When the Emperor needed an agent he was always very ready to do me the
honour of recalling the name of Etienne Gerard, though it occasionally
escaped him when rewards were to be distributed. Still, I was a colonel
at twenty-eight, and the chief of a brigade at thirty-one, so that I
have no reason to be dissatisfied with my career. Had the wars lasted
another two or three years I might have grasped my bâton, and the man
who had his hand upon that was only one stride from a throne. Murat had
changed his hussar's cap for a crown, and another light cavalry man
might have done as much. However, all those dreams were driven away by
Waterloo, and, although I was not able to write my name upon history, it
is sufficiently well known by all who served with me in the great wars
of the Empire.
What I want to tell you tonight is about the very singular affair which
first started me upon my rapid upward course, and which had the effect
of establishing a secret bond between the Emperor and myself.
There is just one little word of warning which I must give you before I
begin. When you hear me speak, you must always bear in mind that you are
listening to one who has seen history from the inside. I am talking
about what my ears have heard and my eyes have seen, so you must not try
to confute me by quoting the opinions of some student or man of the pen,
who has written a book of history or memoirs. There is much which is
unknown by such people, and much which never will be known by the world.
For my own part, I could tell you some very surprising things were it
discreet to do so. The facts which I am about to relate to you tonight
were kept secret by me during the Emperor's lifetime, because I gave
him my promise that it should be so, but I do not think that there can
be any harm now in my telling the remarkable part which I played.
You must know, then, that at the time of the Treaty of Tilsit I was a
simple lieutenant in the 10th Hussars, without money or interest. It is
true that my appearance and my gallantry were in my favour, and that I
had already won a reputation as being one of the best swordsmen in the
army; but amongst the host of brave men who surrounded the Emperor it
needed more than this to insure a rapid career. I was confident,
however, that my chance would come, though I never dreamed that it would
take so remarkable a form.
When the Emperor returned to Paris, after the declaration of peace in
the year 1807, he spent much of his time with the Empress and the Court
at Fontainebleau. It was the time when he was at the pinnacle of his
career. He had in three successive campaigns humbled Austria, crushed
Prussia, and made the Russians very glad to get upon the right side of
the Niemen. The old Bulldog over the Channel was still growling, but he
could not get very far from his kennel. If we could have made a
perpetual peace at that moment, France would have taken a higher place
than any nation since the days of the Romans. So I have heard the wise
folk say, though for my part I had other things to think of. All the
girls were glad to see the army back after its long absence, and you may
be sure that I had my share of any favours that were going. You may
judge how far I was a favourite in those days when I say that even now,
in my sixtieth year--but why should I dwell upon that which is already
sufficiently well known?
Our regiment of hussars was quartered with the horse chasseurs of the
guard at Fontainebleau. It is, as you know, but a little place, buried
in the heart of the forest, and it was wonderful at this time to see it
crowded with Grand Dukes and Electors and Princes, who thronged round
Napoleon like puppies round their master, each hoping that some bone
might be thrown to him. There was more German than French to be heard in
the street, for those who had helped us in the late war had come to beg
for a reward, and those who had opposed us had come to try and escape
their punishment.
And all the time our little man, with his pale face and his cold, grey
eyes, was riding to the hunt every morning, silent and brooding, all of
them following in his train, in the hope that some word would escape
him. And then, when the humour seized him, he would throw a hundred
square miles to that man, or tear as much off the other, round off one
kingdom by a river, or cut off another by a chain of mountains. That was
how he used to do business, this little artilleryman, whom we had raised
so high with our sabres and our bayonets. He was very civil to us
always, for he knew where his power came from. We knew also, and showed
it by the way in which we carried ourselves. We were agreed, you
understand, that he was the finest leader in the world, but we did not
forget that he had the finest men to lead.
Well, one day I was seated in my quarters playing cards with young
Morat, of the horse chasseurs, when the door opened and in walked
Lasalle, who was our Colonel. You know what a fine, swaggering fellow he
was, and the sky-blue uniform of the Tenth suited him to a marvel. My
faith, we youngsters were so taken by him that we all swore and diced
and drank and played the deuce whether we liked it or no, just that we
might resemble our Colonel! We forgot that it was not because he drank
or gambled that the Emperor was going to make him the head of the light
cavalry, but because he had the surest eye for the nature of a position
or for the strength of a column, and the best judgment as to when
infantry could be broken, or whether guns were exposed, of any man in
the army. We were too young to understand all that, however, so we
waxed our moustaches and clicked our spurs and let the ferrules of our
scabbards wear out by trailing them along the pavement in the hope that
we should all become Lasalles. When he came clanking into my quarters,
both Morat and I sprang to our feet.
'My boy,' said he, clapping me on the shoulder, 'the Emperor wants to
see you at four o'clock.'
The room whirled round me at the words, and I had to lean my hands upon
the edge of the card-table.
'What?' I cried. 'The Emperor!'
'Precisely,' said he, smiling at my astonishment.
'But the Emperor does not know of my existence, Colonel,' I protested.
'Why should he send for me?'
'Well, that's just what puzzles me,' cried Lasalle, twirling his
moustache. 'If he wanted the help of a good sabre, why should he descend
to one of my lieutenants when he might have found all that he needed at
the head of the regiment? However,' he added, clapping me on the
shoulder again in his hearty fashion, 'every man has his chance. I have
had mine, otherwise I should not be Colonel of the Tenth. I must not
grudge you yours. Forwards, my boy, and may it be the first step towards
changing your busby for a cocked hat.'
It was but two o'clock, so he left me, promising to come back and to
accompany me to the palace. My faith, what a time I passed, and how many
conjectures did I make as to what it was that the Emperor could want of
me! I paced up and down my little room in a fever of anticipation.
Sometimes I thought that perhaps he had heard of the guns which we had
taken at Austerlitz; but, then, there were so many who had taken guns at
Austerlitz, and two years had passed since the battle. Or it might be
that he wished to reward me for my affair with the _aide-de-camp_ of the
Russian Emperor. But then again a cold fit would seize me, and I would
fancy that he had sent for me to reprimand me. There were a few duels
which he might have taken in ill part, and there were one or two little
jokes in Paris since the peace.
But, no! I considered the words of Lasalle. 'If he had need of a brave
man,' said Lasalle.
It was obvious that my Colonel had some idea of what was in the wind. If
he had not known that it was to my advantage, he would not have been so
cruel as to congratulate me. My heart glowed with joy as this conviction
grew upon me, and I sat down to write to my mother and to tell her that
the Emperor was waiting, at that very moment, to have my opinion upon a
matter of importance. It made me smile as I wrote it to think that,
wonderful as it appeared to me, it would probably only confirm my mother
in her opinion of the Emperor's good sense.
At half-past three I heard a sabre come clanking against every step of
my wooden stair. It was Lasalle, and with him was a lame gentleman, very
neatly dressed in black with dapper ruffles and cuffs. We did not know
many civilians, we of the army, but, my word, this was one whom we could
not afford to ignore! I had only to glance at those twinkling eyes, the
comical, upturned nose, and the straight, precise mouth, to know that I
was in the presence of the one man in France whom even the Emperor had
to consider.
'This is Monsieur Etienne Gerard, Monsieur de Talleyrand,' said Lasalle.
I saluted, and the statesman took me in from the top of my panache to
the rowel of my spur, with a glance that played over me like a rapier
point.
'Have you explained to the lieutenant the circumstances under which he
is summoned to the Emperor's presence?' he asked, in his dry, creaking
voice.
They were such a contrast, these two men, that I could not help glancing
from one to the other of them: the black, sly politician, and the big,
sky-blue hussar with one fist on his hip and the other on the hilt of
his sabre. They both took their seats as I looked, Talleyrand without a
sound, and Lasalle with a clash and a jingle like a prancing charger.
'It's this way, youngster,' said he, in his brusque fashion; 'I was with
the Emperor in his private cabinet this morning when a note was brought
in to him. He opened it, and as he did so he gave such a start that it
fluttered down on to the floor. I handed it up to him again, but he was
staring at the wall in front of him as if he had seen a ghost. "Fratelli
dell' Ajaccio," he muttered; and then again, "Fratelli dell' Ajaccio." I
don't pretend to know more Italian than a man can pick up in two
campaigns, and I could make nothing of this. It seemed to me that he had
gone out of his mind; and you would have said so also, Monsieur de
Talleyrand, if you had seen the look in his eyes. He read the note, and
then he sat for half an hour or more without moving.'
'And you?' asked Talleyrand.
'Why, I stood there not knowing what I ought to do. Presently he seemed
to come back to his senses.
'"I suppose, Lasalle," said he, "that you have some gallant young
officers in the Tenth?"
'"They are all that, sire," I answered.
'"If you had to pick one who was to be depended upon for action, but who
would not think too much--you understand me, Lasalle--which would you
select?" he asked.
'I saw that he needed an agent who would not penetrate too deeply into
his plans.
'"I have one," said I, "who is all spurs and moustaches, with never a
thought beyond women and horses."
'"That is the man I want," said Napoleon. "Bring him to my private
cabinet at four o'clock."
'So, youngster, I came straight away to you at once, and mind that you
do credit to the 10th Hussars.'
I was by no means flattered by the reasons which had led to my Colonel's
choice, and I must have shown as much in my face, for he roared with
laughter and Talleyrand gave a dry chuckle also.
'Just one word of advice before you go, Monsieur Gerard,' said he: 'you
are now coming into troubled waters, and you might find a worse pilot
than myself. We have none of us any idea as to what this little affair
means, and, between ourselves, it is very important for us, who have the
destinies of France upon our shoulders, to keep ourselves in touch with
all that goes on. You understand me, Monsieur Gerard?'
I had not the least idea what he was driving at, but I bowed and tried
to look as if it was clear to me.
'Act very guardedly, then, and say nothing to anybody,' said Talleyrand.
'Colonel de Lasalle and I will not show ourselves in public with you,
but we will await you here, and we will give you our advice when you
have told us what has passed between the Emperor and yourself. It is
time that you started now, for the Emperor never forgives
unpunctuality.'
Off I went on foot to the palace, which was only a hundred paces off. I
made my way to the ante-chamber, where Duroc, with his grand new scarlet
and gold coat, was fussing about among the crowd of people who were
waiting. I heard him whisper to Monsieur de Caulaincourt that half of
them were German Dukes who expected to be made Kings, and the other half
German Dukes who expected to be made paupers. Duroc, when he heard my
name, showed me straight in, and I found myself in the Emperor's
presence.
I had, of course, seen him in camp a hundred times, but I had never been
face to face with him before. I have no doubt that if you had met him
without knowing in the least who he was, you would simply have said that
he was a sallow little fellow with a good forehead and fairly
well-turned calves. His tight white cashmere breeches and white
stockings showed off his legs to advantage. But even a stranger must
have been struck by the singular look of his eyes, which could harden
into an expression which would frighten a grenadier. It is said that
even Auguereau, who was a man who had never known what fear was, quailed
before Napoleon's gaze, at a time, too, when the Emperor was but an
unknown soldier. He looked mildly enough at me, however, and motioned me
to remain by the door. De Meneval was writing to his dictation, looking
up at him between each sentence with his spaniel eyes.
'That will do. You can go,' said the Emperor, abruptly. Then, when the
secretary had left the room, he strode across with his hands behind his
back, and he looked me up and down without a word. Though he was a small
man himself, he was very fond of having fine-looking fellows about him,
and so I think that my appearance gave him pleasure. For my own part, I
raised one hand to the salute and held the other upon the hilt of my
sabre, looking straight ahead of me, as a soldier should.
'Well, Monsieur Gerard,' said he, at last, tapping his forefinger upon
one of the brandebourgs of gold braid upon the front of my pelisse, 'I
am informed that you are a very deserving young officer. Your Colonel
gives me an excellent account of you.'
I wished to make a brilliant reply, but I could think of nothing save
Lasalle's phrase that I was all spurs and moustaches, so it ended in my
saying nothing at all. The Emperor watched the struggle which must have
shown itself upon my features, and when, finally, no answer came he did
not appear to be displeased.
'I believe that you are the very man that I want,' said he. 'Brave and
clever men surround me upon every side. But a brave man who----' He did
not finish his sentence, and for my own part I could not understand what
he was driving at. I contented myself with assuring him that he could
count upon me to the death.
'You are, as I understand, a good swordsman?' said he.
'Tolerable, sire,' I answered.
'You were chosen by your regiment to fight the champion of the Hussars
of Chambarant?' said he.