第511章 CHAPTER XI(7)

I asked Rapp whether all was true that had been said about the enthusiasm which was manifested along the whole of Napoleon's route from the Gulf of Juan to Paris. "Ma foe！" he replied， "I was not there any more than you， but all those who accompanied him have assured me of the truth of the details which have been published； but I recollect having heard Bertrand say that on one occasion he was fearful for the safety of the Emperor， in case any assassin should have presented himself. At Fossard， where the Emperor stopped to breakfast on his way to Paris， his escort was so fatigued as to be unable to follow， so that he was for some time almost alone on the road， until a squadron which was in garrison at Melun met him and escorted him to Fontainebleau. As to anything else， from all I have heard， the Emperor was exposed to no danger."

We then began to talk of our situation， and the singular chances of our fortune. Rapp told me how， within a few days only， he had ceased to be one of the discontented； for the condition of the generals who had commanded army corps in the campaign of Waterloo was very different in 1815 from what it had been in 1814. "I had determined，" he said， "to live a quiet life， to meddle with nothing， and not even to wear my uniform. I had， therefore， since the King's return never presented myself at Court； when， a week ago， while riding on horseback two or three hundred paces from this spot， I saw a group of horsemen on the other side of the avenue， one of whom galloped towards me. I immediately recognised the Duc de Berry， 'How， Monseigneur， is it you？' I exclaimed.

'It is， my dear General； and since you will not come to us， I must come to you. Will you breakfast with me tomorrow morning？'--'Ma foi！" continued Rapp， "what could I do？ The tone of kindness in which he gave this invitation quite charmed me. I went， and I was treated so well that I shall go again. But I will ask for nothing： I only want these Prussians and English rascals out of the way！ "I complimented Rapp on his conduct， and told him that it was impossible that so loyal and honest a man as he should not， at some time or other， attract the King's notice.

I had the happiness to see this prediction accomplished. Since that time I regularly saw Rapp whenever we both happened to be in Paris， which was pretty often.

I have already mentioned that in the month of August the King named me Councillor of State. On the 19th of the following month I was appointed Minister of State and member of the Privy Council. I may close these volumes by relating a circumstance very flattering to me， and connected with the last-mentioned nomination. The King had directed M. de Talleyrand to present to him， in his official character of President of the Council of Ministers， a list of the persons who might be deemed suitable as members of the Privy Council. The King having read the list， said to his Minister， "But， M. de Talleyrand， I do not see here the names of two of our best friends， Bourrienne and Alexis de Noailles."--" Sire， I thought their nomination would seem more flattering in coming directly from your Majesty." The King then added my name to the list， and afterwards that of the Comte Alexis de Noailles， so that both our names are written in Louis XVIII.'s own hand in the original Ordinance.

I have now brought to a conclusion my narrative of the extraordinary events in which I have taken part， either as a spectator or an actor， during the course of a strangely diversified life， of which nothing now remains but recollections.

--[I discharged the functions of Councillor of State until 1818， at which time an Ordinance appeared declaring those functions Incompatible with the title of Minister of State--Bourrienne.]--第一章CHAPTER XII.

THE CENT JOURS.

The extraordinary rapidity of events during the Cent fours， or Hundred Days of Napoleon's reign in 1815， and the startling changes in the parts previously filled by the chief personages， make it difficult to consider it as an historical period； it more resembles a series of sudden theatrical transformations， only broken by the great pause while the nation waited for news from the army.

The first Restoration of the Bourbons had been so unexpected， and was so rapidly carried out， that the Bonapartists， or indeed all France， had hardly realized the situation before Napoleon was again in the Tuileries； and during the Cent Jours both Bonapartists and Royalists were alike rubbing their eyes， asking whether they were awake， and wondering which was the reality and which the dream， the Empire or the Restoration.

It is both difficult and interesting to attempt to follow the history of the chief characters of the period； and the reader must pardon some abrupt transitions from person to person， and from group to group， while the details of some subsequent movements of the Bonaparte family must be thrown in to give a proper idea of the strange revolution in their fortunes. We may divide the characters with which we have to deal into five groups，--the Bonaparte family， the Marshals， the Statesmen of the Empire， the Bourbons， and the Allied Monarchs. One figure and one name will be missing， but if we omit all account of poor， bleeding， mutilated France， it is but leaving her in the oblivion in which she was left at the time by every one except by Napoleon.

The disaster of 1814 had rather dispersed than crushed the Bonaparte family， and they rallied immediately on the return from Elba. The final fall of the Empire was total ruin to them. The provisions of the Treaty of Fontainebleau， which had been meant to ensure a maintenance to them， had not been carried out while Napoleon was still a latent power， and after 1815 the Bourbons were only too happy to find a reason for not paying a debt they had determined never to liquidate it was well for any of the Bourbons in their days of distress to receive the bounty of the usurper， but there was a peculiar pleasure in refusing to pay the price promised for his immediate abdication.