Scarcely had I entered the chamber of the First Consul the next morning when he said to me, “Well, Bourrienne, you say nothing about your M. Defeu.  Are you satisfied?”—­“General, I cannot find terms to express my gratitude.”—­“Ah, bah!  But I do not like to do things by halves.  Write to Ferino that I wish M. Defeu to be instantly set at liberty.  Perhaps I am serving one who will prove ungrateful.  Well, so much the worse for him.  As to these matters, Bourrienne, always ask them from me.  When I refuse, it is because I cannot help it.”

I despatched at my own expense an extraordinary courier, who arrived in time to save M. Defeu’s life.  His mother, whose only son he was, and M. Blanchet, his uncle, came purposely from Sens to Paris to express their gratitude to me.  I saw tears of joy fall from the eyes of a mother who had appeared to be destined to shed bitter drops, and I said to her as I felt, “that I was amply recompensed by the success which had attended my efforts.”

Emboldened by this success, and by the benevolent language of the First Consul, I ventured to request the pardon of M. de Frotte, who was strongly recommended to me by most honourable persons.  Comte Louis de Frotte had at first opposed all negotiation for the pacification of La Vendee.  At length, by a series of unfortunate combats, he was, towards the end of January, reduced to the necessity of making himself the advances which he had rejected when made by others.  At this period he addressed a letter to General Guidal, in which he offered pacificatory proposals.  A protection to enable him to repair to Alencon was transmitted to him.  Unfortunately for M. de Frotte, he did not confine himself to writing to General Guidal, for whilst the safe-conduct which he had asked was on the way to him, he wrote to his lieutenants, advising them not to submit or consent to be disarmed.  This letter was intercepted.  It gave all the appearance of a fraudulent stratagem to his proposal to treat for peace.  Besides, this opinion appeared to be confirmed by a manifesto of M. de Frotte, anterior, it is true, to the offers of pacification, but in which he announced to all his partisans the approaching end of Bonaparte’s “criminal enterprise.”

I had more trouble than in M:  Defeu’s case to induce the First Consul to exercise his clemency.  However, I pressed him so much, I laboured so hard to convince him of the happy effect of such indulgence, that at length I obtained an order to suspend the judgment.  What a lesson I then experienced of the evil which may result from the loss of time!  Not supposing that matters were so far advanced as they were, I did not immediately send off the courier with the order for the suspension of the judgment.  Besides, the Minister-of-Police had marked his victim, and he never lost time when evil was to be done.  Having, therefore, I know not for what motive, resolved on the destruction of M. de Frotte, he sent an order to hasten his trial.