a coffin that he wanted; the house was a
mockery, death would be a favour. A few minutes after Napoleon took up
some reports of the campaigns of 1814, which lay on the table, and asked
Sir H. Lowe if he had written them. Las Cases, after saying that the
Governor replied in the affirmative, finishes his account of the
interview, but according to O'Meara, Napoleon said they were full of
folly and falsehood. The Governor, with a much milder reply than most
men would have given, retired, and Napoleon harangued upon the sinister
expression of his countenance, abused him in the coarsest manner, and
made his servant throw a cup of coffee out of the window because it had
stood a moment on a table near the Governor.

It was required that all persons who visited at Longwood or at Hut's Gate
should make a report to the Governor, or to Sir Thomas Reade, of the
conversations they had held with the French. Several additional
sentinels were posted around Longwood House and grounds.

During some extremely wet and foggy weather Napoleon did not go out for
several days. Messengers and letters continually succeeded one another
from Plantation House. The Governor appeared anxious to see Napoleon,
and was evidently distrustful, although the residents at Longwood were
assured of his actual presence by the sound of his voice. He had some
communications with Count Bertrand on the necessity that one of his
officers should see Napoleon daily. He also went to Longwood frequently
himself, and finally, after some difficulty, succeeded in obtaining an
interview with Napoleon in his bedchamber, which lasted about a quarter
of an hour. Some days before he sent for Mr. O'Meara, asked a variety of
questions concerning the captive, walked round the house several times
and before the windows, measuring and laying down the plan of a new
ditch, which he said he would have dug in order to prevent the cattle
from trespassing.

On the morning of the 5th of May Napoleon sent for his surgeon O'Meara to
come to him. He was introduced into Napoleon's bed-chamber, a
description of which is thus given: "It was about fourteen feet by
twelve, and ten or eleven feet in height. The walls were lined with
brown nankeen, bordered and edged with common green bordering paper, and
destitute of skirting. Two small windows without pulleys, one of which
was thrown up and fastened by a piece of notched wood, looked towards the
camp of the 53d Regiment. There were window-curtain