Page:Napoleon (O'Connor 1896).djvu/414

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398
Napoleon.

import. He particularly asked Sir George Bingham and Captain Greatly to what regiments they belonged, and when told that Captain Greatly belonged to the Artillery, he replied quickly, 'I also belong to the Artillery.' After conversing on deck for some time, this ex-Emperor retired to the cabin allotted him as a sleeping cabin, which is about nine feet wide and twelve feet long, with a narrow passage leading to the quarter-gallery. The Admiral had a similar sleeping cabin on the opposite side. The after-cabin is our general sitting-room, and the fore-cabin our mess-room; the others of the party are accommodated below by the captain and some of the officers giving up their cabins, and by building others on the main-deck. Thus this man, who but a short time since kept nations in dread, and had thousands at his nod, has descended from the Emperor to the General with a flexibility of mind more easily to be imagined than described. He is henceforth to be styled General, and by directions from our Government, he is to have the same honours and respect paid him as a British General not in employ."

VIII.

A CAGED LION.

The picture of Napoleon at table is not inviting. It seems that he there preserved his bad manners to the end: