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deliver　it　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　and　tell　him　that；　having
learned　that　he　had　arrived　at　the　headquarters　of　his　army；　I　had
sent　you　to　welcome　him　in　my　name。　If　he　should　converse　with　you；
and　put　questions　to　you；　you　know　the　replies　that　should　be　made
under　such　circumstances。　Go。〃　＇Footnote：　Napoleon's　own　words。
Vide　〃Memoires　du　Duc　de　Rovigo；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　171。＇

〃And　now；〃　said　the　emperor；　when　Savary　had　left　him；　〃now　we　will
sleep　a　little。　Constant！〃

The　door　opened　immediately；　and　the　VALET　DE　CHAMBRE　entered。

〃Ah；　I　am　afraid　you　have　had　a　bad　night　of　it；〃　said　the　emperor；
kindly。

〃Sire；　your　majesty　has　again　been　awake　all　the　night　long；　and〃

〃And　consequently；〃　said　Napoleon；　interrupting　him〃consequently
you　have　been　awake；　too。　Well；　console　yourself；　we　shall　soon　have
more　quiet　nights；　console　yourself；　and　do　not　report　me　to　the
Empress　Josephine　when　we　have　returned　to　Paris。　My　dear　Josephine
hates　nothing　so　much　as　sleepless　nights。〃

〃Sire；　the　empress　is　right；　she　ought　to　hate　them；〃　said　Constant；
respectfully。　〃Your　majesty；　taking　no　rest　whatever　in　the　daytime；
needs　repose　at　least　in　the　night。　Your　majesty　sleeps　too　little。〃

〃By　doing　so　I　am　better　off　than　the　sluggards；　inasmuch　as　my　life
does　not　only　consist　of　days；　but　also　of　nights；〃　replied
Napoleon；　good…humoredly。　〃I　shall　have　lived　eighty　years　then　in
the　space　of　forty。　But　be　quiet；　Constant；　I　will　now　comply　with
your　wishes　and　sleep。〃

Constant　hastened　to　open　the　door　leading　to　the　bedroom。

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　emperor；　〃if　I　say　I　will　sleep；　I　do　not　mean
that　I　will　go　to　bed。　Beds　are；　on　the　whole；　only　good　for　old
women　and　gouty　old　men。　When　I　was　second　lieutenant；　I　once　made
the　experiment　not　to　go　to　bed　for　six　months；　but　to　sleep　on　the
floor　or　on　a　chair；　and　it　agreed　very　well　with　me。　Give　me　the
handkerchief　for　my　head；　and　my　coat；　Constant。〃

Constant　hurried　with　a　sigh　to　the　bedroom　in　order　to　fetch　the
articles　Napoleon　had　ordered；　and　while　he　was　wrapping　the　silken
handkerchief　around　the　emperor's　head；　and　assisted　him　in　putting
on　his　gray；　well…lined；　and　comfortable　cloth…coat　instead　of　the
uniform；　the　emperor　softly　whistled　and　hummed　an　air。

He　then　snugly　stretched　himself　in　his　arm…chair；　and　kindly
nodding　to　Constant；　he　said：　〃As　soon　as　General　Savary　has
returned；　let　him　come　in。〃

Constant　softly　glided　into　the　anteroom。　He　met　there　some　of　his
acquaintances。

〃I　have　important　news　for　you；　gentlemen；〃　he　said。　〃We　shall　fight
a　battle　in　two　or　three　days。〃

〃Did　the　emperor　tell　you　so？〃

〃No；　he　is　not　in　the　habit　of　speaking　of　such　things。　But　during
the　night…toilet　he　whistled　Marlborough's　air；　and　he　does　so　only
when　there　is　to　be　a　battle。〃　＇Footnote：　〃Memoires　de　Constant；〃
vol。　iv。；　p。　109。＇




CHAPTER　XLVIII。

BEFORE　THE　BATTLE。


Five　hours　later　General　Savary　reentered　the　emperor's　cabinet；　he
was　still　lying　on　his　arm…chair　and　sleeping；　but　when　the　general
accosted　him　in　a　low　voice；　Napoleon　opened　his　eyes　and　asked
eagerly：　〃Well；　did　you　see　the　czar？〃

〃Yes；　sire；　I　saw　him　and　conversed　with　him。〃　〃Ah；〃　exclaimed
Napoleon；　quickly；　〃tell　me　all　about　it；　do　not　omit　any　thing。　How
did　he　look　when　he　read　my　letter？〃

〃Sire；　when　I　had　delivered　your　letter　to　the　Emperor　Alexander；　he
went　with　it　into　an　adjoining　room；　from　which　he　returned　only
half　an　hour　later；　with　a　reply　in　his　hand。〃

〃Give　me　the　letter；　Savary！〃

〃Sire；　here　it　is。〃

Napoleon　took　it　hastily；　but　when　he　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　address；
he　frowned。

〃Ah；　this　emperor　'by　the　grace　of　God'　believes　he　need　not　address
me　with　the　title　conferred　upon　me　by　the　French　nation；〃　he　said；
hastily。　〃He　does　not　write　to　the　Emperor　of　the　French；　but　'to
the　chief　of　the　French　government。'　＇Footnote：　historical。Vide
〃Memoires　du　Due　de　Rovigo；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　187。＇　Did　you　read　the
address；　Savary？〃

〃The　Emperor　Alexander　called　my　attention　to　it　himself；　sire。　I
remember　his　words　distinctly。　They　were　as　follows：　〃The　address
does　not　contain　the　title　which　your　chief　has　assumed　since　then。
I　do　not　set　any　great　value　on　such　trifles；　but　it　is　a　rule　of
etiquette；　and　I　shall　alter　it　with　pleasure　as　soon　as　he　has
given　me　an　opportunity　for　doing　so。〃　＇Footnote：　Alexander's　own
words。Vide　〃Memoires　du　Due　de　Rovigo；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　187。＇

〃And　what　did　you　reply　to　him？〃

〃Sire；　I　replied；　'Your　majesty　is　right。　This　can　only　be　a　rule　of
etiquette；　and　the　emperor　will　not　judge　it　in　any　other　way。　When
he　was　general…in…chief　of　the　Italian　army　he　already　gave　orders
and　prescribed　laws　to　more　than　one　king；　contented　with　the　homage
of　the　French；　he　only　deems　it　a　satisfaction　for　them　to　be
recognized。'〃　＇Footnote：　Historical。Vide　〃Memoires　du　Duc　de
Rovigo；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　167。＇

〃Your　reply　was　fitting　and　to　the　point；〃　said　Napoleon；　with　a
pleasant　nod；　while　he　opened　the　emperor's　letter　and　glanced　over
it。　〃Phrases；　empty　words；〃　he　then　exclaimed；　throwing　the　letter
contemptuously　on　the　table。　〃Talleyrand　was　right　when　he　said
language　was　given　to　us　for　the　purpose　of　concealing　our　thoughts。
Those　men　use　it　for　that　purpose。〃

〃Sire；　the　emperor　did　not　conceal　his　thoughts　during　our
interview；〃　replied　the　general。　〃I　conversed　with　him　long　and
freely；　and　I　may　say　that　he　uttered　his　opinions　very　frankly。　The
Emperor　Alexander　said：　'Peace　was　only　to　be　thought　of　if　your
majesty　should　stipulate　reasonable　terms　which　would　not　hurt
anybody's　feelings；　and　which　would　not　be　calculated　to　weaken　the
power　and　importance　of　the　other　princes　and　to　increase　that　of
France。　France　was　a　power　already　large　enough；　she　needed　no
aggrandizement；　and　the　other　powers　could　not　tolerate　such　a
one。'〃

〃Ah；　I　shall　teach　them　to　tolerate　it　nevertheless；　I　shall　prove
to　all　of　them　that　France　is　at　the　head　of　all　monarchies；　and
compel　them　to　recognize　the　Emperor　of　France　with　bowed　heads！〃

He　paced　the　room　hastily　with　angry　eyes　and　panting　breast。　His
steps；　however；　became　gradually　more　quiet；　and　the　furrows
disappeared　from　his　forehead。

〃I　need　two　days　more；〃　he　muttered　to　himself〃two　days；　and　I
must　have　them；　Savary。〃　He　then　said　aloud；　turning　to　the　general：
〃Did　you　make　no　further　observations？　Did　you　not　notice　the　spirit
animating　the　Russian　camp？〃　〃Sire；　the　whole　youth　of　the　highest
Russian　nobility　were　at　the　emperor's　headquarters；　and　I　conversed
with　many　of　them；　I　heard　and　observed　a　great　many　things。〃

〃Well；　and　what　do　they　think　of　us？〃

Savary　smiled。　〃Sire；〃　he　said；　〃those　young　men　did　not　breathe　any
thing　but　war　and　victory；　and　they　seemed　to　believe　that　your
majesty　wished　to　avoid　active　hostilities　since　the　Russians　had
formed　a　junction　with　the　Austrians。〃

〃Ah；　did　they　seem　to　believe　that？〃　exclaimed　Napoleon；　joyfully。
〃Well；　we　will　try　to　strengthen　their　belief。　General；　take　a
bugler　along　and　return　to　the　headquarters　of　the　emperor。　Tell　him
that　I　propose　to　him　an　interview　for　to…morrow　in　the　open　field
between　the　two　armies；　the　time　and　hour　to　be　designated　by
himself；　and　a　cessation　of　hostilities　to　take　place　for　the　next
twenty…four　hours。　Go！〃

〃I　believe；〃　said　the　emperor；　when　he　was　alone　again；　〃I　believe　I
have　gained　my　second　day　also；　and　I　only　want　a　third　one；　in
order　to　be　able　to　vanquish　all　my　enemies。　Those　arrogant　Russians
believe；　then；　that　I　wish　to　avoid　a　battle；　and　to　remain　in　my
present　position？　I　will　try　to　strengthen　this　opinion　of　theirs；
earthworks　shall　be　thrown　up；　and　the　batteries　shall　be　fortified。
Every　thing　must　have　the　appearance　of　anxiety　and　timidity。〃

And　Napoleon　summoned　his　generals　and　gave　them　aloud　these　new
orders；　but；　in　a　whisper；　he　instructed　them　to　begin　the
retrograde　movement；　and　to　let　the　troops　occupy　the　positions　he
had　selected　for　them　on　the　extensive　ground　he　had　reconnoitered
yesterday。

And　the　night　expired；　and　half　the　next　day；　before　General　Savary
returned　from　his　mission。　In　the　mean　time　Napoleon　had　changed　his
quarters。　He　had　repaired　to　the　camp　of　his　army；　and　a　bundle　of
straw　was　now　his　only　couch。　He　had　impatiently　looked　for　Savary；
and　went　to　meet　him　with　hasty　steps。

〃Why　so　late？〃　he　asked。

〃Sire；　it　was　almost　impossible　for　me　to　reach　the　emperor。　He　had
left　Olmutz。　All　the　night　long　I　was　conducted　from　bivouac　to
bivouac；　in　order　to　find　Prince　Bagration；　who　could　alone　take　me
to　the　emperor。〃

〃And　you　have　seen　the　emperor？〃　asked　Napoleon；　impatiently。

〃Yes；　sire；　after　overcoming　many　obstacles　and　difficulties；　I
succeeded　in　penetrating　to　the　emperor。　I　submitted　your　majesty's
proposition　to　him。　The　emperor　replied：　'It　would　afford　him　the
greatest　pleasure　to　see　and　make　the　acquaintance　of　your　majesty；
but　time　was　too　short　for　it　now。　Moreover；　before　entering　into
such　negotiations；　he　would　have　to　consult　the　Emperor　of　Austria；
and　learn　your　majesty's　views；　so　as　to　be　able　to　see　w