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At a later period I heard from another of my acquaintances how, as a schoolboy, he saw Napoleon beside his camp-fire at Cannes, just after his landing from Elba.
The enthusiasm of the French soldiers at seeing their Emperor among them, was still more excited by the "Order of the day," in which he thus appealed to them: "Napoleon, by the Grace of God, and the Constitution of the Empire, Emperor of the French, &c. to the Grand Army. "Soldiers! this day is the anniversary of Marengo and of Friedland, which twice decided the destiny of Europe.
It was to the Senate and to the soldiers alone that Napoleon now addressed the explanation of his aggressive movements against Prussia. "Soldiers, the order for your re-entry into France was issued; you had already approached it by several marches. Triumphant fetes awaited you, and the preparations to receive you had already commenced in the capital.
We, who look back upon the first Napoleon as one of the eternal facts of the past, a great bowlder in history, cannot well estimate how momentary and insubstantial the great Captain may have appeared to those who beheld his rise out of obscurity. They never, perhaps, took the reality of his career fairly into their minds, before it was over.
The Philistine commanders, very naturally, were suspicious of these allies, just as Englishmen would have been if, on the night before Waterloo, a brigade of Frenchmen had deserted and offered their help to fight Napoleon.
With skilful diplomacy Napoleon agreed that he would not presume to be a candidate for the office of first lieutenant-colonel, which was desired by Peretti, a near friend of Paoli, for his brother-in-law, Quenza, but would seek the position of second lieutenant-colonel.
Was that a weak or a dark age, when the strength of mind and the light of love could triumph so signally over brute force, and that natural selfishness of public motive which has achieved its cold, glittering triumphs in the lives of so many modern heroes and heroines a Louis, a Frederick, a Catharine, a Napoleon?
Napoleon pressed her hands in his own, and gazed at her long and fixedly; and then, with the same firmness, he said: "My mother, adieu!" Once more they gazed at each other; then the emperor let her hand fall. Letitia turned to go, and at this moment General Bertrand appeared at the door to announce that all was prepared for the journey .
"Pass the beans," Van interrupted. He added more quietly: "Sit down, Gett, and shut the front door of your face." Napoleon was eating, to "keep Van company." He pushed away his plate. "Just our luck if these here derelicts was to foul us, skipper and crew," he observed ruefully. "Just our luck."
Livingston was astonished to find that Napoleon had suddenly changed front, and that there was every prospect of gaining what for months had seemed impossible. For some time there was haggling over the terms. Napoleon at first demanded an exorbitant sum; but having once made up his mind to part with Louisiana his impatient disposition made him anxious to conclude the bargain.
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