enting of arms the flag had been escorted
to its place, and from the little group of cavalry had come the words not
heard till recently for so many years in France:

"_Vive le Roi_!"

The troops had assembled silently, somewhat sullenly. They stood
undemonstrative now. What they would do no one could tell. The couriers
who had dashed into the town yesterday night had told the story to the
Marquis. Napoleon had landed five days before. He was within a day's
march of Grenoble. His following consisted of eleven hundred French
infantry, eighty Polish horsemen, and a few guns; troops of the line, and
the grenadiers of the Elba guard. The peasants had been apathetic. He
had carefully avoided garrisoned towns, choosing the unfrequented and
difficult route over the maritime Alps of Southern France. He was
marching straight into the heart of the country, to conquer or to die
with this little band. The messenger's news had been for the Governor's
ears alone, but it had got out. Indeed, the tidings spread everywhere.
Every wind that swept over the mountains seemed to be laden with the
story. The whole city knew that the foot of the idol was once more upon
the soil of France. They saw no feet of clay to that idol, then.

The news had reached Paris via Marseilles almost before it was known in
Grenoble. The terror-stricken government yet acted promptly. Troops
were put in motion, fast-riding expresses and couriers warned garrisons
and transmitted orders to capture or kill without mercy. By a singular
freak of fate most of these orders were perforce given to the old
companions in arms of the Emperor. Most of these were openly disaffected
toward the King, and eager to welcome Napoleon. A few were indifferent
or inimical to the prospective appeal of their former Captain. Still
fewer swore to capture him, and one "to bring him back in an iron cage!"
Only here and there a royalist pure and simple held high command, as the
Marquis at Grenoble.

The old noble acted with great promptitude and decision. As the Governor
of Dauphine he had an extensive command. Grenoble was the most important
town in the southeast. Within its walls was a great arsenal. It was
strongly fortified, and adequately garrisoned. No better place to resist
the Emperor, if his initial force had grown sufficiently to make it
formidable, could be found. Rumor magnified that force immensely. The
Marquis gave the order for the concentration of al