little room to doubt that the plan would have succeeded； and that the
daughter of Austria and the titular King of home would have given such；
prestige as their presence could give at the Tuileries and he Champs…de…
Mai。 No sooner had the Emperor of Austria discovered this plot； which；
had it been successful； would have placed him in a very awkward
predicament； than he dismissed all the French people about his daughter；
compelled her to lay aside the armorial bearings and liveries of
Napoleon； and even to relinquish the title of Empress of the French： No
force； no art； no police could conceal these things from the people of
Paris； who； moreover； and at nearly the same time； were made very uneasy
by the failure of Murat's attempt in Italy； which greatly increased the
power and political influence of Austria。 Murat being disposed of； the
Emperor Francis was enabled to concentrate all his forces in Italy； and
to hold them in readiness for the re…invasion of France。
〃Napoleon；〃 says Lavallette； 〃had undoubtedly expected that the Empress
and his son would be restored to him； he had published his wishes as a
certainty； and to prevent it was； in fact； the worst injury the Emperor
of Austria could have done； him。 His hope was； however； soon destroyed。
〃One evening I was summoned to the palace。 I found the Emperor in a
dimly…lighted closet； warming himself in a corner of the fireplace； and
appearing to suffer already from the complaint which never afterwards
left him。 'Here is a letter；' he said； 'which the courier from Vienna
says is meant for youread it。' On first casting my eyes on the letter
I thought I knew the handwriting； but as it was long I read it slowly；
and came at last to the principal object。 The writer said that we ought
not to reckon upon the Empress； as she did not even attempt to conceal
her dislike of the Emperor； and was disposed to approve all the measures
that could be taken against him； that her return was not to be thought
of； as she herself would raise the greatest obstacles in the way of it；
in case it should be proposed； finally； that it was not possible for him
to dissemble his indignation that the Empress； wholly enamoured of ；
did not even take pains to hide her ridiculous partiality for him。 The
handwriting of the letter was disguised； yet not so much but that I was
able to discover whose it was。 I found； however； in the manner in which
the secret was expressed a warmth of zeal and a picturesque style that
did not belong to the author of the letter。 While reading it； I all of a
sudden suspected it was a counterfeit； and intended to mislead the
Emperor。 I communicated ms idea to him； and the danger I perceived in
this fraud。 As I grew more and more animated I found plausible reasons
enough to throw the Emperor himself into some uncertainty。 'How is it
possible；' I said； 'that … should have been imprudent enough to write
such things to me； who am not his friend； and who have had so little
connection with him？ How can one suppose that the Empress should forget
herself； in such circumstances； so far as to manifest aversion to you；
and； still more； to cast herself away upon a man who undoubtedly still
possesses some power to please； but who is no longer young； whose face is
disfigured； and whose person； altogether； has nothing agreeable in it？'
'But；' answered the Emperor； … is attached to me； and though he is
not your friend； the postscript sufficiently explains the motive of the
confidence he places in you。' The following words were； in fact； written
at the bottom of the letter： 'I do not think you ought to mention the
truth to the Emperor； but make whatever use of it you think proper。'
I persisted； however； in maintaining that the letter was a counterfeit；
and the Emperor then said to me； 'Go to Caulaincourt。 He possesses a
great many others in the same handwriting。 Let the comparison decide
between your opinion and mine。'
〃I went to Caulaincourt； who said eagerly to me； 'I am sure the letter is
from …； and I have not the least doubt of the truth of the
particulars it contains。 The best thing the Emperor can do is to be
comforted； there is no help to be expected from that side。'
〃So sad a discovery was very painful to the Emperor； for he was sincerely
attached to the Empress； and still hoped again to see his son； whom he
loved most tenderly。'
〃Fouche had been far from wishing the return of the Emperor。 He was long
tired of obeying； and had； besides； undertaken another plan； which
Napoleon's arrival had broken off。 The Emperor； however； put him again
at the head of the police； because Savary was worn out in that
employment； and a skillful man was wanted there。 Fouche accepted the
office； but without giving up his plan of deposing the Emperor； to put in
his place either his son or a Republic under a President。 He had never
ceased to correspond with Prince Metternich； and； if he is to be
believed； he tried to persuade the Emperor to abdicate in favour of his
son。 That was also my opinion； but； coming from such a quarter； the
advice was not without danger for the person to whom it was given。
Besides； that advice having been rejected； it： was the duty of the
Minister either to think no more of his plan or to resign his office。
Fouche； however； remained in the Cabinet； and continued his
correspondence。 The Emperor； who placed but little confidence in him；
kept a careful eye upon him。 One evening the Emperor： had a great deal
of company at the Elysee； he told me not to go home； because he wished to
speak to me。 When everybody was gone the Emperor stopped with Fouche in
the apartment next to the one I was in。 The door remained half open。
They walked up and down together talking very calmly。 I was therefore
greatly astonished when； after a quarter of； an hour； I heard the Emperor
say to him' gravely； 'You are a traitor！ Why do you remain Minister of
the Police if you wish to betray me？ It rests with me to have you
hanged； and everybody would rejoice at your death！' I did not hear
Fouche's reply； but the conversation lasted above half an hour longer；
the parties all the time walking up and down。 When Fouche went away he
bade me cheerfully； good…night； and said that the Emperor had gone back
to his apartments。
〃The next day the Emperor spoke to me of the previous night's
conversation。 'I suspected；' he said； 'that the wretch was in
correspondence with Vienna。 I have had a banker's clerk arrested on his
return from that city。 He has acknowledged that he brought a letter for
Fouche from Metternich； and that the answer was to be sent at a fixed
time to Bale； where a man was to wait for the bearer on the bridge： I
sent for Fouche a few days ago； and kept him three hours long in my
garden； hoping that in the course of a friendly conversation he would
mention that letter to me； but he said nothing。 At last； yesterday
evening； I myself opened the subject。' （Here the Emperor repeated to me
the words I had heard the night before； 'You are a traitor；' etc。） He
acknowledged； in fact； continued the Emperor； 'that he had received such
a letter； but that it was not signed and that he had looked upon it as a
mystification。 He showed it me。 Now that letter was evidently an
answer； in which the writer again declared that he would listen to
nothing more concerning the Emperor； but that； his person excepted； it
would be easy to agree to all the rest。 I expected that the Emperor
would conclude his narrative by expressing his anger against Fouche； but
our conversation turned on some other subject； and he talked no more of
him。
〃Two days afterwards I went to Fouche to solicit the return to Paris of
an officer of musqueteers who had been banished far from his family。 I
found him at breakfast； and sat down next to him。 Facing him sat a
stranger。 'Do you see this man？' he said to me； pointing with his spoon
to the stranger； 'he is an aristocrat； a Bourbonist； a Chouan； it is the
Abbe …； one of the editors of the Journal des Debatsa sworn enemy
to Napoleon； a fanatic partisan of the Bourbons； he is one of our men。
I looked； at him。 At every fresh epithet of the Minister the Abbe bowed
his head down to his plate with a smile of cheerfulness and self…
complacency； and with a sort of leer。 I never saw a more ignoble
countenance。 Fouche explained to me； on leaving the breakfast table；
in what manner all these valets of literature were men of his； and while
I acknowledged to myself that the system might be necessary； I scarcely
knew who were really more despicablethe wretches who thus sold
themselves to the highest bidder； or the minister who boasted of having
bought them； as if their acquisition were a glorious conquest。 Judging
that the Emperor had spoken to me of the scene I have described above；
Fouche said to me； 'The Emperor's temper is soured by the resistance he
finds； and he thinks it is my fault。 He does not know that I have no
power but by public opinion。 To morrow I might hang before my door
twenty persons obnoxious to public opinion； though I should not be able
to imprison for four…and…twenty hours any individual favoured by it。
As I am never in a hurry to speak I remained silent； but reflecting on
what the Emperor had said concerning Fouche I found the comparison of
their two speeches remarkable。 The master could have his minister hanged
with public applause； and the minister could hangwhom？ Perhaps the
master himself； and with the same approbation。 What a singular
situation！and I believe they were both in the right； so far public
opinion； equitable in regard to Fouche； had swerved concerning the
Emperor。〃
The wrath of Napoleon was confined to the Lower House； the Peers； from
the nature of their composition； being complacent and passive enough。
The vast majority of them were in fact mere shadows gathered round the
solid persons of Joseph； Lucien； Louis； and Jerome Bonaparte； and Sieyes；
Carnot； and the military men of the Revolution。 As a political body
Napoleon despised them himself； and yet he wanted the nation to respect
them。 But respect was impossible； and the volatile Parisians made the
Peers a constant object of their witticisms。