'The fact is,' said de Caulaincourt, 'that the Emperor knows, and we all
know, that there is not room enough in the world for both France and
England. One or other must be supreme. If England were once crushed we
could then lay the foundations of a permanent peace. Italy is ours.
Austria we can crush again as we have crushed her before. Germany is
divided. Russia can expand to the south and east. America we can take
at our leisure, finding our pretext in Louisiana or in Canada. There is
a world empire waiting for us, and there is the only thing that stops
us.' He pointed out through the opening of the tent at the broad blue
Channel.

Far away, like snow-white gulls in the distance, were the sails of the
blockading fleet. I thought again of what I had seen the night before--the
lights of the ships upon the sea and the glow of the camp upon the
shore. The powers of the land and of the ocean were face to face whilst
a waiting world stood round to see what would come of it.



CHAPTER XII


THE MAN OF ACTION

De Meneval's tent had been pitched in such a way that he could overlook
the Royal headquarters, but whether it was that we were too absorbed in
the interest of our conversation, or that the Emperor had used the other
entrance in returning from the review, we were suddenly startled by the
appearance of a captain dressed in the green jacket of the Chasseurs of