Page:Napoleon (O'Connor 1896).djvu/412

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Napoleon.

town and fortifications. After breakfast he again embarked in the barge, and visited the different storehouses round the harbour."

And two final extracts will give an even better idea of how this marvellous creature could rise superior to the worst reverses of fortune. It is the entry under date May 9:

"May 9. This day I accompanied Napoleon to Longone, where we lunched amid repeated cries of 'Vive I'Empereur!' . . . Instead of returning by the same road, he turned off by goat-paths to examine the coast, humming Italian airs, which he does very often, and seemed quite in spirits."

And on the evening of the second day "he entered upon the subject of the armies and their operations at the close of the last campaign, and continued it for half an hour, until he rose from table. After passing into the presence-chamber, the conversation again turned on the campaign, his own policy, the Bourbons, etc., and he continued talking with great animation till midnight, remaining on his legs for three hours."

In this last scene Napoleon is quite himself. Everybody familiar with his character and demeanour will know that he was a tremendous talker. It was only on the battle-field that he maintained the immobile face and the sphinx-like silence which he believed necessary to maintain the morals of his army; in private he had all the excessive mobility, the great love of con-