Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-07

| VIGIL, UItll, III WlldIGNGT SIilTe NlIllbs
Beauharnais may be, If the relations be-
tween us were seriously meant, If the pres
ents which you blame me for having made
were wedding presents, what, then, would
I you have to find fault with, citizen direct
| orr Were this woman to become mine what
would be the objection therefor" To this
| question Barras says that, after remain
ing silent for awhile, he replied to Bona
parte using the familiar thee and thou,
SIS it seriously meant, what thou has just
told meP have just thought over thy idea
of marriage, and it seems less ridiculous
to me than at first sight" "In the first
place, Nine. Beauharnais is rich," rejoin-
ed Bonaparte with vehemence.
Barras and Beauharnais.
1t seems that few days later it was the
turn of Nine. de Beauharnais to come and
conflde in Barras We quote his description
of the interview: calculated as she was by
motives of interest she did not display
any reserve, and, confessing them to me at
the very outset of her visit, she began by
declaring in the plainest terms that no i'm
pulse of the heart was at the bottom Of
this new bond; that little 'puss in boots, ;
she said, was assurodly the very last man
had no expectations"
"Since 1 do not love him, you can I'M
derstand my going into this business. 1t
is you 1 shall ever love- you may depend
upon it; Rose will always be yours, ever
at your disposal. You have only to make
sign, but know full we'll that you no
longer love me, she proceeded, suddenly
bursting into a flood of tears, which Bar
ras insinuates she had the power of sum
moning at pleasure. "This is what g1ioves
me most; never shall l console myself for
it, do what may. When one has loved q
man like you, Barras can one never know
another attachment The author says
that he replied with very little emotion,
and almost laughing: "How about Hoche?
You loved him above all others, and yet
there was the aid-de-camp, Vanakre, Q
tutti quaint Come, now, you are o
mighty fine cajoler" Barras AYERS that
"this answer took her breath away, and,
unable to utter any response in tho face Of
such positive facts, she contented herself
with shedding some more tears, Selling
my hands with all her mi ut and carrying
them to her eyes. was getting tired of
the thing, and not knowing how to put an
end to it l adopted the course of ringing,
so as TO have my valet as q third party
This compelled her to cease Nine Beau
harnais was a true actress, who knew how
to play several parts at one and the same
time. She told my valet that she had sud
denly felt poorly, that her nerves troubled
her, and that on such occasions she could
not hold back her tears"
Napoleon Discovers the Liaison.
Why does the author cite on this occa-
sion the evidence of two witnesses, valet
and an aid-de-camp? Because he wished
to refute the version which Josephine
chose to give of the same interview.
The account of the manner in which
Bonaparte received this story caI1ot easily
be reconciled with the shocking charge
that he was privy to the liaison of Barras
with Josephine. The author says that he
"listened with no small emotion to this
lying concoction, worthy, indeed, Of the
most artful of women, but whom he, art
full as he was himself, looked upon as an
angel of Candor and truth All this made
such an impression on him that he flew
into passion against me, ready in his fu-
ry to go to extremes, even to call me out
for having attempted an assault on the
virtue Of his future wife. Nine. Beauhar-
nais quoted him with caresses and words
which plainly showed that she dreaded
nothing SO much as a scandal that would
have revealed the secret Of the comedy
played by her and would have proved be-
sides that far from seeking to do violence
to Nine. Beauharnais l was long since
tired of and bored with her." 1t is admit
ted that what Bonaparte said to Josephine
on this occasion was the following: 81 am
quite sure from what you tell me that Bar
ras failed in his attempts on your virtue,
madame, in spite of his not having the
reputation of sentimental lover in the
habit of signing at the feet of cruel beau
ties but l have for so long seen you on
certain intimate footing with him that
doubts might truly have arisen in any 9th
er mind but mine"
A very adroit reply is attributed to Jo-
sephinc, but how could Barras have learned
of it? Either he must have heard it repeat
ed by her own lips or he must have fabri-
Gated it. The words put in her mouth are
these: "Why, had she not called at Barras'
house, would she ever have been fortunate
enough to meet Bonaparte? If she had Of
late gone there more frequently than be-
fore, had it not been from desire to meet
Bonaparte more often? If she had per-
chance overlooked many things rcpug-
nant to the elegance and delicacy Of her
morals, would she ever have done so
had it not been for the consideration
ever present to her mind of rendering some
service to her future husband? For, when
all is said and done, if the manners of
Barras are somewhat rough and outspoken,
he is, on the other hand, a good sort of fell
low and very obliging; he is true friend,
and if once he takes an interest in you
you may feel sure he will not desert you,
but give you a warm support. Let us,
then, take men and things as we find
them. Can Barras be useful to us in his
position? Undoubtedly he cam and to
good purpose. Let us, therefore, get all we
can out of him and never mind the rest. ="
"Ohp' Bonaparte is said to have exclaimed
with enthusiasm, "if he will but give me
the command of the Army of Italy 1 will
forgive everything will be the first to
show myself the most grateful of men; l
will do honor to the appointment, and our
affairs will prosper. guarantee that ere
long we shall be rolling in gold" 1t is
well known that Barras secured for Bona
parte the appointment that he desired
1t is in the venomous fourth chapter of
the fourth volume that Barras has dis
charged his deadliest arrows at Napoleon.
At the risk of branding himself as a black
guard by disclosures which, as he knew,