I have been sent to your lines by General Melas, and I can render you an
important service. I will give an exact account of the force and the
position of all the enemy's corps, and the names of their commanders.
I can tell you the situation in which Alessandria now is. You know me
I will not deceive you; but, I must carry back some report to my general.
You need not care for giving me some true particulars which I can
communicate to him."--"Oh! as to that," resumed the First Consul, "the
enemy is welcome to know my forces and my positions, provided I know his,
and he be ignorant of my plans. You shall be satisfied; but do not
deceive me: you ask for 1000 Louis, you shall have them if you serve me
well." I then wrote down from the dictation of the spy, the and the
names of the corps, their amount, their positions, names of the generals
commanding them. The Consul stuck pins in the map to mark his plans on
places respecting which he received information from the spy. We also
learned that Alexandria was without provisions, that Melas was far from
expecting a siege, that many of his troops were sick, and that he wanted
medicines. Berthier was ordered to draw up for the spy a nearly accurate
statement of our positions.

The information given by this man proved so accurate and useful that on
his return from Marengo Bonaparte ordered me to pay him the 1000 Louis.
The spy afterwards informed him that Melas was delighted with the way in
which he had served him in this affair, and had rewarded him handsomely.
He assured us that he had bidden farewell to his odious profession. The
First Consul regarded this little event as one of the favours of fortune.

In passing through Geneva the First Consul had an interview with M.
Necker.

--[Madame de Stael briefly mention this interview in her
'Considerations sur la Revolution Francaise' "M. Necker," she says,
"had an interview with Bonaparte, when he was on his way to Italy by
the passage of Mont. St. Bernard, a few days before the battle of
Marengo, During this conversation, which lasted two hours, the First
Consul made a very favourable impression on my father by the
confident way he spoke of his future projects."--Bourrienne.]--

I know not how it happened, but at the time he did not speak to me of
this interview. However, I was curious to know what he thought of a man
who had acquired much celebrity in France. One evening, when we were
talking of one thing a