M. Armand de Montriveau, at that moment all unwittingly the
object of general curiosity, better deserved attention than any
of the idols that Paris needs must set up to worship for a brief
space, for the city is vexed by periodical fits of craving, a
passion for _engouement_ and sham enthusiasm, which must be
satisfied. The Marquis was the only son of General de Montriveau,
one of the _ci-devants_ who served the Republic nobly, and fell
by Joubert's side at Novi. Bonaparte had placed his son at the
school at Chalons, with the orphans of other generals who fell
on the battlefield, leaving their children under the protection
of the Republic. Armand de Montriveau left school with his way
to make, entered the artillery, and had only reached a major's
rank at the time of the Fontainebleau disaster. In his section
of the service the chances of advancement were not many. There
are fewer officers, in the first place, among the gunners than
in any other corps; and in the second place, the feeling in the
artillery was decidedly Liberal, not to say Republican; and the
Emperor, feeling little confidence in a body of highly educated
men who were apt to think for themselves, gave promotion
grudgingly in the service. In the artillery, accordingly, the
general rule of the army did not apply; the commanding officers
were not invariably the most remarkable men in their department,
because there was less to be feared from mediocrities. The
artillery was a separate corps in those days, and only came under
Napoleon in action.

Besides these general causes, other reasons, inherent in Armand
de Montriveau's character, were sufficient in themselves to
account for his tardy promotion. He was alone in the world. He
had been thrown at the age of twenty into the whirlwind of men