napoleon bonaparte, v12-第7节

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something　extraordinary　was　taking　place；　and　the　whole　day　his　Majesty
seemed　more　depressed　than　at　any　previous　time；　but；　nevertheless；　I　was
far　from　anticipating　the　agony　which　followed　this　fatal　day！

I　beg　the　reader　in　advance　to　give　earnest　attention　to　the　event　which
I　shall　now　relate。　　I　now　become　a　historian；　since　I　inscribe　the
painful　remembrance　of　a　striking　act　in　the　career　of　the　Emperor；　of　an
event　which　has　been　the　subject　of　innumerable　controversies；　though　it
has　been　necessarily　only　a　matter　of　surmise；　since　I　alone　knew　all　the
painful　details。　　I　refer　to　the　poisoning　of　the　Emperor　at
Fontainebleau。　　I　trust　I　do　not　need　to　protest　my　perfect　truthfulness；
I　feel　too　keenly　the　great　importance　of　such　a　revelation　to　allow
myself　to　omit　or　add　the　least　circumstance　to　the　truth。　　I　shall
therefore　relate　events　just　as　they　occurred；　just　as　I　saw　them；　and　as
memory；　has　engraved　the　painful　details　indelibly　on　my　mind。

On　the　11th　of　April　I　undressed　the　Emperor　as　usual；　I　think　rather
earlier　than　usual；　for；　if　I　remember　aright；　it　was　not　quite　half…past
ten。　　As　he　retired　he　appeared　to　me　better　than　during　the　day；　and　in
nearly　the　same　condition　he　had　been　on　previous　evenings。　　I　slept　in　a
room　on　the　next　floor；　situated　behind　the　Emperor's　room；　with　which　it
communicated　by　a　small；　dark　staircase。　　For　some　time　past　I　had　slept
in　my　clothes；　in　order　to　attend　the　Emperor　more　promptly　if　he　should
call　me；　and　I　was　sleeping　soundly；　when　at　midnight　I　was　awaked　by
M。　Pelard；　who　was　on　duty。　　He　told　me　that　the　Emperor　had　asked　for
me；　and　on　opening　my　eyes　I　saw　on　his　face　an　expression　of　alarm　which
astounded　me。　　I　threw　myself　out　of　the　bed；　and　rapidly　descended　the
staircase；　as　M。　Pelard　added；　〃The　Emperor　has　poured　something　in　a
glass　and　drunk　it。〃　　I　entered　his　Majesty's　room；　a　prey　to
indescribable　anxiety。　　The　Emperor　had　lain　down；　but　in　advancing
towards　his　bed　I　saw　on　the　floor　between　the　fireplace　and　the　bed　the
little　bag　of　black　silk　and　skin；　of　which　I　spoke　some　time　since。　　It
was　the　same　he　had　worn　on　his　neck　since　the　campaign　in　Spain；　and
which　I　had　guarded　so　carefully　from　one　campaign　to　another。　　Ah！　if　I
had　suspected　what　it　contained。　　In　this　terrible　moment　the　truth　was
suddenly　revealed　to　me！

Meanwhile；　I　was　at　the　head　of　the　Emperor's　bed。　　〃Constant；〃　said　he；
in　a　voice　painfully　weak　and　broken；　〃Constant；　I　am　dying！　　I　cannot
endure　the　agony　I　suffer；　above　all　the　humiliation　of　seeing　myself
surrounded　by　foreign　emissaries！　　My　eagles　have　been　trailed　in　the
dust！　　I　have　not　been　understood！　　My　poor　Constant；　they　will　regret　me
when　I　am　no　more！　　Marmont　dealt　me　the　finishing　stroke。　　The　wretch！
I　loved　him！　　Berthier's　desertion　has　ruined　me！　　My　old　friends；　my　old
companions　in　arms！　　〃The　Emperor　said　to　me　many　other　things　which　I
fear　I　might　not　repeat　correctly；　and　it　may　well　be　understood　that；
overwhelmed　as　I　was　with　despair；　I　did　not　attempt　to　engrave　in　my
memory　the　words　which　at　intervals　escaped　the　Emperor's　lips；　for　he
did　not　speak　continuously；　and　the　complaints　I　have　related　were
uttered　only　between　intervals　of　repose；　or　rather　of　stupor。　　While　my
eyes　were　fastened　on　the　Emperor's　countenance；　I　noticed　on　it　a　sudden
contraction；　which　was　the　premonition　of　a　convulsion　which　frightened
me　terribly；　　fortunately　this　convulsion　brought　on　a　slight　attack　of
vomiting；　which　gave　me　some　hope。　　The　Emperor；　amidst　his　complicated
physical　and　mental　sufferings；　maintained　perfect　selfpossession；　and
said　to　me；　after　the　first　vomiting　spell；　〃Constant；　call　M。　Yvan　and
Caulaincourt。〃　　I　half　opened　the　door；　and　gave　the　order　to　M。　Pelard；
without　leaving　the　Emperor's　room；　and　returning　to　his　bed；　besought
and　entreated　him　to　take　a　soothing　potion；　but　all　my　efforts　were　in
vain；　so　strong　was　his　determination　to　die；　even　when　in　the　presence
of　death。

In　spite　of　the　obstinate　refusal　of　the　Emperor；　I　was　still　entreating
him　when　M。　de　Caulaincourt　and　M。　Yvan　entered　the　room。　　His　Majesty
made　a　sign　to　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　to　approach　his　bed；　and　said　to　him；
〃Caulaincourt；　I　recommend　to　you　my　wife　and　child；　serve　them　as　you
have　served　me。　　I　have　not　long　to　live！〃　　At　this　moment　the　Emperor
was　interrupted　by　another　fit　of　vomiting；　but　slighter　than　the　first；
during　which　I　tried　to　tell　the　duke　that　the　Emperor　had　taken　poison；
he　understood　rather　than　heard　me；　for　sobs　stifled　my　voice　to　such　an
extent　that　I　could　not　pronounce　a　word　distinctly。　　M。　Yvan　drew　near；
and　the　Emperor　said　to　him；　〃Do　you　believe　the　dose　was　strong　enough？〃
These　words　were　really　an　enigma　to　M。　Yvan；　for　he　was　not　aware　of　the
existence　of　this　sachet；　at　least　not　to　my　knowledge；　and　therefore
answered；　〃I　do　not　know　what　your　Majesty　means；〃　to　which　his　Majesty
made　no　reply。

The　Duke　of　Vicenza；　M。　Yvan；　and　I；　having　united　our　entreaties　to　the
Emperor；　were　so　fortunate　at　length　as　to　induce　him；　though　not　without
much　difficulty；　to　drink　a　cup　of　tea；　which　he　had　refused　when　I　had
made　it　in　much　haste　and　presented　it　to　him；　saying；　〃Let　me　alone；
Constant；　let　me　alone：　　But；　as　a　result　of　our　redoubled　efforts；　he
drank　it　at　last；　and　the　vomiting　ceased。　　Soon　after　taking　the　tea　the
Emperor　appeared　calmer　and　fell　asleep。　　These　gentlemen　quietly
retired；　and　I　remained　alone　in　his　room；　where　I　awaited　until　he　woke。

After　a　sleep　of　a　few　hours　the　Emperor　awoke；　seeming　almost　as　usual；
although　his　face　still　bore　traces　of　what　he　had　suffered；　and　while　I
assisted　him　in　his　morning　toilet　did　not　utter　a　word　relating　in　the
most　indirect　manner　to　the　frightful　night　he　had　just　passed。　　He
breakfasted　as　usual；　only　a　little　later　than　ordinary。　　His　appearance
had　resumed　its　usual　calm；　and　he　seemed　more　cheerful　than　for　a　long
time　past。　　Was　it　the　result　of　his　satisfaction　at　having　escaped
death；　which　a　momentary　despair　had　made　him　desire？　　Or　did　it　not
rather　arise　from　the　certainty　of　no　longer　fearing　it　in　his　bed　more
than　on　the　battlefield？　　However　that　may　be；　I　attribute　the　remarkable
preservation　of　the　Emperor's　life　to　the　fact　that　the　poison　contained
in　the　bag　had　lost　its　efficacy。

When　everything　had　returned　to　its　usual　order；　without　any　one　in　the
palace　except　those　I　have　named　suspecting　what　had　occurred；　I　learned
that　M。　Yvan　had　left　Fontainebleau。　　Overwhelmed　by　the　question　the
Emperor　had　addressed　to　him　in　the　presence　of　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；　and
fearing　that　he　might　suspect　that　he　had　given　his　Majesty　the　means　of
attempting　his　life；　this　skillful　physician；　so　long　and　so　faithfully
attached　to　the　Emperor's　person；　had；　so　to　speak；　lost　his　head　in
thinking　of　the　responsibility　resting　on　him。　　Hastily　descending　the
stairs　from　the　Emperor's　apartments；　and　finding　a　horse　ready　saddled
and　bridled　in　one　of　the　courts　of　the　palace；　he　threw　himself　upon　it；
and　hastily　took　the　road　to　Paris。　　This　was　the　morning　of　the　same　day
that　Roustan　left　Fontainebleau。

On　the　12th　of　April；　the　Emperor　also　received　the　last　adieux　of
Marshal　Macdonald。　　When　he　was　introduced；　the　Emperor　was　still　feeling
the　effects　of　the　events　of　the　preceding　night；　and　I　am　sure　the　Duke
of　Tarentum　perceived；　without　divining　the　cause；　that　his　Majesty　was
not　in　his　usual　condition。　　He　was　accompanied　by　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；
and　at　this　moment　the　Emperor　was　still　so　much　depressed；　and　seemed　so
entirely　absorbed　in　thought；　that　he　did　not　at　first　perceive　these
gentlemen；　although　he　was　perfectly　wide　awake。　　The　Duke　of　Tarentum
brought　to　the　Emperor　the　treaty　with　the　allies；　and　I　left　the　room　as
he　was　preparing　to　sign　it。　　A　few　moments　after　the　Duke　of　Vicenza
summoned　me；　and　his　Majesty　said；　〃Constant；　bring　me　the　saber　which
Mourad…Bey　presented　to　me　in　Egypt。　　You　know　which　it　is？〃〃Yes；
Sire。〃　　I　went　out；　and　immediately　returned　with　this　magnificent　sword；
which　the　Emperor　had　worn　at　the　battle　of　Mount　Tabor；　as　I　have　heard
many　times。　　I　handed　it　to　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；　from　whose　hands　the
Emperor　took　it；　and　presented　it　to　Marshal　Macdonald；　and　as　I　retired
heard　the　Emperor　speaking　to　him　most　affectionately；　and　calling　him
his　worthy　friend。

These　gentlemen；　according　to　my　recollection；　were　present　at　the
Emperor's　breakfast；　where　he　appeared　calmer　and　more　cheerful　than　for
a　long　time　past；　and　we　were　all　surprised　to　see　him　converse
familiarly　and　in　the　most　amiable　manner　with　persons　to　whom　for　some
time　past　he　had　usually　addressed　very　brief　and　distant　remarks。
However；　this　gayety　was　only　momentary；　and；　indeed；　the　manner　in　which
the　Emperor's　mood　varied　from　one　moment　to　another　during　the　whole
time　of　our　stay　at　Fontainebleau　was　perfectly　indescribable。　　I　have
seen　him　on　the　same　day　plunged　for　several　hours　into　the　most　terrible
depression；　then；　a　moment　after；　walking　with　great　strides　up　and　down
his　room；　whistling　or　hummi