was the greater on account of my share of the loss ; " for I shall never, never forget the spectacle I saw," added he. I was alarmed, and entreated an explanation, which, after listening to most high-flown compliments on the excellence of my own dancing, I obtained at length in the following terms: " That you should dance a minuet with a man — a good dancer, no doubt; yes, he dances well, but if he dance a country dance well — he never, never in his life, knew how to make the grand bow with the hat — he cannot make the grand bow." Mademoiselle de Merigny and I could not help laugh- ing. But M. de Tr6nis was too deep in his subject to attend to our merriment. "That seems to surprise you," he continued ; " I can easily believe it. Not to know how to put on one's hat! — for that is the science — it is not 352 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT difficult to explain — stay — give me leave. " Then, tak- ing us both by the hand, he led us to my mother's room, where there were but few persons, and placing himself before the pier glass, hummed the close of the minuet air, and began the salute with the most perfect gravity, putting on his cocked hat with all the effect so impor- tant an afiEair demanded. The laughing fit returned with redoubled force; but the comedy was not yet complete. Junot had joined us, and the First Consul, whose presence had not as yet caused us any constraint on account of his close conver- sation with M. de Talleyrand, now stepped gently behind M. de Tr6nis to share the amusement with which this origi- nal was providing us. He made a sign to Junot to engage him in conversation, which was easy, if dancing were the subject, provided, however, that it were seriously treated. For he never laughed, he said, unless the air of a country dance was very gay, and then the orchestra com- pelled him to smile. " How do you agree with M. Laf- fitte ? said Junot, with as serious a countenance as he could command. " Why, " replied he, " as well as two men of talent can be supposed to agree when so nearly upon an equality. But he is an honest fellow, not at all envious of my suc- cess. It is true that his own may well render him in- dulgent. His dance is lively and powerful. He has the advantage over me in the first eight measures of Pan- urge's gavotte. But in the jet^s! oh! there he has no chance: he has nerve, but I have grace." The First Consul opened his eyes and ears, altogether unaccustomed to such rant. " It is prodigious," said he at length ; " this man is much more irrational than many who are confined in mad houses. Is he a friend of yours? " "Not exactly; but he is an intimate acquaintance — that is to say, we see him twice a week. But, except at a ball, he never talks of dancing, and can reason clev- erly upon the manners of ancient Greece ; it is a portion of history he has very much studied. He speaks several languages, and, Albert says, is worth more than his reputation. " Bonaparte never listened to so long a discourse ; I have learned that it never answered to make long speeches DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 353 to him. He had returned to his place near M. de Tal- leyrand; I saw by the direction of his eyes that he was speaking of M. de Tr6nis. He met my eyes fixed upon him, and called me to him, to make me a compliment on my mother's ball; his praises seemed almost a re- proach. My mother had been perfectly polite to him; but it appeared to me that she should have been more cordial. I went to her, and, persuading her to walk with me, led her toward her own chamber, where I found the First Consul on the spot where I had quitted him; but Junot and M. de Villemanzy had replaced M. de Talley- rand. As soon as the First Consul saw my mother, he went direct to her, and said, "Well, Madame Permon, what have you to say to one of your old friends ? It seems to me that you easily forget them. Do you know, I thought you very hard the other evening, and at the very time one of your friends held his knife in readi- ness? " " Oh, horrible ! ** exclaimed my mother ; " how can you, Napoleon, say such things? — Per Dio tacete ! tacete ! " " But why would you not return my friendly salute ? I took the first moment of recognizing you to make it.*' My mother alleged the weakness of her eyes, and not without cause, for they became very useless in the last years of her life; but General Bonaparte would not be put off with this excuse. "What am I to think?" said he; "are we no longer friends?" " Non posso dimenticare, caro Nafoleone, che siete figlio dell' arnica ; fratello del mio buon Giuseppe, del caro Luci- ano, e di Pauletta.^^ — The First Consul made a move- ment, which I noticed, and replied with a bitter accent: " So, then, if I still hold a place in your regard, I owe it to my mother and my brothers. It may well be said that to expect friendship from a woman is to ex- pect the sands of the desert to remain fixed." This discussion gave me pain; it seemed that my mother remembered that unfortunate quarrel excited by one of our cousins, who never could indemnify us for the affection which we lost through his means. The First Consul walked in silence toward the fire. My mother was seated upon a sofa opposite to him, her arms 83 354 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT crossed upon her bosom, and shaking her foot in the fashion which usually preceded a violent scene. Albert, going to and fro between the chamber and the salon, at this moment approached General Bonaparte to offer him an ice. " I assure you, " said he, " that neither Madame Permon nor myself require ice — indeed, I believe we are petri- fied; I knew very well that absence deadened remem- brance, but not to such a point as this. " He touched an unlucky string. " Truly ! " said my mother, with a constrained smile, but with her lips sufficiently opened to show her two- and-thirty pearls (on which General Bonaparte cast his eyes ; he spoke of them to me the following day ) ; — " truly ! one may be permitted to forget after an interval of some years. Did you not wish to persuade me that it was difficult to remember, after a few days, an action which affected the fate of an entire life ? " " Ah ! " exclaimed the First Consul, and his counte- nance darkened in an instant. He knit that brow, the movement of which already agitated the universe; his under lip pressed strongly against the other; and, joining his hands behind him, he walked a few paces without speaking; but all this was scarcely visible, as Junot and my brother told me, when I returned from joining in a country-dance. The First Consul promptly resumed his air of serenity, and, seating himself beside my mother, looked attentively at her hand, which he had taken to kiss. "It seems to me that you do not correct any of your faults, Madame Permon?** and he pointed to the bitten nails of her fingers. "No,** said my mother, "they and I have grown old together. Leave all in its place; it is only you who are forbidden to remain as you are; you have still so many steps to climb before you reach the summit of your glory that to wish you repose would be to wish harm to ourselves. '* " Do you really think as you speak ? ** " You know my sincerity. I do not always say all I think; but I never say what I do not think. Have you forgotten my frankness?'* Bonaparte took my mother's hand and pressed it affec- DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 355 tionately. At this moment the clock struck two. He asked for his carriage. "Will you not stay supper?" asked my mother. «I cannot possibly," said he, with an accent of regret; "but I will come and see you again." My mother smiled, and shook her head gently. " Why that smile i do you doubt me, Madame Permon ? If in this evening either of us has doubted the friend- ship of the tDther, I do not think it is I who should be accused of having caused that suspicion. Yes, I shall come and see you again. The Signora Laetitia shall bring me, since I must rest my claim to your regard upon her, or upon Joseph, or upon Lucien, or even upon Paulette; who knows ? perhaps upon Jerome. Speaking of that brave little citizen, you brought him up well while I was far off. I find him willful, and willful in bad things. The Signora Laetitia spoils him so totally that I much doubt whether he will mend where he now is." To speak of Jerome was to touch another chord which vibrated very sensibly on my mother's ear. " He is an excellent lad, " said she — " all warmth of heart, and good sentiments. Jerome is a true sailor; let him tan himself in the sea air, and he will return to you a Duguay-Trouin, or at least a Duquesne." This was not the only time in the course of the even- ing that my mother had advanced an opinion with which she was not perfectly satisfied; but she loved Jerome, I believe, almost as well as she loved me, and her parti- ality really went a great way. The First Consul was right when he said that at his return he found his brother singularly educated. The seniors of the family had taken care that everything should be in good order — that is to say, Jerome was at the College of Juilly, and was fre- quently visited there by his family; but he still more frequently visited Paris himself to offer the respects of a young gentleman of fourteen to Mademoiselle Emilie and Mademoiselle Hortense de Beauhamais; then be- lieving himself a man, the studies went on as they might. Jer6me and I were of the same age; my mother, who coupled with his birth the unhappy circumstances of the death of M. Charles Bonaparte, loved him so much the more. In general, she had a warm affection for all the brothers, but had her preferences among them as 356 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT among the sisters. Madame Leclerc was her favorite, and to such a degree that I, who could not share her prejudice, often had warm discussions with her on the subject, in which perhaps jealousy might have its share. At that time I loved Madame Murat the best of Na- poleon's sisters, and Joseph and Lucien were, with the First Consul, those of the whole family whom I pre- ferred. Jerdme had been very much loved, very much spoiled, not only by my mother, but by my brother, and, indeed, by all of us. I did not find that when he ad- vanced in life, and consequently when his sentiments might be expected to develop themselves, he was to my mother in particular what he ought to have been. I do not accuse him, but I shall have future occasion to prove that I was not mistaken. But this, after all, is no crime. The First Consul told us, while speaking of Jerome, that he had contracted one of the oddest debts that could be imagined for a youth of fifteen. The First Consul was at Marengo: his brother was already in the service, but, being too young to take part in the cam- paign, was left in Paris. On the return of the First Consul, Bourrienne was presented with a number of bills, amounting in the whole to a considerable sum, the payment of which was pressing. Among others Bien- nais figured for eight or ten thousand francs. Great inquiries were made, and many reports were spread, as to how so large a debt could have arisen ? At length it was discovered that M. Jerome Bonaparte had purchased of M. Biennais, Rue Saint Honor^, at the sign of the Singe Violet, a magnificent traveling case containing everything that could be invented by elegance and luxury, in gold, mother-of-pearl, silver, and ivory, the finest porcelains, and the most beautifully executed enamels; in short, the whole was a jewel. But one very essential thing was wanting to this dressing case, and that was a beard to make it useful ; for whatever it contained would admit of no other application. Razors, shaving pots of all sizes in silver and china ; combs for the mous- taches ; in short, every article of convenience for shaving, but the beard was wanting; and, unfortunately, the young man who was but fifteen had some long years to wait for it. The First Consul told this little history in a very entertaining style. DUCHESS OF ABRANTftS 357 CHAPTER XLIX. The Tribunes and Long Harangues — The Consular Court and the Roman Forum — M. Andrieux — Lucien, the Author of the i8th Brumaire — Depression of Lucien, and Remarkable Visit — Lord Malmesbury— Madame Bonaparte and Her Brother-in-law— Em- barrassment of the First Consul — Lucien Announces His Departure — The Road to the Throne — Lucien's Children — Secrecy of Lucien's Journey — The Little Beggar — Portrait of Lucien— The Fltehelle Family and Injustice Repaired. AT THE period of my marriage the Consular Court was rather singularly organized. Its arrangement was somewhat affected by the strong prejudices of the First Consul. He wished it to be in grand style, yet was fearful of incurring the reproach already directed against him by several tribunes, who, mistaking the Palais Royal (where equality no longer existed) for the Roman forum, delighted in making long harangues in which Caesar, Brutus, Pericles, Solon, Aristides, and Lycurgus all found a place, but which had no more reference to the unfortu- nate French Republic than if its locality was beyond Tobolsk. Lucien, immediately after the i8th Brumaire, was ap- pointed Minister of the Interior. It is unfortunate that a prejudice, for it was certainly nothing else, prevented his being elected Second or Third Consul. At first sight, the participation of two brothers in the Consulate would naturally lead to the conclusion that but one would direct the Executive; whereas, in reality, the national interest would have been far better defended than by a man such as the Consul Lebrun, who, unques- tionably honest himself, was, nevertheless, too readily dis- posed to affirm every proposition, even of his second, and still more of his first colleague. In accomplishing the events of the i8th Brumaire, at which he had labored with an influential activity, whose remembrance should never have deserted Napoleon, it cannot be doubted that Lucien believed his brother would confer on France a Government that should render her at once happy at home and great and formidable abroad. As for war, it was then looked upon merely as 358 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT a party of pleasure; in its prosecution, not only the glory but the good fortune of the French was calculated upon as certain. In the interior, on the other hand, misery was at its height : although not in the Consulate, as Minister of the Interior much was in Lucien's power: the choice of pre- fects and of mayors; new municipal laws to be given to the communes; the whole mode of election to be re- formed; manufacturers to be protected, which at that time were everywhere rising; new discoveries to be turned to account ; and misery to be relieved by employ- ment, the only alms which should be bestowed on the people — all this he foresaw, and undertook with courage and success. But he soon appeared sad and unhappy. Obstacles multiplied around him ; he had spoken of them to my brother-in-law; my mother, who tenderly loved him, perceived it before he opened the subject. Lucien was unhappy, and doubly so through the means of his brother. But in justice to Bonaparte, I must declare that he was unworthily deceived with respect to his brother; he was persuaded of the existence of facts entirely false. He was even inspired by someone with uneasiness for his personal safety. He never yielded to these suspicions, but the voice which accused his brother was one very dear to him. It was evident that he sought with avidity everything that could afford him a ray of consolation amid that perplexing obscurity with which others en- deavored to fill up the distance that fate had just estab- lished between the two brothers — an interval which Lucien always respected, even when refusing to acknowl- edge it, but which the First Consul should have over- looked. A violent animosity had, however, arisen be- tween Madame Bonaparte and her brothers-in-law, which not only interrupted the domestic happiness of this nu- merous family, but proved in the end a source of the greatest misfortune to herself. I visited my mother every day, and frequently dined with her. One day that we had dined alone, Albert and M. de Geouffre being both absent, we had scarcely risen from the table when Lucien arrived. He was mourn- ful, very serious, and appeared in deep thought. My mother remarking it, he admitted it, and told us he was DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 359 on the eve of departure, upon which my mother uttered an exclamation. « Did not you know it ? " said he ; "I take Geouffre with me." " If you wish to let me know your affairs by my son- in-law,* replied my mother, "command him to communi- cate them, for when you aire in question he is a true Malmesbury. " * "Yes, I am going," said Lucien, crossing his arms over his bosom, and contemplating the fire with that sombre abstraction which indicates deep grief; "I am go- ing! my counsels displease; and, moreover, there is at present a barrier between Napoleon and me which can never be removed, because it is beneath my character to justify myself, and thereby to recognize the legality of a tribunal which, on the contrary, I challenge. My brother believes the perfidious insinuations of a woman, with whom he ought to be too well acquainted to sacri- fice his family to her ; he suspects the fidelity of a brother whose devotedness has been the sole means of opening to him the road to a throne." " To a throne ! " cried my mother. Lucien replied only by a smile, at once melancholy and expressive. "Always remember, Madame Permon," re- joined he, " that I certainly had no such thoughts on the 18th and 19th Brumaire." It may be well supposed that, in speaking afterward of Lucien to the First Consul, I was careful not to re- peat this part of the conversation. " Are you going far ? " inquired my mother. " I must not tell you ; I ought not to have announced my departure. I request of Madame Junot not to speak of this conversation before her husband." * Lord Malmesbury was sent on a special mission to the Directory from England in the year vii., while M. de Tallejrrand was Minister for Foreign Affairs. It is to be presumed that Lord Malmesbury's instructions were not very extensive, for at every word hazarded by Talleyrand — who, it may be observed, did not himself waste many — Lord Malmesbury uniformly replied: "Allow me to write home re. specting that.» {^''■Permettez que fen derive lima cour.'") Andaswe seldom fail to take advantage of the ridiculous, a caricature was ex- hibited, in which Talleyrand, stepping up to the English Ambassa- dor, inquires how he is; and Lord Malmesbury shows him, according to the custom of caricatures, a long paper inscribed with the words: I- Permettez-moi d' en icrire i ma coury* 36o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Some days afterward Lucien quitted Paris. A car- riage, containing Amaud, a miniature painter named Chatillon, and M. Felix Desporte, preceded him, and took the road to Amiens, while Lucien, in his berlin, with my brother-in-law, set out toward Bordeaux. He had with him his two little girls, the youngest of whom was still in arms; and on these two little beings he lavished all the cares of the most attentive woman. My mother, learning that he was going to take his children, advised him to leave them with the kind and excellent Madame Joseph; but at the first word Lucien, starting from his chair, exclaimed : " No, no ; I will not leave my children here; do not talk to me of separating from them! I may be accused of levity, of easy morals, but at least, neither mother, brothers, children, nor friends, shall ever have occasion to reproach my heart." He was much agitated; my mother embraced him and said, " Well, you are right ; take these poor little ones ; they are no longer blessed with a mother, and a fond father can alone supply her loss." A messenger was dispatched after the carriage, which was journeying toward Amiens; it changed its course, and rejoined Lucien near Bordeaux. I know not the cause of all this mystery; perhaps it was designed to conceal from Austria, with whom negotiations were being carried on, the mission of the First Consul's brother as Ambassador to Spain. This could not, indeed, be kept secret above seven or eight days, but that is much in diplomatic relations; I state the facts as they occurred: Lucien arrived at Madrid, and replaced there two men whose abilities, when compared with his, made a very MEDIOCRE appearance; these were Berthier and Alquier. Some time after the departure of Lucien an affair was much talked of, and his enemies would fain have mis- represented it; but the following is the exact truth. The ages of the children are particularly accurate, a matter of some importance to the good or evil aspect of the story. A boy, eleven years of age, neatly dressed, was stand- ing in the Rue Des Petits Champs, near the Place Ven- dome, and asking alms of persons in whose physiognomy he could descry a more than common share of humanity. A young man, wrapped up in a large blue greatcoat. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 361 with knit pantaloons of gray silk, a round hat, and gold spectacles, casually looked upon the child as he passed. There was kindness in his countenance, and his smile emboldened the poor little importunate to hold out his hand; the gentleman frowned, yet gave him a coin of douze sous (sixpence). " Why do you beg, child ? » said he in a severe tone. The poor child began to cry, pointing with his finger to a woman and two little girls, the eldest of whom was ten, and the other nine, seated on the stone bench of the house which then stood in a little recess, where the pas- sage to the Jacobin market now is. "These are my mother and sisters," said he, sobbing. "My father is very ill, and I have a little brother younger than my sisters; I cannot work, and we must eat, and give my father his barley water: how can this be done if I do not beg ? '* The gentleman, overcome with such a tale of misery, approached the woman, asked her some questions, and, having taken her address, left her a louis d'or. On his return to the Home Department, Lucien, who has no doubt been recognized in the portrait I have just drawn, charged a confidential person to make inquiries respecting the Fl^chelle family. The result of these in- quiries was not only satisfactory, but of a nature to extort a blush from the Government, had it been pos- sible for the Directory to blush for its evil deeds. Fle- chelle had been employed in the grant office, where his conduct was irreproachable, but in consequence of one of those intrigues too common under a venal Government he was dismissed without pension or indemnity; and, as security against his complaints, was culumniated to the Minister of the day, who refused even to see him. This man had four children, and from an easy com- petence his family were suddenly plunged into absolute destitution. Overwhelmed with grief, the vigilance of his wife alone defeated an attempt at suicide, and soon remorse occasioned an illness. Lucien the next day sent them, through his confidential agent, a hundred francs, and an abundant provision of sugar, coffee, candles, oil, etc., a cartload of wood, and a sack of coals: he also conferred on Fl^chelle, as a just indemnity, the brevet of a place at the barrikres, worth two thousand francs. 362 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT The agitating joy of the news proved too much for the father, enfeebled by long illness; he died, and left his family again exposed to misery. Lucien, immersed in cares at the moment of his departure for Spain, was unable then to assist them, but the excellent Mrs. Anson, meeting with this desolate family, became a second con- soling and succoring angel to them. Attempts were made to report the story at Malmaison in a very different light : I took the liberty of represent- ing the truth. «The young girls are not sixteen or seventeen years of age," said I to Madame Bonaparte, "for I have seen them.'* "Then I have been deceived," replied she; "but you have much affected me by the misfortunes of this poor family; give me Madame F\6- chelle's address, for I will send to her to-morrow ; I wish to have my part in the good work." She sent them, I believe, forty francs. Madame Bonaparte was often com- passionate, but the indiscriminate nature of her protection and her recommendations often made her ridiculous, even in the eyes of those to whom she was benevolent. CHAPTER L. Madame Bonaparte's Apartments — Functions of M. de Benezeck and the Republicans — The Aids-de-Camp — Chamberlains — The Grand Dinners at the Tuileries — Improvement of Morals — The Ladies of the Emigration — Installation at the Tuileries — The Two Proces- sions — General Lannes's Broth — The Fortnightly Parades — Inter- course of the First Consul with the Soldiers — My Cashmere Shawl, and My Father-in-law's Watch — The Swedish Minister and the Batiste Handkerchief — Bonaparte, a Drummer, and the Saber of Honor — The Baron d'Emsworth — The King of Spain's Horses — The Diplomatic Corps in 1800 — M. de Lucchesini and the Italian Harangue. MADAME Bonaparte occupied the whole ground floor of the Tuileries, which was afterward her residence as Empress, and also that of Maria Louisa. Ad- joining her dressing room was the small apartment of Mademoiselle de Beauharnais, consisting of her bed- chamber, and a study scarcely of sufficient dimensions to render the smell of her oil paints endurable, when she DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 363 this winter* painted her brother's portrait. The apart- ments of Madame Bonaparte were furnished tastefully, but without luxury; the great reception salon was hung with yellow draperies ; the movable furniture was damask, the fringes of silk, and the wood mahogany. No gold was to be seen. The other rooms were not more richly decorated: all was new and elegant, but no more. The apartments of Madame Bonaparte, however, were destined only for private parties and morning visits. The larger assemblies were held upstairs. As yet there was neither Chamberlain nor Prefect of the Palace ; an old Counselor of State, formerly Minister of the Interior, M. de Benezeck, was charged with the internal administration of the palace, which was at first a little difficult to introduce among what remained of true Republicanism. The functions of M. de Benezeck em- braced those afterward divided between the Grand Cham- berlain and the Master of the Ceremonies. The mattres d'hotel and ushers performed the subaltern offices, and the aides-de-camp supplied the place of chamber- lains. The First Consul was in the habit of inviting two hundred persons every ten days to dine with him. These dinners were given in the Gallery of Diana, and the guests were of all ranks and classes, always including the Diplomatic Body, which at this time was become tolerably numerous. The wives of civil functionaries, of generals and colonels, formed the society, for as yet no one ventured to say the Court, of Madame Bonaparte. The General was rigid in the choice he made, not for his quintidian routs, but for the private and frequent invitations to Malmaison, and afterward to Saint Cloud. It is a fact, which only prejudiced minds will dispute, that the First Consul wished to perpetuate, as far as lay in his power, the amelioration of morals produced by the Revolution. This will perhaps excite a smile in the pe- rusal ; nevertheless, it is certain that the morals of the existing generation have been retempered by the Revo- lution. * This same vrinter of 1800 the Tuileries caught fire, and Mademoiselle Beauhamais's portrait of her brother, which was a speaking likeness, was consumed. The fire was falsely imputed to incendiaries, but was occasioned by ill-constructed flues. 364 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT In 1800, when the Court of the Tuileries was formed, society wore an appearance of morality and domestic virtue which it had never before displayed in France. The Noblesse, or what was at length by common consent denominated the Faubourg Saint Germain, was constrained to follow the general current, although here again some exceptions were known in ladies who founded their fame on the importation of follies from Brussels, Coblentz, etc., and afterward from England. Eventually, the Imperial Court, like all else pertaining to sovereignty, spread its malign influence. It was, however, comparatively but little open to censure, as the Emperor exercised a magical sway over every woman admitted to his Court. When the different powers had adopted the new Con- stitution proposed after the i8th Brumaire, and which 1 believe was the fourth they were called upon to sanction, the Government quitted the Luxembourg for the Tui- leries. It may be observed that the First Consul, who had at first lodged the Third Consul in the Pavilion of Flora, soon retook sole possession of it, and M. Lebrun, like Cambac6rfes, retired to the occupation of a private house. The whole Consular Triumvirate, however, was present at the reception of ambassadors or of national bodies. The 30th Pluviose, in the year viii. (19th Feb- ruary, 1800), the First Consul took possession of the palace of the kings, which, indeed, from the commence- ment of the Revolution, had been occupied by the National Representatives. At this time the Constitution of the 1 8th Brumaire exalted the Consular power above all other national authorities; it represented in itself the French people ; and such an authority required a suitable abode. Anyone who had witnessed the removal from the Lux- embourg to the Tuileries on the 30th Pluviose of the year viii., if he had then fallen asleep to the sound of military music, playing all our patriotic airs, and had been awakened by the thunder of cannon on the morn- ing of the 2d of December, announcing that the Em- peror Napoleon was about to be crowned by the Pope in Notre Dame, would have discovered a curious contrast between the two processions. In the first, on account of the scarcity of private carriages at that time in Paris, DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 36s it was necessary to engage for councilors of state and senators hackney coaches, whose numbers were covered with white paper, producing an effect far more ludicrous than if the numbers had remained visible. On the day of his installation at the Tuileries, scarcely had the First Consul arrived before he mounted his horse and held a review in the court of the palace, which was not then surrounded by a railing, but inclosed by ill- jointed boards; and the Place du Carrousel was then small and very irregular. The change was rapid; a word from Napoleon was sufficient. The First Consul admitted that he was happy during his reviews. " And you, too, I am sure, are well content while I am with your conscripts," said he one day to General Lannes. " You do not grumble because the parade retards our dinner for an hour. '* " Oh dear no ! " replied General Lannes, " it is all alike to me, whether I eat my soup warm or cold, provided you will set us to work at making a hot broth for those rascally English.*' He had an aversion for the English that I have never observed in any other general of the Emperor's army, even of those who had fought under the Republic. The quintidians (for we must speak the language of the period) were chosen for reviews, or rather for parades, in the court of the Tuileries. These parades were a spectacle worth seeing, especially during the Consulate. Under the Empire they might be more magnificent; but in 1800 their splendor was wholly national. It was the glory of France that we contemplated in those squadrons and battalions, which, whether composed of conscripts or veterans, equally impressed with fear the foreigner who surveyed them from the windows of the palace; for the ardor of the young troops was fostered by constantly be- holding the old musketeers of the Consular Guard cov- ered with scars. The First Consul took pleasure in these reviews, which would sometimes occupy him for five hours together, without a moment's interval of repose. All the regi- ments in France came alternately to Paris and passed in review with the Guards every fortnight at noon. The First Consul was on these" occasions always attended by the aid-de-camp on duty, the Minister of War, the Gen- eral commanding the first Division, and the Command- 366 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT ant of Paris, the Commissary-General, the Commissaries of War attached to the city of Paris; in short, all per- sons to whom orders must be immediately transmitted, in case the First Consul should, in the course of the in- spection, find any alteration or improvement requisite. By this means no delay could arise in the communication of orders: everything was done instantaneously and satisfactorily, for it was well understood that the eye of the chief closely superintended all, and that if punish- ment were awarded to negligence, punctuality would be duly appreciated. Sometimes he galloped along the ranks, but this was rare; he never, indeed, sat his horse unless the troops had already passed in review and he was satisfied that nothing was wanting. Even then he would address a few questions to two or three soldiers casually selected; but generally after riding along the ranks on his white horse {le D^sir^) he would alight, and converse with all the field officers, and with nearly all the subalterns and soldiers. His solicitude was extended to the most mi- nute particulars — the food, the dress, and everything that could be necessary to the soldier, or useful to the man, divided his attention with the evolutions. He encouraged the men to speak to him without restraint. " Conceal from me none of your wants," he would say to them; *' suppress no complaints you may have to make of your superiors. I am here to do justice to all, and the weaker party is especially entitled to my protection." These words he one day addressed to a demi-brigade (I believe it was the 17th), aware that the regiment be- fore its removal to Paris had suffered deprivations in the department where it had been in garrison. Such a sys- tem was not only attended with immediately beneficial results, but was adroitly adapted to answer a general and not less useful purpose. The Army and its Chief thus became inseparably united, and in the person of that Chief the Army beheld the French Nation. Thus the State, through him, dispensed both blame and com- mendation. Besides, Paris by this means became ac- quainted with the army; and the troops, in turn, visiting the capital, ceased to regard it as another world, and themselves as foreigners in it. My husband, who invariably attended the First Consul DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 367 on these parades, communicated to me everything remark- able; and in reporting the achievements of a day, which to other men would have comprised the labor of a month, would add : " All this proceeds with magic mechan- ism ; this man is a supernatural being. " Junot, it is true, might view his favorite General with prejudiced eyes; but not on these occasions, for he was at this period of his life truly admirable. The Diplomatic Corps showed great eagerness to wit- ness the parades, a privilege usually enjoyed by foreign- ers from the windows of General Duroc, who already occupied that part of the ground floor at the end of the Empress's apartments. From the same place I saw the first parade after my marriage, on which occasion an amus- ing adventure happened to my father-in-law. Junot's attendance being required on horseback, he could not escort me to Duroc's, but intrusted me to his own family, who themselves had never seen a parade. Arrived at the railing of the Pont Royal, we alighted, and, crossing the garden, endeavored to gain on foot Duroc's door, which is situated at the right corner of the vestibule; but it was late, and we were compelled to make our way through a dense crowd. My mother-in- law, always happy and always merry, only jested on the pommelings she encountered; but her husband, quite unaccustomed to such things, was in terrible ill-humor, and railed particularly at the carelessness of young Parisian ladies, who would risk handsome cashmere shawls in such a crowd, repeatedly assuring me that I should lose mine, and at the same time boasting his own pru- dence in securing his watch by guarding it constantly with his hand. ; His cautions and vaunts were of course alike over- heard, and as the most effectual means of momentarily eluding his vigilance, a dexterous twitch was given to my shawl ; the manceuver completely succeeded — I screamed, the shawl was saved; but, alas! that moment sufficed for the abstraction of the carefully-guarded watch; and its unfortunate master, on discovering his loss, clamorously lamented over an old and valued servant of thirty-five years' standing, till reminded by Madame Junot that it stopped about once a week, and had within the last year cost him fifty francs in repairs. 368 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Meanwhile we had reached Duroc's door, and were placed at a window. The parade had not yet commenced. The oificers were silently promenading in the ranks of their respective regiments, speaking occasionally, but only in a whisper, to a soldier or subaltern, when the carriage of a weapon or the position of a hat seemed to demand rectifying. Junot, who knew the passionate enthusiasm of my patriotism, had warned me that I should be much ex- cited; he kissed his hand to me in passing, and, smiling to see my handkerchief at my eyes, whispered to Duroc, when both again looked at me, and I observed that my emotion affected them. A foreigner sat near me whose admiration of the scene before him was so profound and so worthy of the occasion that it struck me, and he wore a badge so singular that I could not resist the impulse of curiosity, and inquired the meaning of it. It was a batiste handkerchief of extraordinary whiteness, tied around his arm like the scarf of an aid-de-camp. " It is a memorial of my Sovereign and of a glorious day, madame, " answered he, and announced himself as Baron d'Ernsworth, the Swedish Minister.* I introduced to him the parents of General Junot, to whom he was as polite as he could have been to the Montmorencies and the La Tremouilles of France ; he was near fifty years of age, and of a fine figure, perhaps somewhat too much embonpoint for the elegance of the military costume which he wore. He spoke, with an expression which went to my heart, of the reputation of him whose name I bore. " So young, " said he, ** and already so famous; but with such a captain how can the lieutenants, though but children, be otherwise than worthy sons of their country ! " At this moment the First Consul stopped under our window, and said to a drummer of about sixteen or seven- teen, " So it was you, my brave boy, who beat the charge *A revolution took place on the iSth of August, 1772. The partisans of Guiland adopted as a rallying sig^ a white handkerchief tied round the arm ; and the King, after his final success, granted, as an honorary recompense to his faithful adherents, permission to wear for life a white handkerchief round the left arm, in commemoration of the service they had rendered to the Crown. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 369 before Zurich." The countenance of the young soldier was suffused with crimson, but it was not timidity which called the flush to his cheek. He raised toward the First Consul his large black eyes, sparkling with joy at being thus publicly distinguished, and replied in a half-tremu- lous, half -confident tone, " Oui, mon G6n6ral." " It was you, too, who at Weser gave proof of the most gallant presence of mind by saving your Commander. ** * The youth blushed still deeper, this time from modesty, and answered, in a lower voice than before, * Oui, mon G6n^ral." *Well, I must discharge the debt of the country; it will be paid you not in a ring of honor, but a saber of honor; I appoint you a subaltern in the Con- sular Guard; continue to behave well, and I will take care of you." As the First Consul ceased speaking he raised his eyes to the low window at which we were seated, and, touch- ing his hat, saluted us all with a gracious smile. My mother-in-law's eyes filled with tears, " How ought we to love this man ! " said she, crying and laughing together ; "see how the poor boy is overpowered." The young drummer was leaning on the shoulder of a comrade and following Bonaparte with his eyes. He was pale as death, but how eloquent were his looks! I know not what may have become of him, but I will answer for it if his life were sacrificed for Napoleon it cost him no regret. He was in the evening the subject of my conversation with the First Consul; he listened with interest, and addressing Berthier, who was just ar- rived from Spain, to take the portfolio of Minister of War, desired him to take down the young man's name, and provide him with an outfit for his new rank. He may be at this day either a general or of the number of the dead; one or other he most assuredly is. * I was particularly struck by this fact, because all the occurrences of this first parade made a deep impression upon my mind; but the military annals of the period are filled with similar anecdotes, too frequent to obtain insertion in '^The Moniteur,'" or other journals. Speaking of the above the same evening to the First Consul, as comparable to the noblest deeds of antiquity, he replied, «Bah! ask your husband; he will tell you there is neither regiment nor demi- brigade in the army that could not cite ten such. He himself would be the hero of several." 24 370 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT This parade was selected for my first attendance be- cause some spirited horses sent to the First Consul by the Spanish King were then to be presented. The cere- mony was said to recall the equestrian present made to Cromwell by a German prince. I know not what the Mecklenburgh horses might have been, but the Spanish were sixteen most beautiful creatures, both in coat and form; fourteen were from the royal stud, and two of them from the studs of the Count of Altamira and the Duke of Medina Coeli ; and these latter were the tallest and finest of the troop; the first, El Jounalero, a really superb animal, and the other of equal size and younger, showed the fire, the slight fetlock, and arched neck of the Arabian breed. The Diplomatic Corps was at that time composed of the Spanish and Roman Ambassadors, the Ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Baden, and Hesse Cassel; the Dutch Ambassador, M. Schimmelpening, celebrated for his beau- tiful and most courteous wife; Ambassadors from the Cisalpine and Ligurian Republics, and a Swiss Min- ister. Prussia, still desirous of an accommodation with us, had, in October, 1800, dispatched M. Lucchesini on a special mission, but his credentials as Minister Plenipo- tentiary were not presented till 1801 or 1802; he re- mained but a few years with us, and after the campaign of Jena returned no more to France. The First Consul disliked him, and accused him of intriguing. "Not that he entraps me," said Bonaparte; but he willingly would, and that offends me. If those who ne- gotiate with me did but know how much more surely their tortuous path tends to ruining themselves than to misleading me, they would choose a straighter road. " An attention which M. Lucchesini hoped would work wonders was, on the contrary, displeasing to the First Consul, and threw the foreign diplomatist into a dilemma from which he could never recover, because he was long unconscious of it ; this was haranguing the First Consul in Italian on delivering his credentials. Bonaparte had a strong objection to being addressed in Italian; he was, and chose to be, a Frenchman. DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 371 Soon after this the Congress of Luneville gave us peace with Austria, and that of Amiens with England. Russia also became our ally, and all this within less than a year. These are delightful recollections, and again I exclaim. Oh, what a time was that! CHAPTER LI. Revival of the Public Prosperity — Destruction of the Bands of Rob- bers — M. Dubois, Prefect of Police — The Exhibition of 1800 — David and the Picture of the Sabines — Girodet, and the Vengeance of an Artist — The Satirical Picture of Danae — Gerard — Belisarius and the Portrait of Moreau — The King of Spain's Pistols given to General Moreau — Remarkable Words of Napoleon — Moreau's Distrust of him — Napoleon's Popularity. I HAVE already observed with what rapidity General Bonaparte had succeeded in consolidating a corps, which every day acquired new strength and stability. All who surrounded him, it must be acknowledged, lent their aid with a persevering ability, of which he could thoroughly appreciate the advantage. Every day brought news of the seizure of some fresh band of brigands, robbers of diligences, forgers, or false coiners; the latter especially were very numerous. Dubois, the Prefect of Police, was extremely zealous and active in discovering the guilty, and such as under futile political pretexts disturbed the public tranquillity; he was inestimable in his place, and Napoleon, who un- doubtedly knew how to discern and to employ the men who would answer his purpose, took care not to remove him from his office till after the fire at Prince Schwartzen- burg's ball. Not only were all the interior wheels of the State ma- chine beginning to play, but even the arts, that more silent and centrical spring, afforded striking proofs of the reviving prosperity of France. The Exhibition was this year particularly good. Gu6rin, David, Gerard, Girodet, and a powerful assemblage of talent, excited by that emulation which the fire of genius always inspires, pro- duced works which will hereafter raise our school to an 372 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT elevated rank. The picture of the Sabines and of Marcus Sextus, besides several portraits, adorned the list of paintings for the year i8oo. I will here notice some circumstances connected with them worth preserving, and not recorded in the journals. The first is somewhat unworthy of the talent of David. On some frivolous pretense, instead of sending his " Rape of the Sabines " to the Salon, he privately exhibited it on payment of a franc, to the peril and danger of Pari- sian mothers, who, as was observed in a pretty little vaudeville which appeared at the time, dared not take their daughters with them. Girodet was then in the full vigor of his genius, and united with it a mind of a superior order; but he was irascible and passionate, of which this year afforded an instance capable of tarnishing his high character. He had painted the portrait of a female celebrated for her beauty and dramatic talents, and some discussion arising respecting the payment, the husband imprudently indulged in some very disparaging expressions, which were repeated to the enraged artist, who, disfigfuring the portrait with a knife, returned it with an intimation that the lady might dispose as she pleased both of it and its stipulated price, as he should pay himself in his own way. If Girodet had confined himself to the threat, which was intended no doubt to alarm the parties, all would have been well, but he went further, and was wrong in so doing. The Salon was to be open for some days to come ; with a rapidity difficult to conceive, he painted and caused to be placed at the Exhibition a picture of extraordinary merit, representing the interior of a garret. In one corner was a miserable bedstead, covered with a wretched mattress and a blanket full of holes ; on this lay a young and beautiful maiden, with a headdress of peacock's feathers, having no other clothing than a tunic of gauze, through which were seen a pair of legs of gigantic thick- ness. She held this dress with her two hands to catch a shower of gold that fell from the roof of the garret. Near the bed was a lamp, whose dazzling brightness attracted a crowd of butterflies, who all found their de- struction in the traitorous light. Beneath the bedstead was seen an enormous turkey, stretching forth one of hi3 DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 373 feet, on the toe of which was a wedding ring. In an obscure comer of the room was an old woman, dressed like a beggar, resembling perfectly a decrepit wretch who was often seen asking alms at the gate of the Palais Royal, and who, it was said, was the mother of the original in the cut picture, and of whom there was a striking likeness in the recumbent Danae. Other allusions in the picture were equally remarkable, among them a frog swelling itself to an unnatural size, etc. From the first moment of its exhibition this picture attracted the undivided curiosity of the visitors; but whether Girodet ( who afterward testified some regret for the extremity to which his resentment had been carried ) relented, or whatever the cause, the picture was in a few days withdrawn. A piece of a different kind, and the principal orna- ment of the Salon, was Gerard's portrait of General Moreau. The hand which portrayed Belisarius and Psyche was there distinctly traceable. It was a chef-d'czuvre. Not only was the resemblance perfect, but it seemed to possess a soul. It was not color laid on canvas, it was animate; it was General Moreau himself who looked upon you. The position, too, was admirably chosen. It would have been easy and natural to represent him in full ac- tion, with all the splendid appendages of military cos- tume, for assuredly Moreau has more than once headed his troops in the hour of danger; but he was habitually calm and reflective; this, therefore, was the expression Gerard judiciously selected, and the dress and attitude were in keeping. Judging by other works of Gerard, this will probably always retain the beauty of its color- ing. Independently of his professional talent, G6rard was eminently gifted, and all his compositions are full of mind. His Belisarius is admirable; there are but two persons, an infant and an old man, but no circumstance is omitted that can excite interest in favor of the old Roman general. In the background of that gray head stamped by Justinian with the anathema of mendicity, is seen only a desert, and a scorching yet stormy horizon. The features of his youthful guide already exhibit the 374 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT livid paleness of death. Belisarius is thus alone with the agony of death on a narrow path, at the brink of a preci- pice: one step and he must fall. His arm, which ad- vances a useless staff, seems to start from the canvas; he is abandoned by all Nature. The portrait of Moreau reminds me of an anecdote con- cerning him, which occurred at that time, and was after- ward related to me by Junot, who was an eye witness. When the rupture of the armistice in Italy and Germany was foreseen, General Moreau came to Paris to receive the orders of Government. He arrived at ten in the morning of the 17th of October, and instantly, without even changing his boots, went to the Tuileries. The First Consul was at the time in the Council of State, but as soon as he heard of General Moreau's arrival he hastened to hold a conference with him. While he was in the salon, the Minister of the Interior, Lucien Bonaparte, happened to enter, bringing a pair of pistols of extremely fine and curious workmanship, which Boutet had just completed by order of the Directory as a present for the King of Spain. They were valuable, both for the skill the artist had applied to their construc- tion and for a great quantity of diamonds and precious stones with which they were embellished. "These arms come very apropos," said the First Consul, presenting them to General Moreau with that smile which could win hearts of stone — " General Moreau will do me the favor to accept them as a mark of the esteem and gratitude of the French nation." "Citizen Minister," added Bonaparte, turning toward his brother, "have some of the battles of General Mo- reau engraved on the pistols, but not all ; we must leave some room for diamonds. Not because the General at- taches much value to them; I know that his Republican virtue disdains such baubles, but we must not altogether derange the design of Boutet." Methinks, after such expressions, Moreau might have placed confidence in the friendship Bonaparte offered him. Why should the First Consul have flattered him? Why, especially, should he at that time have offered him a hand which was not sincerely friendly? Was it to flatter the popularity of Moreau? At this period the popularity of Bonaparte was far superior to his. Hohen- DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 375 linden was not then gained, and even after that brilliant victory Napoleon had no cause to dread a rival in the hearts of Frenchmen; at this period he was really be- loved. CHAPTER LII The Eastern Queen at the Com^die Franjaise — Pauline and Her Por- trait — The Young Sempstress of M. de Sales — Marriage of Con- venience, and the Army of Egypt — Cavalcade of Asses — Dinner at General Dupuy's, and the Wife without Her Husband — The Cup of CofEee and the Orange — Bonaparte, Berthier, and the Husband Ambassador — An English Tour — Gallantry of Kleber — Good- ness of Desgenettes — Return to France, and the Divorce — Dread of Scandal, and the Wife with Two Husbands — Saint Helena, and Admirable Conduct 1WAS one day at the ComMie Frangaise with my hus- band, attentively listening to Talma in the part of Orestes, when Junot, touching my arm, told me to look attentively at a young woman he was about to salute, and who was seated between Berthier's box and our own. My eye followed his salute, and I saw a woman of about twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, florid as a young girl of fifteen, and of a gay and agreeable coun- tenance. Her flaxen hair formed the only ornament of her head. She was wrapped in a magnificent white cash- mere shawl, with an embroidered border, and appeared to be en nigligd. She returned Junot's salute with an air of acquaintance which surprised me, and I inquired her name. "It is Pauline," said he, "our Eastern Queen." He had already mentioned Madame Fourfes to me, to caution me against the indiscretion of naming her before Madame Bonaparte. " This, then, is Madame Four^s, " said I, and instantly put to him all the inquiries one woman will make concerning another woman whom she sees for the first time. He told me she had natural wit, and a desire of distinction, but a total ignorance of the manners of tie world, that is to say, of good and elegant man- ners. 376 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT "I like her much," said Junot; *she is kind-hearted, simple, and unaffected, always disposed to join in mirth, and still more ready to oblige. I have a friendship for her, and hope to prove it; but there are, about the per- son of the First Consul, men who were at her feet in Egypt, and have since refused to know her, and repulsed her in the little intercourse she has been obliged to hold with them. Duroc, who has honor and a feeling heart, told me that the poor young creature knew not what would have become of her had she not opportunely met with him to convey a letter for her to General Bonaparte. She is no longer in want of anything, and this is no more than a debt which the First Consul owes to a woman whom he has sincerely loved." I afterward learned a variety of particulars relating to Madame Foures, and as she was !long attached to the fate of Napoleon, and gave him in adversity proofs of gratitude and interest, I think it best to insert here all that I know of her. Pauline was born at Carcassone. Her father was a gentleman, but her mother either a chamb'irmaid or cook. The education of the young daughter partook of the mixed rank to which she owed her birth; she received some instruction, and finally went out to work. She was one of the prettiest girls in the town, and perfectly virtuous. My friends, M. and Madame de Sales, showed her a kindness, which her conduct justified, and treated her more like a child of their own than a workwoman, for her conduct was most exemplary. She recited M. de Sales's verses, and sang with taste, and it was here principally that her beauty acquired her the surname of Bellilotte. The son of a retired merchant named Fourfes was charmed by that pretty Hebe face and the fame which attended it; he paid his addresses to her, but as he was far from agreeable she hesitated for some time; an ac- cidental introduction to the table of M. de Sales, to entertain his guests with her singing, and the impression she was sensible of having made there, induced her to consult M. de Sales on the subject of the marriage. " M. Fourfes offers me the advantage of a fortune," said she, "moderate, it is true, but independent. I think I will accept him," and shortly after she married him. DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 377 The intended Egyptian expedition was soon announced at Carcassone, and Fourfes, who had seen service, willing to answer the national appeal to all the retired officers capable of bearing arms, set out for Toulon, the general RENDEZVOUS. He tenderly loved his young bride, and made her the companion of his journey, while her adven- turous spirit wished for nothing better than to share all danger and fatigue with her husband. She put on male attire therefore, and they arrived in Egypt ; it is not true that Napoleon had seen her in France, or that he had dressed her as a naval aspirant on board the "Orient," as I have read in a foolish book, whose author has col- lected together all the most absurd falsehoods respecting Napoleon. When at Cairo, the General-in-Chief was one day rid- ing, followed by a numerous staff, to attend a sort of fair about a league from the town, when the party was detained on the road by a troop of asses, commonly used for the saddle in that country. They were mounted by officers and some of their wives. General Bonaparte, who is well known to have had a quick eye, was struck by a passing glimpse of a female face, yet he pursued his route without a hint of the circumstance. The next day Madame Fourfes received an invitation to dine with General Dupuy, Commandant of the city, who had with him a Madame Dupuy, and the invitation was sent in her name as well as his. "It is singular," said Fourfes, "that I am not invited with my wife, for I am an officer. He was a lieutenant in the 22d Chasseurs £ Cheval. He, however, allowed his wife to go, strongly recommending her to make it understood that she had a husband, a fact already but too well known. Madame Fourfes was most politely received. The dinner party was select, and everything passed off quietly, and with- out the smallest indication of what was to follow ; but at the moment coffee was about to be served, a great com- motion was heard in the house, the folding doors hastily opened, and the General-in-Chief appeared. Dupuy made many apologies for being found at table, and pressed a cup of coffee upon Napoleon, which he ac- cepted. He was taciturn, and fixed his attention on the young Frenchwoman, who, blushing crimson, dared not raise her eyes, and grew momentarily more and more 378 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT dismayed at finding herself so obviously an object of at- tention to a man whose great name was already the theme of the world. The General-in-Chief refreshed him- self with an orange and a cup of coffee, and then took his leave, without having addressed a single word to Ma- dame Fourfes, but also without having once taken his eyes off her. A few days after Fourfes was sent for by Berthier. «My dear Fourfes," said the Chief of the Staff, putting into his hands a voluminous packet, " more fortunate than any of us, you are about to revisit France. The General-in-Chief has had reports of you which inspire him with such perfect confidence that he sends you to Europe as the bearer of dispatches to the Directory. You are to set out within an hour ; here is an order to the Commander of the port of Alexandria. Adieu, my dear fellow ; I wish I were in your place. ** "But I must go and apprize my wife, that she may make her preparations," said Fourfes, recovering at length from the stupefaction he had been thrown into by a fa- vor which he received with instinctive doubts. He was, however, dissuaded by unanswerable arguments, from carrying his wife with him; and Berthier affected sym- pathy with his distress at the necessary separation. Fourfes, amid his grief, was tolerably self-satisfied; for, inconceivable as were the singular favors which had sought him out in his obscurity, we all have a reserve of vanity to assist us in comprehending what is incom- prehensible; and before he reached his lodging Fourfes had discovered within himself many reasons to explain the General's choice. His wife, who understood them rather better, took leave of him, "with a tear in her eye," and the good lieutenant, embarking, sailed for France. At that period it was more easy to embark for France than it was to land there. The English were on the alert, and no sooner was a sail descried on the surface of the ocean than twenty grappling irons fell pounce upon it, and it was carried — God knows where. Fourfes's small vessel shared the common fate of those which left the ports of Egfypt; it was taken, and himself searched even to his shirt for the important papers he was supposed to have concealed ; but on examining those which his utmost address could not withhold, the English DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 379 captain found them to contain nothing but well known particulars which he remembered to have seen osten- tatiously published in the "•Moniteur,'" from a previous dis- patch that had had the good fortune to escape. This gentleman, vastly polite and accommodating, inquired of the lieutenant ambassador where he would choose to be landed. He was himself bound for Mahon ; from thence he sailed to the Molucca Islands; thence on a grand tour in the Pacific, or toward the Pole, depend- ing on the instructions he might find at Macao; finally, he would very probably revisit the waters of the Nile; and if M. le Lieutenant preferred a residence on the coast during this little tour, he, a captain in the service of his Brittanic Majesty, was quite at his command. Poor Fourfes timidly asked if he could not return whence he came. "For," observed he, very judiciously, "now that I am but an empty mail, what end would it answer to absent myself from my wife ? Let me return to Cairo. " The English captain, who, among other circumstantial intelligence from the interior of Egypt, was pretty well acquainted with the affairs of Madame Fourfes and the General-in-Chief, landed the good lieutenant according to his desire, with great politeness and apparent cordiality, and wished him good luck. Fourfes hastened to embrace his Bellilotte, but Bellilotte was no longer beautiful for him; he found his lodging deserted, and, his affection being sincere, the poor fellow's consternation and mis- ery were proportionate. His wife was easily found; she inhabited an hotel close to that of the General; and being persecuted with his entreaties to return, she obtained a divorce pronounced by Commissary-General Sartelon. Napoleon was much attached to Madame Fourfes, who possessed every qualification calculated to attach him — qualifications still more brilliantly attractive in a distant and barbarous country, where the rest of her sex within reach were of a station and character from whom Bona- parte would not so much as have thought of seeking a companion. In Pauline he found an active and ardent imagination, an affectionate disposition, abundance of native humor, and a mind cultivated without pedantry. Perfectly unaffected and disinterested, she was all 38o MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT tenderness and devotion. Combining with so many at- tractions a captivating exterior, Bellilotte could not fail of being beloved by a man to whom pretension, affecta- tion and self-interest were odious in women. She was as full of fun and gayety as a girl of twelve, and Napoleon often joked her upon this gayety, and upon the laughing he had heard in the donkey adventure on the road to Boulac. Her situation threw her into fre- quent contact with the inferior agents of the commis- sariat and military treasury, and Bonaparte would often laughingly joke her upon her intimacies with them ; but had he believed such things he would never have men- tioned them, even in jest, and she gave him in reality no cause of complaint. When Napoleon determined on quitting Egypt she alone was apprised of so important a resolution. With much grief she was convinced of the impossibility of following him through the chances of a dangerous jour- ney. * I may be taken," said he, when in tears she pe- titioned to attend him, promising to brave every difficulty, a promise she would religiously have observed — "I may may be taken by the English ; my honor must be dear to you: and what would they say to find a woman at my elbow ? " After his departure, Egypt was to her but a vast desert. Napoleon left orders with Kl^ber to ship off, with as little delay as possible, certain persons whom he named. I have already reported how these orders were executed with respect to my husband and brother- in-law. Poor Bellilotte met with no better fate, and be- ing a woman, felt it more acutely. Klfeber, who in spite of a stature of six feet, and great military talent, was sometimes mean and pitiful in his notions, delighted in the power of tyrannizing over a woman who had been the mistress of Bonaparte, and in preventing his friends from joining him ; but Desgenettes, ever ready to assist the unhappy, conceiving the distress of Madame Fourfes, deprived of her defender, and exposed to the vengeance of a man who loved her, and whose jealousy must produce vexatious, perhaps dangerous con- sequences, came to her assistance, and interposed so effectually with Klbber for the delivery of the passport that Madame Fourfes immediately obtained it and sailed for France, where she found her Egyptian friend in cir' DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 381 cumstances which gave him new claims on her affec- tion. Napoleon was, however, but newly reconciled to Joseph- ine, and was too deeply immersed in serious and im- portant labors to admit of any distraction. Though indifferent to Josephine, his attachment for her had once been sufficient to enable her to replace, in his imagination at least, a connection that might have afforded him happi- ness. Bellilotte was therefore discarded: from Duroc, who was especially charged with the disposal of her fate, I know the internal struggles which this decision cost Napoleon; but her name was Josephine's most effective weapon in all her domestic quarrels, and she would have allowed him neither peace nor respite had she once learned that Madame Fourfes had a house in Paris. Napoleon, anxious above all things to avoid publicity, recommended a house out of town. And Pauline, ever resigned to the wishes of him she loved, hired or pur- chased a cottage at Belleville near the Pr^-Saint Gervais, where she lived at the time Junot pointed her out to me at the ComMie. Fourfes also returned from Egypt, and the divorce pro- nounced abroad being invalid at home unless confirmed within a limited time, which had now elapsed, he reclaimed his wife, who refused his demand; and long and angry debates arose, which, reaching the ears of the First Con- sul, he with some harshness ordered the unfortunate wife to marry again. An opportunity offered in the person of M. Ramchouppe, who was enamored of her; and Bona- parte promised a consulate on the conclusion of the match. She consulted her old patron, M. de Sales, who was now practicing with credit as an advocate at Paris, and who still entertained a warm friendship for Bellilotte as well as for Fourfes. She finally determined, contrary to his judgment, to marry M. Ramchouppe, and set out with her new husband for his consulate. For many years nothing was heard from her; but on learning the captivity of Napoleon, the noble and exalted soul of Pauline rose superior to fear and prejudice. She realized part of her remaining property, and sailed from port to port, anxiously watching an opportunity to go to Saint Helena and to attempt the deliverance of him who 382 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT had ever been dear to her as her best friend, and who personified the glory of her country. Her plan was some time organizing, and no sooner was it completed than Napoleon's death crushed all her hopes. Pauline was in Brazil when the news reached her; where she may be now I know not, but in what- ever quarter of the globe, should this book meet her eye, I could wish that it may convey to her the expres- sion of my admiration and gratitude for a feeble woman, whose courage and feeling prompted an undertaking which men had not heart enough even to attempt. CHAPTER LIII. Awakening and Nocturnal Sally of Junot — The Adjutant Laborde — Chevalier's Machine — Accomplices and Informers — Attempts against the First Consul's Life — Difficult Arrest — The Madmen — Conspiracies — Secrets imparted to CaSarelli — Lavoisier — Poverty a Bad Counselor — The Rule audits Exceptions — Description of the Machine — Maxim of the First Consul — The Military Family. SOME days after my marriage I found Junot depressed and abstracted, visiting the Prefect of Police several times a day, often awakened in the night by an old adjutant called Laborde, who came to make reports, which seemed to be of great importance ; he once got up at three o'clock in the morning, dressed himself, and sallied out on foot with this man, although the cold was excessive, and he had been suffering all day with a violent headache, which had entirely deprived him of appetite. But the interests at stake were very dear, and all else was forgotten. At length, on the 7th of November, he appeared more calm, and told me that the First Consul had just escaped a danger which must have been followed by the most disastrous consequences; for not only must the plan, if executed, have succeeded, but all the neighboring inhab- itants would have been its victims. This was the infer- nal machine of Chevalier, a prelude to the conspiracy of the 23d of December. Chevalier, whose name is almost the only one connected with this affair, was far from being its DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 383 sole contriver. Men named Bousquet, Gombaud-Lachaise, Desforge, Gu6rauld, and a Madame Bucquet, were ar- rested at the same time, and, with Chevalier, confined in the temple. This machine, which Chevalier was con- structing, was seized in a chamber which he shared with a man named Veycer, in a house called the house of the Blancs-Manteaux. He had left his former lodging because the police were in search of him. Veycer, his fellow laborer, was at first his comrade, and afterward, whether through remorse or by means of bribery, was induced to assist in his arrest. It was ap- prehended that Chevalier, finding himself lost, might in a moment of despair set fire to the combustibles around him and blow up with himself the house and all that it contained. Veycer's business was to prevent this, but Chevalier, as was natural to the part he was playing, was extremely suspicious. On retiring to rest he fas- tened his door with an oaken bar, and had always at hand a pair of excellent and well-loaded pistols; all this his bedfellow was aware of, and was not unmindful of his own safety. On the eve of Chevalier's arrest the progress of his machine was at a standstill for want of money ; and Bous- quet, who appears to have been hitherto the banker of the diabolical enterprise, was equally without funds. Veycer was dispatched in quest of money, which, of course, was not difficult to procure, as only six or eight francs were wanted. He brought them late at night, so that nothing could be undertaken till the morning. Chevalier's confidence in his comrade (whose real name was not Veycer, and whom I shall simply call his com- rade) was strengthened by this new service, and he slept amid fusees and cartridges as tranquilly as if sur- rounded by roses. The comrade had little difficulty in persuading him not to burn a light, so that the room was in perfect dark- ness, and to this circumstance he owed his safety; for, on hearing the first shake of the door by the police agents, he sprang forward to remove the bar that op- posed them, and Chevalier, perceiving that he was betrayed, fired a pistol, which lodged its contents in the wall, but would not have missed his comrade had there been a light. 384 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT This arrest took place at two in the morning of the 7th of November, a date impressed on my memory by the circumstance that, had my mother's intended ball that evening taken place, with so many of those wretches about the town who went by the name of the madmen, and had been agitating for three months past, the probable con- sequences of their learning that the First Consul was about to spend a part of the night, unguarded, at a private house, where, on entering or returning, his per- son was so much more accessible than amid the crowds that surround a public spectacle, could not but make both my mother and myself shudder. The sect called the Enrages was composed of the very dregs of the worst days of the Revolution. The cleverest of them, and their ringleader, was one Moses Bayle, for- merly a Conventionalist, who headed the attempt on the vaults of the Tuileries, opposite the Vigier baths, when the first grating yielded ; but the second, having a stronger lock, set force at defiance. The same party, under the same leader, attempted to assassinate the First Consul before the affair of Ceracchi and Ar6na. This conspiracy, which had been framed almost unknown to the police, so completely were its authors protected by their insig- nificance, was discovered by an honest man whom they would willingly have made an accomplice; but, revolting at the enormity of the project, he sought out General Caffarelli, aid-de-camp to the First Consul, and revealed to him the whole affair. This man's name owes its preservation chiefly to its similarity to one of great celeb- rity, Lavoisier. Paris was at this time infested with swarms of par- doned Chouans, and other vagabonds of all descriptions, who conspired against the First Consul's life, not for the sake of liberty, but because so terrible a catastrophe would throw all Paris into confusion, and enable them to repeat the horrors of the loth of August and 2d of September. But it was the opinion both of Junot and Fouch6, who agreed on this point alone, that other heads controlled, and other counsels animated the machinations of which these illiterate and half-armed banditti were made to appear the sole contrivers. Since the First Consul had been in power more than ten obscure conspira- cies had been discovered, and he, with the same great- DUCHESS OF ABRANTES a^S ness of mind which never afterward deserted him, enjoined the authorities not to divulge them. " They would lead the nation to suppose that the State is not tranquil, nor must we allow foreigners this mo- mentary triumph; they would easily take advantage of it, and it shall not be." I heard the whole history of Chevalier's affair from the old adjutant Lahorde, who came the next morning to relate it to Junot ; and also from Doucet, Chief of the Staff of Paris. The little machine was brought for Junot's inspection. It was a small cask filled with squibs, and balls containing seven or eight pounds of powder. It was bound at each extremity with two hoops of iron, and near the middle was introduced a gun barrel, having the trigger strongly attached to the cask with pieces of iron. This infernal machine was to have been placed in the road of the First Consul. Fireworks were to have been thrown in all directions to increase the disorder; while chevaux-de-frise, manufactured by a locksmith, who was taken into custody, being placed in the adjacent streets, were to prevent the arrival of troops, and thus give time to men, capable of so diabolical a conception, to commit their meditated crimes. Junot especially directed me not to mention this affair to any of my mother's associates ; and so well did I obey his instructions that my mother knew nothing of the matter till the 23d of December. I soon, indeed, accus- tomed myself to hear almost mechanically matters of the utmost importance discussed; a habit that was com- mon to me as well as to all the young wives of my time, whose husbands were continually about the Chief of the State, or engaged in highly confidential transac- tions. The first time that I dined at the Tuileries, I was placed as a bride next to the First Consul; the Duchess de Montebello, then Madame Lannes, was seated on the other side; it was about a week after this discovery; he asked me if I had mentioned it to my mother. I answered, * No, for I was unwilling to give her uneasi- ness; and besides," added I, * Junot tells me such things must be talked of as little as possible." " Junot is right," added he ; "I myself have recommended it to him. It is now no secret, as beyond a doubt the arrest of Chevalier 25 386 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT is pretty generally known; but I do not wish expla- nations, sought for more from curiosity than interest, by persons so nearly connected with me as Junot. '' And he added, "As for you, Madame Junot, now that you make a part of the family of my staff, you must see, hear, AND FORGET ( vous devcz tout voiT, tout entendre, et tout outlier). Have this device engraved on a seal. But I remember that you can keep a secret." (He alluded to the affair of Salicetti.) CHAPTER LIV. Garat, and the Ridiculous Cravats — Haydn's Oratorio — Brilliant As- semblage at the Opera — Junot's Dinner with Berthier, the 23d of December — General Security and Extraordinary Noise — The First Consul at the Opera, and Duroc at the Door of My Box — The Infer- nal Machine — M. Diestrich, Aid-de-Camp to Vandamme — Return from the Opera — My Presence at the Tuileries the Evening of the 23d of December — Remarkable Scenes — Danger of Madame Bonaparte — Involuntary Tears — Correct Details Relative to the Infernal Ma- chine — Exaggeration of the Number of Victims — Junot's Coachman, and the Danger Avoided — Agreement of Fouch6 and Junot — Junot's Nightmare — My Life in Danger. MY mother's health was strikingly improved since my marriage. Contrary to my brother's inclinations, as well as mine, she had called in a new physician, named Vigaroux, the son of a skillful surgeon of Mont- pellier, and he seemed to work wonders. He engaged to cure her in six months, and she was surely enough re- lieved from pain. She dined with me, went to plays, was going about on visits the whole morning, and, far from feeling fatigued, she was the better for all this exertion. Garat, one of my mother's oldest and most assiduous acquaintances, came one day to entreat our attendance at the Opera on the 23d of December to hear Haydn's fine oratorio of the "Creation," which he, jointly with Steibelt, had arranged, and in which he was to take a part. My mother, who was passionately fond of good music and of Garat's singing, readily promised a com- pliance. She was to sit in my box; and as Junot dined DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 387 with Berthier, the new Minister of War, it was settled that I should dine with her ready dressed, and Junot would join us after dinner. My toilet completed for the evening, I entered the carriage with my brother-in-law, and we found my mother beautiful, gay, and enchanting. She was splendidly dressed in black velvet and diamonds, and no one would have supposed her of the age of sixty-two. We dined early; my mother ordered her horses while we took coffee, and we set out immediately afterward. It was seven when we arrived at the Opera. The house was crowded, and being well lighted, and the ladies in full dress, the spectacle was very brilliant. We distinguished Garat with his opera glass in his hand earnestly surveying the boxes to recognize his acquaint- ances; and though eight o'clock at night, he sought to catch a gleam of Aurora. He was more ridiculously dressed than usual ; no very easy matter. His coat collar stood higher than his head, and his rather monkeyish face was difficult to discern between ells of muslin by way of cravat below and a forest of curls above. The instruments were tuned, and this immense orchestra, more numerous than I had ever seen it before was pre- paring to render Haydn's chef-d'(£uvre more perfectly than he had ever the gratification of hearing it himself. Junot found my mother and me in high spirits, occu- pied in looking round this magnificent house, and return- ing the friendly and smiling salutations of our acquaintance. He was himself in a peculiar state of mind. Berthier had been repeating to him a conversation he had held with the First Consul respecting Junot; and his words were so full of kindness and friendship that Junot was sensibly affected, and his eyes watered, while happiness played in smiles on his lips. Scarcely were thirty bars of the oratorio played be- fore a violent explosion was heard, like the report of a cannon. " What means that ? * said Junot with emotion. He opened the box door, and looked about for one of his officers or aids-de-camp. '•'• It is strange ! " said he. " How can the guns be fired at this hour ? Besides, I should have known it! Give me my hat,* said he to my brother; «I will go and see what it is,'> Instantly Chev- 388 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT alier's machine occurred to me, and I seized the flaps of Junot's coat, but he looked angrily at me, and im- patiently snatched it from my grasp. At this moment the door of the First Consul's box opened and himself appeared, with General Lannes, Berthier, and Duroc. He smilingly saluted the immense crowds, who mingled frantic yells of pleasure with their acclamations. Madame Bonaparte followed in a few seconds, accom- panied by Colonel Rapp, Madame Murat (who was near her confinement), and Mademoiselle Beauharnais. Junot was re-entering the box to convince himself of the First Consul's serenity, which I had just remarked upon, when Duroc presented himself with a discomposed countenance and an excited air. He spoke in whispers to Junot, and we heard nothing of his communication; but at night Junot repeated it to me. " I love Duroc ; he is almost as much attached to the First Consul as Marmont and my- self." Duroc's words sufficiently explained the disturbed con- dition in which he appeared. " The First Consul has just escaped death, " said he hastily to Junot ; " go to him ; he wishes to speak to you, but be calm. It is impossible the event should remain unknown here a quarter of an hour ; but he wishes to avoid being himself the means of spreading such intelligence ; so come with me and let me lean on your arm, for I tremble all over. My first battle agitated me less." During the short conference of the two friends the oratorio had commenced; but the fine voices of Mes~ dames Branchu and Walboume ; and that of Garat, could not absorb the attention of the audience. All eyes were turned toward the First Consul, and he alone at this moment occupied our attention. As I have before ob- served, I had said nothing to my mother of Chevalier's infernal machine ; but my brother-in-law knew the whole affair, and I whispered a word in his ear, to dispatch him in search of news. I felt a presentiment of some misfortune. The moment Duroc spoke to Junot the latter turned pale as a specter, and I perceived him raise his hand to his forehead with a gesture of surprise and despair ; but, being unwilling to disturb my mother and the people in DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 389 the adjoining boxes, I contented myself with whispering to Junot to ask for intelligence. But before his return we had heard all. A subdued murmur began to spread from the stage to the orchestra, the pit, and the boxes. " The First Consul has just been attacked in the Rue Saint Nicaise." The truth soon circulated throughout the theater, when simultaneously, and as it were by an electric shock, one unanimous acclamation was heard. How tumultuous was the agitation which preceded the burst of national resent- ment! for in the first quarter of an hour the nation was represented by that crowd, whose indignation against so foul an attempt no words are capable of expressing. Meanwhile I was engaged in observing the First Con- sul's box, which, being immediately below me, enabled me to see and hear nearly all that passed in it. He was calm, and appeared only warmly affected when the gen- eral murmur conveyed to his ear any strong expression of the public feeling. Madame Bonaparte was not equally mistress of her feelings. Her whole frame was agitated; even her attitude, always so graceful, was no longer her own. She seemed to tremble, and to be desirous of sheltering herself under her shawl — the very shawl which had saved her life. She wept: notwithstanding all her efforts to repress her tears, they were seen trickling down her pale cheeks, and when she looked toward the First Consul her shivering fit returned. Her daughter too was greatly upset. As for Madame Murat, the char- acter of the family shone in her demeanor; although her situation might have excused the display of anxiety and distress so natural in the sister of the First Consul, she was, throughout this trying evening, perfectly composed. Junot, having received the orders of the First Consul, returned to desire we would not wait for him, and immediately left us upon duty. The Prefect of Police, whose box was next to mine, had long since quitted it and hastened to the Prefecture. When Junot was gone, my mother, who was now acquainted with the whole affair, told me that a young man of a military appear- ance, in the box beside me, had just told the ladies who occupied it that the conspirators had at first intended to lay their train at the door of the Opera, in which case the entire theater would have been blown up; and she 390 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT desired me to look at him, and tell her whether he were deserving of credit. It was M. Diestrich, aid-de-camp to General Van- damme, and the ladies in the box were his mother and sister. I had once seen him at my own house on Junot's reception day, and had met him two days before at General Mortier's. I begged him to tell me whether there was any new misfortune to be dreaded. " It is difficult," said he, "to answer that question. Death has been averted from the whole assemblage within these walls only by the observance of a general regulation that no carriage of any description shall be suffered to remain at the door of a theater the first night of a new piece. But," added M. Diestrich, lowering his voice, " none of the authors of this infamous crime are yet arrested; who can answer that a second blow may not be prepared against the First Consul at the moment of his leaving the theater, the first having failed ? As for myself, I am come to fetch my mother and sister, and when I have seen them safely home I shall return, for the arm of a man is always necessary in a tumult." " I will go too, " said my mother, '* this gentleman is per- fectly right ; give me my shawl, put on your own and let us go;" and she continued urging my departure, and even wrapped me in my furs. I knew that my mother would go, but for myself I would fain know Junot's proceedings and keep him in sight. I thought the First Consul's side his most probable station at such a moment. It was not his duty to be running through the narrow alleys of Paris hunting the conspirators from their lurking places, and I might reasonably suppose he would not be far from the Opera house. While I lingered, Junot opened the box door, and hastily said : " Go with your mother ; after setting her down, borrow her carriage to convey you to Madame Bonaparte's; I shall be there, and will take you home;" and away he ran. In spite of the excessive cold he was covered with perspiration. My brother-in-law accompanied us, and having set down my mother we proceeded to the Tuileries. The First Consul was returned from the Opera, and everything appeared as calm as if nothing had happened ; but in the salon things wore a different aspect. Several of the DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 391 authorities were assembled, the Ministers, the Consuls, the Commandant of Paris, General Mortier, Commandant of the Division, etc. The First Consul, who had hitherto appeared indifferent to all the attempts against him, showed this time no indulgence, and he had good reason. Madame Bonaparte was quite overpowered ; she cried incessantly. Independently of the danger the First Consul had so narrowly escaped, she had herself nearly fallen a victim to the explosion. As she was stepping into the carriage. General Rapp, who was not usually so observant of the perfect agreement of colors in a lady's dress, observed to her that her shawl matched neither her gown nor her jewels. Her perfect elegance in the adjustment of all the accessories of the toilet is well known, and she returned to repair the over- sight. Scarcely did it detain her three minutes, yet these sufficed for separating her carriage from that of the First Consul, which it was to have followed close. This delay saved her! The explosion took place just as Madame Bonaparte's carriage reached the Carrousel ; its windows were broken, and pieces of the glass fell on the neck and shoulders of Mademoiselle Beauharnais, who sat on the front seat of the carriage, and her shawl did not protect her from some slight cuts. It is well known that the barrel containing the powder and charge (and which resembled those borne by the water carriers) was placed on a crazy little cart, drawn by a mare, and so stationed as to impede the road. It was intended, while in the act of removal by the guards, to explode by internal machinery, and destroy every- thing within reach. It was afterward said that the rapidity of his carriage alone had saved the First Consul, and no doubt this circumstance had its share in his de- liverance ; but the real cause of it was the result of mere chance. The piquet of chasseurs escorting the First Consul preceded and followed the carriage. One of the foremost, perceiving that an old cart ob- structed the way, called to the driver to get on one side- but seeing no one (for Saint Regent, who lighted the train, was concealed behind a palisade), he struck the mare smartly on the haunches with the flat of his saber, which set her in motion, and advancing three or four 392 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT steps she seems to have deranged the packthread, which, by opening a valve, was to admit air and cause the explosion. The consequent delay was but momentary, yet it suf- ficed to insure the safety of the First Consul, whose carriage had meanwhile turned through the Rue de Malte into the Rue Richelieu, instead of passing through the Rue Saint Nicaise, where the machine was. The mare was killed, but without any external mark of injury, sa that a description of her was everywhere placarded, and the body deposited at the Prefecture of Police in order that the public might see and examine it, and perhaps be able to say to whom she formerly belonged. Such was the violence of the explosion, so terrible the impulsion, that a part of the wheel and one of the iron bands that encircled the cask, darting across the inter- vening space from the Rue de Malte to the Hotel d'Elboeuf, and unarrested even by the lofty height of that hotel, were hurled some distance beyond it. Curiosity proved fatal to many inhabitants of the Rues Saint Nicaise and de Malte. Madame L^ger, mistress of the Caf6 Apollo, at the corner of the two streets, run- ning to the door, according to her custom whenever the First Consul was to be seen passing, had both her breasts carried off by one of the hoops of the barrel, and survived but three days. One of the waiters at the same caf^ was killed, and the other wounded. The number of the victims has been much exaggerated. I have proofs that on that day the deaths did not exceed nine: they may, including the con- sequences, have afterward amounted to twenty-nine or thirty. Great, no doubt ; but far less frightful than if we had had to deplore the loss of two thousand people, as would have been the case had not the sentinel peremp- torily resisted the placing of the cart at the door of the Opera Houss It was not till my leturn home at night that I was in- formed of Junot's share in the danger. On his road to the Opera from the Ministry of Wsr, which was then at the Hotel d'Avray, Rue de Lille, passing under the arch of the Carrousel, he recollected that it was only seven, and the First Consul would not have set out. He there- fore ordered his coachman to stop at the Tuileries; but DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 393 the restiveness of his young and spirited horses ( we drove at that time the finest in Paris) frustrated this scheme. They were going with tremendous rapidity, and the coachman found it impossible to stop them till it would have become necessary to make a very awkward turn, and to again pass a narrow part of the street. Junot, therefore, with some signs of impatience, relin- quished his design, and again gave the word "to the Opera.'* Had he alighted at the Tuileries, Napoleon's carriage being full,* he must have followed in his own; and the train of guards, the last of whom had his horse killed, would most certainly have been blown up. No one, however, appeared sensible of the danger he had escaped but myself and the coachman, who for more than a year could not pass the Place du Carrousel without a shudder. All the authorities, the corporations, the tribunals, — everything that could call itself constituted, or wore the appearance of a body, — congratulated the First Consul and entreated him as a favor to pay more attention to his personal safety. The Council of State, with Boulay de la Meurthe at the head of its deputation, demanded especially that he would take measures for the mainte- nance of public order. But the most remarkable address was that of the City of Paris. This unfortunate city saw her interests at stake, exposed as she was to become the victim of miscreants, who cared not if, in the accom- plishment of their own criminal views, they brought de- struction on thousands of unoffending citizens. It was Etienne Mejean, Secretary-General of the De- partment of the Seine, at the head of the Mayors and of the General Council, who spoke, instead of Frochot, then Prefect, who was too ill to exercise his functions. Contemporary memoirs have made the Prefect present the Mayors to the First Consul, and have quoted his speech on the occasion. The question may or may not be an important one; but knowing the truth I report it. The next day, the 24th of December, the agitation of Paris was extreme. The heinous nature of the plot was known overnight, but its details were not generally un- derstood till the morning ; and I cannot too often repeat, * Lauriston, aid-de-camp on duty ; Lannes, commanding the guards, and Berthier, Minister of War, were with Napoleon. 394 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT that the indignation they excited was universal, and the interest manifested for the First Consul beyond expres- sion. It may be well imagined that all the authorities, civil and military, were at once in a state of activity, requir- ing no other stimulus. Opinions differed upon the di- rection the researches should take. Junot and Fouch6, who did not usually agree on police measures, could not convert the First Consul to their persuasion that all these frequent atrocities had their mainsprings both in France and at a distance from it. Napoleon was of a different opinion. " They are the work, " said he, * of those same Enrages, who embrace in their number a multitude of Septembrisers; " and nothing could shake this idea. Yet it was notorious that these men were but the foreposts of a party, and the cat's-paws of their secret instigators. " Do you believe that the cutthroats of the 2d and 3d of September, or that the executioners of the Re- publican marriages at Nantes, or the men who filled the ditches of Avignon with corpses, the assassins of the prisoners at Versailles, those wretches who for two years waded ankle deep in blood, signing decrees of death against the aged, such as the Abbess of Montmartre at ninety, or young victims of sixteen, such as the maids of Verdun — do you believe, sir," and he advanced a pace or two nearer to Fouch6 — " do you believe that all these men love liberty and the Republic? Can you answer YES? If you do, I for my part shall say no. I tell you that they are men determined on licentiousness — men who, on the very eve of the massacers I have enumer- ated, had not wherewith to pay for a loaf, and six months afterward were living in opulence; because they could, without a symptom of remorse, wear the clothing and sleep in the beds of their victims. You will tell me, perhaps, that some among them are still poor: it may be so; but for the most part they have long feasted on blood. I know what I know, '* added he, shaking his head. " A handful of wretches, who have calumniated Lib- erty by the crimes they have committed in her name, are the guilty parties,* said the First Consul. Dubois would not contradict him, though it was evident he thought with Junot and Fouch6. Fouch6 replied, " These DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 395 are fellows incapable of conceiving. They execute as the horse did who drew the machine, but can go no further. It would be useless were I to run after these men of the Abbaye-aux-Bois.* Only leave me time, and I will unravel many things." For two days Junot scarcely allowed himself an in- stant's repose. He would not intrust to subalterns a commission so important as the pursuit of the agents in so atrocious an enterprise. He rose almost before day- break, and from the headquarters of the garrison di- rected everything that fell under his jurisdiction. The activity, intelligence, and honorable devotedness of his coadjutor M. Doucet, Chief Adjutant General of the gar- rison, cannot be too highly praised. At ten o'clock on the evening of the sth Junot came home, overcome with fatigue, and though he had prom- ised to fetch me from my mother's, could not rally his faculties from the drowsiness which oppressed them. On my arrival, my maid told me he was gone to bed, and had requested I would wish him good night. Ac- cordingly, I entered my chamber, and, finding him in a deep sleep, leaned over him and said, " What ! already asleep ? " His nights generally restless, were at this anxious period disturbed by frightful dreams; and at the moment I spoke he was dreaming that he was in the Cabinet of the First Consul, which was filled with con- spirators, one of whom was in the act of firing a machine. My words had partly roused him, and the firelight fa- voring the illusion of his dream, he mistook me for the assassin, and with a furious kick drove me to the further extremity of the room. My cries awakened him, and, becoming sensible who had been the object of his attack, he was much agitated. *Tlie Abbaye-aux-Bois, situated in the Faubourg Saint Germain, was the principal place for the meetings of the conspirators at that time. 396 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER LV. My Visits to the Tuileries after the 23d of December — Conversation with the First Consul — Inutility of an Additional Victim — Bona- parte's Opinion of My Mother's Drawing Room — His Condemnation of the Emigrants — « M. Roger de Damas,» a Synonym for Bravery — The Horse and the Cloak — Madame Murat at the H6telde Brionne — Promenade to Villiers — M. Baudelocque and Madame Frangeau — «We are Not Rich »— The First Consul's Character— Portalis at Malmaison — The Preamble of the Civil Code. WE WERE more than commonly assiduous in our at- tendance at the Tuileries after the explosion of the infernal machine; my mother herself pressed it upon me, and, when desirous of my company, would sacrifice it to send me to the Palace. " Be very partic- ular,* said she, "to express to General Bonaparte the distress which this horrible afifair has occasioned me. No set speeches, such as you would address to a Tri- bunal or a Council of State, but depict in its true colors all that I suffered on the evening and night of the 23d of December.'* The attempted assassination made her shudder; she wept violently on her return home, and in the night had a violent access of fever, which made her very ill for two days. When I acquitted myself of her commission to the First Consul, his answer was of a nature to have confounded anyone less acquainted with his character than I was. He looked me steadily in the face, fixed on me that piercing and fiery eye, which, by its quick and earnest expression, magnetized those it encountered, and desired me to repeat my mother's message. " I have had the honor. General, of expressing to you, in my mother's name, the lively anxiety she felt in the incidents of the 23d. She hopes you do not doubt her sincerity. " " Yet she ran away, and you too, before the end of the oratorio." I made no reply, but looked at General Bonaparte with an expression which he probably interpreted liter- ally; for he added, withdrawing his gaze from me, and DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 397 turning toward the window, although it was night, and nothing could be seen in the Palace court, «To be sure it would have availed nothing toward my safety, had any peril awaited me, that one more victim should have ex- posed herself to it." " Let me add. General, that in the eyes of my mother it was her daughter who was in danger; in mine, it was my mother. We mutually owed regard to each other's safety; for myself, I do not exaggerate when I affirm that I left the Opera with the greatest reluctance; for I knew that Junot must partake the danger that threatened his General, and this idea was painful to me; but I could not suifer my mother to run the risk without be- ing in some degree criminal." "Yes, yes; undoubtedly, undoubtedly," answered the First Consul, with an inflection of voice it would be impossible to describe; " I am altogether ridiculous to have spoken so thoughtlessly, for you must call it so. I know in your mother's circle everything is acceptable that may make me appear in an unfavorable light." "General," replied I, much hurt that he persisted in the belief that my mother's drawing-room was a center for the dissemination of hatred against him, "how can I convince you ? It can be accomplished only by one means, and that is in the power of God alone — it is, that the accent of truth may reach your heart. I have the honor to tell you. Citizen Consul, that never has a word to your prejudice been uttered in my mother's drawing-room but either she or my brother has instantly imposed silence on the holders of language which my mother's friendship for you, and for all your family, would interdict, even though it were the language of truth." " Ah ! " said the First Consul, " you admit, then, that persons inimical to me are received in your mother's drawing-room? " " I have spoken with frankness, General, and shall con- tinue to do so. Unquestionably, among my mother's acquaintances are some who are unfriendly to the present Government; I pretend neither to blame nor absolve them. I know that they are suffering the consequences of a long exile, that their prot)ertv ia «Q.tj.fiscated, th.a.t most of them are in indigence, txiat many still groan 398 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT under the proscription ; but all these evils are not ascrib- able to you, and to resent them upon you would be equally unjust and absurd. But, on the other hand, I believe also " I stopped, and, half smiling, looked at the First Consul, who continued my sentence — "That I should be unjust in my turn if I obliged them to cry, Vive la R^publique! Is not that your meaning, Madame Junot ? But if they do not like that word, why do they return to France ? Who recalls them ? They are not wanted in any branch of the Administration. Fouch^ and Chaptal will be quite as good Ministers as M. le Comte d'Entraigues, and Junot and Lannes will command my soldiers as well as M. Roger de Damas, brave as he is."* "But, General," answered I, "is not our native soil the property of all her children ? Cannot a Frenchman re- turn home without the inducement of a place ? Is there not an attraction infinitely more powerful ? I know there is, by the experience of my own family; my uncle, M. de Comnbna, is returned to France, to live in peace and in the hope of a better future. And he certainly did not want confidence in your generosity, for he re-entered France without a passport, without even an encouraging word ; and as he was far from expecting to find his niece the bride of one of your Generals, he reckoned only on the magnanimity of the Government toward a man who surrenders himself. " " Your uncle does not like me, and I may add he does not like the Republic; besides, he emigrated, and I con- sider all emigrants in the light of parricides. Neverthe- * Whenever the bravery o£ the emigrants was Napoleon's topic, M. Roger de Damas was always the example. He related a certain story, which I never heard but from him, about the head of a horse enveloped in a cloak, and a leap into the sea, horse and rider ; Quiberon was the theater. But as it was neither easy to follow Bonaparte in his narra- tive, nor to extract from him a repetition, I never exactly understood the particulars of this anecdote. All that I could gather from it was, that M. Roger de Damas, seeing himself on the point of being taken, had wrapped his horse's head in his cloak, that the animal might not be sensible of his danger, and striking the spurs into his sides, had made him leap into the sea. I made inquiries of a person who had served in Condi's army, and he assured me the circumstance was true, but had not happened at Quiberon, I give it ^s I heard it, and tl^t W3,s from Napoleon, DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 399 less, I have complied with Junot's demands in favor of M. de Comnfena; for,» added he, "Madame Permon care- fully avoids presenting a petition to me, even in favor of her brother." This was true ; my mother had said, « If he be so dis- posed, he will do it for Junot ; and if not, what good can my interference effect ? >* My mother was, however, mistaken; the General would never have refused to Madame Permon what the First Consul of the Republic might perhaps have thought it inconsistent with his duty to grant to General Junot. I remember that the same day the First Consul talked to me of all my family ; inquired whether my grandmother was still living ; what was become of my uncle, the Abb6 de Comnfena ; he also spoke of my brother, and his friendly intentions toward him. Junot's relations were not men- tioned; he spoke only of my own. As I have before said, I went often to Madame Bona- parte; Madame Murat, who was expecting her confine- ment, was also a frequent visitor, and I never met her without pleasure. She was unaffected, a dutiful daughter, a fond wife, and every way interesting. One day I visited her at the Hotel de Brionne, where she was then living; she occupied the ground floor, and M. Benezeck, with all his family, the first. I found her getting into her carriage for a ride to Villiers (Neuilly), which the First Consul had just given her, and she pro- posed my accompanying her, to which I acceded, and we set out, having the precaution to take her nurse, Madame Frangeau, with us. Madame Frangeau was the favorite of Baudelocque, and could recount the minutiae of youth, maturity, and declining age of her patron, with commentaries and ad- ditions which each recital magnified by half; will not the simple mention of her name recall to the Queen of Naples, the Queen of Holland, the Duchesse de Frioul, and to all the young mothers of that day, who, like my- self, were subjected to her six weeks' thraldom, her gown of the fashion of the Regency, and her whimsi- cally antiquated headdress, oddly contrasted with finery in the style of 1800 ? This little ride to Villiers dwells on my mind, because so excessive was our mirth at Madame Frangeau's stories 40O MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT that at one moment I had fears for Caroline. She, how- ever, thought not of accidents; she was better engaged in devouring ten or twelve large bunches of grapes and two rolls h la duchesse, which Madame Frangeau had ordered to be put into the carriage. I never saw such an appetite ! '* Will you have some ? " said she, recollect- ing at last that all the way from the Barriers she had been eating without a companion. After driving round the park of Villiers, and laying in a fresh stock of provisions (for the basket was emptied) we returned home. "The First Consul, in the gift of this country seat, has been most generous to us,'* said Caroline. "We are not rich, and if my brother had not added the means of furnishing and supporting the house it had been useless to us." In after times, when Murat, returning from Italy, undertook the government of Pans on Junot's departure for Arras, no impossibility of this nature prevented his furnishing and inhabiting the Hotel de Thelusson. Our evenings, even after the play, if it were not too late, were spent at Madame Bonaparte's. There we en- joyed the happiness of meeting the First Consul. His conversation, always attractive by its depth of thought, and the air of originality reflected from his rich and brilliant imagination, acquired increased interest from the consciousness that at such a moment all he said was of importance. For this reason I seldom missed the quintidian dinners. In spite of crowd, noise, and bustle, it was easy to hear the conversation of the First Consul with the men of talent and learning of France. The most profound civilians, the ablest financiers, the most subtle diplomatists, thronged around to hear him, and appeared to be rather taking lessons from him than imparting their knowledge to a young man, whose pale complexion bore witness to watchings and fatigues far exceeding theirs, though the superiority of years was greatly on their side. ■ For a just appreciation of the First Consul's character, he should have been listened to at Malmaison, or in Madame Bonaparte's salon at Paris; but never was he so interesting as at the period I am sketching, imperfectly, indeed, considering the strong and vigorous coloring re- quired, when designed for eyes which cannot by the aid DUCHESS OF ABRANTfiS 401 of personal recollection fill up the mere outlines of the picture. It was when surrounded by the first men of the day that the First Consul should have been seen and heard; he then exhibited a fire which diffused life aiid warmth on all around him: I had never before seen him in so splendid a light, and I was more than astonished at it. Its effect upon me was at once seducing like an attractive charm, and strongly agitating from the conclusive and perfectly convincing brevity of his eloquence. On M. Portalis arriving, the First Consul met him, and, taking his hand, led him to Madame Bonaparte. He had a great esteem for him. Portalis was not then afflicted with blindness ; his sight was painful, but he did not yet require a guide. The First Consul spoke to him as soon as he entered about the preamble of the Code, which had been intrusted to him. " You are idle, Citizen Portalis, " said the First Consul, laughing. " You must make more haste ; all the world is crying out after our Code; we must move fast where business is concerned.* " Ah ! General, " answered the worthy man, laughing in his turn, *you give others credit for your own gift of magic. As for you, you were endowed at your birth; but we, poor simple mortals, must feel our way soberly. Besides, do not you know. General, that our Code has only been a year concocting; and that a code of laws is an immense national monument, which requires time to erect ? You have worked at it as well as we, and you know it is a skein not easily unraveled." "Yes, certainly, certainly," said the First Consul; "but we must advance, " he repeated still ; " we must advance : is the preamble ready ? " " The First Consul is well assured that I shall always fulfill, not my duty merely, but far more than my duty, to second his great and noble projects for the happiness of France," replied M. Portalis; "the preamble is com- pleted." " Ah, you are a good and excellent Frenchman ! " said the First Consul — "well and good! I like such men as you and the brave Duveyrier. I am happy when I see such around me ; and so seconded, I cannot do otherwise than well." 26 402 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER LVI. Female Breakfasts at the Tuileries — Madame Vaines — The Lioness en Couche, and Visit to the Menagerie with Madame Bonaparte • — Ma- rengo, the Eldest of the Lions — The First Consul Joins Us at the Botanical Gardens — Bonaparte and F61ix the Keeper — The Liar Caught in the Fact, and the Crocodiles of the Bosphorus — Reminiscences of Egypt by the First Consul — The Psylli and the Serpents. I WAS engaged to breakfast with Madame Bonaparte at the Tuileries. Her custom of inviting young married women, too timid to make themselves agreeable in the society of superior men, was delightful to me. Chat- ting with Madame Bonaparte, during the perfectly un- ceremonious repast, upon fashions, and all the little interests of society, these young ladies acquired confidence, and threw off that reserve which the presence of the First Consul was calculated to inspire. Madame Bonaparte did the honors with grace and vivacity; we were generally five or six, and all of the same age, the mistress of the house excepted. At Mal- maison the number was sometimes twelve or fifteen, and the breakfast was served in a small circular salon look- ing into the court, and which is now present to my imagination, though I have not entered it these sixteen years. One day, at the Tuileries breakfast, I met Madame Vaines, who was high in favor both with the First Con- sul and Madame Bonaparte, and another person, whose name I forget ; all I remember is, that it must have been a female, for men were never admitted to these morning fites, the First Consul positively prohibiting it. Madame Bonaparte told us she was going to make a visit to a lying-in lady, and inquired if we would accompany her. We acceded, but begged to know in our turn who was the object of our visit. She answered, that to be sure it was a personage who might eat us, but that at present she was in a gentle mood; in short, it was the lioness of the Botanical Garden, who had been delivered at her full tiD:,e of three whelps, all living. The First Consul DUCHESS OP ABRANTES 403 had been already there; but as Madame Bonaparte had informed him of her proposal, he had promised to join us if his engagements would permit. The lioness was doing well, but was, as Madame Bona- parte had told us, in a languishing mood. F^lix Cassal, her keeper, entered the cage, took the cubs from her, and the poor beast, without moving, turned her eyes on him with an expression of softness and affection. She was extended in her cage on a good litter, and her little ones lay rolled in thick coarse carpets, as warmly as in the African sands. Madame Bonaparte took one of the cubs in her hands, which drew forth a growl from the mother; but F61ix spoke to her, and acknowledging his voice by a momen- tary glance of more fierceness than the former, she again turned to the offender, and renewed her growl. Madame Bonaparte was alarmed. "Oh! never fear," said F61ix; "she is behind a strong grating, and, besides, she has not yet recovered her strength ; she would not hurt much. " " Oh ! " said Madame Bonaparte, " I can dispense with the trial of her strength; there would be quite enough remaining to make me repent having caressed her son. " This Cassal was an extraordinary man in his way. He was a great traveler, and had made interesting observa- tions, even on the common habits of the country he had passed through; and though he pretended to have seen marvels altogether incredible, yet all he said was not false, and both amusement and instruction might be ex- tracted from him. He had himself purchased the lioness of some Arabs, who had taken her in the environs of Constantinople. While she was enceinte, a child having wounded her in the eye with a stone, she threw herself into so violent a passion as to produce abortion; and as she brought forth the present litter a hundred days afterward, that must have been the utmost extent of her parturition, which disproves the conjectures of Pliny and Buffon; the latter, I believe, asserts that the lioness is six or seven months with young. She littered on the i8th Brumaire, and F^lix named the firstborn whelp Marengo. "Was not I a good god- father?" said he to Madame Bonaparte. He made me touch one of the whelps ; but the lioness, who bad turned away and appeared to tbiij^ no mpre pf 404 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT the matter, suddenly started up to her full height, and uttered a roar that shook the very walls. F^lix soothed her, and took the cub himself. He told us that the First Consul, on his visit to the lioness, had caressed her, and was very well received. " He inquired the hour of her delivery, " said F61ix ; " the nature of her food, and especially of her beverage; and the General who was with him gave rae a bright piece of gold, that the lioness might drink to the health of the Republic, a direction I have obeyed. Oh, he thinks of everything, the Citizen Consul ! " While he spoke, I was meditating on the fortunes of this extraordinary man, which seemed to be mysteriously linked with all the wonders of his age. The First Consul met us on horseback before we had quitted the gardens, and F^lix no sooner perceived him than he hurried forward to report the bulletin of the lioness; assuring him that she had drunk to his health, and that she was wonderfully well. Napoleon caressed her, and talked with Felix of all his beasts, with as much ease, and as perfect a knowledge of their proper- ties and habits, as if this branch of science had been his particular study. F^lix, finding such encouragement, entered upon one of his best stories; but just as he arrived (on his own showing) at the most astonishing point, Napoleon patted him on the head with: " F^lix, you lie, my boy ; there are no crocodiles in the place you speak of, nor never were ; but it is all one — proceed with your story." This was more easily said than done. F61ix was so thoroughly disconcerted by the First Consul's apostrophe, that it was impossible to recover the thread of his ad- venture. " Well, it will do for another day, " said Napoleon good-humoredly ; " only remember that crocodiles do not devour those who bathe in the Bosphorus, otherwise it would have been much easier to kill Leander by that means than by drowning, as he had no boat, poor fellow!" We promenaded for some time in these beautiful gardens and their fine greenhouses. They are greatly improved since ; yet the Botanical Gardens were even then the most DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 405 complete institution of the kind in Europe. Other mu- seums were richer in particular articles, but ours alone possessed that superiority in all, which has since rendered it the universal rendezvous for the study of natural his- tory. Napoleon observed that day : " It is my wish to render this the most attractive spot to all learned foreign- ers in Paris. I wish to draw them here to see and ad- mire a people in their love of science and the arts. The museum of natural history shall be what those of sculp- ture and painting, and of ancient monuments, will be. Paris should be the first city of the world. If God grant me a life long enough, I would have her become the capital of the universe, in science as well as power. Our painters are already the first, the best in Europe. Ex- cepting Canova and Appiani, Italy herself cannot boast tal- ents equal to ours in painting and sculpture. Their poets also are inferior to ours. Cesarotti and Alfieri cannot dispute the palm with our young writers. In short,* added he, " I am proud of my country, and I would have her always mindful of what she is and may be.* We visited the Cabinet of Natural History. The First Consul, remarking on the length of a serpent from the island of Java, was reminded of those of Egypt, and con- sequently was led to speak of the Psylli. He joked much about Denon, who was bent on knowing the flavor of these creatures (not the Psylli, but the serpents), and Junot declared that the first he ate, on his initiation, seized his chin, and would not let it go, twisting itself five or six times round his chin, which in truth was immoderately long. Speaking of serpents, the First Consul related to us a droll incident that had occurred in his own house at Cairo. Junot was there, and has since repeated it to me much more at length. One morning at breakfast, the Psylli and serpents came under discussion. The General-in-Chief said he believed only in the serpents. " I believe there are mountebanks in Egypt, " added he, " as well as elsewhere. The Psylli exercise the juggling talents there, with even more facil- ity than our men with a divining rod seek for water ; and when a Psylle announces that he is going to eat a ser- pent, I verily believe he meets with more gapers than another would on the Pont Neuf." " I assure you, General, " said Junot, " that I have seen 4o6 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT these men perform inconceivable feats. I have seen ttie chief of those creatures do incomprehensible things.'* " What ! the chief of the serpents ? '* said the General- in-Chief. «No, General, the chief of the Psylli. You may laugh at me, but, on my honor, it would astound you to see his performances." " I tell you they are conjurers, and nothing else. Hold ! you shall have proof. Go instantly to the chief of the Psylli, " said he to a domestic interpreter ; " send him here, with two of his men." The chief of the Psylli lost no time in obeying the summons. As soon as he arrived the General-in-Chief told him, through the medium of the interpreter : " There are two serpents in this house ; find them, and thou shalt have two sequins ( twelve francs ) for thyself, and as much for thy followers." The Psylle prostrated himself, and asked for two troughs filled with water. When they were brought he stripped himself, then filled his mouth with water, laid himself flat on his face, and began creeping, in imitation of the reptile he was in search of, and spouting the water through his closed teeth to mimic its hissing. When he had in this manner made the tour of the ground floor, he said to the General-in-Chief, with a savage laugh : " Ma- fiche, mafiche, " which signifies *' There are none. " The General-in-Chief echoed his laugh, and said: " Comment diable! can this idiot really play the magician ? " And he ordered the interpreter to give the Psylle to under- stand that the serpent had been seen. * Oh ! I knov." that, " said the Psylle. *' I felt it on entering the house. '" " There, now, " said the General-in-Chief, " now the comedy is beginning. Well; seek thy serpent, and if thou findest it thou shalt have two additional sequins." The Psylle climbed with the same maneuvers a staircase which led to the upper story, where Bourrienne lodged, pursued by a troop of inquisitors with the General-in- Chief at their head. The corridor was lighted by a loophole overlooking the country, through which the unvarying azure of the beautiful Egyptian sky was dis- tinguishable. The Psylle closed his eyes and shuddered. " There is your actor beginning his part, " said the First Consul to Junot. The serpent detector then said in a DUCHESS OP ABRANTES 407 low voice : « There he is ! » « I shall be delighted to pay him the honors of hospitality," said the General-in-Chief; " but, my friend, I think thou art mocking us. Dost know that this animal has completely mystified us with his hissing for the last hour, making us run about after his imaginary serpentship? " The Psylle, nowise discouraged, still crept and hissed about, till presently an actual serpent was seen to inter- pose its long line across the loophole, and was heard answering with fraternal good will the hissing of the Psylle; it was six feet in length, and Junot has assured me that its eyes sparkled through the dusky corridor like a bright fire. It approached the Psylle, and was no sooner within his reach than he caught it, with incredi- ble address, in one hand, just below the jawbone, in such a manner as to oblige the mouth to open, when, spitting into it, the effect was like magic; the reptile appeared struck with instant death, and, during his lethargy, the enchanter extracted the venom from his poison fangs. " Well, my General, what say you to this adventure? " asked Junot of the General-in-Chief. "What would you have me say to the result of chance? Your Psylle is a lucky impostor, that is all." CHAPTER LVII. Study of New Men — My Dinners — Advice of the First Consul, and Changes in Society — The Days of the Consuls — The Household of Cambaceres — Messieurs d'Aigrefeuille and Monvel — A Dinner at the House of Cambac6rte — The Solicitors at the House of the Second Consul — The Court of the Second Consul, and Promenade at the Palais Royal — Mademoiselle de Montferrier and Monsieur Bastarrgche — Beauty and the Beast — Bon-mot of Bonaparte — M. de Souza and His Wig — General Mortier and His Family — The Two Brothers of Berthier — Services of Mortier — His Retirement. FOR some months after my marriage not a day passed that Junot did not introduce to me several of his friends, and a multitude of acquaintances. I was accustomed to see much company at my mother's. Her 4o8 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT circle was a wide one, but it sank into insignificance compared with ours. This perpetual distraction was at first extremely fatiguing, and my mother, who came to install me in my new dignity of mistress of my house, giving me credit for the manner in which I ac- quitted myself of my arduous functions, added that, for her part, as a spectator only, one of these soirees more than satisfied her, and had its arrangement fallen on her it would have cost her a week's illness. For some time I was of her opinion, but before a month had elapsed I was sensible of a growing inclination for company, and in a short time, aided by a disposition to view all things on the brightest side, and a lively inter- est in seeking out, and associating with a visible form, all circumstances relating to the life and character of men whose names had long struck my ears in society, and my eyes in the journals, I began to feel real pleas- ure in my new situation. Junot, to whom I imparted my change of sentiment, sincerely congratulated me upon it, and promised to assist me whenever my researches should require his aid. There were at that time few open houses at Paris, the privilege being confined to the ministers and authorities; and even they received only large and formal parties. I was anxious to effect a reformation in this respect, and once expressed my wish to the First Consul, when he was mentioning his own desire to see a more free com- munication between the society of Paris and the members of the Government. "Accomplish that, and you will be a charming little woman, " said General Bonaparte. « If you make the attempt you will succeed, for you know what it is to hold a drawing-room. Let Citizen Cambac^r^s see that for this purpose it is not sufficient merely to give a dinner. " The Consul Cambac^r^s received company every Tues- day and Saturday, and for the first six months of the year ix. no other house could stand a comparison with the Hotel Cambac6r^s; it was soon, however, not only imitated, but excelled. The principal members of his household were Messieurs de Lavoll^e and Monvel, secre- taries, and Messieurs de Chateauneuf and D'Aigrefeuille, who had no appointed functions, but voluntarily acted as DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 409 chamberlains, and the moment a lady was announced one of these gentlemen went to the door to receive and con- duct her to a chair. I had a great friendship for Cambac^rfes, which neither absence nor distance ever impaired ; yet I must acknowl- edge that, notwithstanding the host's peculiar elegance and superior powers of pleasing, and notwithstanding even that friendly welcome and perfect politeness which, under the influence of the master's example, extended itself to the very lowest domestic of the household, no sooner had you passed the gate of the Hotel Cambac^rfes than the very air seemed impregnated with ennui, sleep took possession of the eyelids, and a sort of lethargy suspended every faculty as completely as in the temple of Morpheus. The dinner party never exceeded five and twenty, and of these the proportion of ladies was small; there were never, indeed, more than two of such considerations, from the offices of their husbands, as that their preten- sions to precedence might have occasioned jealousies. There was an excellent cook ; and the carving fell to the department of the maitre d'hStel, Cambac^rfes himself never doing the honors, except of a dish of rare game. This was a great innovation in the etiquette of French society, but I found it agreeable; I cannot, however, say as much for his custom of entertaining the guests nearest to him with an enumeration of all his maladies of the day, assuring us he was too ill to eat, yet always con- cluding by making an excellent meal. He had great con- versational powers, and his narratives acquired novelty and grace from the turn of his language. His evening drawing- room was crowded with judges, registrars, and other officers of all the courts in France, who seemed already to anticipate the future Archchancellor ; he bore, indeed, even at that period, the character of the ablest civilian in the country. The Third Consul, too, had already entered upon his future department, the Financial and Administrative ; and he also had his two evenings appropriated weekly. How many original figures have passed before my eyes in these two houses! How often, when my eager scrutiny has been awakened by the announcement of a name which had figured conspicuously in the Revolution, have 4IO MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT I been disappointed by an insignificant or repulsive ex- terior! how often, seated beside such a one the whole dinner time, which with Cambac6rfes was never short, I have been stupefied by the utter nullity of his ideas! but on communicating my feelings to Cambac^r^s, he would answer, " This man's reputation was the result of chance; opportunity fell in his way, and instinctively he seized it by the forelock." The conduct of Cambac^r^s during the Revolution has been much talked of, and I do not pretend to excuse it. I hate the sanguinary years with which his name is con- nected, and everything that recalls them ; but, difficult as the task may be, I would fain see him exempted from the censures which attach to the men of that period. Napoleon did not approve of the events of 1793, but he excused the famous vote of Cambac6r^s by the reflection that the thing once done — that is to say, the King once condemned — the interests of France, and especially of Paris, demanded the immediate consummation of that terrible drama. He disap'proved of the sentence, which he character- ized as a resolution unjustly adopted toward a man who was guilty only of the crimes of others; and I never heard him pronounce the name of Louis XVI. without the additional epithet of * the unfortunate King." I record his opinion here, because I conceive that on a matter so momentous, and which so nearly concerns his own destiny — since it still influences that of France — it must be of the highest interest to us. Cambac6rfes was originally Councilor in the Court of Finances of Languedoc. When the Comte de Perigord presided over the states of that province, of which he was commandant in 1786, Cambac^rfes was in misfortune. M. de Perigord, always benevolent and ready to assist the needy, asked and obtained for the almost indigent Councilor a pension of two hundred francs, and for his father one of two thousand francs, out of the royal lotteries. The courtesy of Cambac^rfes was general, but his countrymen from Languedoc he welcomed with a pecul- iar urbanity, the more invaluable that it had none of the varnish of fashionable politeness. Many Languedo- cians went direct to the Hotel de Cambac6r^s on alight- DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 411 ing from the diligences ; he received them with kindness, examined their petitions, and if he could not assist them, unhesitatingly told them the truth, pointing out at the same time how they might obtain other advantages, and never failed to forward their interests. I may be allowed to call Cambac6rbs an honest man; for, looking around on all his equals in power, I have never found one of such absolute good faith and probity, to which many others can testify. His figure was extraordinarily ugly, as well as unique. The slow and regular step, the measured cadence of ac- cent, the very look, which took three times as long as another's to arrive at its object — all was in admirable keeping with the long person, long nose, long chin, and the yellow skin, which betrayed not the smallest symp- toms that any matter inclining to sanguine circulated beneath its cellular texture. The same consistency, though probably unstudied, per- vaded his dress; and when demurely promenading the galleries of the Palais Royal, then the Palais Egalit^, the singular cut and color of his embroidered coat ; his ruffles, at that time so uncommon; his short breeches, silk stock- ings, shoes polished with English blacking, and fastened with gold buckles; his old-fashioned wig and queue; and his well-appointed and well-placed three-cornered hat, produced altogether a most fantastic effect. Even the members of his household, by their peculiari- ties of dress, served as accessories to the picture. He went every evening to the theater, and seldom failed to make his appearance afterward with his suite, all in full costume, either in the gardens of the Tuileries or of the Palais Egalit^, where everything around exhibited the most ludicrous disparity with this strange group, whose solemn deportment and delib- erate and circumspect discourse might serve to per- sonify the disciples of Plato following their master to Sunium. The First Consul was sometimes annoyed that the ridi- cule attached to his colleague appeared to recoil upon him, and I remember once seeing him enraged as he listened to the translation of a passage from the English journals. The Second Consul was caricatured, and from the Second to the First the transition is so easy that the 412 MEMOIRS OP MADAME JUNOT journalist made no scruple of it. The First Consul stamped his foot, and said to Josephine: " You must interfere in this matter — do you hear ? It is only a woman that can tell a man he is ridiculous; if 1 meddle I shall tell him he is mad." I know not whether Madame Bonaparte achieved her commission to the Consul Cambac^rfes; but this I know, that although always highly distinguished for his knowl- edge, his politeness, and his dinners, he yet always re- mained that which had so highly discomposed the First Consul. Cambac^rfes had a charming grandniece, the daughter of his nephew, M. Duvidal de Montferrier. I have always wondered that he did not place her at the head of his establishment; but perhaps he was terrified by the aspect of her companion, whom it would have been diffi- cult to exclude, for he was the husband, and the most jealous upon earth ! Among the events of life, there are always some much more difficult to comprehend than others. Of this class was the marriage of Mademoiselle Rose de Montferrier with M. Bastarreche, a banker of Bayonne, afterward established at Paris in partnership with M. Jubi6, the possessor of an immense fortune, but the most frightful of monsters. It would be impossible faithfully to portray Made- moiselle Rose de Montferrier at the age of eighteen, be- cause, with eyes and profile of corresponding beauty, her principal charms consisted of a nymphlike figure, and a complexion of which no comparison can give an idea. It was superior even to Madame Murat's; it breathed an animation, a warmth of coloring which, without meta- phor, reminded one of the flower whose name she bore, and with the delicacy of its tints was combined the velvet of the peach. Considering the high position of Cambac^rfes, it was naturally expected that Mademoiselle de Montferrier would make a brilliant match. But long afterward, even after the death of M. de Bastarreche, Napoleon co'uld not forgive Cambac^rfes for consenting to it : " It is the Beauty and the Beast realized," said he. All Paris heard with surprise that the young lady showed no repugnance ; and with this news circulated magnificent details of the splendid equipages and wedding dresses; nothing was DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 413 talked of but diamonds, pearls, and jewels innumerable given by Azor.* «Ah!» said the First Consul, « the PRESENT MAKES US FORGET THE FUTURE." Before quitting the Consul Cambac^rfes, I must relate an adventure which happened about this time. A Portuguese, named Don Alexander de Souza, had just arrived in Paris, on his road to (or from) an embassy at Rome. M. de Souza was a very little man, about four feet ten or eleven inches high, and the whole of his delicate per- son cast in a most diminutive mold: he was not only thin, but absolutely shriveled; yet he had the air of a gentleman, and his manners were those of a person of quality. The authorities received him with something more than the cordiality due to the friend of our enemies, and M. de Souza had nothing to complain of on his passage through Paris. The Second Consul would not let slip such an opportunity to give a sumptuous dinner. All the authorities were invited, and naany of his friends; Junot and I were of the number, as were Duroc, Lannes, and Mortier, now Duke of Treviso, and then Commandant of the First Military Division. I have not before mentioned this excellent man or his wife, all goodness, simplicity, and gentleness. He was Junot's superior as Commandant of the Division, while Junot was only Commandant of Paris; but we lived on the best and most friendly terms; for General Mortier was, and still is, the best and most worthy of men; but at this period he would laugh like a child, and his mirth sometimes compromised the dignity of the General Com- mandant's epaulettes, f M. de Souza, on occasion of this dinner, wore a mag- nificent coat of Segovian cloth, embroidered in gold with a perfection we cannot attain in France. A frill of fine cambric rose almost imperceptibly at the top of his well- buttoned coat, in the English fashion, and his head dis- */ answered I; and at that time I really believed it. Madame Bonaparte sometimes came to Paris to visit Barras, Madame Tallien, and Madame Gohier, to whom she was very partial; sometimes she would also see her mother and brothers-in-law, but not often, for she did not like them ; the war, however, though certainly mutual, was not begun on their side. She was then in direct hostility with Joseph, the mildest and best of men, and at enmity with Madame Bonaparte the mother, and Ma- dame Lucien, an angel of goodness. I know not what caused the animosity that had arisen between them, but I was sufficiently acquainted wi-^h Madame Laetitia and Madame Christine to answer for them. Malmaison, at the time I am speaking of, was a pretty country house with agreeable environs, but very incon- venient and most unwholesome. Brunetifere, who was 28 434 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT somehow mixed up in the affair, told me that Madame Bonaparte had made this acquisition as a child buys a new toy that strikes her fancy, without considering whether it will long amuse her. The park was small, sloping on all sides, and resembled a pretty English garden. It was inclosed, excepting the length of the lawn in front of the chdteau, with a wall stretching along the road of St. Germain ; the lawn was bordered with a ha- ha, on the brink of which stood a small flight of iron steps, affording a resting place and a view over the road, which could also be seen from the park. The fine planta- tions that now surround the chdteau, and all its out-offices, were not then in existence. M. Charles inhabited Malmaison in the quality of mas- ter; friends, we know, have privileges. Gohier, who was always thrown into a brown study by the recollec- tion of the 1 8th Brumaire, but was otherwise an honest and sensible man, strongly persuaded Josephine to a de- cided step. "Divorce," said he, when all in tears she refused the advice he gave her to break off a connection which com- promised her in the eyes of the world, " divorce ; you tell me it is only friendship that exists between M. Charles and yourself ; but if that friendship is so strong that it impels you to violate the observances of the world, I shall say to you, as if it were love, divorce ; because friendship so exclusive will stand in lieu of all other sentiments. Believe me, all this will cause you regret. " Gohier was right; he saw the matter in its true light, but Josephine would not listen'. When, after his return from Egypt, Bonaparte was on the point of himself effecting what Gohier had some months previously advised should be done prudently and quietly, Josephine screamed, wept, and was in despair. She would not hear of a divorce when he was at a dis- tance, much less could she endure it when the splendor of his glory enlightened all Europe with its rays ; but in consenting to surrender his proposal, he exacted, as an absolute condition, the banishment of M. Charles, and her promise never to see him more. Napoleon detested M. Charles; he never mentioned him, or suffered him to be named in his presence. But DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 435 I know some incidents on this subject which have ex- cessively surprised me, for I did not believe him sus- ceptible of so much emotion. One morning when Napoleon was walking out with Duroc to survey the works of the bridge of Austerlitz, which was then building, a cabriolet dashed at a rapid pace along the boulevard. Duroc felt the Emperor press his arm for support and rest heavily upon it, and saw him at the same time grow unusually pale. Duroc would have cried out for assistance, but the Emperor silenced him with, « It is nothing ; be quiet ! " The cabriolet con- tained M. Charles, whom Napoleon had not seen so close since he left Italy. What could be the sentiment which agitated him? Was it still love for Josephine? He loved her no longer; he was then attached to an enchanting woman, the only one he ever really loved. Napoleon considered this man his enemy, and hated him. Not so Junot; he had been intimately associated with M. Charles in Italy, and they entertained for each other a sincere friendship. Junot did not always bestow his regard so well; he was far more easily deceived by ap- pearances than I was on his behalf, frequently granting his friendship where it was betrayed, while he denied it to his true friends. How long did he distress me re- specting Duroc! but at length he came to his senses. Duroc was the best of friends. M. Charles purchased, in the year 1803 or 1804, a property called Casan. His affairs being subsequently much embarrassed it was sold, and he returned to Ro- mans, his native town, where he lived retired and re- spectably. 436 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT CHAPTER LX. Superior Men Appreciators of Bonaparte — Rival Generals — Klfeber's Feelings toward General Bonaparte — Kleber's Letters — Bona- parte's Eyes Turned toward the East — Projects of a Great Man — Desire of Preserving Egjrpt — Explanation of Bonaparte's Return from Egypt — The Army of Druses — The Successor of Kleber — General Menou — Junot, Lanusse, and the Consequences of a Duel — Bonaparte's Enmity toward Tallien. ALL the leaders of thought of the day have avoided either thinking or speaking ill of Napoleon. Chateaubriand, Lamartine, Victor Hugo, Casimir Delavigne, the Abb6 de la Mennais, all these men have passed judgment on the Colossus; they have seen his faults, but have recognized his great qualities : these learned men have not spared their criticism, mingled with approbation. Klfeber, though his enemy, yet pro- foundly admired him, because his fine genius was capa- ble of appreciating greatness. When Bonaparte was Commander-in-Chief in Italy, other Generals, jealous of that young head so useful to his country, could not assemble but they must discuss, with reflections not over-charitable, the military oper- ations of the young General, who, as some said, after having announced his intention of conquering Italy, like another Hannibal, was now gone, like him, to take his rest at Capua. This was in allusion to his retiring on Piedmont after having threatened Lombardy. Klbber, who had talent enough to understand this maneuver, and who, being yet a stranger to Napoleon, was not then at variance with him (which, it may be observed, he uniformly was with the General command- ing him), did full justice to Bonaparte's abilities, both military and civil; and on these occasions always de- fended him against the mediocrity which attacked him, with that vigor and generosity inspired by talent and courage. Bonaparte was haunted by visions of the East. He would sometimes dilate on this subject for three hours DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 437 without intermission, and often uttered the greatest follies with inconceivable seriousness. He frequently conversed on the subject of the East with our friend Admiral Magon, questioning him upon India. Napoleon would listen with avidity, watching the Rear-Admiral's counte- nance, and seeming to snatch the words from his lips. Sometimes he would exclaim: «It is there — it is in India we must attack the English power. It is there we must strike her ! The Russians will not allow us a passage to Persia; well, then, we must get there by another road. I know that road, and I will take it!» Originally, Turkey was the scene of his projects; but his ideas were afterward very different, and more prac- ticable. When the Egyptian expedition was at last de- cided on. Napoleon said to Junot and to some others of his officers: * I am going to repair, if possible, the misfortune of our ravaged or lost colonies. Egypt will be a magnifi- cent compensation; and the acquisition of that beautiful country for France shall be the object of this expedi- tion." Such were his predominant views during the passage, on his arrival, and while he resided there. How much did he suffer when he saw his fleet destroyed, and all the means of internal safety endangered by that loss! Bonaparte's ardent passion for the retention of Egypt is so well known to all who were with him, that it appears to me impossible for the most perverted mind to see his return to Europe in any other light than as a struggle for the preservation of that colony, which in his very dreams formed a nucleus for the incessant discharge of shafts against England. Was his project of forming a junction with an army of thirty thousand Druses near Mount Lebanon nothing ? and that of conquering those parts of Egypt that were inhabited by tribes easily guided, uniting those tribes with the Druses, and attempting to penetrate into Persia, was this nothing? One day, speaking of Egypt, he made use of an ex. pression which I then thought very extraordinary, and I jokingly reminded him of it three days before his coro- nation. 438 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT "It is vexatious," said he, "to have been prevented meeting my Druses; I missed my fortune." General Menou had been long in the service before the breaking out of the Revolution; had served in India and had acquired in his travels a love of the marvelous sufficiently amusing, but which prevented all reliance on his tales. It is a singular coincidence that this same General, the Marquis de Menou, who turned Turk in 1 80 1, presided over the Constituent Assembly on the 19th of June, 1790, when those throngs were introduced, call- ing themselves Arabians, Chaldeans, Syrians, Americans, Poles, Prussians, etc., etc., and he very gravely replied to the oration of the Arabs : " Gentlemen, it was Arabia which gave the first lesson of philosophy to Europe: France now discharges the debt by giving you lessons of liberty." When commanding the Republican troops, he was defeated at Saumur by La Rochejaquelin and Les- cure. On the 14th of October he commanded in Paris, but resigned. Of an adventurous disposition, though no longer young, he joined the Egyptian expedition by his own desire. By the assassination of Kl^ber after the battle of Heli- opolis, he, as senior, succeeded to the command. His administration was able, but, like that of the Generals of Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, dis- tinguished by the goodness of its suppers and the disgrace of its army. Abercrombie, with 18,000 Englishmen, landed at this same strand of Aboukir, and Menou lost the Battle of Canopus, and with it the possession of Egypt. Shut up in Alexandria, and cut off from all communication with the rest of his army, he had not even the consolation of effecting the reduction of Cairo, a charge which devolved upon Belliard: the definitive capitulation at length re- ceived his signature, and, returning to Europe, he was well received by Napoleon, who appointed him Admin- istrator-General of Piedmont. One day, soon after the arrival of General Vial, the envoy of General Abdalla Menou, the First Consul being in his cabinet with Berthier, Junot, and Bourrienne, who were busily unsealing the numerous fumigated packets brought by General Vial, the First Consul hinted his intention of changing the command of the DUCHESS OF ABRANTfeS 439 Eastern army; he spoke of Menou, lauded his pleasing manners in a drawing-room, his agreeable way of telling a story. «But,» added he, «all that is useless at the head of an army ; and Klfeber, with his cynical sayings and his rough exterior, is far better suited to the Army of Egypt in its present situation." The generals then in Egypt came under consideration, and when Berthier named some of them he shook his head; at length he resumed the conversation after a long silence, and as if talking to himself : « Regnier ? — Damas ? — Friant ? — No, none of these.— Belliard? — He is a child, though a brave one. — Old Leclerc? — No.— Well! after all, Abdalla Joseph Menou serves our turn best yonder, Berthier; but we must give him an able chief of the staff, or rather second in com- mand, and here we have a choice." This suggested an idea to Junot. "General," said he, " you know best what you are about, but / know whom I should choose." The First Consul turned on him an interrogative look. "General Lanusse." " Oh ! oh ! you do not bear malice ? " " Why should I, my General ? I fought Lanusse for a foolish gaming quarrel, which, besides, was but a pretext. I thought he was not attached to you, that he partook the sentiments of General Damas." " Oh ! as to him, he does not like me, indeed ! Well, I have a great mind to appoint him." " General Damas, my General ? " "Yes. Lanusse has talent and courage, but Damas is not behind him in either, and as a general officer he is of quite a different caliber: besides, Lanusse has con- founded democratical notions, and is in correspondence, as well as his brother, with a man so immoral as to com- promise even his acquaintances; think of the effect M. Tallien's friendly support must produce. I do not like M. Tallien. I hate that man; he is wicked himself, and a corrupter of others. The two Lanusses are both game- sters, and they have learned it of him. But Damas, he is an Aristides." This was true. Damas was one of those virtuous and extraordinary men whom nature but rarely molds. He died only two or three years ago, in the Rue du 440 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT Saint PIre, Faubourg Saint Germain, in the bosom of his numerous family; his funeral was simple (for his circumstances had been very limited), and borrowed all its solemnity from the presence of a group of generals, his former brethren-in-arms. General Edward Colbert, his aid-de-camp in Egypt, pronounced his funeral oration, in which he professed his attachment to his former General. CHAPTER LXI. Lucien's Embassy to Madrid — Bonaparte's Orders Relative to Egypt — Lucien's Letter to General Menou — A Faithful Friend of the Republic — Reduction of Egypt, and Tardy Mission — Sicily — Naples and M. Alquier — The Sister of the Queen of the French — Mesdames de France at the Palace of Caserta — M. Goubaud, the Roman Painter — The Princesses and the Tricolored Cravat — The Painter of the Emperor's and King of Rome's Cabinet. AT this time, Lucien having accomplished the princi- pal object of his embassy in Spain, turned his attention to his brother's orders respecting Egypt, and sent my brother-in-law, M. Geouffre, on a mission to General Menou ; he had at first selected for that service M. Clement, first adjutant of the Consular Guard, and embarked him at Barcelona; but the secret had not been well kept; the English were apprised of the hour of sailing, and M. Clement, with his written instructions, fell into their hands. Lucien was satisfied of my brother-in-law's entire de- votion to him, and felt, moreover, assured that with his address, experience, and knowledge of the world, he would not suffer his mission to miscarry, even though he should be taken by the English, who lay in wait at the entrance of every port to take every vessel that ventured from shore. The French ambassador obtained an order from the King of Spain for the arming of an American . vessel ; my brother-in-law embarked in the disguise of a sailor, and as far as Malta the voyage was favorable. There he was informed of Menou's capitulation; but not being able DUCHESS OF ABRANTES 441 absolutely to rely on his authority, determined, as the safest course, to seek some Italian port, and attaching two of his comrades to his fortunes, they took flight in a small boat, and landed on the Sicilian coast, which they foimd entirely deserted, the inhabitants being frightened away by the frequent invasions of Algerine corsairs. The sanitary laws of Sicily were that year excessively severe, under the apprehension not only of the plague, but also of the yellow fever, which was raging violently in Spain. As any quarantine would have subjected him to extreme inconvenience and delay, M. Geouffre took every possible precaution to avoid observation, and found an asylum for the night in an old chapel, whose ruins gave melancholy evidence of the devastation committed by the pirates. The next morning a priest who was passing the ruined chapel on his road to Palermo under- took at my brother-in-law's request, the delivery of two letters from him ; one to the Spanish Consul, who also ful- filled the functions of the French Consulate; and the other to the Governor of Palermo, in both of which, with a very slight and excusable departure from truth, he represented himself as attached to the Spanish embassy. The next day the priest returned with favorable answers, and M. GeoufEre, with his two sailors, whom he amply recompensed, and the priest who served him by the road both as interpreter and paymaster, arrived at Palermo, where he was most graciously received by the Spanish Consul, and procured through his means every facility for his progress to Naples. From that place he embarked in a small felucca, and landed at the foot of the mole, certain of finding at the house of the French Ambassador, Alquier, whom Lucien Bonaparte had succeeded at Madrid, every accommodation he could desire. With Alquier no secrecy was necessary on the subject of his Egyptian mission, and they lamented together its ill suc- cess, and the important loss the nation had sustained. The French Ambassador presented my brother-in-law at the Neapolitan Court, then in all its brilliancy, and preparing for the double nuptial of the Prince of As- turias with a Neapolitan princess, sister of the present Queen of the French, and of the Infanta Donna Marianna with the Prince Royal of Naples. The Princess of As- turias I had the honor of being particularly acquainted 442 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT with, and was much distinguished by her ; her memory is very dear to me. After a short stay in the beautiful and harmonious Parthenope, which still mourned the divine Cimarosa, my brother-in-law returned to Spain, having derived no other advantage from an expedition that endangered both his liberty and life than that of having seen Naples and its enchanting bay. Parthenope has recalled to my mind a story that oc- curred in that same Italy, and very near Naples; it re- lates to Madame Adelaide and Madame Victoire, and happened at this period. Mesdames de France inhabited the Castle of Caserta, a royal country house belonging to the Court of Naples. Their Court was still tolerably numerous, and to divert the tedium its younger members must otherwise have contracted from their recluse mode of life, the Princesses frequently had little balls, composed only of their own suite. A single violin formed the orchestra, under the direction of M. Chazote, governor of the young Comte de Chastellux. It seems he was not very clever, and that CoUinet would not have been likely to engage him as his second, for he inhumanly mangled the most common airs, such as the monaco, les deux cogs, and other new dances. The dissonance was once so insupportable to the prac- ticed ear of Madame Adelaide, that, starting from her seat, she took the violin from M. Chazote's hands, and her Royal Highness played through the whole country- dance with a taste and precision which called forth the gratitude and the amazement of the dancers, nearly all of whom were ignorant that she could handle the instru- ment. Madame Adelaide appeared as much amused with fingering her bow as the dancers in following it, for no sooner had she concluded the country-dance she had car- ried off from poor M. Chazote, whom she told to *' Go and dance, * than she tuned her instrument, and issued the word of command, " To your places." But the Duchesse de Narbonne, who perhaps thought the Princess was forgetting her dignity, majestically crossed the room, and remonstrated with such firmness that the excellent Princess surrendered her own amuse- ment and that which she was conferring. A spectator has assured me that nothing could be more picturesque DUCHESS OF ABRaNTES 443 and graceful than Madame Adelaide, in her stiff Gothic dress, playing so unusual an instrument; at a little dis- tance, Madame Victoire, who could never laugh, even in the salons of Versailles, and was now cold, serious, and severely melancholy, appeared to look with a reproving eye on her sister, while the young Louise de Narbonne, the ornament of the Court, as she would have been of Versailles, and the two Comtesses de Chastellux, all three young, pretty, and dressed with the simplicity becoming their age, formed a striking contrast with the starched exiles of the old Court. M. Goubaud, the young Roman painter of the house- hold of the Princesses, made an exquisite sketch of this little scene. Youth loves smartness, and is coquettish in males as well as females. This young M. Goubaud, who was in high favor both with Mesdames de France and Madame de Narbonne herself, who was never prodigal of her favor, was then a pretty boy of eighteen or twenty. One day he went out to attend a fair, or village fite. Goubaud, while eyeing the pretty girls, paid no atten- tion to the most coquettish, and running after the most timid, suddenly spied an immense silk handkerchief with a broad border of lively and glaring colors. The fite, the peasant-girls, all disappeared before the flattering idea that that very night, or on the morrow at farthest, he shall outshine the whole household of Mesdames in this large and many-colored cravat. He purchased it, and returned to Caserta as enraptured with his bargain as if he had bought the Pope's tiara, which, be it said en passant, was not then at Rome. The next day was Sunday, and it was the custom of the house for the Princesses to pass to Mass through the ranks of their assembled household, inclining their heads, speaking to the women, and smiling at the men. Goubaud, decked like a bridegroom, and proud as a peacock, had placed himself opposite to an open window, where he might appear in all the plenitude of his beauty. The usher of the chambers, opening the folding doors, an- nounced Madame Victoire and Madame Adelaide. Madame Victoire, whose habitually calm countenance seldom betrayed any feeling, on perceiving the young Roman appeared perfectly astonished. She paused a 444 MEMOIRS OF MADAME JUNOT moment, seeming about to speak ; then, apparently unwill- ing to compromise her dignity, she recovered her composure, and passed on without noticing the confident and smiling salute of the good youth. He now awaited Madame Adelaide, who was far more beloved than her sister; but she not only passed like Madame Victoire without speak- ing to the young painter, but darted on him an indignant glance which distressed him. The Duchesse de Nar- bonne, who followed, fixed on Goubaud a piercing look which seemed to say, " What ! have you such audacity ? " The young artist mentally reviewed every act of his that could possibly have given offense, and finally com- forted himself with the reflection that the displeasure of his patronesses was undeserved. The return from Mass was equally solemn, and the whole establishment, modeling their conduct after that of the Princesses, seemed to shun Goubaud as if he had just imported the yellow fever from Cadiz. The young artist, who had a grateful and susceptible heart, retired to his study and gave himself up to mel- ancholy reflections ; scarely had he entered, when a mes- senger from Madame de Narbonne brought him a brief and precise order to quit Caserta that very day. His patience now deserted him, and anger for a mo- ment superseded grief; but his eyes falling on the mag- nificent view which unfolded before him all the magic images of beauty, surrounding a dwelling in which, wel- comed as a friend, as a beloved child, he had passed the happiest days of his life, " I should be mad," thought he, "to retire without inquiring the cause of my dis- grace " ; and he immediately requested a parting audience of Madame de Narbonne, who granted it on the instant; but, as he entered, panting for breath, " What ! " cried she in a fury, and without giving him time to speak — " what ! you have the boldness, the impudence, to pre- sent yourself before me in your odious cravat ? " Goubaud was confounded. " My cravat, Madame la Duchesse ! " *