napoleon bonaparte, v4-第14部分

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on　my　journey。　　I　regret　it　exceedingly；　but　what　you　demand　of　me　is
impossible。〃　　And　he　thus　dismissed　her；　refusing　to　listen　longer。

While　this　was　occurring　I　was　ascending　the　hill　on　foot；　a　few　paces
from　his　Majesty's　carriage；　and　when　this　disagreeable　scene　was　over；
the　young　lady；　being　forced　to　leave　without　having　obtained　what　she
desired；　passed　on　before　me　sobbing；　and　I　recognized　Mademoiselle
Lajolais；　whom　I　had　already　seen　in　similar　circumstances；　but　where　her
courageous　devotion　to　her　parents　had　met　with　better　success。

General　Lajolais　had　been　arrested；　as　well　as　all　his　family；　on　the
18th　Fructidor。　　After　being　confined　for　twenty…eight　months；　he　had
been　tried　at　Strasburg　by　a　council　of　war；　held　by　order　of　the　First
Consul；　and　acquitted　unanimously。

Later；　when　the　conspiracy　of　Generals　Pichegru；　Moreau；　George　Cadoudal；
and　of　Messieurs　de　Polignac；　de　Riviere；　etc。；　were　discovered；　General
Lajolais；　who　was　also　concerned　therein；　was　condemned　to　death。　　His
daughter　and　his　wife　were　transferred　from　Strasburg　to　Paris　by　the
police；　and　Madame　Lajolais　was　placed　in　the　most　rigorous　close
confinement；　while　her　daughter；　now　separated　from　her；　took　refuge　with
friends　of　her　family。　　It　was　then　that　this　young　person；　barely
fourteen　years　old；　displayed　a　courage　and　strength　of　character　unusual
at　her　age；　and　on　learning　that　her　father　was　condemned　to　death；　she
set　out　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　without　confiding　her　resolution
to　any　one；　alone；　on　foot；　and　without　a　guide；　with　no　one　to　introduce
her；　and　presented　herself　weeping　at　the　chateau　of　Saint…Cloud；　where
the　Emperor　then　was。

She　succeeded　in　gaining　an　entrance　into　the　chateau　only　after　much
opposition；　but　not　allowing　herself　to　be　rebuffed　by　any　obstacle；　she
finally　presented　herself　before　me；　saying；　〃Monsieur；　I　have　been
promised　that　you　would　conduct　me　instantly　to　the　Emperor〃　（I　do　not
know　who　had　told　her　this）。　　〃I　ask　of　you　only　this　favor；　do　not
refuse　it；　I　beg！〃　and　moved　by　her　confidence　and　her　despair；　I　went　to
inform　her　Majesty　the　Empress。

She　was　deeply　touched　by　the　resolution　and　the　tears　of　one　so　young；
but　did　not　dare；　nevertheless；　to　promise　her　support　at　once；　for　fear
of　awakening　the　anger　of　the　Emperor；　who　was　very　much　incensed　against
those　who　were　concerned　in　this　conspiracy；　and　ordered　me　to　say　to　the
young　daughter　of　Lajolais　that　she　was　grieved　to　be　able　to　do　nothing
for　her　just　then；　but　that　she　might　return　to　Saint…Cloud　the　next　day
at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　meanwhile　she　and　Queen　Hortense
would　consult　together　as　to　the　best　means　of　placing　her　in　the
Emperor's　way。　　The　young　girl　returned　next　day　at　the　appointed　hour；
and　her　Majesty　the　Empress　had　her　stationed　in　the　green　saloon；　and
there　she　awaited　ten　hours；　the　moment　when　the　Emperor；　coming　out　from
the　council…chamber；　would　cross　this　room　to　enter　his　cabinet。

The　Empress　and　her　august　daughter　gave　orders　that　breakfast；　and　then
dinner；　should　be　served　to　her；　and　came　in　person　to　beg　her　to　take
some　nourishment；　but　their　entreaties　were　all　in　vain；　for　the　poor
girl　had　no　other　thought；　no　other　desire；　than　that　of　obtaining　her
father's　life。　　At　last；　at　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　the　Emperor
appeared；　and　a　sign　being　made　to　Mademoiselle　Lajolais　by　which　she
could　designate　the　Emperor；　who　was　surrounded　by　several　councilors　of
state　and　officers　of　his　household；　she　sprang　towards　him；　and　there
followed　a　touching　scene；　which　lasted　a　long　while。　　The　young　girl；
prostrating　herself　at　the　feet　of　the　Emperor；　supplicated　him　with
clasped　hands；　and　in　the　most　touching　terms；　to　grant　her　father's
pardon。　　The　Emperor　at　first　repulsed　her；　and　said　in　a　tone　of　great
severity；　〃Your　father　is　a　traitor；　this　is　the　second　time　he　has
committed　a　crime　against　the　state；　I　can　grant　you　nothing。〃
Mademoiselle　Lajolais　replied　to　this　outburst　of　the　Emperor；　〃The　first
time　my　father　was　tried　and　found　innocent；　this　time　it　is　his　pardon　I
implore！〃　　Finally　the　Emperor；　conquered　by　so　much　courage　and
devotion；　and　a　little　fatigued　besides　by　an　interview　which　the
perseverance　of　the　young　girl　would　doubtless　have　prolonged
indefinitely；　yielded　to　her　prayers；　and　the　life　of　General　Lajolais
was　spared。

　　　　　＇It　is　well　known　that　the　sentence　of　General　Lajolais　was
　　　　　commuted　to　four　years　detention　in　a　prison　of　state；　that　his
　　　　　property　was　confiscated　and　sold；　and　that　he　died　in　the　Chateau
　　　　　d'If　much　beyond　the　time　set　for　the　expiration　of　his　captivity。
　　　　　Note　by　CONSTANT。＇

Exhausted　by　fatigue　and　hunger；　the　daughter　fell　unconscious　at　the
Emperor's　feet；　he　himself　raised　her；　gave　her　every　attention；　and
presenting　her　to　the　persons　who　witnessed　this　scene；　praised　her
filial　piety　in　unmeasured　terms。

His　Majesty　at　once　gave　orders　that　she　should　be　reconducted　to　Paris；
and　several　superior　officers　disputed　with　each　other　the　pleasure　of
accompanying　her。　　Generals　Wolff；　aide…de…camp　of　Prince　Louis；　and
Lavalette　were　charged　with　this　duty；　and　conducted　her　to　the
conciergerie　where　her　father　was　confined。　　On　entering　his　cell；　she
threw　herself　on　his　neck　and　tried　to　tell　him　of　the　pardon　she　had
just　obtained；　but　overcome　by　so　many　emotions；　she　was　unable　to　utter
a　word；　and　it　was　General　Lavalette

　　　　　＇Marie　Chamans；　Count　de　Lavalette；　was　born　in　Paris；　1769。
　　　　　Entered　the　army　1792；　made　Captain　at　Arcola　1796；　and　served　in
　　　　　Egyptian　campaign。　　Married　Emilie　de　Beauharnais；　a　niece　of
　　　　　Josephine。　　Postmaster…general；　1800…1814。　　Condemned　to　death
　　　　　during　the　Hundred　Days；　he　escaped　from　prison　in　his　wife's　dress。
　　　　　His　wife　was　tried；　but　became　insane　from　excitement。　　He　was
　　　　　pardoned　1822；　and　died　1830；　leaving　two　volumes　of　Memoirs。　＇

who　announced　to　the　prisoner　what　he　owed　to　the　brave　persistence　of
his　daughter。　　The　next　day　she　obtained；　through　the　favor　of　the
Empress　Josephine；　the　liberty　of　her　mother；　who　was　to　have　been
transported。

Having　obtained　the　life　of　her　father　and　the　liberty　of　her　mother；　as
I　have　just　related；　she　still　further　exerted　herself　to　save　their
companions　in　misfortune；　who　had　been　condemned　to　death；　and　for　this
purpose　joined　the　ladies　of　Brittany；　who　had　been　led　to　seek　her
cooperation　by　the　success　of　her　former　petitions；　and　went　with　them　to
Malmaison　to　beg　these　additional　pardons。

These　ladies　had　succeeded　in　getting　the　execution　of　the　condemned
delayed　for　two　hours；　with　the　hope　that　the　Empress　Josephine　would　be
able　to　influence　the　Emperor；　but　he　remained　inflexible；　and　their
generous　attempt　met　with　no　success；　whereupon　Mademoiselle　Lajolais
returned　to　Paris；　much　grieved　that　she　had　not　been　able　to　snatch　a
few　more　unfortunates　from　the　rigor　of　the　law。

I　have　already　said　two　things　which　I　am　compelled　to　repeat　here：　the
first　is；　that；　not　feeling　obliged　to　relate　events　in　their
chronological　order；　I　shall　narrate　them　as　they　present　themselves　to
my　memory；　the　second　is；　that　I　deem　it　both　an　obligation　and　a　duty
which　I　owe　to　the　Emperor　to　relate　every　event　which　may　serve　to　make
his　true　character　better　known；　and　which　has　been　omitted；　whether
involuntarily　or　by　design；　by　those　who　have　written　his　life。　　I　care
little　if　I　am　accused　of　monotony　on　this　subject；　or　of　writing　only　a
panegyric；　but；　if　this　should　be　done；　I　would　reply：　So　much　the　worse
for　him　who　grows　weary　of　the　recital　of　good　deeds！　　I　have　undertaken
to　tell　the　truth　concerning　the　Emperor；　be　it　good　or　bad；　and　every
reader　who　expects　to　find　in　my　memoirs　of　the　Emperor　only　evil；　as
well　as　he　who　expects　to　find　only　good；　will　be　wise　to　go　no　farther；
for　I　have　firmly　resolved　to　relate　all　that　I　know；　and　it　is　not　my
fault　if　the　kind　acts　performed　by　the　Emperor　are　so　numerous　that　my
recitals　should　often　turn　to　praises。

I　thought　it　best　to　make　these　short　observations　before　giving　an
account　of　another　pardon　granted　by　his　Majesty　at　the　time　of　the
coronation；　and　which　the　story　of　Mademoiselle　Lajolais　has　recalled　to
my　recollection。

On　the　day　of　the　last　distribution　of　the　decoration　of　the　Legion　of
Honor　in　the　Church　of　the　Invalides；　as　the　Emperor　was　about　to　retire
at　the　conclusion　of　this　imposing　ceremony；　a　very　young　man　threw
himself　on　his　knees　on　the　steps　of　the　throne；　crying　out；　〃Pardon；
pardon　for　my　father。〃　　His　Majesty；　touched　by　his　interesting
countenance　and　deep　emotion；　approached　him　and　attempted　to　raise　him；
but　the　young　man　still　retained　his　beseeching　posture；　repeating　his
demand　in　moving　tones。　　〃What　is　your　father's　name？〃　demanded　the
Emperor。　　〃Sire；〃　replied　the　young　man；　hardly　able　to　make　himself
heard；　〃it　is　well　known；　and　has　been　only　too　often　calumniated　by　the
enemies　of　my　father　before　your　Majesty；　but　I　swear　that　he　is
innocent。　　I　am　the　son　of　Hugues　Destrem。〃〃Your　father；　sir；　is
gravely