Page:History of the Empress Josephine (3).pdf/7

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up a stone, she put it in her apron, and again held her gown to us, raising the stone in the other hand; 'HERRE' (stone), I called out to her in return. Her joy was extreme on perceiving, to a certainty, that we at length understood her, Putting the stone to her gown, she, several times, and with great eagerness, made the sigh of cutting a throat, and all a-dancing and shouting. At the very moment, she heard a great noise in the corridor, and the formidable voice of the turnkey, who was speaking to his dog. and, in the act of kicking him away, cried out, 'Go, you brute of a Robespierre!' This energetic phraseology proved we had nothing to fear, and that France was saved. In fact, a few minutes after, we beheld our companions in misfortune burst into our apartment, to give us the details of that grand event! It was the 9th Thermidor! My flock bed was restored to me, and, upon this couch, I passed the most delightful night of my life. I fell asleep, after saying to my companions,- 'You see I am not guillotined-and I shall yet be queen of France.'

We now come to the period of the marriage of Josephine with Napoleon, who was then but a young Soldier of fortune. The following letter will best shew the state of her affections towards Napoleon.

"My dear friends,-I am urged to marry again my friends counsel the measure, my aunt almost says her injunctions upon me to the same effect, and my children entreat my compliance. You have seen General Bonaparte in my house. Well!—he it who would supply a father's place to the orphans of Alexander de Beauharnois, and a husband's to his widow.

"Do you love him!' you will ask. Not exactly. You then dislike him? Not quite so bad, I find myself in