“Yonder,” said Murat, carelessly pointing to a group outside the terrace, where a tall, fine-looking man, dressed in plain clothes, and without any indication of the soldier in his costume, stood in the midst of a knot of officers.
“Ha! General,” said Napoleon, advancing towards him; “you are not in uniform. How comes this?”
“I am not on service,” was the cold reply.
“No, but you soon shall be,” said Buonaparte, with an effort at cordiality of manner.
“I do not anticipate it,” rejoined Bernadotte, with an expression at once firm and menacing.
Buonaparte drew him to one side gently, and while he placed his arm within his, spoke to him with eagerness and energy for several minutes; but a cold shake of the head, without one word in reply, was all that he could obtain.
“What!” exclaimed Buonaparte, aloud, so that even the others heard him--“what! are you not convinced of it? Will not this Directory annihilate the Revolution? have we a moment to lose? The Council of Ancients are met to appoint me Commander-in-chief of the Army;--go, put on your uniform, and join me at once.”
“I will not join a rebellion,” was the insolent reply.
Buonaparte shrunk back and dropped his arm, then rallying in a moment, added,--
“‘Tis well; you’ll at least remain here until the decree of the Council is issued.”
“Am I, then, a prisoner?” said Bernadotte, with a loud voice.
“No, no; there is no question of that kind: but pledge me your honour to undertake nothing adverse to me in this affair.”
“As a mere citizen, I will not do so,” replied the other; “but if I am ordered by a sufficient authority, I warn you.”
“What do you mean, then, as a mere citizen!”
“That I will not go forth into the streets, to stir up the populace; nor into the barracks, to harangue the soldiers.”
“Enough; I am satisfied. As for myself, I only desire to rescue the Republic; that done, I shall retire to Malmaison, and live peaceably.”
A smile of a doubtful, but sardonic character, passed over Bernadotte’s features as he heard these words, while he turned coldly away, and walked towards the gate. “What, Augureau! thou here?” said he, as he passed along, and with a contemptuous shrug he moved forward, and soon gained the street. And truly, it seemed strange that he, the fiercest of the Jacobins, the General who made his army assemble in clubs and knots to deliberate during the campaign of Italy, that he should now lend himself to uphold the power of Buonaparte!