304 ANECDOTES OF NAPOtEON, 



idiotcy — make uie the mark for your sarcasms — I consent to it. But 

 call yourself my friend no more, approach me not; I should fear to 

 contract your corruption." " Buonaparte," I answered, "^ I have 

 need of relaxation of a mild and peaceable kind, I find it with 

 Colombe ; her graces, her innocence, are all that attach me to her." 

 " My friend," replied the implacable student, "at our too combustible 

 age, we ought not to approach the torch of beauty. Choose between 

 your mistress and your friend." " It must be confessed," I said, 

 *' that you are wonderfully stocked with self-love to think of lecturing 

 a comrade who is six months older than you." " If I am two years 

 older than he in wisdom what has he to complain of? If he is fifty 

 years of age, and subject to go astray, why should he not follow 

 excellent advice? But let us not enter into further details ; will you 

 see Colombe no more? " " You exact it? " " Yes, for your happi- 

 ness and hers." " I yield, I sacrifice her to you ; but do not forget 

 that you contract a strong engagement with me." " What engage- 

 ment, pray?" " Guess it, and do not ask me." I know not if he 

 understood me, but he added nothing. 



The victory of the young Corsican was not so complete as he 

 imagined ; for I ceased not to see my lovely friend. But my mea- 

 sures were so well taken that the cunning rogue was completely 

 cheated ; though, if Napoleon was my dupe as to Colombe, I was 

 sufficiently his on another subject. We were at the close of 1783. 

 The father of Colombe had a country-house two leagues from 

 Brienne, and I had obtained half a day's iioliday, which I went to 

 pass with my beloved. It was night when I left her to return. I 

 was about two gun-shots' distance ironi Brienne, in a by-path bor- 

 dered with shrubs, when I thought I heard some one speaking. I 

 s-tole softly to the bush whence the sound proceeded, and was not long 

 without knowing the persons at the other side, and the object of their 

 meeting. " Yes, my love," said a female in the accent of softness 

 and affection, " I bear in my bosom the precious pledge of our 

 mutual tenderness ; knowest thou, Buonaparte, that I am proud of 

 being thy consort?" At the name Buonaparte, I started in un- 

 speakable astonishment. " Oh ! how lovely," continued the young 

 female, " will be to me the day on which thou shalt ratify at the 

 altar the title thou hast given me in secret. But thou speakest not, 

 my love ; why this silence? Am I become less dear to thee?'* 

 " Eun-enia, I love thee as a portion of myself, I would give all on 

 earth to avow thee as my wife; but, as thou knowest, I am without 

 fortune. I must labour to make one ; many suns must rise e'er I 

 can crown thy wishes — thy impatience, thy inquietude, may ruin me 

 for ever. Ah! my beloved, let us unite, heart and soul, to conceal 

 thy state from the inhabitants of this town ; thou canst, if thou wilt. 

 Thou hast at la Fere an aunt that adores thee, who hast none but 

 thee. Retire to her when thou canst no longer conceal thy condi- 

 tion from ihe public. Say to this good relative, ' I come not to con- 

 fess to you a weakness and hide it here. I am a wife, I have a 

 written promise ; and, if it is not ratified by the laws, it is oecause 

 imperious circumstances are opposed to it ; but that sweet day will 

 coiue, and then 'my infant and my husband will amply recompense 



