The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-08

becoming to youth, a handsome eye. a pale
complexion, and a certain tired look. We
went to my study. This first conversation
was. on his side, without reserve. He re-
ferred with much courtesy to my appoint
ment to the Ministry and laid emphasis on
the pleasure he had felt in corresponding in
France with person of different stamp
from the Directors.
Then. with scarcely any transition, he
sad to nue., GU are nephew of the Arch
niShop OF Reims, who is with LouiS
NFlll." Il noticed that on this occasion he
did not say with the Count of Lille.'0
Il, too" he added, ''have an uncle who is
an Archdeacon ia Corsica; it is he who
brought me up. In Corsica, you know, be-
ing an Archdeacon is the same as being
Bishop in France"
We soon returned to the drawing-room.
which was now full, and he said aloud:
Citizens, / feel deeply the greeting YOU
accord me; l have done my best when carry
ing on the war, my best when making peace.
It is for the Directory to know how to turn
my efforts to profit for the happiness and
prosperity of the republic"
Whereupon we repaired together to the
Directory.
BoNAPARTE TURNS PALE.
Here is Talleyrand's account, IN his
Memoirs, of a grotesque incident that in
terrupted one of the nights of plotting be-
tween himself and Bonaparte, just before
Bonaparte overthrow the Directory:
A few nights before the 18th Brumaire a
little scene was enacted at my house which
would be void of interest but for the cir
cumStances.
General Bonaparte then lodging at Rue
Chanterlne, had come to have a talk with me
about the preparations for the eyentful day
L was then living on Rue Taitbout, in house
which has since become No. "A, [ believe. 1t
stood at the back of a courtyard, and, running
from the first floor, there were galleries
which led to wings looking on the street
My drawing-room was lighted with sew
eral candles; it was l o'clock in the
morning, and we were in the middle of
very animated conversation, when we
heard great noise in the street, to the
rumbling of carriages was added the gallop-
ing of an escort of cavalry. Suddenly the
carriages stopped right before the door of
my house. The General turned pale, and
quite believe l did the same. The idea
struck rs both at the same time that they
were coming to arrest US by order of the
Directory. / blew out the candles and
erept stealtnily along the gallery to one of
the outside wings, from which / could see
what was going on in the street. For some
time was at loss to make anything out
OF the tumult, but at last l discovered the
somewhat groteSque cause.
AT this epoch. the Paris streets being very
unsafe at night, when the gambling-houses
closed at the PaIais Royal all the money
that had been used for the bank was col
lected and placed in cabs, and the banker
had been allowed by the police to have his
cabs escorted by gendarmes, at his expense,
to his home in the Rue de Clichy, or there
aboutS. That night one of the cabs had
broken down just in front of my house. and
that was the reason of the halt which lasted
Tor about quarter Of an hour. We had
hearty laugh, the General and l. over our
panlc-very natural though it was when we
knew, as we did, the tendencies of the Di-
rectory and the extreme measures 1t was
capable of taking
sNUBBED AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE.
Talleyrand gives a curious glimpse of
Napoleons arrogant temper in his reception
of the Austrian EnvoX. The court of
Vienna had chosen this representative pc
cause he had already treated with Bona
parte at Campo Formio, and had there been
in familiar relations with him. Both the
Austrian court and the Envoy supposed
that he would easily resume these
relations. The First Consul wished to
teach him better, and this is how he did it
Bonaparte gave him an audience at
O'Clock at night at the Tuileries. lie him.
self had prescribed the arrangement of the
room in which he would receive him; twas
the draWing-rOOm next to the Kings study.
In one corner he had placed a little table at
which he sat; all the seats had been taken
away save some couches, which were at a
considerable distance from him. On the
table were various papers and an inkstand;
there was one solitary lamp. The chande-
lier had not been lighted.
Nj, Won CobenI entered; | was escorting
him. The darkness of the room, the dis
lance he had to traverse before reaching
Bonaparte, whom he could barely discern
the uncomfortable feeling which resulted
from this; the greeting vouchsafed by Bona
parte, who stood up aud Immediately sat
down again; the necessity in which NJ. Won
CobenZi found himself remaining stand
lng-eYerythlng combined straightway to put
each man IN his place, or at least I'D that
particular place which the first Consul had
desired TO assign TO him.