my fine fellow said he at last you have burned your fingers and i do not fancy that you will come near the fire again or do you perhaps think of continuing with politics as a profession if your majesty will overlook what i have done stammered i shall promise you that i will be your most loyal servant until the day of my death uncle hum said the emperor a pinch of snuff over the front of his white jacket there is some sense in what you say for no one makes so good a servant as the man who has had a thorough fright but i am a very master i do not care what you require of me everything will be welcome if you will only give me your forgiveness for example said the emperor it is one of my that when a man enters my service i shall marry him to whom i like do you agree to that there was a struggle upon the poet s face and he clasped and his hands may i ask you may ask nothing but there are circumstances there there that is enough i cried the emperor harshly turning upon his heel i do not argue i order there is a young lady de for whom i desire a husband will you marry her or will you return to prison again there was the struggle in the man s � e and he was silent and in his it is enough cried the emperor call the guard no no do not send me back to prison the guard i will do it i will do it i will marry you please i the end you villain i cried a voice and there was standing in the opening of the curtains at one of the windows her face was pale with anger and her eyes shining with scorn the parting curtains framed her tall slim figure which leaned forward in her of passion she had forgotten the emperor the everything in her of feeling against this whom she had loved they told me what you were she cried i would not believe them i could not believe them � for i did not know that there was upon this earth a thing so contemptible they said that they would prove it and i defied them to do so and now i see you as you are thank god that i have found you out in time and to think that for your sake i have brought about the death of a man who was worth a hundred of you oh i am rightly punished for an act has had his revenge enough said the emperor sternly constant lead into the next room as to you sir i do not think that i can condemn any lady of my court to take such a man as a husband suffice it that you have been shown in your true colours and that has been cured of a foolish remove the prisoner there de said the emperor when the wretched had been conducted from the room we have not done such a bad uncle piece of work between the coffee and the it was your idea and i give you credit for it but now de i feel that we owe you some for having set the young a good example and for having had a share in this business you have certainly acted very well i ask no said i with an uneasy sense of what was coming it is your modesty that speaks but i have already decided upon your reward you shall have such an allowance as will permit you to keep up a proper appearance as my de camp and i have determined to marry you to one of the ladies in waiting of the my heart turned to lead within me but i stammered this is impossible oh you have no occasion to hesitate the lady is of excellent family and she is not wanting in charm in a word the is settle and the marriage takes place upon thursday but it is impossible i repeated impossible when you have been longer in my service sir you will understand that that is a word which i do not i tell you that it is settled my love is given to another it is not possible for me to change indeed i said the emperor coldly if you persist in such a resolution you cannot expect to retain your place in my household here was the whole structure which my the end tion had planned out crumbling hopelessly about my ears and yet what was there for me to do it is the bitterest moment of my life said i� and yet i must be true to the promise which i have given if i have to be a beggar by the roadside i shall none the less marry de or no one the had risen and had approached the window well at least before you make up your mind de said she i should certainly take a look at this lady in waiting of mine whom you refuse with such indignation with a quick of rings she drew back the curtain of the second window a woman was standing in the recess she took a step forward into the room and then � and then with a cry and a spring my arms were round her and hers round me and i was standing like a man in a dream looking down into the sweet laughing eyes of my it was not until had kissed her and kissed her again upon her lips her cheeks her hair that i could persuade myself that she was indeed really there let us leave them said the voice of the behind me come napoleon it makes me sad it reminds me too much of the old days in the so there 