glance sent a thrill through me, who was now pouring out his thoughts to
me in short, eager sentences, the words rattling and racing like the
hoofs of a galloping squadron. It is possible that, after the
word-splittings and diplomacy of a Court, it was a relief to him to
speak his mind to a plain soldier like myself.

In this way the Emperor and I--even after years it sends a flush of
pride into my cheeks to be able to put those words together--the Emperor
and I walked our horses through the Forest of Fontainebleau, until we
came at last to the Colombier. The three spades were propped against the
wall upon the right-hand side of the ruined door, and at the sight of
them the tears sprang to my eyes as I thought of the hands for which
they were intended. The Emperor seized one and I another.

'Quick!' said he. 'The dawn will be upon us before we get back to the
palace.'

We dug the hole, and placing the papers in one of my pistol holsters to
screen them from the damp, we laid them at the bottom and covered them
up. We then carefully removed all marks of the ground having been
disturbed, and we placed a large stone upon the top. I dare say that
since the Emperor was a young gunner, and helped to train his pieces
against Toulon, he had not worked so hard with his hands. He was mopping
his forehead with his silk handkerchief long before we had come to the
end of our task.

The first grey cold light of morning was stealing through the tree
trunks when we came out together from the old pigeon-house. The Emperor
laid his hand upon my shoulder as I stood ready to help him to mount.

'We have left the papers there,' said he, solemnly, 'and I desire that
you shall leave all thought of them there also. Let the recollection of
them pass entirely from your mind, to be revived only when you receive a
direct order under my own hand and seal. From this time onwards you
forget all that has passed.'

'I forget it, sire,' said I.

We rode together to the edge of the town, where he desired that I should
separate from him. I had saluted, and was turning my horse, when he
called me back.

'It is easy to mistake the points of the compass in the forest,' said
he. 'Would you not say that it was in the north-eastern corner that we
buried them?'

'Buried what, sire?'

'The papers, of course,' he cried, impatiently.

'What papers, sire?'

'Name of a name! Why, the papers that you have recovered for me.'

'I am really at a loss to