gestures
when excited. Still he could be at any time graceful in attitude, and
elegant in manner. Even then he stooped a little, so that his shoulders
inclined forward, which gave something of flatness to his chest. His
face was thin and elongated; but what a forehead! What eyes! What beauty
in the contour of his intellectual visage! In repose, its habitual
expression was reflective and concentrated, with a strong tinge of
melancholy.

Bonaparte ceased not to pace the room after the Pope had entered. After
a while, altering his curve somewhat, and having taken a turn round the
chair, as if making a _reconnaissance,_ he stopped short, and resumed
the thread of the conversation which had been commenced in the carriage,
and abruptly broken off.

"I repeat, holy father, I am not an _esprit fort_, nor do I like
word-spinners or idea-mongers. I assure you, that in spite of my old
republicans I will go to mass."

These words he tossed off toward the Pope, as if he were giving him a
dash of the incense-box; then paused to observe their effect. He seemed
to imagine that, after the impieties of the republican _regime_, such an
avowal ought to produce a decided effect.

Pius, however, remained unmoved; he continued as before to look steadily
downward, and pressing firmly with his hands the eagle-heads that tipped
the arms of his chair, seemed, in thus assuming the fixity of a statue,
to say, "I must submit to listen to all the profane things which it may
please him to say to me."

Seeing this, Bonaparte took a turn round the room, and another round the
chair, which stood in the middle of it, appearing but little satisfied
with his adversary, and still less with himself for the tone of levity
with which he had resumed the conversation. He at once changed his
manner, and began to speak more composedly, still continuing to pace the
room. As he passed to and fro, he glanced at the mirrors which
ornamented the walls, and reflected the grave visage of the pontiff,
eying him now and then in profile, never in front, to avoid appearing
anxious as to the impression his words may make.

"One thing I must say, holy father, hangs heavily upon me: it is that
you seem to consent to the coronation by constraint, as you did formerly
to the concordat. As you sit there before me, you have the air of a
martyr, and assume an attitude of resignation, as if you were making an
offering of your sorrows up to Heaven. But surely you are not a
priso