of course! Naturally the sight impressed him, and proved to him
that not ALL the aristocracy had left Moscow; that at least some nobles
and their children had remained behind."

Just so just so! He wanted to win over the aristocracy! When his eagle
eye fell on me, mine probably flashed back in response.' Voila un garcon
bien eveille! Qui est ton pere?' I immediately replied, almost panting
with excitement, 'A general, who died on the battle-fields of his
country! "Le fils d'un boyard et d'un brave, pardessus le marche. J'aime
les boyards. M'aimes-tu, petit?' To this keen question I replied as
keenly, 'The Russian heart can recognize a great man even in the bitter
enemy of his country.' At least, I don't remember the exact words,
you know, but the idea was as I say. Napoleon was struck; he thought
a minute and then said to his suite: 'I like that boy's pride; if all
Russians think like this child', then he didn't finish, but went on and
entered the palace. I instantly mixed with his suite, and followed him.
I was already in high favour. I remember when he came into the first
hall, the emperor stopped before a portrait of the Empress Katherine,
and after a thoughtful glance remarked, 'That was a great woman,' and
passed on.

"Well, in a couple of days I was known all over the palace and the
Kremlin as 'le petit boyard.' I only went home to sleep. They were
nearly out of their minds about me at home. A couple of days after this,
Napoleon's page, De Bazancour, died; he had not been able to stand the
trials of the campaign. Napoleon remembered me; I was taken away without
explanation; the dead page's uniform was tried on me, and when I was
taken before the emperor, dressed in it, he nodded his head to me, and I
was told that I was appointed to the vacant post of page.

"Well, I was glad enough, for I had long felt the greatest sympathy for
this man; and then the pretty uniform and all that--only a child, you
know--and so on. It was a dark green dress coat with gold buttons--red
facings, white trousers, and a white silk waistcoat--silk stockings,
shoes with buckles, and top-boots if I were riding out with his majesty
or with the suite.

"Though the position of all of us at that time was not particularly
brilliant, and the poverty was dreadful all round, yet the etiquette at
court was strictly preserved, and the more strictly in proportion to the
growth of the forebodings of disaster."

"Quite so, quite so, of course!" mu