Part 4 (1/2)

If I go in with you, they'll give me everything they've got on the supposition that you will pay the bill. Come! En avant!”

”Vous etes un bouchonnier, vraiment!” said Barras, with a laugh.

”A what?” asked Napoleon, not familiar with the idiom.

”A corker!” explained Barras.

”Very good,” said Napoleon, his face lighting up. ”If you'll order a bottle of Burgundy with the bird I will show you that I am likewise something of an uncorker.”

This readiness on Napoleon's part in the face of difficulty completely captured Barras, and as a result the young adventurer had his first real chance to make an impression on Paris, where, on the 13th Vendemiaire (or October 4, 1795), he literally obliterated the forces of the Sectionists, whose success in their attack upon the Convention would have meant the restoration of the Bourbons to the throne of France. Placed in command of the defenders of the Convention, Napoleon with his cannon swept the mob from the four broad avenues leading to the palace in which the legislators sat.

”Don't fire over their heads,” said he to his gunners, as the mob approached. ”Bring our arguments right down to their comprehension, and remember that the comprehension of a royalist is largely affected by his digestion. Therefore, gunners, let them have it there. If these a.s.sa.s.sins would escape appendicitis they would better avoid the grape I send them.”

The result is too well known to need detailed description here.

Suffice it to say that Bonaparte's attentions to the digestive apparatus of the rioters were so effective that, in token of their appreciation of his services, the Convention soon afterwards placed him in command of the Army of the Interior.

Holding now the chief military position in Paris, Bonaparte was much courted by every one, but he continued his simple manner of living as of yore, overlooking his laundry and other bills as unostentatiously as when he had been a poor and insignificant subaltern, and daily waxing more taciturn and p.r.o.ne to irritability.

”You are becoming gloomy, General,” said Barras one morning, as the two men breakfasted. ”It is time for you to marry and become a family man.”

”Peste!” said Napoleon, ”man of family! It takes too long--it is tedious. Families are delightful when the children are grown up; but I could not endure them in a state of infancy.”

”Ah!” smiled Barras, significantly. ”But suppose I told you of a place where you could find a family ready made?”

Napoleon at once became interested.

”I should marry it,” he said, ”for truly I do need some one to look after my clothing, particularly now that, as a man of high rank, my uniforms hold so many b.u.t.tons.”

Thus it happened that Barras took the young hero to a reception at the house of Madame Tallien, where he introduced him to the lovely widow, Josephine de Beauharnais, and her two beautiful children.

”There you are, Bonaparte,” he whispered, as they entered the room; ”there is the family complete--one wife, one son, one daughter. What more could you want? It will be yours if you ask for it, for Madame de Beauharnais is very much in love with you.”

”Ha!” said Napoleon. ”How do you know that?”

”She told me so,” returned Barras.

”Very well,” said Napoleon, making up his mind on the instant. ”I will see if I can involve her in a military engagement.”

Which, as the world knows, he did; and on the 9th of March, 1796, Napoleon and Josephine were united, and the happy groom, writing to his mother, announcing his marriage to ”the only woman he ever loved,” said: ”She is ten years older than I, but I can soon overcome that. The opportunities for a fast life in Paris are unequalled, and I have an idea that I can catch up with her in six months if the Convention will increase my salary.”

CHAPTER V: ITALY--MILAN--VIENNA--VENICE 1796-1797

After a honeymoon of ten days Napoleon returned to work. a.s.suming command of the army of Italy, he said: ”I am at last in business for myself. Keep your eyes on me, Bourrienne, and you'll wear blue goggles. You'll have to, you'll be so dazzled. We will set off at once for Italy. The army is in wretched shape. It lacks shoes, clothes, food. It lacks everything. I don't think it even has sense. If it had it would strike for lower wages.”

”Lower wages?” queried Bourrienne. ”You mean higher, don't you?”

”Not I,” said Bonaparte. ”They couldn't collect higher wages, but if their pay was reduced they might get it once in a while. We can change all this, however, by invading Italy. Italy has all things to burn, from statuary to Leghorn hats. In three months we shall be at Milan. There we can at least provide ourselves with fine collections of oil-paintings. Meantime let the army feed on hope and wrap themselves in meditation. It's poor stuff, but there's plenty of it, and it's cheap. On holidays give the poor fellows extra rations, and if hope does not sustain them, cheer them up with promises of drink.

Tell them when we get to Italy they can drink in the scenery in unstinted measure, and meanwhile keep the band playing merrily.