186 Constant's Memoirs of Buonaparte. [Auo. 



(Marshal Lefebvre,) and being informed that he waited to know his 

 pleasure : 



" Tell the Duke de Dantzig," said the emperor to the officer on duty, 

 ' that I have sent for him thus early, in order to invite him to breakfast.' The 

 officer, imagining that the emperor in a moment of absence had substituted 

 another name, took upon him to remark the circumstance. Napoleon, with a 

 smile, observed ' II parait, Monsieur, que vous me croyez plus capable de 

 faire un conte qu'un due/ CThe reader will readily accept this reply in the 

 original, as a translation would destroy the force of the equivoque.^ ' Inform 

 the duke, ' continued the emperor, ' that I expect him in a quarter of an 

 hour.' The officer delivered the message to the marshal, who, as it so hap- 

 pened, at that moment paid no attention to the new title by which he had been 

 addressed. At the expiration of a quarter of an hour, he was apprized that 

 Napoleon was at table:- he accordingly hastened to offer his respects to 

 his imperial master, who greeted him most kindly, laying particular 

 emphasis on the title of duke, with which, in the course of conversa* 

 tion, he repeatedly accosted his guest. To add to the marshal's astonish- 

 ment, ' Duke,' said ^Napoleon, ' are you fond of chocolate ?' ' Why yes, 

 Sire.' 'Well, we have none for breakfast this morning, but I intend to 

 make you a present of some, genuine, from Dantzig : it is but just that you 

 should reap the fruits of your conquest.' The emperor, upon this, rose from 

 table, and opening a little chest, took from it a packet, which he presented 

 to the marshal with these words' Duke de Dantzig, I beg your acceptance 

 of this chocolate ; such little presents serve to keep friendship alive." The 

 marshal, with many acknowledgments, put the chocolate in his pocket, and 

 resumed his seat with the emperor and Berthier. In the centre of the table 

 was a pie, representing the city of Dantzig. ' Duke,' said Napoleon, ' that 

 conquest belongs of right to you commence the attack/ The marshal 

 obeyed, and the pie was pronounced excellent. On quitting the emperor's 

 presence, the newly created duke, rightly guessing that his packet of choco- 

 late contained some hidden virtues, opened it without further delay, and 

 discovered in the inside the sum of 300,000 francs in bank notes. Ever after 

 this circumstance, Dantzig chocolate was the military slang term for money. 

 When a soldier intended to give a benefit to a comrade whose purse was 

 better lined than his own, ( Come/ he would say familiarly, f try if you can't 

 find some Dantzig chocolate at the bottom of your wallet." 



Constant has already informed us that Napoleon was an ungraceful 

 rider : it appears that he was a worse dancer. To the valet de cham- 

 bre, a Frenchman, too, the emperor's deficiency on this point must 

 have appeared of no small moment. We are consequently not sur- 

 prised that the mention of the circumstance finds a place in the second 

 series of the memoirs. We are told that the Princess of Baden, having 

 questioned him as to his proficiency in the waltz, Napoleon frankly 

 admitted that his talent lay not in " the light fantastic toe." The 

 princess undertook to give him a lesson, an infliction to which the 

 emperor submitted with tolerable grace. The patience of the instruc- 

 tress, however, was more easily exhausted. After a few rounds of the 

 mazy dance, " Enough, Sire," suddenly exclaimed the princess, " I 

 fear me you will make but an indifferent pupil. Your majesty is born 

 to give lessons, not to receive them." 



The greater portion of the third volume is avowedly due to the pen 

 of a lady formerly belonging to Josephine's household a certain baro- 

 ness de V , whose kind condescension enables us frequently to pass 



to the imperial saloon from the antichamber, where the valet de cham- 

 bre, in pursuance of old habits, would fain leave us too long to dance 



