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NAPOLEON AT FONTAINBLEAU,

_As related by De Bausset_.


On the evening of April 8, 1814, De Bausset left Blois, commissioned by
Josephine to deliver at Paris, a letter to the Emperor of Austria, and
afterwards another at Fontainbleau to her husband. Having executed the
first part of this commission, he set out at two in the morning of the
11th of April for Fontainbleau, and arrived at the palace about nine
o'clock. He was introduced to Napoleon immediately, and gave him the
letter from the empress. "Good Louise!" exclaimed Napoleon, after having
read it, and then asked numerous questions as to her health and that of
his son. De Bausset expressed his wish to carry back an answer to the
empress, and Napoleon promised to give him a letter in the afternoon. He
was calm and decided; but his tones were milder, and his manners mere
gentle than was his wont. He began talking about Elba, and showed to De
B. the maps and books of geography which he had been consulting on the
subject of his future little empire. "The air is good," said he, "and the
inhabitants well-disposed: I shall not be very ill off there, and I hope
Marie-Louise will put up with it as well as I shall." He knew that for
the present they were not to meet, but his hope was that when she was
once in the possession of the duchy of Parma, she and his son would be
allowed to reside with him in the island. But he never saw either again.
The prince of Neufchâtel, Berthier, entered the room to demand permission
to go to Paris on his private affairs; he would return the next day.