Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-04-06

enabled TO oVerhear, without losing single
word. the whole conversation.
NJ Raguideeu,' commenced Mad. Beau
harnais, L have come to inform you of my
approaching marriage
Your marriage, Madame was the aston
ished reply, and with whom?
a few days hence [ shall be the wife Of
General Bonaparte."
What The widow of one soldier. you
are about to marry another! General Bona
parte, do you say? All, yes. l remember
the Commandant of the army of the Interior,
the young fellow who gave lesson to Gener-
al Cartux at Toulon.'
The same, NJ Raguideau'
'Pshaw, madame A soldier of fortune,
who has ,bis way to make
He will make it, my friend
when, and how? But first, what is he
worth at PRESENT.
Nothing, save his house in the Rue Chan
terine.'
"A shed-a-and so you are really going
TO marry this adventurer /?
L am
so much the worse for you, Madame.
And why"
Why? Because you had much better re-
main a widow than marry paltry general,
without either name or prospects. Y ou must
assuredly be mad! Will your Bonaparte
ever be a Dumeuriez, or Plchegru? VIII
he ever be the equal of our great republican
| generals? / have a right to doubt it. More
over, let me tell you that the profession Of
| arms is worthless now, and | would much
rather know that you were about to marry an
army contractor than any military man in
France"
Every one to his tastes, Monsieur" said
Josephine, stung by the c3ntemptuous tone
| in which he had spoken; H'you, it would ap-
pear, regard marriage merely as an affair of
| 6nance.'
And you; Madame broke in the excited
and angry old man, you see i'll it only mat
| ter of sentiment, and what you, no doubt,
! call love; is not that what you were about to
say? Again repeat, all the worse for you,
Madame-all the worse for you, madame.
! had given you more credit for good sense
than to suspect you would allow yourself to
be dazzled by pair of gold epaulets. Re-
feet before you make such sacrifice; for rest
assured that if you are rash enough to per-
sist in this foolish scheme, you will repent
your folly all the days of your life. Who
ever heard Of rational woman throwing her
self away upon a man whose whole fortune
consits his sword and great coat?'
While listening to this extraordinary dia-
logue, Bonaparte, who began to fear that the
comments and advice of Raguideau. might
initiate against his marriage, was half suffo-
Gated with rage and impatience; he writhed
upon his seat, and was score of times upon
the poiut of showing himself, and desiring the
| offcious lawyer to attend TO his leases and
lawsuits instead of Interfering in matters
with which he had no right to meddle. AS
he heard the words sword and great coat so
disdainfully uttered, he sprang from his chair
his eyes flashed, and regardless of the gaze
of the astonished clerks, who were watching
all his movements, he advanced towards the
door beside which he had been sitting For
tunately however. the fear of exposing him
self to ridicule, restrained him, and he re
turned to his seat indignant at his own weak
ness.
\ few minutes afterwards Josephene ap
peared, evidently rufled and annoyed, anC
followed by the old lawyer. who accompan
led her to the head of the stairs, where Bone
parte, drawing the hand of his betrotheC
bride once more through his arm, made
silent and contemptuous bow to the lawyer.
AS they proceed toward home, Madame d.
Beauharnais was concious thai Bonparte hac
| never before been SO tender or so assidious
but she did not open her lips upon the subjec
of hes conference with her old and confden
tial friend; while he ON his side preserved til
same silence; nor was it until the day Of cor
onation, that either Josephene or Raguideau
had the slightest suspicion that their conyer
sation had been overheard by the very per
, son whom it most interested
Years went by; the Italian campaigns, an
the Egyptian victories, had aggrandized tn
mere general; and then came the eighteent
Brumaire; aud subsequently, Bonaparte. nc
+ satisfied with the life Consulate, dreamt of a
, Empire; while the French nation when call
, ed upon to express its opinion on this momen
tous question, replied by nearly four million
Of written adbesions, not only to the Empir
8 itself, but to the extraordinary man by whoI
it had been suggested.
n The Emperor Napoleon was to be crowne
5 and the Pope left the Holy City for Paris
: order to perform the ceremony.
f On the day of the coronation, as he We
+ about to proceed to the Archbishop's palace
). Napoleon appeared TO remember for the iir'
e time the existence Of Raguideau; and aftt
: having left his private apartments, as he W.
S pacing up and down the throne room he Sd
: denly paused in his walk, and summonins
n by GESTURE, one of his chamberlains; he d.
: sired that N. Raguidcau, the lawyer, migl
e be Immediately sent for.
d When informed that the Emperor desire
T. his attendance at the Tuileries, and th
d moreover on the very day of his coronation
n the man of bushes was lost in wonder. n
q being able to conjecture for an instant Il
motive for so abrupt summons When
Y had reached the palace, and had traverse
i several apartments full of mirrors aud gildiu
;. and crowded with Marshals, Ministers of Sta
l. and Grand Officers of the Empire, he vi
n usbered into saloon where Napoleon W;
r conversing with Josapheue while awaitir
|, him.
,r 'Ahl here you are at last, NJ. Ragidear