is own
state. She ventures now to remind your majesty of your promise to
forgive the duke and leave him in possession of his inheritance."

"Well, if that be so, I shall fulfil my promise," said Napoleon, in a
milder voice. "I shall not deprive your master of his sovereignty; but,
as a matter of course, he will have to submit to some sacrifices. I
shall communicate my wishes concerning this point to my minister, M. de
Talleyrand, and he will inform you of them. Do not fail to give the duke
distinctly to understand that he is indebted for his state and political
existence solely to the respect I feel for his wife and her sister, the
Margravine of Baden." The conqueror nodded to the envoy and walked
toward the door leading into the audience-hall. Talleyrand quickly
picked up the emperor's hat from the floor, and carrying it to him,
said, "Sire, you have lost your hat."

Napoleon smiled. "Well," he said, "now-a-days, when so many lose their
heads and their crowns, a man may be pardoned for once losing his hat.
Come, accompany me to the good, enthusiastic Poles!"

CHAPTER XIV.

TRIUMPH AND DEFEAT.

Scarcely had the emperor crossed the threshold of the audience hall,
when it resounded with cheers and the constantly-repeated shout of
"_Vive l'Empereur_!" He thanked the envoys of Poland for these
greetings, and quickly approached them. They presented a magnificent
spectacle in their national costume, adorned as it was with gorgeous
embroidery and diamonds. "Introduce these gentlemen to me, Talleyrand,"
he said; "I will cherish in my memory the names of those whom henceforth
I shall regard as friends!"

When Talleyrand presented them in succession, Napoleon listened to each
of their high-sounding old aristocratic names with a kindly nod and a
gracious air, which delighted the hearts of the Poles.

"Sire," said the Count of Dombrowsky, a silvery-haired man of seventy
years--"sire, in bending our knees before your majesty, we represent
all Poland, which is exclaiming, 'God save Napoleon the Great!--the
liberator of nations!'"

"God save Napoleon the Great!--the liberator of nations!" echoed the
others, kneeling down and extending their arms toward the emperor.

"Liberator of nations!" repeated Napoleon, smiling. "No one can liberate
nations unless they do so themselves."

"But, in order to liberate themselves, the nations stand in need of a
noble and high-minded chieftain!" exclaimed the old count. "Sire, the