Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— — oe | One — ——— pcan —— ee — es — eee — —_—— - — = — _ — —— much more appropriate to the hot climate than his tight uniform, A little while after, Bertrand came in, ac« companied by Captain Gervaise, who officiated _as a sort of cross between interpreter and spy _at all interviews between the captive and visit- ors, on the express orders of Sir Hudson Lowe, | who seented plots for escape in the air. Gervaise performed his duty with much oily _adroitness, and managed to offend the sensitive _ pride of the emperor less than any man who had | not once been, like the interpreter, attache to a coustantly subjected his illustrious prisoner had tended to lower the dignity of the emperor, and he had become an adept, in his turn, at plaguing his jaiiers—a game in which be was sure, in the end, to be the loser, ‘‘ And is he coming again?’ asked Napoleon, presently, looking up. | ‘*No, sire, not till to-morrow.” ‘* Then we have one day of peace.” ‘* 1 hope so, sire.” ‘“ And Lowe Gervaise a little. After all, he not sucb a pig as Sir Hudson.” | **General, this must not be repeated, or I | must report to Sir Hudson, and I fear he will stop your rides.” he emperor smiled good-naturedly. ‘* And why, my good captain?’ ** Because you have been out of my sight for at least ten minutes.” | “ Peste! what a crime!” | ‘‘Tt is against orders, general.” | The emperor frowned. | “Captain Gervaise, | have a title, and it is | not that of general.” a OO — — —— sieur belongs to the brother of his majesty Louis of uniest, followed "4 Gervaise shrugged his shoulders, but did not reply, save by an irritating smile. ‘* And these visitors, Bertrand ?” “Do you hear me, monsieur?’ cried the em-| ‘‘ Does your majesty wish the names?” peror, angrily. | “Yes. It may serve to pass the time. ‘* No, sire.” Gervaise smiled again. | Mexican—who is he?” “ Certainly I do, general. But you are not| ‘‘His name is. the Marquis Delmont, sire, wise to excite yourself. You know the orders, and I am not responsible for them.” , where in America, with millions of horses and The emperor laughed bitterly. cattle,” ‘‘No. No one is responsible here for any in- | The emperor yawned. sult, Fool that I was to trust to the honor of ‘A Spanish Jew, I suppose. ” England. Why even Alexander of Russia would have treated me in a more worthy style than these surly dogsof English. But you—you are a gentleman by birth. Your name is French. You should know better than to in- sult me. Iam nota general to your people in any event, .You only know, the Bourbons as the rulers of France, I was never made a gen- eral by them. If you will not call me by my title, let me be simply monsieur to you.” Gervaise smiled still more mockingly. ‘* You forget, general, that the title of mon- ‘* No, sire, a Christian.’ ‘‘ Well, the others?” ‘‘ Milord Monsieur Jean Smeet of Londres is the first. He was what they call Milord Maire of London once, and now they call him Sir _Smeet.” ‘‘Sare Jean Smeet, Bertrand. You do not understand these English titles like Ido. I re- member there was another Smeet gave me much trouble in Egypt. He was Sare Seednie Smeet. You must always put the Christian name after the Sare, my friend.” And the emperor smiled at his own learning: for Engl'ch was a thing of which he knew so little that he was excessively proud of what he did 5 ss. ‘*Then, sire, it is Sare Jean Smet. Milndi —- —- the Kighteenth.” The emperor uttered a cry of rage, wheeled his horse, and rode off again like a mad spirit the serene and imper- turbable Gervaise, til leading to Longwood, down which he dashed | sieur Jean Smeet, the younger, that ask an at the same wild, reckless speed, till he came to | audience,” the gate and guard-house, where he pulled his; ‘‘ Did you see them?” foaming borse on its haunches and cried out ‘‘ Yes, sire.’ er y:: | ‘* Weill?” ‘*Gavroche, here!” Bertrand gave a shrug. An old man dressed as a groom, with the | stamp of a veteran soldier on his face, ran out | to take the horse; and the emperor strode into | the house, where he threw his hat down on the | table of the room he entered, and said, angrily: ‘* Bertrand, I’ve taken my last ride. It is infamous, this espionage! There is nu quiet, no solitude, anywhere on this accursed island.” Count Bertrand looked up from his writing, and rose respectfully. ‘‘I trust your majesty will not forget the doctor’s orders,” he said, gently. ‘ We at least do not wish to lose your majesty just yet, Ex- citement, sire—” The emperor waved his hand. **T know, I know, my good Bertrand. You are right, but I eannot help it. Oh, to think that 1 should come to this!” He threw himself down on a wicker chair and drummed on the table for awhile, till at last he | asked: ‘* Any news?” ‘‘ Some visitors, sire.” The emperor frowned, ‘** Pll not see them.”’ ‘Comme ca, sire.” [So, so, sire. ] The emperor made a grimace. ‘‘ Very vulgar, eh?” ‘Very English, sire.” The emperor laughed. ‘You are too severe, Bertrand. All the English are not so vulgar. I once saw—but never mind, he was an lrishman after all. Still there was Fox. He was not vulgar. I remember seeing him at the Tuileries when I was first consul. Ah, Bertrand!” He sighed slightly. It was impossible for this man, lonely, racked with pain, a prisoner, to think of those brilliant Pn without the contrast coming home to —_——- — im. ‘‘When I was first consul,” he repeated, thoughtfully, “‘ how fresh the world was then! Head of France, at peace with all the world. God knows I wished they had let me alone. I did not open the battle till I was forced to fight in defense of the nation. England never for- gave me success. And now England calls me 7 butcher. Never mind, Bertrand; history will ‘Very well, sire.” set us all right some day, my friend. Come Another silence, The prisoner was trying to | this Smeet and the other Smeets—are they al calm his nervous agitation, and his faitful fol- | the visitors?” Jower knew that the only way to help him was | He threw off his despondency like a weight, to remain silent, _ and entered into the subject of the visitors with Presently the emperor reached over the table | zest. to a snuff. box—one of those laid for him at all ‘*‘ Are there any more?” places where he was in the habit of sitting long ‘‘ No, sire.” —and took a huge pinch. The titillating effect seemed to soothe him, and presently be said: ‘‘ These visitors—who are they? English?” | ‘Then we will see the Smeets. Ah, by the by, Bertrand, you bave told them the rules? I don’t wish to be rude.” ‘‘T have told them, sire, that while the Eng- lish government has the right to use any official title it pleases, even to insulting your majesty, who is a prisoner, no one will be admitted to | your presence as a guest, unless it is understood that you are the ex-Emperor of the French, and to be addressed as ‘Sire’ and ‘ Your Maj- ‘* Pleasure,” repeated Napoleon, bitterly. ‘A ‘ That is right, Bertrand. When the English strange place to come for pleasure,” government is tenacious about the title they ‘‘Your majesty forgets, To usit is a prison, | choose to give me, I can be equally so as to but for a few days—" . the name I shall bear in the bistory of the “True. I thought it beautiful myself for a | world.” ) week, till that odious Sir Hudson came here to Bertrand gathered up ‘his papers, saying: poison my, life. Apropos, count, has the ogre | paid his visit yet?” ‘Yes, sire, and one Mexican.” **A Mexican. The devil! What brings him here, Bertrand?” ‘* His yacht, sire.” ‘His yacht? He must, be rich, then?” ‘‘ So L hear, sire, from the British officers.” ‘* And why did he come here?” ‘¢ Pleasure, sire.” here, sire?” ' The | been a wild beast, and uttere 'and he is said toown immense estates some- | ' } they came to the road | Smeet, his wife, the two Mees Smeets, ond Mon- legation. He introduced Sir John Smith and his lady and three children, thoroughbred city cockney who looked at the captive emperor as if he ha their opinions in whispers to each other. At least the girls did, ‘‘Isn’t he ’andsome, ’Arriet?” ‘**Ush! ’e’ll ear you.” ‘°K only talks French.” ** Well, I never see sich a girl. says he talks as good as we.” The emperor heard the colloquy, but did not notice it, for Sir John was bowing before him, The captain me _ Well, I’m sure, I never expected this—to see your gracious majesty in such good ’ealth. I ‘eard you was quite poorly at times.” The emperor frowned slightly. He did not like references to his health. “T t’ank you, sare; I am prett’ vell,” he an- swered; then turned to Gervaise and broke out rapidly: ‘“Tonnerre de ciel, monsieur le capitaine, pourquot mapportez vous ce ganache? Vous voulez me tuer tout d’ un coup, de ses sotti {Thunder, captain, why did you bring this booby? Do you wish to kill me all at once with his stupidities 7] Gervaise smiled as be answered in French: ‘: Your majesty must have bad a good expe- _rienee of boobies in the past, or else you were | ' much happier than most of the monarchs of Europe.” Tbe emperor smiled more placably, and turned to the ex-Mayor of London, saying politely in French: ‘We are both alike in one thing, monsieur. We have both been in power and are now out of it. Tel) him that, eaptain.” The Englishman was delighted: ‘* Your majesty’s very good to compare your- self to me. To be sure, I’ve ’ad my share of *igh pare I’ve been sheriff and lord mayor and cnight of the shire, and now I’m a goin’ to India to see arter some Lusiness there. I ’ope to see your majesty as well and ’arty when I come back as now.” The emperor did not wait for the work of the translator, asking: ‘You go to India, eh? You eez von vat you call directeur of dat compagnie.” ‘Yes, your majesty, though I say it as shouldn’t. I’m a director in the company, and ope to be a good deal ’igher afore | die. Well, good-mornin’, your majesty. Keep up yer ’art as the sayin’ is. Lord, you couldn’t ’elp gettin’ licked at last by the Dook. We used to’avea sayin’, a can Jick all of Europe, but the Dook can lick Boney. ’Ope you'll enjoy your- self till we come back, your majesty.’ And Sir John backed out, grinning, and al- most tumbled over Lady Smith, who was bob- bing and courtesying with all her might, trying to catch the eye of the illustrious captive, who, on his part, could hardly restrain his laughter at the sight of this particularly vulgar family. As for Gervaise, that functionary was as placid as an oyster. He had seen too many queer people to laugh at anything odd. Then the emperor Jooked bored, for he saw ‘“Miladi Smeet” was bent on an introduction, and that the Misses and Master Smith were equally set on the same thing. And just as he was casting over in bis mind how to get rid of this torture, his eyes rested on a dark, handsome youth, whose singular cos- tume attracted his notice as scmething he had never seen in all his life before. For the stranger was a Mexican cavaliero, in all the bravery of velvet jacket and calzoneros, set with gold coins for buttons, and there was something so dashing and striking|y picturesque in his appearance that the emperor involuntarily exclaimed: | ‘* Kh, mon Diew, que diable etes vous?” The young man thereupon advanced with a me . “ Yes, sire.’ The emperor laughed heartily. ' ‘“ And found.me away. I hope I gave him a ‘‘Js it your pleasure to receive the visitors grace and ease that contrasted forcibly with The emperor looked ruefully round. the awkward vulgarity of the Smiths and “Lt is not the Tuileries, nor even the Laxem- bourg; but it will do, Yes, let them come. bowed low before the emperor, saying: . " Battrand smiled ertrand smiled. ‘He did, indeed curse in his vulgar British way, and only desisted when informed that Captain Gervaise was with you.” You should not bave told him.” ‘‘ But, sire, he would—” “Tknow. He would have set out after me | sounds, none of those horrible English vowels, with balf the garrison. So much the better. It | so flat, so ugly. Well, leé them come. I will would plague these English, It is all wecan do | see them all at.once and get it over quickly.” to get even with them for their detestable rude-,| Bertrand bowed and quitted the room, while ness.” the emperor went to his dressing-room, whence Bertrand said no more. The petty persecu- | he reappeared soon after, dressed in the loose, tions to which the narrow-minded Sir Hudson ' white linen garb he assumed at St. Helena, so * Apropos, do they talk any French, theseSmeets'| ‘‘ Moi—el marcues—vous dites Marquis Del and the Mexican?” | Monte—de la: Mewxique, sire.” | Bertrand shrugged bis shoulders. | [Me—el marques—y ou say Marquis De] Monte ‘* Execrabie. The Mexican’s is worse than | —of Mexico, sire.] the English people’s; but it is funny—hisaccent | He spoke slowly as if trying to pick out bis is not bad.” — | words from a language, yet his accent in pro- ‘Ab, that is because his language has similar | nouncing the few French words he used was | faultless, and the emperor looked at him with much interest, asking Gervaise: ‘*Do not you speak Spanish among your mul- tifarious accomplishments, captain, to translate for this gentleman?” Gervaise shook ‘his head. ‘‘ Unfortunately no, sire. I was at the Prus-. Eomicbooks7co