the second funeral of napoleon-第12节

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opposite　me　for　some　time；　keeping　his　eyes　steadily　on　the　ground；

his　hands　before　him；　a　small　clerical　train　following　after。　　Why

didn't　they　move？　　There　was　the　National　Guard　keeping　on

presenting　arms；　the　little　drummers　going　on　rub…dub…dubrub…dub…

dubin　the　same　steady；　slow　way；　and　the　Procession　never　moved　an

inch。　　There　was　evidently；　to　use　an　elegant　phrase；　a　hitch

somewhere。



＇Enter　a　fat　priest　who　bustles　up　to　the　drum…major。＇



Fat　priest〃Taisez…vous。〃



Little　drummerRub…dub…dubrub…dub…dubrub…dub…dub；　&c。



Drum…major〃Qu'est…ce　donc？〃



Fat　priest〃Taisez…vous；　dis…je；　ce　n'est　pas　le　corps。　　Il

n'arrivera　paspour　une　heure。〃



The　little　drums　were　instantly　hushed；　the　procession　turned　to　the

right…about；　and　walked　back　to　the　altar　again；　the　blown…out

candle　that　had　been　on　the　near　side　of　us　before　was　now　on　the

off　side；　the　National　Guards　set　down　their　muskets　and　began　at

their　sandwiches　again。　　We　had　to　wait　an　hour　and　a　half　at　least

before　the　great　procession　arrived。　　The　guns　without　went　on

booming　all　the　while　at　intervals；　and　as　we　heard　each；　the

audience　gave　a　kind　of　〃ahahah！〃　such　as　you　hear　when　the　rockets

go　up　at　Vauxhall。



At　last　the　real　Procession　came。



Then　the　drums　began　to　beat　as　formerly；　the　Nationals　to　get　under

arms；　the　clergymen　were　sent　for　and　went；　and　presentlyyes；

there　was　the　tall　cross…bearer　at　the　head　of　the　procession；　and

they　came　BACK！



They　chanted　something　in　a　weak；　snuffling；　lugubrious　manner；　to

the　melancholy　bray　of　a　serpent。



Crash！　however；　Mr。　Habeneck　and　the　fiddlers　in　the　organ　loft

pealed　out　a　wild　shrill　march；　which　stopped　the　reverend

gentlemen；　and　in　the　midst　of　this　music



And　of　a　great　trampling　of　feet　and　clattering；



And　of　a　great　crowd　of　Generals　and　Officers　in　fine　clothes；



With　the　Prince　de　Joinville　marching　quickly　at　the　head　of　the

procession；



And　while　everybody's　heart　was　thumping　as　hard　as　possible；



NAPOLEON'S　COFFIN　PASSED。



It　was　done　in　an　instant。　　A　box　covered　with　a　great　red　crossa

dingy…looking　crown　lying　on　the　top　of　itSeamen　on　one　side　and

Invalids　on　the　otherthey　had　passed　in　an　instant　and　were　up　the

aisle。



A　faint　snuffling　sound；　as　before；　was　heard　from　the　officiating

priests；　but　we　knew　of　nothing　more。　　It　is　said　that　old　Louis

Philippe　was　standing　at　the　catafalque；　whither　the　Prince　de

Joinville　advanced　and　said；　〃Sire；　I　bring　you　the　body　of　the

Emperor　Napoleon。〃



Louis　Philippe　answered；　〃I　receive　it　in　the　name　of　France。〃

Bertrand　put　on　the　body　the　most　glorious　victorious　sword　that

ever　has　been　forged　since　the　apt　descendants　of　the　first　murderer

learned　how　to　hammer　steel；　and　the　coffin　was　placed　in　the　temple

prepared　for　it。



The　six　hundred　singers　and　the　fiddlers　now　commenced　the　playing

and　singing　of　a　piece　of　music；　and　a　part　of　the　crew　of　the

〃Belle　Poule〃　skipped　into　the　places　that　had　been　kept　for　them

under　us；　and　listened　to　the　music；　chewing　tobacco。　　While　the

actors　and　fiddlers　were　going　on；　most　of　the　spirits…of…wine　lamps

on　altars　went　out。



When　we　arrived　in　the　open　air　we　passed　through　the　court　of　the

Invalids；　where　thousands　of　people　had　been　assembled；　but　where

the　benches　were　now　quite　bare。　　Then　we　came　on　to　the　terrace

before　the　place：　the　old　soldiers　were　firing　off　the　great　guns；

which　made　a　dreadful　stunning　noise；　and　frightened　some　of　us；　who

did　not　care　to　pass　before　the　cannon　and　be　knocked　down　even　by

the　wadding。　　The　guns　were　fired　in　honor　of　the　King；　who　was

going　home　by　a　back　door。　　All　the　forty　thousand　people　who

covered　the　great　stands　before　the　Hotel　had　gone　away　too。　　The

Imperial　Barge　had　been　dragged　up　the　river；　and　was　lying　lonely

along　the　Quay；　examined　by　some　few　shivering　people　on　the　shore。



It　was　five　o'clock　when　we　reached　home：　the　stars　were　shining

keenly　out　of　the　frosty　sky；　and　Francois　told　me　that　dinner　was

just　ready。



In　this　manner；　my　dear　Miss　Smith；　the　great　Napoleon　was　buried。



Farewell。











End