Page:Napoleon (O'Connor 1896).djvu/109

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The Estimate of a Worshipper.
93

attention on the subject which was occupying him, taking a strong hold on his mind. He would rise slowly, and begin to walk slowly up and down the whole length of the room in which he found himself. This walk lasted through the whole of his dictation. His tone of voice was grave and accentuated, but was not broken in upon by any time of rest. As he entered upon his subject, the inspiration betrayed itself. It showed itself by a more animated tone of voice, and by a kind of nervous trick which he had of twisting his right arm and pulling at the trimmings of his sleeve with his hand. At such times, he did not speak any faster than before, and his walk remained slow and measured."

XIV.

NAPOLEON AS A MAN OF LETTERS.

The extracts which I have given from Taine's sketch of Napoleon will have removed from the minds of my readers the idea—if ever they had it—that Napoleon was simply the inarticulate or the reticent soldier. Frenchmen themselves are also learning to have a new conception in this respect of Napoleon. Some time ago I heard M. Jusserand, the brilliant and well-informed editor of the French Men of Letters Series, speak of a projected book on Napoleon as a Man of Letters. I have no doubt that when the book comes to be