第15章 Chapter 14 November 9, 1799: Napoleon Governs Fran

Napoleon did come back, without permission. He went straight to his house in Paris. Joseph and Lucien joined him there. When Josephine appeared, he looked at her coldly. "Madame," he said, "I shall divorce you tomorrow. Please leave this house at once, and go to Malmaison." She was crying like a child when Lucien lead her out of the room. Then Talleyrand arrived, and the four men talked all night. At last Napoleon went to his bedroom; and Josephine was still there.

Julie told me that. And she added: "Napoleon said to me: If I divorce her, all Paris will laugh at me. So I wont divorce her. He has strange ideas, hasnt he, Desiree?" Next day we had a surprise. Jean and I were upstairs with Oscar. I heard Marie open the front door. Then a familiar voice said: "I want to see Desirees son!"

It was Napoleon, and Josephine was with him. I ran down and welcomed them. Napoleon was looking well. His face was brown and his hair was short; long hair had been too hot in the desert. Jean appeared, with Oscar in his arms. I ran into the kitchen and asked Marie for coffee. When I returned, Napoleon was making baby noises. Oscar didnt like them. He started to scream. So I took him upstairs again.

Then Josephine told me about her rose garden while Napoleon talked to Jean. There was an unusual smile on his face. Suddenly I heard him say: "If you were still Minister of War, you would have me shot. Joseph told me so. Im glad that youve left the government. But why do you blame me?"

Before Jean could reply, he went on: "France needs me here. Our government is too weak. All honest French leaders think so. They want someone to form a strong new government. If all honest leaders ask me to accept this duty, I must do so. But will you help me, Bernadotte? Will you save France with me?"

A strange light was burning in Napoleons eyes. What wild dreams of power lay behind that look? "Listen, Bonaparte," Jean answered slowly. "While you were enjoying the Egyptian sun, all your honest leaders came to me. They came three or four times, in different groups. They wanted me to become a dictator. I refused. You can persuade parliament to make changes, if you like. But it isnt a generals business. And I wont help you to do it."

The light in Napoleons eyes went out. His smile remained, but it was cold and hard. He stood up, and he held his hands together behind his back. "Perhaps guns will persuade them, if words will not do so. What will you do then, Bernadotte?" There was silence while we waited for Jeans reply. Then he put a heavy hand on Napoleons shoulder. "Dont do it, Bonaparte, dont do it!" he said. "I shall stop you by force if----"

Napoleon looked up: "If what?" "If the government orders me." "what a difficult fellow you are!" said Napoleon quietly. When they had gone, I asked Jean: "Will he really use force against the government?" And Jean said: "Yes, Desiree, Im afraid that he will."

And he did. It has happened. All Paris knew that it would. For several days, groups of young men have been shouting "Vive Bonaparte!" outside his house. Fernand says that Fouche pays them for it. Last night, Jean went for a walk. He saw soldiers round all the government offices. "I recognized some of them," he said. "they were in Napoleons army in Italy. He paid them, and they havent forgotten it."

I couldnt sleep at all. Jean had a lot of visitors, and he never came to bed. His visitors wanted him to stop Napoleon, but the government sent him no orders. So he could do nothing; he could only wait. This morning, messages were arriving all the time. At last a young captain rode up in a terrible hurry. He rushed into the house and shouted:

"General Bernadotte! Parliament is full of soldiers, and Bonaparte governs France!" The captain had seen everything happen. He gave us the full story. Napoleons brother Lucien is the leader of parliament. When Napoleon speared. Lucien invited him to speak. Everyone knew what he was going to say: the republic was in danger--- he wanted to save it--- he could do so if parliament gave him power. His friends cheered. His enemies shouted angrily. Soon no one could hear; so he had to stop. Then his enemies tried to leave, but they couldnt. Soldiers stood in their way. Soldiers filled every corner of the building. A voice cried "Vive Bonaparte!" His friends repeated the cry. The public seats were full of his friends. When the rest of the members could see nothing except guns and uniforms, they too shouted "vive Bonaparte!" What else could they do? The Fouche came in, with some secret police. He invited Napoleons enemies to go out with him. They went, and they left many empty seats. Lucien got up and said: "We must have a new government. Three consults will control it. And general Bonaparte will be the chief one---he will be our first Consul. Do all members agree?" And nobody dared to say no. I didnt know what a "consul" was. Jean explained it to me. The consuls were the men who governed the republic of ancient Rome. And the last Roman consul became the first emperor---the Emperor Caesar Augustus (The first Emperor of Empire Rome). What will Napoleon become? He is going to live in the Tuileries Palace. Tonight, perhaps, he will sleep in the bed of the guillotined king. Im writing everything in my diary tonight. Tomorrow I shall take it to Julie. If the police searched our house, they would take it. Then Napoleon and Fouche would read all my secret thoughts. They would laugh till they cried. But they wont search Julies house. It will be safe there. Its the middle of the night, but there are a lot of people outside. Fernand says: "They think that our general will be arrested. Some other generals have been arrested already." I was writing that sentence when we heard a carriage outside. "Theyre going to arrest him," I thought. We both stood up, and Jean put an arm round my shoulders. Someone knocked. Jean went to the front door and opened it. Then I heard a womans voice. Thank god! It was Julie. My knees felt suddenly weak, and I fell into the nearest chair. Julie was wearing her best evening dress. She had drunk too much champagne, and she couldnt speak very clearly. She and Joseph had come from the Tuileris Palace, where the Bonapartes were having a party. "Its terribly exciting, isnt it?" she said. "Napoleon will govern France. Joseph and Lucien will be ministers. We were passing your house, so I had to come in and tell you." Then I heard Joseph say: "We hope that you, Bernadotte, will accept a place in the government." So we are safe at present. The police wont come tonight. Perhaps they will never come. But I cannot be sure. So now Im finishing my diary, and in the morning I shall take it Julie.