n the hope that the pathetic appeals he had made
to the sovereigns on behalf of Napoleon would bring to him a
favourable decision, the Dalmatian gunner heard of him. He was passing
through Germany to his home after a fruitless attempt in London to get
the money Napoleon had enclosed in his letter. The reason given was
that the persons on whom it was drawn were not then in possession of
the necessary funds. Las Cases paid him, and received his appropriate
blessings for his goodness. Imprecations against Lowe were lavishly
bestowed by the gunner. He had been prevented from landing at St.
Helena on his way back from India, and but for this spiteful act of
Lowe's the money would have been paid at once.

Meanwhile the touching appeals of Las Cases to the sovereigns were
unheeded. Even Napoleon's father-in-law, the Emperor of Austria, who
had given his daughter in marriage to the arbiter of Europe, did not
deign to reply, though only a brief time before he had received many
tokens of magnanimity from the French Emperor. So, indeed, had other
kings and queens of that time, not excluding Alexander of Russia; but
more hereafter about these monarchs who had once clamoured for the
honour of alliances with Napoleon and with his family, but who now
were conspirators in the act of a great assassination.

Some three years before, Lord Keith was horrified when Captain
Maitland informed him on board the _Bellerophon_, in Torbay, that the
Duke of Rovigo, Lallemand, Montholon, and Gourgaud had said that their
Emperor would not go to St. Helena, and if he were to consent, they
would prevent it, meaning that they would end his existence rather
than witness any further degradation of him. Lord Keith is indignant,
and replies to Sir Frederick Maitland, "You may tell those gentlemen
who have threatened to be Bonaparte's executioners that the law of
England awards death to murderers, and that the certain consequence of
such an act will be finishing their career on a gallows." Precisely!

The noble lord's fascinating little speech is quite in accord with
justice, but did _he_ ever raise a finger to prevent his colleagues
and their renowned deputy from committing the same crime at St.
Helena, and after this same Bonaparte's demise, were any steps taken
to call to account those whom the great soldier had consistently
declared were causing his premature death? Lord Keith, with his eyes
uplifted to heaven, had said, "England awards death to murder