Evening star., 1914-04-19

from this group came The unchecked
voice of Ney.
Nothing but abdication can draw US
out of this"
1t is said that at these portentoUs
words Napoleon turned a startled glance
at the group OF Officers. tilen instantly
regained self-co2trol and making believe
that he had not heard the threatening
remark quietly passed or to his private
Office There he found Ee-thier. Maret,
Bertrand and Caulincourt silently wait
ing for him. But keeping a grip or him
self ne began the work winch preceoea
an iranlinent engagement.
Hardly had he settled himself to the
task when heavy footballs came rapidly
down the corridor. the door was buts.
open and there on the threshold stood
a group of determined nlen-NeE. OUdi-
not. Macdonald and Lefcbvre. without
a word the emperor turned or them
that piercing gaze which lhey knew so
well-and they shrana Indef ii. Theii
one demanded:
Have you news from paris?'
No said the emperor. regardless OF
the fact that the evening previous he
had received the decree of the senate
well" shouted Ncy. stepping ioi-
ward. ~ have some news.
And he told Napoleon what he al
ready knew-that abdication had been
determined Upon as the first step to-
ward peace. Napoleon listened IN 81
lence. and when Ney had concluded he
dismissed the officers. who Withdrew
leaving ,hin alone with Caulieourt
And he started to draw up papers oi
his abdication.
Always the man of action. Napoleon
had but q short conferenc" with the
minister, Who remained with him before
starting to write his formal notice OF
abdication. That he had considered this
as a possible result is not unlikef.-. Tor
he was accustomed 10 LOOK on e~~-l
side of a question so far as il affected
his personal fortunes and to lay plans
to meet almost any eileTSc:3ey that
might besal!. Even at this moment
when seizing & pen in the presence of
Cauicourt 10 notify the allies that he
renounced power, he was instinctively
providing FOR something that might oc-
cur later to help him retrieve fallen
fortunes. This is indicated BY the fact
that he wrote two forms Of abdication,
The question arose 10 10 who should
constitute the embassy wtci should
present the document to the ear. Need
less to say Caulicourt would be one
member and Ney must be another be-
cause he was y man to be feared-it
would not do to run counter to his wishes
at this juncture For the third inenl-
ber of the embassy Napoleon wished Mar
mont, not merely q confidential adviser,
but more than that d trusted friend from
the time of his service as aid-de-camp in
Egypt And vet Napoleon dared not
choose Marmont. who might be infiu-
enced by selfish considerations There
fore Macdonald was named.
The embassy. however. was to pro-
ceed to Paris by way OF kssonnes, and
if Marr.iont felt strongly about gong
as "a member he -cou d send hae &, 10
Napoleon for mis- eredenuals as an!nas-
sador. Caulincourt and Ney and Mae
donald arrived at Narn1ontS head
quarters late in the afternoon and pre-
sented their case. Napoleon would alb
dicate but o,l condition that a resency
be established. And with regency
what would become Of Marlaont and his
ambitious dreams of power? Suppose
the czar should consent 10 the regency?
Farewell then to Marmont's Greafas.
Suppose. again. that NAPOLEON should
learn of Marl,ont's dsloyaity2 Mar
mont shuddered. Death. sudden and
sure would come to him ere the sun roe
again on tne morrow
Ory one tilir- remained 10 be dore-
Marmont confessed all his actions. AM
when his brief story of treason 10 the
emperor brought forth cries OF hcrro.
he swore that he had merely been con
siderine such plans that lie had done
nothing as yet. had not deternllne'i
fully what 70 DO. and With stunning
audacity demanded the right to join
the embassy. In last hope to remove
Marmont from temptation to carry uut
his confessed intentions, and also. per
haps, as measure OF protection D..
keeping him under their eyes The
three ampa ssadors accepted hirl al
though even after that Marnoat by some
means was able to communicate with
Schwarzenberg and berrar the situation
to him. warning him that Napoleon had
agreed TO abdicate should the car see
the empress established = me regency
That the Car Alexander .-new an en-
bassy vas oh its way from Napoleon
is not improba ole. IN fact. ii is most
certain. for not long after 3 o eiocA tiat
night Ta1leyrand terror-slrichell. h2SteE-
ed TO the cars presence. informed hlin
OF what Schwar.enberg had learned
through Marnont's treachefH. and pro
tested with all his might s2ainst ;n'-
proposed regency re was hste-en % -
silence and dismissed with contempt: All
then. just before midnight, AleNander
was informed that amba ssadors from the