ANECDOTES OF NAPOLEON. 305 



your goodness to me.' And thou too, my Eugenia, speakest 



not?" — " Thy wishes, my love, are laws; but, if it must be 

 said, I am not in health : pains and general languor menace my life. 

 Thy presence alone sustains me. If I must be deprived of it, I will 

 obey thee ; but I fear I shall expire far from thee." " Let us go in, 

 Eugenia ; thou grievest me too much. It will not be thus with us; 

 one day I shall freely clasp thee to my heart." 



The two lovers had risen and were retiring. I walk rapidly round 

 the bush, and find myself in front of the enamoured pair. " Who 

 goes there ? " exclaimed Buonaparte. " Your friend Dangeais," I 

 replied. "It grows late, to-morrow I shall see you again." Saying 

 this, I went away, and re-entered the house. 



Sleep had fled my eyes the whole night, and day was scarcely 

 dawning when I descended into the garden. Napoleon, who had 

 tlie habit of placing himself every morning at his window, no sooner 

 saw me than he made me a sign to go up to him. I was tlie more 

 astonished at his invitation, as I had not doubted he would avoid my 

 presence, and the sarcasms with which I had meant to overwhelm his 

 hypocrisy. However, I went up to him. " Well, liovv have you 

 passed the night?" said he. " Do you know, Dangeais, you discom- 

 pose yourself wonderfully ? " This was too much. I own I was put 

 out of countenance ; and it was not, till some moments had passed, that 

 I could reply, " Do you know. Napoleon, that of all men you are the 

 most incomprehensible, not to say the most deceitful?" "Poor 

 head ! that does not see beyond its nose. A mite, 'tis true, does not 

 believe the existence of an elephant." " Epigrams are not reasons." 

 " Reasons! well, I am going to give you excellent ones, which you 

 will be forced to admit. Hear me. I think greatly, and take plea- 

 sure in analysing men and things. I believe myself above the affec- 

 tations of the human species. I believe not in virtue, though all the 

 universe asserted its existence. If I am wrong, so much the better; 

 I only err from excess of caution. Now, admitting you to my so- 

 ciety, I wished to be assured whether you were on your guard 

 against hypocrisy and pretended virtue. I had every thing to 

 gain by this trial. If you had not believed in my temperance, 

 and the severity of my morals, I should have said to myself with 

 pleasure. My friend is a man of penetration and versed in the know- 

 ledge of the human heart. But your dangerous simplicity did not 

 give me that satisfaction ; and, whilst I tasted the sweets of love, you 

 thought me their most cruel enemy. Certainly, my friend, I pitied 

 you ; but how well was this light vexation compensated by the plea- 

 sure of seeing a young man, six months older than myself, bending 

 servilely to my virtuous juggling! Do you account too as nothing 

 the high place I had in your esteem and the invaluable conviction I 

 obtained ? A conviction which will imprint i'l my thoughts this 

 eternal truth, that, to delude mankind, the most important point is to 

 choose well one's mask and know how to fasten it well on. 



*' But for the chance which led you to my rendezvous, I should 

 stdl have been in your eyes the most temperate of men, so short- 

 sighted were you. Ifow could you lend any faith to the harangue I 

 declaimed to you'J Had your pleasures enfeebled your health, you 



