the Guard, who had come to say that Napoleon was waiting for his
secretary. Poor de Meneval's face turned as white as his beautiful
ruffles as he sprang to his feet, hardly able to speak for agitation.

'I should have been there!' he gasped. 'Oh, what a misfortune!
Monsieur de Caulaincourt, you must excuse me! Where is my hat and my
sword? Come, Monsieur de Laval, not an instant is to be lost!'

I could judge from the terror of de Meneval, as well as from the scene
which I had witnessed with Admiral Bruix, what the influence was which
the Emperor exercised over those who were around him. They were never
at their ease, always upon the brink of a catastrophe, encouraged one
day only to be rudely rebuffed the next, bullied in public and slighted
in private, and yet, in spite of it all, the singular fact remains that
they loved him and served him as no monarch has been loved and served.

'Perhaps I had best stay here,' said I, when we had come to the
ante-chamber, which was still crowded with people.

'No, no, I am responsible for you. You must come with me. Oh, I trust
he is not offended with me! How could he have got in without my seeing
him?'

My frightened companion scratched at the door, which was opened
instantly by Roustem the Mameluke, who guarded it within. The room into
which we passed was of considerable size, but was furnished with extreme
simplicity. It was papered of a silver-grey colour, with a sky-blue
ceiling, in the centre of which was the Imperial eagle in gold, holding
a thunderbolt. In spite of the warm weather, a large fire was burning
at one side, and the air was heavy with heat and the aromatic smell of