"You are becoming gloomy, General," said Barras one morning, as the
two men breakfasted. "It is time for you to marry and become a
family man."

"Peste!" said Napoleon, "man of family! It takes too long--it is
tedious. Families are delightful when the children are grown up; but
I could not endure them in a state of infancy."

"Ah!" smiled Barras, significantly. "But suppose I told you of a
place where you could find a family ready made?"

Napoleon at once became interested.

"I should marry it," he said, "for truly I do need some one to look
after my clothing, particularly now that, as a man of high rank, my
uniforms hold so many buttons."

Thus it happened that Barras took the young hero to a reception at
the house of Madame Tallien, where he introduced him to the lovely
widow, Josephine de Beauharnais, and her two beautiful children.

"There you are, Bonaparte," he whispered, as they entered the room;
"there is the family complete--one wife, one son, one daughter. What
more could you want? It will be yours if you ask for it, for Madame
de Beauharnais is very much in love with you."

"Ha!" said Napoleon. "How do you know that?"

"She told me so," returned Barras.