napoleon bonaparte, v1-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


outside　the　walls　of　the　park；　and　she　always　preferred　this　outside
road；　in　spite　of　the　clouds　of　dust　which　were　constantly　rising　there；
to　the　delightful　walks　inside　the　park。　　One　day；　accompanied　by　her
daughter　Hortense；　she　told　Carrat　to　follow　her　in　her　walk；　and　he　was
delighted　to　be　thus　honored　until　he　saw　rise　suddenly　out　of　a　ditch；　a
great　figure　covered　with　a　white　sheet；　in　fact；　a　genuine　ghost；　such
as　I　have　seen　described　in　the　translations　of　some　old　English
romances。

It　is　unnecessary　to　say；　that　the　ghost　was　some　one　placed　there　by
order　of　these　ladies；　in　order　to　frighten　Carrat；　and　certainly　the
comedy　succeeded　marvelously　well；　for　as　soon　as　Carrat　perceived　the
ghost；　he　was　very　much　frightened；　and　clutching　Madame　Bonaparte；　said
to　her　in　a　tremor；　〃Madame；　Madame；　do　you　see　that　ghost？　　It　is　the
spirit　of　the　lady　who　died　lately　at　Plombieres。〃〃Be　quiet；　Carrat；
you　are　a　coward。〃〃Ah；　but　indeed　it　is　her　spirit　which　has　come
back。〃　　As　Carrat　thus　spoke；　the　man　in　the　white　sheet　advanced　toward
him；　shaking　it；　and　poor　Carrat；　overcome　with　terror；　fell　backwards　in
a　faint；　and　it　required　all　the　attentions　which　were　bestowed　upon　him
to　restore　him　to　consciousness。

Another　day；　while　the　general　was　still　in　Egypt；　and　consequently
before　I　was　in　the　service　of　any　member　of　his　family；　Madame　Bonaparte
wished　to　give　some　of　her　ladies　an　exhibition　of　Carrat's　cowardice；
and　for　this　purpose　there　was　concerted　among　the　ladies　of　Malmaison
a　plot；　in　which　Mademoiselle　Hortense

　　　　　＇Hortense　Beauharnais；　born　at　Paris；　1783；　was　then　just　sixteen
　　　　　years　of　age。　　Married　Louis　Bonaparte　and　became　Queen　of　Holland；
　　　　　1806。　　Died　1837。　　She　was　the　mother　of　Napoleon　III。　TRANS。＇

was　chief　conspirator。　　This　incident　has　been　so　often　narrated　in　my
presence　by　Madame　Bonaparte；　that　I　am　familiar　with　the　ludicrous
details。　　Carrat　slept　in　a　room　adjoining　which　there　was　a　closet。
A　hole　was　made　in　the　wall　between　these　rooms；　and　a　string　passed
through；　at　the　end　of　which　was　tied　a　can　filled　with　water；　this
cooling　element　being　suspended　exactly　over　the　head　；of　the　patient's
bed。　　This　was　not　all；　for　they　had　also　taken　the　precaution　to　remove
the　slats　which　supported　the　mattress；　and　as　Carrat　was　in　the　habit　of
going　to　sleep　without　a　light；　he　saw　neither　the　preparations　for　his
downfall；　nor　the　can　of　water　provided　for　his　new　baptism。　　All　the
members　of　the　plot　had　been　waiting　for　some　moments　in　the　adjoining
closet；　when　he　threw　himself　heavily　upon　his　bed；　it　crashed　in；　and　at
the　same　instant　the　play　of　the　string　made　the　can　of　water　do　its
effective　work。　　The　victim　at　the　same　time　of　a　fall；　and　of　a
nocturnal　shower…bath；　Carrat　cried　out　against　his　double　misfortune。
〃This　is　horrible；〃　he　yelled　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　while　Hortense
maliciously　said　aloud　to　her　mother；　Madame　de　Crigny　（afterwards　Madame
Denon）；　Madame　Charvet；　and　to　several　others　in　the　room；　〃Oh；　Mamma；
those　toads　and　frogs　in　the　water　will　get　on　him。〃　　These　words；　joined
to　the　utter　darkness；　served　only　to　increase　the　terror　of　Carrat；　who；
becoming　seriously　frightened；　cried　out；　〃It　is　horrible；　Madame；　it　is
horrible；　to　amuse　yourself　thus　at　the　expense　of　your　servants。〃

I　do　not　say　that　the　complaints　of　Carrat　were　entirely　wrong；　but　they。
served　only　to　increase　the　gayety　of　the　ladies　who　had　taken　him　for
the　object　of　their　pleasantries。

However　that　may　be；　such　was　the　character　and　position　of　Carrat；　whom
I　had　known　for　some　time；　when　General　Bonaparte　returned　from　his
expedition　into　Egypt；　and　Carrat　said　to　me　that　Eugene　de　Beauharnais
had　applied　to　him　for　a　confidential　valet；　his　own　having　been　detained
in　Cairo　by　severe　illness　at　the　time　of　his　departure。　　He　was　named
Lefebvre；　and　was　an　old　servant　entirely　devoted　to　his　master；　as　was
every　one　who　knew　Prince　Eugene；　for　I　do　not　believe　that　there　has
ever　lived　a　better　man；　or　one　more　polite；　more　considerate；　or　indeed
more　attentive；　to　those　who　served　him。

Carrat　having　told　me　that　Eugene　de　Beauharnais

　　　　　＇Born　1781；　viceroy　of　Italy　1805。　　In　1806　married　the　daughter
　　　　　of　the　King　of　Bavaria。　　Died　1824。　　Among　his　descendants　are　the
　　　　　present　King　of　Sweden　and　the　late　Emperor　of　Brazil。　TRANS。＇

desired　a　young　man　to　replace　Lefebvre；　and　having　recommended　me　for
the　place；　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　be　presented　to　Eugene；　and　to　give
satisfaction；　indeed；　he　was　so　kind　as　to　say　to　me　that　my　appearance
pleased　him；　and　he　wished　me　to　enter　upon　my　duties　immediately。　　I　was
delighted　with　this　situation；　which；　I　know　not　why；　painted　itself　to
my　imagination　in　the　brightest　colors；　and　without　loss　of　time；　went　to
find　my　modest　baggage；　and　behold　me　valet　de　chambre；　ad　interim；　of　M。
de　Beauharnais；　not　dreaming　that　I　should　one　day　be　admitted　to　the
personal　service　of　General　Bonaparte；　and　still　less　that　I　should
become　the　chief　valet　of　an　Emperor。




CHAPTER　II。

It　was　on　Oct。　16；　1799；　that　Eugene　de　Beauharnais　arrived　in　Paris　on
his　return　from　Egypt；　and　almost　immediately　thereafter　I　had　the　good
fortune　to　be　taken　into　his　service；　M。　Eugene　being　then　twenty…one
years　of　age。　　I　soon　after　learned　a　few　particulars；　which　I　think　are
little　known；　relative　to　his　former　life；　and　the　marriage　of　his　mother
with　General　Bonaparte。

His　father；　as　is　well　known；　was　one　of　the　victims　of　the　Revolution；
and　when　the　Marquis　de　Beauharnais　had　perished　on　the　scaffold；　his
widow；　whose　property　had　been　confiscated；　fearing　that　her　son；
although　still　very　young；　might　also　be　in　danger　on　account　of　his
belonging　to　the　nobility；　placed　him　in　the　home　of　a　carpenter　on　the
rue　de　l'Echelle　where；　a　lady　of　my　acquaintance；　who　lived　on　that
street；　has　often　seen　him　passing；　carrying　a　plank　on　his　shoulder。　　It
seems　a　long　distance　from　this　position　to　the　colonelcy　of　a　regiment
of　the　Consular　guards；　and　the　vice…royalty　of　Italy。

I　learned；　from　hearing　Eugene　himself　relate　it；　by　what　a　singular
circumstance　he　had　been　the　cause　of　the　first　meeting　between　his
mother　and　his　step…father。　　Eugene；　being　then　not　more　than　fourteen　or
fifteen　years　of　age；　having　been　informed　that　General　Bonaparte　had
become　possessor　of　the　sword　of　the　Marquis　de　Beauharnais；　took　a　step
which　seemed　hazardous；　but　was　crowned　with　success。　　The　general　having
received　him　graciously；　Eugene　explained　that　he　came　to　beg　of　him　the
restoration　of　his　father's　sword。　　His　face；　his　bearing；　his　frank
request；　all　made　such　a　pleasant　impression　on　Bonaparte；　that　he
immediately　presented　him　with　the　sword　which　he　requested。　　As　soon　as
this　sword　was　in　his　hands　he　covered　it　with　kisses　and　tears；　and　the
whole　was　done　in　so　artless　a　manner；　that　Bonaparte　was　delighted　with
him。

Madame　de　Beauharnais；　being　informed　of　the　welcome　the　general　had
given　her　son；　thought　it　her　duty　to　make　him　a　visit　of　gratitude。
Bonaparte；　being　much　pleased　with　Josephine　in　this　first　interview；
returned　her　visit。　　They　met　again　frequently；　and　as　is　well　known；　one
event　led　to　another；　until　she　became　the　first　Empress　of　the　French；
and　I　can　assert　from　the　numerous　proofs　that　I　have　had　of　this　fact；
that　Bonaparte　never　ceased　to　love　Eugene　as　well　as　if　he；　had　been　his
own　son。

The　qualities　of　Eugene　were　both　attractive　and　solid。　　His　features
were　not　regular；　and　yet　his　countenance　prepossessed　every　one　in　his
favor。　　He　had　a　well…proportioned　figure；　but　did　not　make　a
distinguished　appearance；　on　account　of　the　habit　he　had　of　swinging
himself　as　he　walked。　　He　was　about　five　feet　three　or　four　inches　
＇About　five　feet　six　or　seven　inches　in　English　measurement。　TRANS。＇
in　height。　　He　was　kind；　gay；　amiable；　full　of　wit；　intelligent；
generous；　and　it　might　well　be　said　that　his　frank　and　open　countenance
was　the　mirror　of　his　soul。　　How　many　services　he　has　rendered　others
during　the　course　of　his　life；　and　at　the　very　period　when　in　order　to　do
so　he　had　often　to　impose　privations　on　himself。

It　will　soon　be　seen　how　it　happened　that　I　passed　only　a　month　with
Eugene；　but　during　this　short　space　of　time；　I　recall　that；　while
fulfilling　scrupulously　his　duties　to　his　mother　and　his　step…father；　he
was　much　addicted　to　the　pleasures　so　natural　to　his　age　and　position。
One　of　his　greatest　pleasures　was　entertaining　his　friends　at　breakfast；
which　he　did　very　often。　　This　amused　me　much　on　account　of　the　comical
scenes　of　which　I　was　often　a　witness。　　Besides　the　young　officers　of
Bonaparte's　staff；　his　most　frequent　guests；　he　had　also　frequently　at
his　table　the　ventriloquist　Thiemet；　Dugazon；　Dazincourt；　and　Michau　of
the　Theatre　Francais；　and　a　few　other　persons；　whose　names　escape　me　at
this　moment。　　As　may　be　imagined；　these　reunions　were　extremely　gay；
these　young　officers　especially；　who　had　returned　like　Eugene　from　the
expedition　to　Egypt；　seemed　trying　to　indemnify　themselves　for　the　recent
privations　t