for me to descend without the danger of falling. He forthwith called the
keeper of the portfolio, who day and night was in attendance at one of
the doors of his closet, the entrance to which was on the landing-place
of this little staircase. Napoleon gave him the light, of which we had
little need, for the passages had become light. He commanded the keeper
to go on before, and took himself the legs of Josephine in order to
assist me in descending with less difficulty. At one moment, however,
I was embarrassed by my sword, and I thought we must have fallen, but
fortunately we descended without any accident, and deposited the
precious burden on an ottoman in the sleeping-chamber. Napoleon
immediately pulled the little bell, and summoned the empress's women.
When I raised the empress in the chamber she ceased to moan, and I
thought that she had fainted; but at the time I was embarrassed by my
sword in the middle of the little staircase, of which I have already
spoken, I was obliged to hold her firmly to prevent a fall which would
have been dreadful to the actors in this melancholy scene. I held the
empress in my arms, which encircled her waist, her back rested against
my chest, and her hand leaned upon my right shoulder. When she felt the
efforts which I made to prevent falling, she said to me in a very low
tone, "You press me too hard." I then saw that I had nothing to fear for
her health, and that she had not for an instant lost her senses. During
the whole of this scene I was wholly occupied with Josephine, whose
situation afflicted me; I had not power to observe Napoleon; but when
the empress's women had come, he retired into a little room which
preceded the sleeping-chamber, and I followed him. His agitation, his
inquietude were extreme. In the distress which he felt he made me
acquainted with the cause of every thing that had happened, and said to
me these words:--"The interest of France and of my dynasty does violence
to my heart--the divorce has become a rigorous duty to me--I am the more
afflicted by what has happened to Josephine, because three days ago she