napoleon bonaparte, v7-第12节

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of　a　Greek　bishop；　charging　him　to　make　her　a　good　Christian；　and　then
returned　to　Vienna；　with　the　intention　of　obtaining　the　consent　of　his
family　and　the　permission　of　his　government　to　marry　a　slave。

Two　years　then　passed；　and　the　poor　girl　heard　nothing　from　her　future
husband。　　Meanwhile　the　bishop　had　died；　and　his　heirs　had　abandoned
Marie　（this　was　the　baptismal　name　of　the　convert）；　and　she；　with　no
means　and　no　protector；　ran　the　risk　of　being　at　any　moment　discovered　by
some　relation　or　friend　of　her　familyand　it　is　well　known　that　the
Turks　never　forgive　a　change　of　religion。

Tormented　by　a　thousand　fears；　weary　of　her　retreat　and　the　deep
obscurity　in　which　she　was　buried；　she　took　the　bold　resolution　of
rejoining　her　benefactor；　and　not　deterred　by　dangers　of　the　road　set　out
from　Constantinople　alone　on　foot。　　On　her　arrival　in　the　capital　of
Austria；　she　learned　that　her　intended　husband　had　been　dead　for　more
than　a　year。

The　despair　into　which　the　poor　girl　was　plunged　by　this　sad　news　can　be
better　imagined　than　described。　　What　was　to　be　done？　　What　would　become
of　her？　　She　decided　to　return　to　her　family；　and　for　this　purpose
repaired　to　Trieste；　which　town　she　found　in　a　state　of　great　commotion。
It　had　just　received　a　French　garrison；　but　the　disturbances　inseparable
from　war　were　not　yet　ended；　and　young　Marie　consequently　entered　a　Greek
convent　to　await　a　suitable　opportunity　of　returning　to　Constantinople。
There　a　sub…lieutenant　of　infantry；　named　Dartois；　saw　her；　became　madly
in　love；　won　her　heart；　and　married　her　at　the　end　of　a　year。

The　happiness　which　Madame　Dartois　now　enjoyed　did　not　cause　her　to
renounce　her　plan　of　visiting　her　own　family；　and；　as　she　now　had　become
a　Frenchwoman；　she　thought　this　title　would　accelerate　her　return　to　her
parents'　favor。　　Her　husband's　regiment　received　orders　to　leave　Trieste；
and　this　gave　Madame　Dartois　the　opportunity　to　renew　her　entreaties　to
be　allowed　to　visit　Constantinople；　to　which　her　husband　gave　his
consent；　not　without　explaining　to　her；　however；　all　she　had　to　fear；　and
all　the　dangers　to　which　this　journey　would　again　expose　her。　　At　last
she　started；　and　a　few　days　after　her　arrival　was　on　the　point　of　making
herself　known　to　her　family；　when　she　recognized　on　the　street　through
her　veil；　the　Broussan　merchant；　her　former　master；　who　was　seeking　her
throughout　Constantinople；　and　had　sworn　to　kill　her　on　sight。

This　terrible　'rencontre'　threw　her　into　such　a　fright；　that　for　three
days　she　lived　in　constant　terror；　scarcely　daring　to　venture　out；　even
on　the　most　urgent　business；　and　always　fearing　lest　she　should　see　again
the　ferocious　Anatolian。　　From　time　to　time　she　received　letters　from　her
husband；　who　still　marched　with　the　French　army；　and；　as　it　was　now
advancing；　he　conjured　her　in　his　last　letters　to　return　to　France；
hoping　to　be　able　soon　to　rejoin　her　there。

Deprived　of　all　hope　of　a　reconciliation　with　her　family；　Madame　Dartois
determined　to　comply　with　her　husband's　request；　and；　although　the　war
between　Russia　and　Turkey　rendered　the　roads　very　unsafe；　she　left
Constantinople　in　the　month　of　July；　1809。

After　passing　through　Hungary　and　the　midst　of　the　Austrian　camp；　Madame
Dartois　bent　her　steps　towards　Vienna；　where　she　had　the　sorrow　to　learn
that　her　husband　had　been　mortally　wounded　at　the　battle　of　Wagram；　and
was　now　in　that　town；　she　hastened　to　him；　and　he　expired　in　her　arms。

She　mourned　her　husband　deeply；　but　was　soon　compelled　to　think　of　the
future；　as　the　small　amount　of　money　remaining　to　her　when　she　left
Constantinople　had　been　barely　sufficient　for　the　expenses　of　her
journey；　and　M。　Dartois　had　left　no　property。　　Some　one　having　advised
the　poor　woman　to　go　to　Schoenbrunn　and　ask　his　Majesty's　assistance；　a
superior　officer　gave　her　a　letter　of　recommendation　to　M。　Jaubert；
interpreting　secretary　of　the　Emperor。

Madame　Dartois　arrived　as　his　Majesty　was　preparing　to　leave　Schoenbrunn；
and　made　application　to　M。　Jaubert；　the　Duke　of　Bassano；　General　Lebrun；
and　many　other　persons　who　became　deeply　interested　in　her　misfortunes。

The　Emperor；　when　informed　by　the　Duke　of　Bassano　of　the　deplorable
condition　of　this　woman；　at　once　made　a　special　order　granting　Madame
Dartois　an　annual　pension　of　sixteen　hundred　francs；　the　first　year　of
which　was　paid　in　advance。　　When　the　Duke　of　Bassano　announced　to　the
widow　his　Majesty's　decision；　and　handed　her　the　first　year's　pension；
she　fell　at　his　feet；　and　bathed　them　with　her　tears。

The　Emperor's　fete　was　celebrated　at　Vienna　with　much　brilliancy；　and　as
all　the　inhabitants　felt　themselves　obliged　to　illumine　their　windows；
the　effect　was　extraordinarily　brilliant。　　They　had　no　set　illuminations；
but　almost　all　the　windows　had　double　sashes；　and　between　these　sashes
were　placed　lamps；　candles；　etc。；　ingeniously　arranged；　the　effect　of
which　was　charming。　　The　Austrians　appeared　as　gay　as　our　soldiers；　they
had　not　feted　their　own　Emperor　with　so　much　ardor；　and；　though　deep　down
in　their　hearts　they　must　have　experienced　a　feeling　of　constraint　at
such　unaccustomed　joy；　appearances　gave　no　sign　of　this。

On　the　evening　of　the　fete；　during　the　parade；　a　terrible　explosion　was
heard　at　Schoenbrunn；　the　noise　of　which　seemed　to　come　from　the　town；
and　a　few　moments　afterwards　a　gendarme　appeared；　his　horse　in　a　gallop。
〃Oh；　oh！〃　　said　Colonel　Mechnem；　〃there　must　be　a　fire　at　Vienna；　if　a
gendarme　is　galloping。〃　　In　fact；　he　brought　tidings　of　a　very　deplorable
event。　　While　an　artillery　company　had　been　preparing；　in　the　arsenal　of
the　town；　numerous　fireworks　to　celebrate　his　Majesty's　fete；　one　of
them；　in　preparing　a　rocket；　accidentally　set　the　fuse　on　fire；　and
becoming　frightened　threw　it　away　from　him。　It　fell　on　the　powder　which
the　shop　contained；　and　eighteen　cannoneers　were　killed　by　the　explosion；
and　seven　wounded。

During　his　Majesty's　fete；　as　I　entered　his　cabinet　one　morning；　I　found
with　him　M。　Charles　Sulmetter；　commissary　general　of　the　police　of
Vienna；　whom　I　had　seen　often　before。　　He　had　begun　as　head　spy　for　the
Emperor；　and　this　had　proved　such　a　profitable　business　that　he　had
amassed　an　income　of　forty　thousand　pounds。　He　had　been　born　at
Strasburg；　and　in　his　early　life　had　been　chief　of　a　band　of　smugglers；
to　which　vocation　he　was　as　wonderfully　adapted　by　nature　as　to　that
which　he　afterwards　pursued。　　He　admitted　this　in　relating　his
adventures；　and　maintained　that　smuggling　and　police　service　had　many
points　of　similarity；　since　the　great　art　of　smuggling　was　to　know　how　to
evade；　while　that　of　a　spy　was　to　know　how　to　seek。　He　inspired　such
terror　in　the　Viennese　that　he　was　equal　to　a　whole　army…corps　in　keeping
them　in　subjection。　His　quick　and　penetrating　glance；　his　air　of
resolution　and　severity；　the　abruptness　of　his　step　and　gestures；　his
terrible　voice；　and　his　appearance　of　great　strength；　fully　justified　his
reputation；　and　his　adventures　furnish　ample　materials　for　a　romance。
During　the　first　campaigns　of　Germany；　being　charged　with　a　message　from
the　French　government　to　one　of　the　most　prominent　persons　in　the
Austrian　army；　he　passed　among　the　enemy　disguised　as　a　German　peddler；
furnished　with　regular　passports；　and　provided　with　a　complete　stock　of
diamonds　and　jewelry。　　He　was　betrayed；　arrested；　and　searched；　and　the
letter　concealed　in　the　double　bottom　of　a　gold　box　was　found；　and　very
foolishly　read　before　him。　　He　was　tried　and　condemned　to　death；　and
delivered　to　the　soldiers　by　whom　he　was　to　be　executed；　but　as　night　had
arrived　by　this　time；　they　postponed　his　execution　till　morning。　　He
recognized　among　his　guards　a　French　deserter；　talked　with　him；　and
promised　him　a　large　sum　of　money：　he　had　wine　brought；　drank　with　the
soldiers；　intoxicated　them；　and　disguised　in　one　of　their　coats；　escaped
with　the　Frenchman。　　Before　re…entering　the　camp；　however；　he　found　means
to　inform　the　person　for　whom　the　letter　was　intended；　of　its　contents；
and　of　what　had　happened。

Countersigns　difficult　to　remember　were　often　given　in　the　army　in　order
to　attract　the　soldiers'　attention　more　closely。　　One　day　the　word　was
Pericles；　Persepolis；　and　a　captain　of　the　guard　who　had　a　better
knowledge　of　how　to　command　a　charge　than　of　Greek　history　and　geography；
not　hearing　it　distinctly；　gave　as　the　countersign；　'perce　l'eglise'；
which　mistake　furnished　much　amusement。　　The　old　captain　was　not　at　all
angry；　and　said　that　after　all　he　was　not　very　far　wrong。

The　secretary　of　General　Andreossy；　Governor　of　Vienna；　had　an
unfortunate　passion　for　gambling；　and　finding　that　he　did　not　gain　enough
to　pay　his　debts；　sold　himself　to　the　enemy。　　His　correspondence　was
seized；　he　admitted　his　treachery；　and　was　condemned　to　death；　and
in　confronting　death　evinced　astonishing　self…possession。　　〃Come　nearer；〃
said　he　to　the　soldiers　who　were　to　shoot；　〃so　that　you　may　see　me
better；　and　I　will　have　less　to　suffer。〃

In　one　of　his　excursions　in　the　environs　of　Vienna；　the　Emperor　met　a
very　young　conscript　who　was　rejoining　his　corps。　　He　stopped　him；　asked
his　name；　his　age；　regimen