Page 735 - the-idiot

fiture at every page. Well now, I don’t like that; it smells of
‘party,’ you know. You are quite right. And were you much
occupied with your service under Napoleon?’
The general was in ecstasies, for the prince’s remarks,
made, as they evidently were, in all seriousness and sim-
plicity, quite dissipated the last relics of his suspicion.
‘I know Charasse’s book! Oh! I was so angry with his
work! I wrote to him and said—I forget what, at this mo-
ment. You ask whether I was very busy under the Emperor?
Oh no! I was called ‘page,’ but hardly took my duty seriously.
Besides, Napoleon very soon lost hope of conciliating the
Russians, and he would have forgotten all about me had he
not loved me—for personal reasons— I don’t mind saying
so now. My heart was greatly drawn to him, too. My duties
were light. I merely had to be at the palace occasionally to
escort the Emperor out riding, and that was about all. I rode
very fairly well. He used to have a ride before dinner, and
his suite on those occasions were generally Davoust, myself,
and Roustan.’
‘Constant?’ said the prince, suddenly, and quite involun-
tarily.
‘No; Constant was away then, taking a letter to the Em-
press Josephine. Instead of him there were always a couple
of orderlies—and that was all, excepting, of course, the gen-
erals and marshals whom Napoleon always took with him
for the inspection of various localities, and for the sake of
consultation generally. I remember there was one—Da-
voust—nearly always with him—a big man with spectacles.
They used to argue and quarrel sometimes. Once they were

The Idiot