ce, to be where he was? We shall now tell you.

The evening before the day on which he left Paris--that is to say,
the 15th of May, or, according to the calendars of the time, the 15th
Floreal--he had sent for the two other consuls and all the ministers,
saying to Lucien: "Prepare a circular letter to the prefects to-morrow."
Then he said to Fouche: "You will publish the circular in all the
newspapers. You are to say that I have left for Dijon to inspect the
Army of the Reserves. Add, but without affirming it positively, that
I may go as far as Geneva. In any case, let it be well impressed on
everyone that I shall not be absent more than a fortnight. If anything
unusual happens I shall return like a thunderclap. I commend to your
keeping all the great interests of France; and I hope you will soon hear
of me by way of Vienna and London."

On the 6th he started. From that moment his strong determination was to
make his way to the plains of Piedmont, and there to fight a decisive
battle. Then, as he never doubted that he would conquer, he would
answer, like Scipio, to those who accused him of violating the
constitution: "On such a day, at such an hour, I fought the
Carthagenians; let us go to the capitol, and render thanks to the gods."

Leaving France on the 6th of May, the First Consul was encamped with his
whole army between Casale and Turin on the 26th of the same month. It
had rained the whole day; but, as often happens in Italy, toward evening
the sky had cleared, changing in a few moments from murky darkness to
loveliest azure, and the stars came sparkling out.

The First Consul signed to Roland to follow him, and together they
issued from the little town of Chivasso and walked along the banks of
the river. About a hundred yards beyond the last house a tree, blown
down by the wind, offered a seat to the pedestrians. Bonaparte sat down
and signed to Roland to join him. He apparently had something to say,
some confidence to make to his young aide-de-camp.

Both were silent for a time, and then Bonaparte said: "Roland, do you
remember a conversation we had together at the Luxembourg?"

"General," said Roland, laughing, "we had a good many conversations
together at the Luxembourg; in one of which you told me we were to cross
into Italy in the spring, and fight General Melas at Torre di Gallifolo
or San-Guiliano. Does that still hold good?"

"Yes; but that is not the conversation I mean."

"What was it, general?"