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Unexpected receipts in the Post-office Department Arrival of Napoleon's Commissioners at M. de Talleyrand's Conference of the Marshals with Alexander Alarming news from Essonne Marmont's courage The white cockade and the tri-coloured cockade A successful stratagem Three Governments in France The Duc de Cadore sent by Maria Louisa to the Emperor of Austria Maria Louisa's proclamation to the French people Interview between the Emperor of Austria and the Duc de Cadore The Emperor's protestation of friendship for Napoleon M. Metternich and M. Stadion Maria Louisa's departure for Orleans Blucher's visit to me Audience of the King of Prussia His Majesty's reception of Berthier, Clarke, and myself Bernadotte in Paris Cross of the Polar Star presented to me by Bernadotte.
He sent an aide de camp to desire Marmont to come immediately to Fontainebleau: such was Napoleon's impatience that instead of waiting for the return of his aide de camp he sent off a second and then a third officer on the same errand. This rapid succession of envoys from the Emperor alarmed the general who commanded the different divisions of Marmont's corps at Essonne.
It was M. le Comte de Cambray who spoke. He and St. Genis had arrived just in time to save Crystal from a further unpleasant scene. She, however, had not lost her presence of mind. She had certainly listened to de Marmont's final tirade, because she knew that she was helpless in his hands, but she had never been frightened for a moment.
The men of the Revolution and the men of the Empire The Council of Regency Departure of the Empress from Paris Marmont and Mortier Joseph's flight Meeting at Marmont's hotel Capitulation of Paris Marmont's interview with the Emperor at Fontainebleau Colonels Fabvier and Denys The Royalist cavalcade Meeting at the hotel of the Comte de Morfontaine M. de Chateaubriand and his pamphlet Deputation to the Emperor Alexander Entrance of the Allied sovereigns into Paris Alexander lodged in M. Talleyrand's hotel Meetings held there The Emperor Alexander's declaration My appointment as Postmaster-General Composition of the Provisional Government Mistake respecting the conduct of the Emperor of Austria Caulaincourt's mission from Napoleon His interview with the Emperor Alexander Alexander's address to the deputation of the Senate M. de Caulaincourt ordered to quit the capital.
With the troops which had filed through Paris, under Marmont's convention, and those which had followed himself from Troyes, nearly 50,000 men were once more assembled around Fontainebleau; and with such support Napoleon was not yet so humbled as to fear hazarding a blow, despite all the numerical superiority of the Allies.
Wellington had no wish to risk a battle, unless Salamanca or his own rear should be seriously threatened, and he stood on the defensive, a little south of Salamanca, with Marmont's army encamped in front of him. Early on July 22, the French seized one of two hills called the Arapiles which formed the key of the position and commanded the road to Ciudad Rodrigo.
At this juncture, he must have been cheered by the arrival of so able a lieutenant as Graham from Cadiz, and by the brilliant success of Hill against a detached body of Marmont's army south of the Tagus. There were other tendencies also secretly working in favour of the British and their allies.
England, a prey to official incapacity, joined the league, promised help in men and money, and did little or nothing except send fruitless expeditions to Alexandria and the Dardanelles with the aim of forcing the Turks to a peace with Russia. In Sicily we held our own against Joseph's generals, but had no men to spare for a diversion against Marmont's forces in Dalmatia, which Alexander urged.
Napoleon himself now began to yield to the inevitable. On hearing the news of Marmont's defection, he sat for some time as if stupefied, then sadly remarked: "The ungrateful man: well! he will be more unhappy than I." But once more, on the 6th, the fighting instinct comes uppermost. He plans to retire with his faithful troops beyond the Loire, and rally the corps of Augereau, Suchet, and Soult.
An air of solemnity sat well upon his good-looking face, but it was obvious that he was trying somewhat in vain to keep an inward excitement in check. M. le Comte de Cambray, believing that this excitement was entirely due to the solemnity of the occasion, had smiled indulgently a trifle contemptuously too at young de Marmont's very apparent eagerness.
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