olence, and dare to menace me!"

Frowning, he commenced again rapidly walking the apartment. "Champagny,"
he said, stopping in the middle of the room, "come here close to me,
that even the walls will not hear what I tell you. You shall learn the
object of our journey to Erfurt, and I will inform you what you are to
do. I have hitherto treated you in the same manner as the admirals to
whom I give dispatches to be opened only on the high seas. You have now
reached them, Champagny, and shall, therefore, learn your orders. I have
taken you with me because you are to assist in accomplishing an
important object. I have selected you, and you alone, for I know that I
may confide in your discretion, and that you will not betray any secret
intrusted to you. Not a word of what you hear now must ever pass your
lips--not a hint even to Talleyrand. Talleyrand is a sneak and a
traitor, who would like to be on good terms with all parties, so as to
be sure of their support whatever may happen. Oh, I know him; I have
fathomed him, and can read the thoughts which he takes the greatest
pains to conceal. I know that I ought to distrust him--that he is
intriguing with Austria; and that, if I suffered him to share in our
scheme, he would betray the secrets of my cabinet to the Austrian
ambassador. I profit by his services whenever he is useful by his
intrigue and diplomatic jugglery; but, I repeat it, I do not trust him."

"Sire, I swear that I should deem myself dishonored if my lips ever
betray a syllable of the secret projects of my emperor!" exclaimed the
minister, solemnly.

"Well, well, I trust you," said Napoleon, nodding to him. "Now, listen!"
He took the minister by one of the golden buttons of his velvet coat and
drew him closer to his side. "I have brought about this meeting because
I desire to dupe the Emperor Alexander."

Champagny started and looked surprised. Napoleon smiled. "I shall
accomplish my purpose so far as Alexander himself is concerned," he
said; "but you must do the same with regard to the Russian minister,
hard-headed old Romanzoff. And let me tell you why. You know what I
promised Alexander at Tilsit, and by what means I succeeded in
winning his heart. He is an idealist; the plans of his grandmother
Catharine are constantly haunting him, and his thoughts are fixed on
Turkey--particularly on Constantinople. He is ambitious, fickle, and
visionary. I promised to realize his visions, and thereby gained his
confide