wagon, like Cinderella's coach into a pumpkin, and three people
vanishing as though swallowed by the earth. But all this is
perfectly reasonable and credible, beside the things he said to
me, of which no record was made.

Your excellency will have noticed, in his statement, certain
allusions to the Austrian surrender, and to French troops in
Austria. After his statement had been taken down, I noticed these
allusions, and I inquired, what surrender, and what were French
troops doing in Austria. The man looked at me in a pitying
manner, and said:

"News seems to travel slowly, hereabouts; peace was concluded
at Vienna on the 14th of last month. And as for what French
troops are doing in Austria, they're doing the same things
Bonaparte's brigands are doing everywhere in Europe."

"And who is Bonaparte?" I asked.

He stared at me as though I had asked him, "Who is the Lord Jehovah?"
Then, after a moment, a look of comprehension came into his face.

"So, you Prussians concede him the title of Emperor, and refer
to him as Napoleon," he said. "Well, I can assure you that His
Britannic Majesty's government haven't done so, and never will;
not so long as one Englishman has a finger left to pull a trigger.
General Bonaparte is a usurper; His Britannic Majesty's government
do not recognize any sovereignty in France except the House of
Bourbon." This he said very sternly, as though rebuking me.