Page 732 - the-idiot

proved to him that not ALL the aristocracy had left Moscow;
that at least some nobles and their children had remained
behind.’
Just so just so! He wanted to win over the aristocracy!
When his eagle eye fell on me, mine probably flashed back
in response.’ Voila un garcon bien eveille! Qui est ton pere?’
I immediately replied, almost panting with excitement, ‘A
general, who died on the battle-fields of his country! ‘Le fils
d’un boyard et d’un brave, pardessus le marche. J’aime les
boyards. M’aimes-tu, petit?’ To this keen question I replied
as keenly, ‘The Russian heart can recognize a great man
even in the bitter enemy of his country.’ At least, I don’t re-
member the exact words, you know, but the idea was as I say.
Napoleon was struck; he thought a minute and then said to
his suite: ‘I like that boy’s pride; if all Russians think like
this child’, then he didn’t finish, hut went on and entered the
palace. I instantly mixed with his suite, and followed him. I
was already in high favour. I remember when he came into
the first hall, the emperor stopped before a portrait of the
Empress Katherine, and after a thoughtful glance remarked,
‘That was a great woman,’ and passed on.
‘Well, in a couple of days I was known all over the pal-
ace and the Kremlin as ‘le petit boyard.’ I only went home
to sleep. They were nearly out of their minds about me at
home. A couple of days after this, Napoleon’s page, De Ba-
zancour, died; he had not been able to stand the trials of
the campaign. Napoleon remembered me; I was taken away
without explanation; the dead page’s uniform was tried on
me, and when I was taken before the emperor, dressed in

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