As Fouche, however, persisted in his assertion, the First Consul sent to Paris for the Grand Judge, Regnier, who showed Fouche the letter he had received.  The First Consul triumphed at first to see Fouche at fault; but the latter so clearly proved that Georges and Pichegru were actually in Paris that Regnier began to fear he had been misled by his agents, whom his rival paid better than he did.  The First Consul, convinced that his old minister knew more than his new one, dismissed Regnier, and remained a long time in consultation with Fouche, who on that occasion said nothing about his reinstatement for fear of exciting suspicion.  He only requested that the management of the business might be entrusted to Real, with orders to obey whatever instructions he might receive from him.  I will return hereafter to the arrest of Moreau and the other persons accused, and will now subjoin the account of a long interview which I had with Bonaparte in the midst of these important events.

On the 8th of March 1804, some time after the arrest but before the trial of General Moreau, I had an audience of the First Consul, which was unsought on my part.  Bonaparte, after putting several unimportant questions to me as to what I was doing, what I expected he should do for me, and assuring me that he would bear me in mind, gave a sudden turn to the conversation, and said, “By the by, the report of my connection with Hortense is still kept up:  the most abominable rumours have been spread as to her first child.  I thought at the time that these reports had only been admitted by the public in consequence of the great desire that I should not be childless.  Since you and I separated have you heard them repeated?”—­“Yes, General, oftentimes; and I confess I could not have believed that this calumny would have existed so long.”—­“It is truly frightful to think of!  You know the truth—­you have seen all—­heard all —­nothing could have passed without your knowledge; you were in her full confidence during the time of her attachment to Duroc.  I therefore expect, if you should ever write anything about me, that you will clear me from this infamous imputation.  I would not have it accompany my name to posterity.  I trust in you.  You have never given credit to the horrid accusation?”—­“No, General, never.”  Napoleon then entered into a number of details on the previous life of Hortense; on the way in which she conducted herself, and on the turn which her marriage had taken.  “It has not turned out,” he said, “as I wished:  the union has not been a happy one.  I am sorry for it, not only because both are dear to me, but because the circumstance countenances the infamous reports that are current among the idle as to my intimacy with her.”  He concluded the conversation with these words:—­“Bourrienne, I sometimes think of recalling you; but as there is no good pretext for so doing, the world would say that I have need of you, and I wish it to be known that I stand in need of nobody.”  He again said a few words about Hortense.  I answered that it would fully coincide with my conviction of the truth to do what he desired, and that I would do it; but that suppressing the false reports did not depend on me.