This pamphlet, spread broadcast among the people, was soon reported to
the leaders of the rabble. Adam Lux was arrested for treason against
the Republic; but even these men had no desire to make a martyr of this
hot-headed youth. They would stop his mouth without taking his life.
Therefore he was tried and speedily found guilty, but an offer was made
him that he might have passports that would allow him to return to
Germany if only he would sign a retraction of his printed words.

Little did the judges understand the fiery heart of the man they had to
deal with. To die on the same scaffold as the woman whom he had
idealized was to him the crowning triumph of his romantic love. He gave
a prompt and insolent refusal to their offer. He swore that if released
he would denounce his darling's murderers with a still greater passion.

In anger the tribunal sentenced him to death. Only then he smiled and
thanked his judges courteously, and soon after went blithely to the
guillotine like a bridegroom to his marriage feast.

Adam Lux! Spirit courtship had been carried on silently all through
that terrible cross-examination of Charlotte Corday. His heart was
betrothed to hers in that single gleam of the setting sun when she
bowed beneath the knife. One may believe that these two souls were
finally united when the same knife fell sullenly upon his neck and when
his life-blood sprinkled the altar that was still stained with hers.

NAPOLEON AND MARIE WALEWSKA

There are four women who may be said to have deeply influenced the life
of Napoleon. These four are the only ones who need to be taken into
account by the student of his imperial career. The great emperor was
susceptible to feminine charms at all times; but just as it used to be
said of him that "his smile never rose above his eyes," so it might as
truly be said that in most instances the throbbing of his heart did not
affect his actions.

Women to him were the creatures of the moment, although he might seem
to care for them and to show his affection in extravagant ways, as in
his affair with Mlle. Georges, the beautiful but rather tiresome
actress. As for Mme. de Stael, she bored him to distraction by her
assumption of wisdom. That was not the kind of woman that Napoleon
cared for. He preferred that a woman should be womanly, and not a sort
of owl to sit and talk with him about the theory of government.

When it came to married women they interested him only be