Volume Ii Part 13 (1/2)

”No, no; there is no question of that kind: but pledge me your honour to undertake nothing adverse to me in this affair.”

”As a mere citizen, I will not do so,” replied the other; ”but if I am ordered by a sufficient authority, I warn you.”

”What do you mean, then, as a mere citizen!”

”That I will not go forth into the streets, to stir up the populace; nor into the barracks, to harangue the soldiers.”

”Enough; I am satisfied. As for myself, I only desire to rescue the Republic; that done, I shall retire to Malmaison, and live peaceably.”

A smile of a doubtful, but sardonic character, pa.s.sed over Bernadotte's features as he heard these words, while he turned coldly away, and walked towards the gate. ”What, Augureau! thou here?” said he, as he pa.s.sed along, and with a contemptuous shrug he moved forward, and soon gained the street. And truly, it seemed strange that he, the fiercest of the Jacobins, the General who made his army a.s.semble in clubs and knots to deliberate during the campaign of Italy, that he should now lend himself to uphold the power of Buonaparte!

Meanwhile, the salons were crowded in every part, party succeeding party at the tables; where, amid the clattering of the breakfast and the clinking of gla.s.ses, the conversation swelled into a loud and continued din. Fouche, Berthier, and Talleyrand, were also to be seen, distinguishable by their dress, among the military uniforms; and here now might be heard the mingled doubts and fears, the hopes and dreads of each, as to the coming events; and many watched the pale, care-worn face of Bourienne, the secretary of Buonaparte, as if to read in his features the chances of success; while the General himself went from room to room, chatting confidentially with each in turn, recapitulating as he went the phrase, ”The country is in danger!” and exhorting all to be patient, and wait calmly for the decision of the Council, which could not, now, be long of coming.

As they were still at table, M. Carnet, the deputation of the Council, entered, and delivered into Buonaparte's hands the sealed packet, from which he announced to the a.s.sembly that the legislative bodies had been removed to St. Cloud, to avoid the interruption of popular clamour, and that he, General Buonaparte, was named Commander-in-chief of the Army, and intrusted with the execution of the decree.

This first step had been effected by the skilful agency of Sieyes and Roger Ducos, who spent the whole of the preceding night in issuing the summonses for a meeting of the Council to such as they knew to be friendly to the cause they advocated. All the others received theirs too late; forty-two only were present at the meeting, and by that fragment of the Council the decree was pa.s.sed.

When Buonaparte had read the doc.u.ment to the end, he looked around him on the fierce, determined faces, bronzed and seared in many a battle-field, and said, ”My brothers in arms, will you stand by me here?”

”We will! we will!” shouted they, with one roar of enthusiasm.

”And thou, Lefebvre, did I hear thy voice there?”

”Yes, General; to the death I'm yours.”

Buonaparte unbuckled the sabre he wore at his side, and placing it in Lefebvre's hands, said, ”I wore this at the Pyramids; it is a fitting present from one soldier to another. Now, then, to horse!”

The splendid _cortege_ moved along the gra.s.sy alleys to the gate, outside which, now, three regiments of cavalry and three battalions of the 17th were drawn up. Never was a Sovereign, in all his pride of power, surrounded with a more gorgeous staff. The conquerors of Italy, Germany, and Egypt, the greatest warriors of Europe, were there grouped around him--whose glorious star, even then, shone bright above him.

Scarcely had Buonaparte issued forth into the street than, raising his hat above his head, he called aloud, ”_Vive la Republique!_” The troops caught up the cry, and the air rang with the wild cheers.

At the head of this force, surrounded by the Generals, he rode slowly along towards the Tuileries, at the entrance to the gardens of which stood Carnet, dressed in his robe of senator-in-waiting, to receive him.

Four Colonels, his aides-de-camp, marched in front of Buonaparte, as he entered the Hall of the Ancients--his walk was slow and measured, and his air studiously respectful.

The decree being read, General Buonaparte replied in a few broken phrases, expressive of his sense of the confidence reposed in him: the words came with difficulty, and he spoke like one abashed and confused.

He was no longer in front of his armed legions, whose war-worn looks inspired the burning eloquence of the camp--those flas.h.i.+ng images, those daring flights, suited not the cold a.s.sembly, in whose presence he now stood--and he was ill at ease and disconcerted. It was only, at length, when turning to the Generals who pressed on after him, he addressed the following words, that his confidence in himself came back, and that he felt himself once more,--

”This is the Republic we desire to have--and this we shall have; for it is the wish of those who now stand around me.”

The cries of ”_Vive la Republique!_” burst from the officers at once, as they waved their _chapeaux_ in the air, mingled with louder shouts of ”_Vive le General!_”

If the great events of the day were now over with the Council, they had only begun with Buonaparte.

”Whither now, General?” said Lefebvre, as he rode to his side.

”To the guillotine, I suppose,” said Andreossy, with a look of sarcasm.

”We shall see that,” was the cold answer of Buonaparte, while he gave the word to push forward to the Luxembourg.