whom he got into conversation. This
man had attracted so much notice by his pretended story of
being about the person of Napoleon, that he was of too much
importance to be passed by: I did not, indeed, know as much
of this fellow's charlatanism at that time as afterwards,
when I saw him confronted with a blacksmith of La Belle
Alliance, who had been his companion in a hiding-place ten
miles from the field during the whole day; a {p.047} fact
which he could not deny. But he had got up a tale so
plausible and so profitable, that he could afford to bestow
hush-money on the companion of his flight, so that the
imposition was but little known; and strangers continued to
be gulled. He had picked up a good deal of information about
the positions and details of the battle; and, being
naturally a sagacious Walloon, and speaking French pretty
fluently, he became the favorite cicerone, and every lie he
told was taken for gospel. Year after year, until his death
in 1824, he continued his popularity, and raised the price
of his rounds from a couple of francs to five; besides as
much for the hire of a horse, his own property; for he
pretended that the fatigue of walking so many hours was
beyond his powers. It has been said that in this way he
realized every summer a couple of hundred Napoleons.

"When Sir Walter had examined every point of defence and
attack, we adjourned to the 'Original Duke of Wellington' at
Waterloo, to lunch after the fatigues of the ride. Here he
had a crowded levee of peasants, and collected a great many
trophies, from cuirasses down to buttons and bullets. He
picked up himself many little relics, and was fortunate in
purchasing a grand cross of the Legion of Honor. But the
most precious memorial was presented to him by my wife--a
French soldier's book, well stained with blood, and
containing some songs popular in the French army, which he
found so interesting that he introduced versions of them in
his Paul's Letters; of which, he did me the honor to send me
a copy, with a letter, saying, 'that he considered my wife's
gift as the most valuable of all his Waterloo relics.'

"On our return from the field, he kindly passed the evening
with us, and a few friends whom we invited to meet him. He
charmed us with his delig