napoleon bonaparte, v1-第11节

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the　First　Consul。　　It　happened　one　day　in　Egypt　that　the　latter；　who　had
never　been　able　to　shave　himself　（it　was　I　who　taught　him　how　to　shave
himself；　as　I　shall　relate　elsewhere　at　length）；　called　Hebert　to　shave
him；　in　the　absence　of　Hambard；　who　ordinarily　discharged　that　duty。　　As
it　had　sometimes　happened　that　Hebert；　on　account　of　his　great　timidity；
had　cut　his　master's　chin；　on　that　day　the　latter；　who　held　a　pair　of
scissors　in　his　hand；　when　Hebert　approached　him；　holding　his　razor；
said；　〃Take　care；　you　scamp；　if　you　cut　me；　I　will　stick　my　scissors　into
your　stomach。〃　　This　threat；　made　with　an　air　of　pretended　seriousness；
but　which　was　in　fact　only　a　jest；　such　as　I　have　seen　the　Emperor
indulge　in　a　hundred　times；　produced　such　an　impression　on　Hebert；　that
it　was　impossible　for　him　to　finish　his　work。　　He　was　seized　with　a
convulsive　trembling；　the　razor　fell　from　his　hand；　and　the　general…in…
chief　in　vain　bent　his　neck；　and　said　to　him　many　times；　laughing　〃Come；
finish；　you　scamp。〃　　Not　only　was　Hebert　unable　to　complete　his　task　that
day；　but　from　that　time　he　had　to　renounce　the　duty　of　barber。　　The
Emperor　did　not　like　this　excessive　timidity　in　the　servants　of　his
household；　but　this　did　not　prevent　him；　when　he　restored　the　castle　of
Rambouillet；　from　giving　to　Hebert　the　place　of　concierge　which　he
requested。

Roustan；　so　well　known　under　the　name　of　Mameluke；　belonged　to　a　good
family　of　Georgia；　carried　off　at　the　age　of　six　or　seven；　and　taken　to
Cairo；　he　was　there　brought　up　among　the　young　slaves　who　attended　upon
the　mamelukes；　until　he　should　be　of　sufficient　age　to　enter　this　warlike
militia。　　The　Sheik　of　Cairo；　in　making　a　present　to　General　Bonaparte　of
a　magnificent　Arab　horse；　had　given　him　at　the　same　time　Roustan　and
Ibrahim；　another　mameluke；　who　was　afterwards　attached　to　the　service　of
Madame　Bonaparte；　under　the　name　of　Ali。　　It　is　well　known　that　Roustan
became　an　indispensable　accompaniment　on　all　occasions　when　the　Emperor
appeared　in　public。　　He　was　with　him　in　all　his　expeditions；　in　all
processions；　and；　which　was　especially　to　his　honor；　in　all　his　battles。
In　the　brilliant　staff　which　followed　the　Emperor　he　shone　more　than　all
others　by　the　richness　of　his　Oriental　costume；　and　his　appearance　made　a
decided　impression；　especially　upon　the　common　people　and　in　the
provinces。　　He　was　believed　to　have　great　influence　with　the　Emperor；
because；　as　credulous　people　said；　Roustan　had　saved　his　master's　life　by
throwing　himself　between　him　and　the　saber　of　an　enemy　who　was　about　to
strike　him。　　I　think　that　this　belief　was　unfounded；　and　that　the
especial　favor　he　enjoyed　was　due　to　the　habitual　kindness　of　his　Majesty
towards　every　one　in　his　service。　　Besides；　this　favor　affected　in　no
wise　his　domestic　relations；　for　when　Roustan；　who　had　married　a　young
and　pretty　French　girl；　a　certain　Mademoiselle　Douville；　whose　father　was
valet　to　the　Empress　Josephine；　was　reproached　by　certain　journals　in
1814　and　1815　with　not　having　followed　to　the　end　of　his　fortunes　the　man
for　whom　he　had　always　expressed　such　intense　devotion；　Roustan　replied
that　the　family　ties　which　he　had　formed　prevented　his　leaving　France；
and　that　he　could　not　destroy　the　happiness　of　his　own　household。

Ibrahim　took　the　name　of　Ali　when　he　passed　into　the　service　of　Madame
Bonaparte。　　He　was　of　more　than　Arabic　ugliness；　and　had　a　wicked　look。
I　recall　in　this　connection　a　little　incident　which　took　place　at
Malmaison；　which　will　give　an　idea　of　his　character。　　One　day；　while
playing　on　the　lawn　of　the　chateau；　I　unintentionally　threw　him　down
while　running；　and　furious　at　his　fall；　he　rose　up；　drew　his　poniard；
which　he　always　wore；　and　dashed　after　me　to　strike　me。　　I　laughed　at
first；　like　every　one　else；　at　the　accident；　and　amused　myself　by　making
him　run；　but　warned　by　the　cries　of　my　comrades；　and　looking　back　to　see
how　close　he　was；　I　perceived　at　the　same　time　his　dagger　and　his　rage。
I　stopped　at　once；　and　planted　my　foot；　with　my　eye　fixed　upon　his
poniard；　and　was　fortunate　enough　to　avoid　his　blow；　which；　however；
grazed　my　breast。　　Furious　in　my　turn；　as　may　be　imagined；　I　seized　him
by　his　flowing　pantaloons；　and　pitched　him　ten　feet　into　the　stream　of
Malmaison；　which　was　barely　two　feet　deep。　　The　plunge　brought　him　at
once　to　his　senses；　and　besides；　his　poniard　had　gone　to　the　bottom；
which　made　him　much　less　dangerous。　　But　in　his　disappointment　he　yelled
so　loudly　that　Madame　Bonaparte　heard　him；　and　as　she　had　quite　a　fancy
for　her　mameluke；　I　was　sharply　scolded。　　However；　this　poor　Ali　was　of
such　an　unsocial　temperament　that　he　got　into　difficulties　with　almost
every　one　in　the　household；　and　at　last　was　sent　away　to　Fontainebleau；
to　take　the　place　of　manservant　there。

I　now　return　to　our　campaign。　　On　the　13th　of　June　the　First　Consul　spent
the　night　at　Torre…di…Galifolo；　where　he　established　his　headquarters。
From　the　day　of　our　entry　into　Milan　the　advance　of　the　army　had　not
slackened；　General　Murat　had　passed　the　Po；　and　taken　possession　of
Piacenza；　and　General　Lannes；　still　pushing　forward　with　his　brave
advance　guard；　had　fought　a　bloody　battle　at　Montebello；　a　name　which　he
afterwards　rendered　illustrious　by　bearing　it。　　The　recent　arrival　of
General　Desaix；　who　had　just　returned　from　Egypt；　completed　the　joy　of
the　general…in…chief；　and　also　added　much　to　the　confidence　of　the
soldiers；　by　whom　the　good　and　modest　Desaix　was　adored。　　The　First
Consul　received　him　with　the　frankest　and　most　cordial　friendship；　and
they　remained　together　three　consecutive　hours　in　private　conversation。
At　the　end　of　this　conference；　an　order　of　the　day　announced　to　the　army
that　General　Desaix　would　take　command　of　the　division　Boudet。　　I　heard
some　persons　in　the　suite　of　General　Desaix　say　that　his　patience　and
evenness　of　temper　were　rudely　tried　during　his　voyage；　by　contrary
winds；　forced　delays；　the　ennui　of　quarantine；　and　above　all　by　the　bad
conduct　of　the　English；　who　had　kept　him　for　some　time　a　prisoner　in
their　fleet；　in　sight　of　the　shores　of　France；　although　he　bore　a
passport；　signed　by　the　English　authorities　in　Egypt；　in　consequence　of
the　capitulation　which　had　been　mutually　agreed　upon。　　Consequently　his
resentment　against　them　was　very　ardent；　and　he　regretted　much；　he　said；
that　the　enemy　he　was　about　to　fight　was　not　the　English。

In　spite　of　the　simplicity　of　his　tastes　and　habits；　no　one　was　more
ambitious　of　glory　than　this　brave　general。　　All　his　rage　against　the
English　was　caused　by　the　fear　that　he　might　not　arrive　in　time　to　gather
new　laurels。　　He　did　indeed　arrive　in　time；　but　only　to　find　a　glorious
death；　alas；　so　premature！

It　was　on　the　fourteenth　that　the　celebrated　battle　of　Marengo　took
place；　which　began　early　in　the　morning；　and　lasted　throughout　the　day。
I　remained　at　headquarters　with　all　the　household　of　the　First　Consul；
where　we　were　almost　within　range　of　the　cannon　on　the　battlefield。
Contradictory　news　constantly　came；　one　report　declaring　the　battle
completely　lost；　the　next　giving　us　the　victory。　　At　one　time　the
increase　in　the　number　of　our　wounded；　and　the　redoubled　firing　of　the
Austrian　cannon；　made　us　believe　that　all　was　lost；　and　then　suddenly
came　the　news　that　this　apparent　falling　back　was　only　a　bold　maneuver　of
the　First　Consul；　and　that　a　charge　of　General　Desaix　had　gained　the
battle。　　But　the　victory　was　bought　at　a　price　dear　to　France　and　to　the
heart　of　the　First　Consul。　　Desaix；　struck　by　a　bullet；　fell　dead　on　the
field；　and　the　grief　of　his　soldiers　serving　only　to　exasperate　their
courage；　they　routed；　by　a　bayonet　charge；　the　enemy；　who　were　already
shaken　by　the　brilliant　cavalry　charge　of　General　Kellermann。　　The　First
Consul　slept　upon　the　field　of　battle；　and　notwithstanding　the　decisive
victory　that　he　had　gained；　was　very　sad；　and　said　that　evening；　in　the
presence　of　Hambard　and　myself；　many　things　which　showed　the　profound
grief　he　experienced　in　the　death　of　General　Desaix。　　He　said；　〃France
has　lost　one　of　her　bravest　defenders；　and　I　one　of　my　best　friends；　no
one　knew　how　much　courage　there　was　in　the　heart　of　Desaix；　nor　how　much
genius　in　his　head。〃　　He　thus　solaced　his　grief　by　making　to　each　and　all
a　eulogy　on　the　hero　who　had　died　on　the　field　of　honor。

〃My　brave　Desaix；〃　he　further　said；　〃always　wished　to　die　thus；〃　and　then
added；　almost　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　〃but　ought　death　to　have　been　so
prompt　to　grant　his　wish？〃

There　was　not　a　soldier　in　our　victorious　army　who　did　not　share　so　just
a　sorrow。　　Rapp　and　Savary；　the　aides…de…camp　of　Desaix；　remained　plunged
in　the　most　despairing　grief　beside　the　body　of　their　chief；　whom　they
called　their　father；　rather　to　express　his　unfailing　kindness　to　them
than　the　dignity　of　his　character。　　Out　of　respect　to　the　memory　of　his
friend；　the　general…in…chief；　although　his　staff　was　full；　added　these
two　young　officers　in　the　quality　of　aides…de…camp。

Commandant　Rapp　（for　such　only　was　his　rank　at　that　time）　was　then；　as　he
has　ever　been；　good；　full　of　courage；　and　universally　beloved。　　His
frankness；　which　sometimes　bo