napoleon bonaparte, v12-第6节

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to　the　fate　of　my　family；　of　whom　I　had　received　no　news　for　a　long
while；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　cruel　disease　from　which　I　had　long
suffered　had　made　frightful　progress；　owing　to　the　fatigue　of　the　last
campaign。　　Nevertheless；　the　mental　suffering　to　which　I　saw　the　Emperor
a　victim　so　entirely　absorbed　all　my　thoughts；　that　I　took　no　precautions
against　the　physical　suffering　which　I　endured；　and　I　had　not　even
thought　of　asking　for　a　safeguard　for　the　country…house　I　possessed　in
the　environs　of　Fontainebleau。　　A　free　corps　having　seized　it；　had
established　themselves　there；　after　having　pillaged　and　destroyed
everything；　even　the　little　flock　of　merino　sheep　which　I　owed　to　the
kindness　of　the　Empress　Josephine。　　The　Emperor；　having　been　informed　of
it　by　others　than　myself；　said　to　me　one　morning　at　his　toilet；
〃Constant；　I　owe　you　indemnity。〃〃Sire？〃〃Yes；　my　child；　I　know　that
your　place　has　been　pillaged；　I　know　that　you　have　incurred　considerable
losses　in　the　Russian　campaign；　I　have　given　an　order　that　fifty　thousand
francs　should　be　handed　you　to　cover　the　whole。〃　　I　thanked　his　Majesty；
who　more　than　indemnified　me　for　my　losses。

This　occurred　during　the　first　days　of　our　last　stay　at　Fontainebleau。
At　the　same　period　the　Emperor's　removal　to　the　Island　of　Elba　having
been　already　discussed；　the　grand　marshal　of　the　palace　asked　me　if　I
would　follow　his　Majesty　to　this　residence。　　God　is　my　witness　that　I　had
no　other　wish　than　to　consecrate　all　my　life　to　the　service　of　the
Emperor；　therefore　I　did　not　need　a　moment's　reflection　to　reply　that
this　could　not　be　a　matter　of　doubt；　and　I　occupied　myself　almost
immediately　with　preparations　for　the　sojourn；　which　proved　to　be　not　a
long　one；　but　the　duration　of　which　no　human　intelligence　could　then　have
been　able　to　foretell。

Meanwhile；　in　the　retirement　of　his　chamber；　the　Emperor　became　each　day
more　sad　and　careworn；　and　when　I　saw　him　alone；　which　often　occurred；
for　I　tried　to　be　near　him　as　much　as　possible；　I　remarked　the　extreme
agitation　which　the　reading　of　the　dispatches　he　received　from　Paris
caused　him；　this　agitation　was　many　times　so　great　that　I　noticed　he　had
torn　his　leg　with　his　nails　until　the　blood　flowed；　without　being　aware
of　it。　　I　then　took　the　liberty　of　informing　him　of　the　fact　as　gently　as
possible；　with　the　hope　of　putting　an　end　to　this　intense　preoccupation；
which　cut　me　to　the　heart。　　Several　times　also　the　Emperor　asked　Roustan
for　his　pistols；　fortunately　I　had　taken　the　precaution；　seeing　his
Majesty　so　unnerved；　to　recommend　him　not　to　give　them　to　him；　however
much　the　Emperor　might　insist。　　I　thought　it　my　duty　to　give　an　account
of　all　this　to　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；　who　entirely　approved　of　my　conduct。
One　morning；　I　do　not　recall　whether　it　was　the　10th　or　11th　of　April；
but　it　was　certainly　on　one　of　those　days；　the　Emperor；　who　had　said
nothing　to　me　in　the　morning；　had　me　called　during　the　day。　　I　had　hardly
entered　his　room　when　he　said　to　me；　in　a　tone　of　most　winning　kindness；
〃My　dear　Constant；　there　is　a　hundred　thousand　francs　waiting　for　you　at
Peyrache's；　if　your　wife　arrives　before　our　departure；　you　will　give　them
to　her；　if　she　should　not；　put　them　in　the　corner　of　your　country…place；
note　the　exact　location　of　the　spot；　which　you　will　send　to　her　by　some
safe　person。　　When　one　has　served　me　well　he　should　not　be　in　want。　　Your
wife　will　build　a　farm；　in　which　she　will　invest　this　money；　she　will
live　with　your　mother　and　sister；　and　you　will　not　have　the　fear　of
leaving　her　in　need。〃　　Even　more　moved　by　the　provident　kindness　of　the
Emperor；　who　thus　deigned　to　consider　the　interests　of　my　family　affairs；
than　delighted　with　the　great　value　of　the　present　he　had　made　me；　I
could　hardly　find　words　to　express　to　him　my　gratitude；　and　such　was；
besides；　my　carelessness　of　the　future；　so　far　from　me　had　been　the
thought　that　this　great　Empire　could　come　to　an　end；　that　this　was　the
first　time　I　had　really　considered　the　embarrassed　condition　in　which　I
would　have　left　my　family；　if　the　Emperor　had　not　thus　generously
provided　for　them。　　I　had；　in　fact；　no　fortune；　and　possessed　in　all　the
world　only　my　pillaged　house；　and　the　fifty　thousand　francs　destined　to
repair　it。

Under　these　circumstances；　not　knowing　when　I　should　see　my　wife　again；　I
made　arrangements　to　follow　the　advice　his　Majesty　had　been　kind　enough
to　give　me；　converted　my　hundred　thousand　francs　into　gold；　which　I　put
into　five　bags；　and　taking　with　me　the　wardrobe　boy　Denis；　whose　honesty
was　above　suspicion；　we　followed　the　road　through　the　forest　to　avoid
being　seen　by　any　of　the　persons　who　occupied　my　house。　　We　cautiously
entered　a　little　inclosure　belonging　to　me；　the　gate　of　which　could　not
be　seen　on　account　of　the　trees；　although　they　were　now　without　foliage；
and　with　the　aid　of　Denis　I　succeeded　in　burying　my　treasure；　after
taking　an　exact　note　of　the　place；　and　then　returned　to　the　palace；　being
certainly　very　far　from　foreseeing　how　much　chagrin　and　tribulation　those
hundred　thousand　francs　would　cause　me；　as　we　shall　see　in　the　succeeding
chapters。




CHAPTER　XXVII。

Here　more　than　ever　I　must　beg　the　indulgence　of　my　readers　as　to　the
order　in　which　I　relate　the　events　I　witnessed　during　the　Emperor's　stay
at　Fontainebleau；　and　those　connected　with　them　which　did　not　come　to　my
knowledge　until　later。　　I　must　also　apologize　for　any　inaccuracy　in　dates
of　which　I　may　be　guilty；　though　I　remember　collectively；　so　to　speak；
all　that　occurred　during　the　unhappy　twenty　days　which　ensued　between　the
occupation　of　Paris　and　the　departure　of　his　Majesty　for　the　Island　of
Elba；　for　I　was　so　completely　absorbed　in　the　unhappy　condition　of　my
good　master　that　all　my　faculties　hardly　sufficed　for　the　sensations　I
experienced　every　moment。　　We　suffered　in　the　Emperor's　sufferings；　it
occurred　to　none　of　us　to　imprint　on　his　memory　the　recollection　of　so
much　agony；　for　we　lived；　so　to　speak；　only　provisionally。

During　the　first　days　of　our　stay　at　Fontainebleau　the　idea　that　the
Emperor　would　soon　cease　to　reign　over　France　was　very　far　from　entering
the　minds　of　any　of　those　around　him；　for　every　one　was　possessed　with
the　conviction　that　the　Emperor　of　Austria　would　not　consent　that　his
son…in…law；　daughter；　and　grandson　should　be　dethroned；　in　this　they　were
strangely　mistaken。　　I　remarked　during　these　first　days　that　even　more
petitions　than　usual　were　addressed　to　his　Majesty；　but　I　am　ignorant
whether　he　responded　favorably；　or　even　if　he　replied　at　all。　　The
Emperor　often　took　up　the　daily　papers；　but　after　casting　his　eyes　over
them　threw　them　down　angrily；　and　if　we　recall　the　shameless　abuse　in
which　those　writers　indulged　who　had　so　often　lavished　fulsome　praises　on
him；　it　may　well　be　understood　that　such　a　transition　would　naturally
excite　his　Majesty's　disgust。　　The　Emperor　usually　remained　alone；　and
the　person　whom　he　saw　most　frequently　was　the　Duke　of　Bassano；　the　only
one　of　his　ministers　then　at　Fontainebleau；　for　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；
being　charged　continually　with　missions；　was；　so　to　speak；　constantly　on
the　wing；　especially　as　long　as　his　Majesty　retained　the　hope　of　seeing　a
regency　in　favor　of　his　son　succeed　him　in　the　government。　　In　seeking　to
recall　the　varied　feelings　whose　impress　I　remarked　on　his　Majesty's
countenance；　I　think　I　may　affirm　that　he　was　even　more　deeply　affected
by　being　compelled　to　renounce　the　throne　for　his　son　than　in　resigning
it　for　himself。　　When　the　marshals　or　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　spoke　to　his
Majesty　of　arrangements　relating　to　his　person；　it　was　easy　to　see　that
he　forced　himself　to　listen　to　them　only　with　the　greatest　repugnance。
One　day　when　they　spoke　of　the　Island　of　Elba；　and　I　do　not　know　what　sum
per　year；　I　heard　his　Majesty　reply　vehemently：　〃That　is　too　much；　much
too　much　for　me。　　If　I　am　no　longer　anything　more　than　a　common　soldier；
I　do　not　need　more　than　one　louis　per　day。〃

Nevertheless；　the　time　arrived　when；　pressed　on　every　side；　his　Majesty
submitted　to　sign　the　act　of　abdication　pure　and　simple；　which　was
demanded　of　him。　　This　memorable　act　was　conceived　in　these　terms：

　　　　　〃The　allied　powers　having　proclaimed　that　the　Emperor　Napoleon　is
　　　　　the　only　obstacle　to　the　re…establishment　of　peace　in　Europe；　the
　　　　　Emperor　Napoleon；　faithful　to　his　oath；　declares　that　he　renounces
　　　　　for　himself　and　his　heirs　the　thrones　of　France　and　Italy；　and　that
　　　　　there　is　no　personal　sacrifice；　even　his　life；　which　he　is　not
　　　　　willing　to　make　for　the　interests　of　France。

　　　　　〃Done　at　the　palace　of　Fontainebleau；　11th　of　April；　1814。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NAPOLEON。〃

I　do　not　need　to　say　that　I　then　had　no　knowledge　of　the　act　of
abdication　above　given；　it　was　one　of　those　state　secrets　which　emanated
from　the　cabinet；　and　hardly　entered　into　the　confidence　of　the　bedroom。
I　only　recall　that　there　was　some　discussion　of　the　matter；　though　very
vague；　that　same　day　in　the　household；　and；　besides；　it　was　evident　that
something　extraordinary　was　taking　place；　and　the　whole　day　his　Majesty
seemed　more　depressed　t