were never at their ease always upon the brink of a catastrophe encouraged one day only to be rudely the next in public and in private and yet in spite of the man of action it all the singular remains that they loved him and served him as no monarch has been loved and served perhaps i had best stay here said i when we had come to the chamber which was still crowded with people no no i am responsible for you you must come with me oh i trust he is not offended with me how could he have got in without my seeing him my frightened companion scratched at the door which was opened instantly by the who guarded it within the room into which we passed was of considerable size but was with extreme simplicity it was of a silver grey colour with a sky blue ceiling in the centre of which was the imperial eagle in gold holding a in spite of the warm weather a large fire was burning at one side and the air was heavy with heat and the of in the middle of the room was a large oval table covered with green cloth and with a number of letters and papers a raised writing desk was at one side of the table and behind it in a green chair with curved arms there sat the emperor a number of officials were standing round the walls but he took no notice of them in his hand he had a small with which he the wooden at the end of his chair he glanced up as we entered and shook his head coldly at de uncle i have had to wait for you de said he i cannot remember that i ever waited for my late secretary de that is enough i no excuses take this report which i have written in your absence and make a copy of it poor de took the paper with a shaking hand and carried it to the little side table which was reserved for his use napoleon rose and paced slowly up and down the room with his hands behind his back and his big round head stooping a little forwards it was certainly as weu that he had a secretary for i observed that in writing this single document he had the whole place with ink and it was obvious that he had twice used his white knee breeches as a as for me i stood quietly beside at the door and he took not the slightest notice of my presence well he cried presently is it ready de we have something more to do the secretary half turned in his chair and his face was more agitated than ever if it please you he stammered weu well what is the matter now if it please you i find some little difficulty in reading what you have written tut tut sir you see what the report is about yes it is about for the cavalry horses the man of action napoleon smiled and the action made his face look quite you remind me of de when i wrote him an account of the battle of he thought that my letter was a rough plan of the engagement it is incredible how much difficulty you appear to have in reading what i write this document has nothing to do with cavalry horses but it contains the instructions to admiral as to the of his fleet so as to obtain command of the channel give it to me and i will read it to you he snatched the paper up in the quick impulsive way which was characteristic of him but after a long fierce stare he it up and hurled it under the table i will dictate it to you said he and pacing up and down the long room he poured forth a torrent of words which poor de his face shining with his exertions strove hard to put upon paper as he grew excited by his own ideas napoleon s voice became his step faster and he seized his right in the fingers of the same hand and twisted his right arm in the singular gesture which was peculiar to him but his thoughts and plans were so admirably clear that even i who knew nothing of the matter could readily follow them while above all i was impressed by the marvellous grasp of fact which enabled him to speak with confidence not only of the line of battle ships but of the uncle and at and with the exact strength of each in men and in guns while the names and force of the english vessels were equally at his fingers ends such familiarity would have been remarkable in a naval officer but when i thought that this question of the ships was only one out of fifty with which this man had to deal i began to the immense grasp of that mind he did not appear to be paying the least attention to me but it seems that he was really watching me closely for he turned upon me when he had finished his you appear to be surprised de that i should be able to my naval business without having my minister of marine at my elbow but it is one of my rules to know and to do things for myself perhaps if these good had had the same habit they would not now be living amidst the of england one must have your majesty s memory in order to do it i observed it is the result of system said he it is as if i had drawers in my brain so that when i opened one could close the others it is seldom that i to find what i want there i have a poor memory for names or dates but an excellent one for facts 