rned to accept things as they are. The glamour, the
romance--what a bald dead thing is life without it! His own face had
clouded over as if that old life had perhaps had a charm which the
Emperor's crown had never given. It may be that those nine letters
written in one day at wayside inns had brought him more true joy than
all the treaties by which he had torn provinces from his neighbours.
But the sentiment passed from his face, and he came back in his sudden
concise fashion to my own affairs.

'Eugenie de Choiseul is the niece of the Duc de Choiseul, is she not?'
he asked.

'Yes, Sire.'

'You are affianced!'

'Yes, Sire.'

He shook his head impatiently.

'If you wish to advance yourself in my Court, Monsieur de Laval,' said
he,' you must commit such matters to my care. Is it likely that I can
look with indifference upon a marriage between emigres--an alliance
between my enemies?'

'But she shares my opinions, Sire.'

'Ta, ta, ta, at her age one has no opinions. She has the emigre blood
in her veins, and it will come out. Your marriage shall be my care,
Monsieur de Laval. And I wish you to come to the Pont de Briques that
you may be presented to the Empress. What is it, Constant?'

'There is a lady outside who desires to see your Majesty. Shall I tell
her to come later?'

'A lady!' cried the Emperor smiling. 'We do not see many faces in the
camp which have not a moustache upon them. Who is she? What does she
want?'

'Her name, Sire, is Mademoiselle Sibylle Bernac.'

'What!' cried Napoleon. 'It must be the daughter of old Bernac of
Grosbois. By the way, Monsieur de Laval, he is your uncle upon your
mother's side, is he not?'

I may have flushed with shame as I acknowledged it, for the Emperor read
my feelings.

'Well, well, he has not a very savoury trade, it is true, and yet I can
assure you that it is one which is very necessary to me. By the way,
this uncle of yours, as I understand, holds the estates which should
have descended to you, does he not?'

'Yes, Sire.'

His blue eyes flashed suspicion at me.

'I trust that you are not joining my service merely in the hope of
having them restored to you.'

'No, Sire. It is my ambition to make a career for myself.'

'It is a prouder thing,' said the Emperor, 'to found a family than
merely to perpetuate one. I could not restore your estates, Monsieur de
Laval, for things have come to such a pitch in France that if one once
begins