ts. Little, however, could she imagine the career of
strange vicissitudes upon which she was about to enter.

The voyage was long and tempestuous. Storms pursued them all the way. At
one time the ship was dismasted and came near foundering. At length the
welcome cry of "Land" was heard, and Josephine, an unknown orphan child
of fifteen, placed her feet upon the shores of France, that country over
which she was soon to reign the most renowned empress. She hastened to
Fontainebleau, and was there met by Alexander Beauharnais. He received
her with great fondness, and was assiduous in bestowing upon her the
most flattering attentions. But Josephine had hardly arrived at
Fontainebleau before she heard that William and his father were also
residing at that place. Her whole frame trembled like an aspen leaf, and
her heart sunk within her as she received the intelligence. All her
long-cherished affection for the companion of her childhood was revived,
and still she knew not but that William was faithless. He, however,
immediately called, with his father, to see her. The interview was most
embarrassing, for each loved the other intensely, and each had reason to
believe that the other had proved untrue. The next day William called
alone; Josephine, the betrothed bride of Beauharnais, prudently declined
seeing him. He then wrote her a letter, which he bribed a servant to
place in her hands, full of protestations of love, stating how he had
written to her, and passionately inquiring why she turned so coldly from
him.

Josephine read the letter with a bursting heart. She now saw how she had
been deceived. She now was convinced that William had proved faithful to
her, notwithstanding he had so much reason to believe that she had been
untrue to him. But what could she do? She was but fifteen years of age.
She was surrounded only by those who were determined that she should
marry Alexander Beauharnais. She was told that the friends of William
had decided unalterably that he should marry an English heiress, and
that the fortunes of his father's family were dependent upon that
alliance. The servant who had been the bearer of William's epistle was
dismissed, and the other servants were commanded not to allow him to
enter the house.

The agitation of Josephine's heart was such that for some time she was
unable to leave her bed. She entreated her friends to allow her for a
few months to retire to a convent, that she might, in solitary tho