air was no news to Bonaparte,
who, however, received it with stern gravity, and contented himself
with replying that he would think it over. The matter, in fact, required
thinking over. Bonaparte came of a noble family, Murat was the son of an
innkeeper. The alliance at such a moment might have great significance.
Was the First Consul, in spite of his noble birth, in spite of the
exalted rank to which he had raised himself, not only sufficiently
republican, but also sufficiently democratic to mingle his blood with
that of the common people.

He did not reflect long; his strong, good sense, and his logical mind,
told him that he had every interest in allowing the marriage, and he
gave his consent to it the same day.

The double news of this marriage and of the removal to the Tuileries was
launched on the public at the same time; the one was to counterpoise
the other. The First Consul was about to occupy the palace of the former
kings, to sleep in the bed of the Bourbons, as they said at that time,
but he gave his sister to the son of an innkeeper!

And now, it may be asked, what dowry did the future Queen of Naples
bring to the hero of Aboukir? Thirty thousand francs and a diamond
necklace, which the First Consul took from his wife, being too poor to
buy one. Josephine, who was very fond of her necklace, pouted a little;
but the gift, thus obtained, was a triumphant reply to those who claimed
that Bonaparte had made a fortune in Italy; besides, why had she taken
the interests of the young couple so to heart? She had insisted on
marrying them, and she ought to contribute to the dowry.

The result of this clever combination was that on the day when the
Consuls left the Luxembourg for the "palace of the government," escorted
by the _son of an innkeeper_, soon to be Bonaparte's brother-in-law, it
did not occur to those who saw the procession pass to do otherwise than
admire and applaud. And, in truth, what could be more admirable and
worthy of applause than those processions, which had at their head such
men as Murat, Moreau, Junot, Duroc, Augereau, and Massena?

A grand review had been ordered to take place that same day in the
square of the Carrousel. Madame Bonaparte was to be present--not, to be
sure, in the balcony of the clock-tower, that being evidently too royal,
but at the window of Lebrun's apartment in the Pavilion of Flora.

Bonaparte started at one o'clock precisely from the Luxembourg, escorted
by three t