napoleon bonaparte, v4-第4部分

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articles　of　all　sorts　to　be　bought　for　these　dear　children；　the　Empress
going　in　person　to　select　the　presents　she　desired　for　them；　and　having
them　packed　under　her　own　eyes。

The　prince's　valet　has　assured　me　that；　at　the　time　of　the　divorce；
Prince　Eugene　wrote　his　wife　a　very　desponding　letter；　and　perhaps
expressed　in　it　some　regret　at　not　being　an　adopted　son　of　the　Emperor；
to　which　the　Princess　replied　most　tenderly；　saying；　among　other　things；
〃It　is　not　the　heir　of　the　Emperor　whom　I　married　and　whom　I　love；　but　it
is　Eugene　de　Beauharnais。〃　　The　Prince　read　this　sentence　and　some　others
in　the　presence　of　the　person　from　whom　I　have　these　facts；　and　who　was
touched　even　to　tears。　　Such　a　woman　deserved　more　than　a　throne。

After　that　event；　so　grievous　to　the　heart　of　the　Empress；　and　for　which
she　never　found　consolation；　she　left　Malmaison　no　more；　except　to　make　a
few　visits　to　Navarre。

Each　time　that　I　returned　to　Paris　with　the　Emperor；　I　had　no　sooner
arrived　than　my　first　duty　was　to　go　to　Malmaison；　though　I　was　rarely
the　bearer　of　a　letter　from　the　Emperor；　as　he　wrote　to　Josephine　only　on
extraordinary　occasions。　　〃Tell　the　Empress　I　am　well；　and　that　I　wish
her　to　be　happy；〃　were　almost　invariably　the　parting　words　of　the　Emperor
as　I　set　out。　　The　moment　I　arrived　the　Empress　quitted　everything　to
speak　to　me；　and　I　frequently　remained　an　hour　and　often　two　hours　with
her；　during　which　time　there　was　no　question　of　anything　save　the
Emperor。　　I　must　tell　her　all　that　he　had　suffered　on　the　journey；　if　he
had　been　sad　or　gay；　sick　or　well；　while　she　wept　over　the　details　as　I
repeated　them；　and　gave　me　a　thousand　directions　regarding　his　health；
and　the　cares　with　which　she　desired　I　should　surround　him。　　After　this
she　deigned　to　question　me　about　myself；　my　prospects；　the　health　of　my
wife；　her　former　protegee；　and　at　last　dismissed　me；　with　a　letter　for
his　Majesty；　begging　me　to　say　to　the　Emperor　how　happy　she　would　be　if
he　would　come　to　see　her。

Before　his　departure　for　Russia；　the　Empress；　distressed　at　this　war；　of
which　she　entirely　disapproved；　again　redoubled　her　recommendations
concerning　the　Emperor；　and　made　me　a　present　of　her　portrait；　saying　to
me；　〃My　good　Constant；　I　rely　on　you；　if　the　Emperor　were　sick；　you　would
inform　me　of　it；　would　you　not？　　Conceal　nothing　from　me；　I　love　him　so
much。〃

Certainly　the　Empress　had　innumerable　means　of　hearing　news　of　his
Majesty；　but　I　am　persuaded　that；　had　she　received　each　day　one　hundred
letters　from　those　near　the　Emperor；　she　would　have　read　and　reread　them
with　the　same　avidity。

When　I　had　returned　from　Saint…Cloud　to　the　Tuileries；　the　Emperor　asked
me　how　Josephine　was；　and　if　I　found　her　in　good　spirits；　he　received
with　pleasure　the　letters　I　brought；　and　hastened　to　open　them。　　All　the
time　I　was　traveling；　or　on　the　campaign　in　the　suite　of　his　Majesty；　in
writing　to　my　wife；　I　spoke　of　the　Emperor；　and　the　good　princess　was
delighted　that　she　showed　my　letters　to　her。　　In　fact；　everything　having
the　least　connection　with　her　husband　interested　the　Empress　to　a　degree
which　proved　well　the　singular　devotion　that　she　still　felt　for　him
after；　as　before；　their　separation。　　Too　generous；　and　unable　to　keep　her
expenses　within　her　income；　it　often　happened　that　the　Empress　was
obliged　to　send　away　her　furnishers　unpaid　the　very　day　she　had　herself
fixed　for　the　settlement　of　their　bills；　and　as　this　reached　the　ears　of
the　Emperor　on　one　occasion；　there　ensued　a　very　unpleasant　scene　between
the　Empress　and　himself；　ending　in　a　decision；　that　in　future　no　merchant
or　furnisher　should　come　to　the　chateau　without　a　letter　from　the　lady　of
attire　or　secretary　of　orders；　and　this　plan；　once　decided　upon；　was
followed　very　closely　until　the　divorce。　　During　this　explanation　the
Empress　wept　freely；　and　promised　to　be　more　economical；　upon　which　the
Emperor　pardoned　and　embraced　her；　and　peace　was　made；　this　being；　I
think；　the　last　quarrel　of　this　nature　which　disturbed　the　imperial
household。

I　have　heard　that　after　the　divorce；　the　allowance　of　the　Empress　having
been　exceeded；　the　Emperor　reproached　the　superintendent　of　Malmaison
with　this　fact；　who　in　turn　informed　Josephine。　　His　kind…hearted
mistress；　much　distressed　at　the　annoyance　which　her　steward　had
experienced；　and　not　knowing　how　to　establish　a　better　order　of　things；
assembled　a　council　of　her　household；　over　which　she　presided　in　a　linen
dress　without　ornament；　this　dress　had　been　made　in　great　haste；　and　was
used　only　this　once。　　The　Empress；　whom　the　necessity　for　a　refusal
always　reduced　to　despair；　was　continually　besieged　by　merchants；　who
assured　her　that　they　had　made　such　or　such　a　thing　expressly　for　her　own
use；　begging　her　not　to　return　it　because　they　would　not　be　able　to
dispose　of　it；　in　consequence　of　which　the　Empress　kept　everything　they
brought；　though　they　afterwards　had　to　be　paid　for。

The　Empress　was　always　extremely　polite　in　her　intercourse　with　the
ladies　of　her　household；　and　a　reproach　never　came　from　those　lips　which
seemed　formed　to　say　only　pleasant　things；　and　if　any　of　her　ladies　gave
her　cause　of　dissatisfaction；　the　only　punishment　she　inflicted　was　an
absolute　silence　on　her　part；　which　lasted　one；　two；　three；　or　even　eight
days；　the　time　being　longer　or　shorter　according　to　the　gravity　of　the
fault。　　And　indeed　this　penalty；　apparently　so　mild；　was　really　very
cruel　to　many；　so　well　did　the　Empress　know　how　to　make　herself　adored　by
those　around　her。

In　the　time　of　the　Consulate；　Madame　Bonaparte　often　received　from　cities
which　had　been　conquered　by　her　husband；　or　from　those　persons　who
desired　to　obtain　her　intercession　with　the　First　Consul；　quantities　of
valuable　furniture；　curiosities　of　all　kinds；　pictures；　stuffs；　etc。　　At
first　these　presents　delighted　Madame　Bonaparte　greatly；　and　she　took　a
childish　pleasure　in　having　the　cases　opened　to　find　what　was　inside；
personally　assisting　in　unpacking　them；　and　rummaging　through　all　these
pretty　things。　　But　soon　these　consignments　became　so　considerable；　and
were　so　often　repeated；　that　it　was　found　necessary　to　place　them　in　an
apartment；　of　which　my　father…in…law　kept　the　key；　and　where　the　boxes
remained　untouched　until　it　pleased　Madame　Bonaparte　to　have　them　opened。

When　the　First。　　Consul　decided　that　he　would　take　up　his　residence　at
Saint…Cloud；　my　father…in…law　was　obliged　to　leave　Malmaison；　and　install
himself　in　the　new　palace；　as　the　master　wished　him　to　take　charge　there。

Before　leaving　Malmaison；　my　father…in…law　rendered　an　account　to　Madame
Bonaparte　of　everything　committed　to　his　care；　and　all　the　cases　which
were　piled　up　from　floor　to　ceiling　in　two　rooms　were　opened　in　her
presence。　　Madame　Bonaparte　was　astonished　at　such　marvelous　riches；
comprising　marbles；　bronzes；　and　magnificent　pictures；　of　which　Eugene；
Hortense；　and　the　sisters　of　the　First　Consul　received　a　large　part；　and
the　remainder　was　used　in　decorating　the　apartments　of　Malmaison。

The　Empress's　love　of　ornaments　included　for　a　while　antique　curiosities；
cut　stones；　and　medals。　　M。　Denon　flattered　this　whim；　and　ended　by
persuading　the　good　Josephine　that　she　was　a　perfect　connoisseur　in
antiques；　and　that　she　should　have　at　Malmaison　a　cabinet；　a　keeper　for
it；　etc。　　This　proposition；　which　flattered　the　self…love　of　the　Empress；
was　favorably　received；　the　room　was　selected；　M。　de　M　made　keeper；
and　the　new　cabinet　enriched　by　diminishing　in　the　same　proportion　the
rich　furniture　of　the　apartments　of　the　chateau。　　M。　Denon；　who　had
originated　this　idea；　took　upon　himself　to　make　a　collection　of　medals；
but　this　idea；　which　came　so　suddenly；　vanished　as　suddenly；　the　cabinet
was　changed　into　a　saloon　for　guests；　and　the　antiques　relegated　to　the
antechamber　of　the　bathing　hall；　while　M。　de　M；　having　no　longer
anything　to　keep；　remained　constantly　in　Paris。

A　short　time　after　this；　two　ladies　of　the　palace　took　a　fancy　to
persuade　the　Empress　that　nothing　could　be　handsomer　or　more　worthy　of
her　than　a　necklace　of　Greek　and　Roman　antique　stones　perfectly　matched。
Several　chamberlains　approved　the　idea；　which；　of　course；　pleased　the
Empress；　for　she　was　very　fond　of　anything　unique；　and　consequently　one
morning；　as　I　was　dressing　the　Emperor；　the　Empress　entered；　and；　after　a
little　conversation；　said；　〃Bonaparte；　some　ladies　have　advised　me　to
have　a　necklace　made　of　antique　stones；　and　I　came　to　ask　you　to　urge　M。
Denon　to　select　only　very　handsome　ones。〃　　The　Emperor　burst　out
laughing；　and　refused　flatly　at　first；　but　just　then　the　grand　marshal　of
the　palace　arrived；　and　the　Emperor　informed　him　of　this　request　of　the
Empress；　asking　his　opinion。　　M。　le　due　de　Frioul　thought　it　very
reasonable；　and　joined　his　entreaties　to　those　of　the　Empress。　　〃It　is　an
egregious　folly；〃　said　the　Emperor；　〃but　we　are　obliged　to　grant　it；
because　the　women　wish　it；　so；　Duroc；　go　to　the　cabinet　of　antiques；　and
choose　whatever　is　necessary。〃

M。　le　due　de　Frioul　soon　returned　with　the　finest　stones　in　the
collection；　which　the　crown　jeweler　mounted　magnificently；　but　this