You here see how ready I am to gratify your desire of knowing every
thing that passed in my neighbourhood and that befell myself in the
eventful days of October. I proceed to the point without farther
preamble.
Ever since the arrival of marshal Marmont I have constantly resided at
the beautiful country-house of my employer at R***, where I imagined
that I might be of some service during the impending events. The general
of brigade Chamois, an honest man, but a severe officer, was at first
quartered there.
On the 14th of October every body expected a general engagement near
Leipzig. On that day several French corps had arrived in the
neighbourhood. The near thunders of the artillery, which began to roll,
and the repeated assurances of the French officers that the anniversary
of the battles of Ulm and Jena would not be suffered to pass
uncelebrated, seemed to confirm this expectation. The king of Saxony
entered by the palisadoed gates of the outer city, and Napoleon also
soon arrived. The latter came from Dueben, and took possession of a
bivouac in the open field, not far from the gallows, close to a great
watch-fire. I was one of those who hastened to the spot, to obtain a
sight of the extraordinary man, little suspecting that a still greater
honour awaited me, namely, that of sleeping under the same roof, nay,
even of being admitted to a personal interview of some length with him.
The state of things at my country-house did not permit me to be long
absent. I hastened back, therefore, with all possible expedition. I
arrived nearly at the same moment with a French _marechal de logis du
palais_, to whom I was obliged to shew every apartment in the house, and
who, to my no small dismay, announced "that the emperor would probably
lodge there that night." The man, having despatched his errand in great
haste, immediately departed. I communicated the unexpected intelligence
to the aid-de-camp of general Pajol, but expressly observed that I had
great doubts about it, as the _marechal de logis_ himself had not spoken
positively. The aid-de-camp appeared very uneasy; and, though I strove
to convince him that it must be some time before our distinguished guest
could arrive, he immediately packed up, and, notwithstanding all my
earnest endeavours to detain him, he was gone with his servant in a few
minutes. Seldom have I witnessed such an extraordinary degree of
anxiety as this man shewed while preparing for his departure.
The _marechal de logis_ soon returned, and again inspected all the
apartments, and even the smallest closets, more minutely than before. He
announced that _sa majeste_ would certainly take up his head-quarters
here, and asked for a piece of chalk, to mark each room with the names
of the distinguished personages by whom they were to be occupied. When
he had shewn me the apartment destined for the emperor, he desired that
a fire might be immediately lighted in it, as his majesty was very fond
of warmth. The bustle soon began; the guards appeared, and occupied the
house and all the avenues. Many officers of rank, with numerous
attendants, arrived; and six of the emperor's cooks were soon busily
engaged in the kitchen. Thus I was soon surrounded on all sides with
imperial splendour, and might consider myself for the moment as its
centre. I might possibly have felt no small degree of vanity on the
occasion, had I not been every instant reminded that the part which I
should have to act would be that of obedience alone. I heard the beating
of drums at a distance, which, as I presently learned, announced that I
was shortly to descend into a very subordinate station. It proclaimed
the arrival of the emperor, who came on horseback in a grey surtout.
Behind him rode the duke of Vicenza (Caulincourt), who, since the death
of marshal Duroc, has succeeded to his office. When they had come up to
the house, the master of the horse sprung from his steed with a
lightness and agility which I should not have expected in such a
raw-boned, stiff-looking gentleman, and immediately held that of the
emperor.
His majesty had scarcely reached his apartments when I was hastily
sought and called for. You may easily conceive my astonishment and
perturbation when I was told that the emperor desired to speak with me
immediately. Now, in such a state of things, I had not once thought for
several days of putting on my Sunday clothes; but, to say nothing of
this, my mind was still less prepared for an interview with a hero, the
mere sight of whom was enough to bow me down to the very ground. In this
emergency courage alone could be of any service, and I rallied my
spirits as well as the short notice would permit. I had done nothing
amiss--at least that I knew of--and had performed my duty as _maitre
d'hotel_ to the best of my ability. After a general had taken charge of
me, I mustered my whole stock of rhetorical flourishes, best calculated
to win the favour of a mighty emperor. The general conducted me through
a crowd of aid-de-camps and officers of all ranks. They took but little
notice of such an insignificant being, and indeed scarcely deigned to
bestow a look upon me. My conductor opened the door, and I entered with
a heart throbbing violently. The emperor had pulled off his surtout, and
had nobody with him. On the long table was spread a map of prodigious
size. Rustan, the Mameluke, who has so long been falsely reported to be
dead, was, as I afterwards learned, in the next room.--My presence of
mind was all gone again when I came to be introduced to the emperor, and
he must certainly have perceived by my looks that I was not a little
confused. I was just going to begin the harangue which I had studied
with such pains, and to stammer out something or other about the high
and unexpected felicity of being presented to the most powerful, the
most celebrated, and the most sincerely beloved monarch in the world,
when he relieved me at once from my dilemma. He addressed me in French,
speaking very quick, but distinctly, to the following effect:--
_Nap._ Are you the master of this house?
_I._ No, please your majesty, only a servant.
_N._ Where is the owner?
_I._ He is in the city. He is advanced in years; and under the present
circumstances has quitted his house leaving me to take care of it as
well as I can.
_N._ What is your master?
_I._ He is in business, sire.
_N._ In what line?
_I._ He is a banker.
_N._ (_Laughing._) Oho! then he is worth a plum, (_un millionaire_,) I
suppose?
_I._ Begging your majesty's pardon, indeed he is not.
_N._ Well then, perhaps he may be worth two?
_I._ Would to God I could answer your majesty in the affirmative.
_N._ You lend money, I presume?
_I._ Formerly we did, sire; but now we are glad to borrow.
_N._ Yes, yes, I dare say you do a little in that way yet. What interest
do you charge?
_I._ We used to charge from 4 to 5 per cent.; now we would willingly
give from 8 to 10.
_N._ To whom were you used to lend money?
_I._ To inferior tradesmen and manufacturers.
_N._ You discount bills too, I suppose?
_I._ Formerly, sire, we did; now we can neither discount nor get any
discounted.
_N._ How is business with you?
_I._ At present, your majesty, there is none doing
_N._ How so?
_I._ Because all trade is totally at a stand.
_N._ But have you not your fair just now?
_I._ Yes, but it is so only in name.
_N._ Why?
_I._ As all communication has for a considerable time been suspended,
and the roads are unsafe for goods, neither sellers nor buyers will run
the risk of coming; and, besides, the greatest scarcity of money
prevails in this country.
_N._ (_Taking much snuff_) So, so! What is the name of your employer?