THE HUNDRED DAYS. 101 
dressed to him, after the battle of Waterloo: “Carnot, 
I HAVE KNOWN YOU TOO LATE!” 
But, as I am writing a biography and not a panegyric, 
I will frankly say that Carnot, as member of the Pro- 
visional Government of that epoch, laboured under the 
injurious and anti-national influence of the Duke of 
Otranto, which led him to give his adhesion to measures 
that were stamped with evident feebleness, and to others 
over which every heart animated by patriotic sentiments 
would gladly throw a thick veil. 
And yet, can we very warmly reproach Carnot with 
having allowed himself to be fascinated by the intrigues 
of Fouché, when we see Napoleon, notwithstanding the 
strongest suspicions of treason, retain that man in his 
Council ? 
Amidst the reproaches ostensibly addressed to Carnot, 
respecting that period of our annals, there is one on 
which I can give some personal explanation. I have 
heard the austere Conventional severely blamed for 
having accepted the title of Count of the Empire; hap- 
pily my memory can faithfully repeat some words of our 
colleague’s which clear up this point in his life, and which 
were related to me by an officer the very day that he 
heard them. 
They were at table, at the Minister of the Interior’s 
house. <A letter arrives; the minister breaks the seal, 
and almost instantly exclaims: “ Well, Gentlemen, see 
me here a Count of the Empire! I can, however, easily 
guess whence the blow comes. It is my dismissal that is 
wished for, that is demanded; I will not give Aim that 
satisfaction; I will remain, because I think I can be 
useful to my country." The day will come, I hope, when 
I shall be allowed to explain myself fully respecting this 
