Book Ten: 1812 - Chapter XXVI

by Leo Tolstoy

　　On August 25, the eve of the battle of Borodino, M. de Beausset,prefect of the French Emperor's palace, arrived at Napoleon's quartersat Valuevo with Colonel Fabvier, the former from Paris and thelatter from Madrid.

　　Donning his court uniform, M. de Beausset ordered a box he hadbrought for the Emperor to be carried before him and entered the firstcompartment of Napoleon's tent, where he began opening the box whileconversing with Napoleon's aides-de-camp who surrounded him.

　　Fabvier, not entering the tent, remained at the entrance talkingto some generals of his acquaintance.

　　The Emperor Napoleon had not yet left his bedroom and wasfinishing his toilet. Slightly snorting and grunting, he presented nowhis back and now his plump hairy chest to the brush with which hisvalet was rubbing him down. Another valet, with his finger over themouth of a bottle, was sprinkling Eau de Cologne on the Emperor'spampered body with an expression which seemed to say that he aloneknew where and how much Eau de Cologne should be sprinkled. Napoleon'sshort hair was wet and matted on the forehead, but his face, thoughpuffy and yellow, expressed physical satisfaction. "Go on, harder,go on!" he muttered to the valet who was rubbing him, slightlytwitching and grunting. An aide-de-camp, who had entered the bedroomto report to the Emperor the number of prisoners taken inyesterday's action, was standing by the door after delivering hismessage, awaiting permission to withdraw. Napoleon, frowning, lookedat him from under his brows.

　　"No prisoners!" said he, repeating the aide-de-camp's words. "Theyare forcing us to exterminate them. So much the worse for theRussian army.... Go on... harder, harder!" he muttered, hunching hisback and presenting his fat shoulders.

　　"All right. Let Monsieur de Beausset enter, and Fabvier too," hesaid, nodding to the aide-de-camp.

　　"Yes, sire," and the aide-de-camp disappeared through the door ofthe tent.

　　Two valets rapidly dressed His Majesty, and wearing the blue uniformof the Guards he went with firm quick steps to the reception room.

　　De Beausset's hands meanwhile were busily engaged arranging thepresent he had brought from the Empress, on two chairs directly infront of the entrance. But Napoleon had dressed and come out with suchunexpected rapidity that he had not time to finish arranging thesurprise.

　　Napoleon noticed at once what they were about and guessed thatthey were not ready. He did not wish to deprive them of the pleasureof giving him a surprise, so he pretended not to see de Beausset andcalled Fabvier to him, listening silently and with a stern frown towhat Fabvier told him of the heroism and devotion of his troopsfighting at Salamanca, at the other end of Europe, with but onethought- to be worthy of their Emperor- and but one fear- to fail toplease him. The result of that battle had been deplorable. Napoleonmade ironic remarks during Fabvier's account, as if he had notexpected that matters could go otherwise in his absence.

　　"I must make up for that in Moscow," said Napoleon. "I'll see youlater," he added, and summoned de Beausset, who by that time hadprepared the surprise, having placed something on the chairs andcovered it with a cloth.

　　De Beausset bowed low, with that courtly French bow which only theold retainers of the Bourbons knew how to make, and approached him,presenting an envelope.

　　Napoleon turned to him gaily and pulled his ear.

　　"You have hurried here. I am very glad. Well, what is Paris saying?"he asked, suddenly changing his former stern expression for a mostcordial tone.

　　"Sire, all Paris regrets your absence," replied de Beausset as wasproper.

　　But though Napoleon knew that de Beausset had to say something ofthis kind, and though in his lucid moments he knew it was untrue, hewas pleased to hear it from him. Again he honored him by touchinghis ear.

　　"I am very sorry to have made you travel so far," said he.

　　"Sire, I expected nothing less than to find you at the gates ofMoscow," replied de Beausset.

　　Napoleon smiled and, lifting his head absentmindedly, glanced to theright. An aide-de-camp approached with gliding steps and offered him agold snuffbox, which he took.

　　"Yes, it has happened luckily for you," he said, raising the opensnuffbox to his nose. "You are fond of travel, and in three days youwill see Moscow. You surely did not expect to see that Asiaticcapital. You will have a pleasant journey."

　　De Beausset bowed gratefully at this regard for his taste for travel(of which he had not till then been aware).

　　"Ha, what's this?" asked Napoleon, noticing that all the courtierswere looking at something concealed under a cloth.

　　With courtly adroitness de Beausset half turned and withoutturning his back to the Emperor retired two steps, twitching off thecloth at the same time, and said:

　　"A present to Your Majesty from the Empress."

　　It was a portrait, painted in bright colors by Gerard, of the sonborne to Napoleon by the daughter of the Emperor of Austria, the boywhom for some reason everyone called "The King of Rome."

　　A very pretty curly-headed boy with a look of the Christ in theSistine Madonna was depicted playing at stick and ball. The ballrepresented the terrestrial globe and the stick in his other hand ascepter.

　　Though it was not clear what the artist meant to express bydepicting the so-called King of Rome spiking the earth with a stick,the allegory apparently seemed to Napoleon, as it had done to allwho had seen it in Paris, quite clear and very pleasing.

　　"The King of Rome!" he said, pointing to the portrait with agraceful gesture. "Admirable!"

　　With the natural capacity of an Italian for changing theexpression of his face at will, he drew nearer to the portrait andassumed a look of pensive tenderness. He felt that what he now saidand did would be historical, and it seemed to him that it would now bebest for him- whose grandeur enabled his son to play stick and ballwith the terrestrial globe- to show, in contrast to that grandeur, thesimplest paternal tenderness. His eyes grew dim, he moved forward,glanced round at a chair (which seemed to place itself under him), andsat down on it before the portrait. At a single gesture from himeveryone went out on tiptoe, leaving the great man to himself andhis emotion.

　　Having sat still for a while he touched- himself not knowing why-the thick spot of paint representing the highest light in theportrait, rose, and recalled de Beausset and the officer on duty. Heordered the portrait to be carried outside his tent, that the OldGuard, stationed round it, might not be deprived of the pleasure ofseeing the King of Rome, the son and heir of their adored monarch.

　　And while he was doing M. de Beausset the honor of breakfasting withhim, they heard, as Napoleon had anticipated, the rapturous cries ofthe officers and men of the Old Guard who had run up to see theportrait.

　　"Vive l'Empereur! Vive le roi de Rome! Vive l'Empereur!" camethose ecstatic cries.

　　After breakfast Napoleon in de Beausset's presence dictated hisorder of the day to the army.

　　"Short and energetic!" he remarked when he had read over theproclamation which he had dictated straight off without corrections.It ran:

　　Soldiers! This is the battle you have so longed for. Victory dependson you. It is essential for us; it will give us all we need:comfortable quarters and a speedy return to our country. Behave as youdid at Austerlitz, Friedland, Vitebsk, and Smolensk. Let ourremotest posterity recall your achievements this day with pride. Letit be said of each of you: "He was in the great battle before Moscow!"

　　"Before Moscow!" repeated Napoleon, and inviting M. de Beausset, whowas so fond of travel, to accompany him on his ride, he went out ofthe tent to where the horses stood saddled.

　　"Your Majesty is too kind!" replied de Beausset to the invitation toaccompany the Emperor; he wanted to sleep, did not know how to rideand was afraid of doing so.

　　But Napoleon nodded to the traveler, and de Beausset had to mount.When Napoleon came out of the tent the shouting of the Guards beforehis son's portrait grew still louder. Napoleon frowned.

　　"Take him away!" he said, pointing with a gracefully majesticgesture to the portrait. "It is too soon for him to see a field ofbattle."

　　De Beausset closed his eyes, bowed his head, and sighed deeply, toindicate how profoundly he valued and comprehended the Emperor'swords.