Emperor, 'tell him I wish him to pay 6,000,000 into your chest to defray
the expense of building the new Office for Foreign Affairs.'" I was so
astonished at this unfeeling and inconsiderate demand that I was utterly
unable to make airy reply. This then was my recompense for having
obtained money and supplies during my residence at Hamburg to the extent
of nearly 100,000,000, by which his treasury and army had profited in
moments of difficulty! M. de Champagny added that the Emperor did not
wish to receive me. He asked what answer he should bear to his Majesty.
I still remained silent, and the Minister again urged me to give an
answer. "Well, then," said I, "tell him he may go to the devil." The
Minister naturally wished to obtain some variation from this laconic
answer, but I would give no other; and I afterwards learned from Duroc
that M. de Champagny was compelled to communicate it to Napoleon.
"Well," asked the latter, "have you seen Bourrienne?"--"Yes, Sire."--"Did
you tell him I wished him to pay 6,000,000 into your chest?"--" Yes,
Sire."--"And what did he say?"--" Sire, I dare not inform your
Majesty."--"What did he say? I insist upon knowing."--"Since you insist
on my telling you, Sire, M. de Bourrienne said your Majesty might go to-
the devil."--"Ah! ah! did he really say so?" The Emperor then retired
to the recess of a window, where he remained alone for seven or eight
minutes, biting his nails; in the fashion of Berthier, and doubtless
giving free scope to his projects of vengeance. He then turned to the
Minister and spoke to him of quite another subject: Bonaparte had so
nursed himself in the idea of making me pay the 6,000,000 that every time
he passed the Office for Foreign Affairs he said to those who accompanied
hint; "Bourrienne must pay for that after all."

--[This demand of money from Bourrienne is explained in Erreurs
(tome ii, p. 228) by the son of Davoust. Bourrienne had been
suspected by Napoleon of making large sums at Hamburg by allowing