, being now on the northeastern
frontier under Dumouriez, facing the victorious legions of Prussia and
Austria. On the fourteenth the travelers were at Marseilles; in that
friendly democratic city they were nearly mobbed as aristocrats
because Elisa wore feathers in her hat. It is said that Napoleon flung
the offending object into the crowd with a scornful "No more
aristocrats than you," and so turned their howls into laughing
approval. It was about a month before the arrears of pay reached
Marseilles, two thousand nine hundred and fifty livres in all, a
handsome sum of money and doubly welcome at such a crisis. It was
probably October tenth when they sailed for Corsica, and on the
seventeenth Buonaparte was once more in his home, no longer so
confident, perhaps, of a career among his own people, but determined
to make another effort. It was his fourth return. Lucien and Fesch
were leaders in the radical club; Joseph was at his old post, his
ambition to represent Ajaccio at Paris was again thwarted, the
successful candidate having been Multedo, a family friend; Louis, as
usual, was disengaged and idle; Mme. Buonaparte and the younger
children were well; he himself was of course triumphantly vindicated
by his promotion. The ready money from the fortune of the old
archdeacon was long since exhausted, to be sure; but the excellent
vineyards, mulberry plantations, and gardens of the family properties
were still productive, and Napoleon's private purse had been
replenished by the quartermaster of his regiment.

The course of affairs in France had materially changed the aspect of
Corsican politics; the situation was, if anything, more favorable for
a revolutionary venture than ever before. Salicetti had returned to
Corsica after the adjournment of the Constituent Assembly with many
new ideas which he had gathered from observing the conduct of the
Paris commune, and these he unstintingly disseminated among his
sympathizers. They proved to be apt scholars, and quickly caught the
tricks of demagogism, bribery, corruption, and malversation of the
public funds. He had returned to France before Buonaparte arrived, as
a member of the newly elected legislature, but his evil influence
survived his departure, and his lieutenants were ubiquitous and
active. Paoli had been rendered helpless, and was sunk in despair. He
was now commander-in-chief of the regular troops in garrison, but it
was a position to which he had been appointed agai