The Emperor, towards the end of 1813 or the beginning of 1814, on one occasion visited the Faubourg Saint-Antoine.  I cannot to-day give the precise date of this unexpected visit; but at any rate he showed himself on this occasion familiar, even to the point of good fellowship, which emboldened those immediately around to address him.  I now relate the conversation which occurred between his Majesty and several of the inhabitants, which has been faithfully recorded, and admitted to be true by several witnesses of this really touching scene.

An Inhabitant.—­“Is it true, as I am told, that the condition of affairs is so bad?”

The Emperor.—­“I cannot say that they are in a very good condition.”

The Inhabitant.—­“But how, then, will all this end?”

The Emperor.—­“By my faith, God alone knows.”

The Inhabitant.—­“But what!  Is it possible the enemy could really enter
France?”

The Emperor.—­“That might occur, and they might even penetrate as far as this place, if you do not come to my aid.  I have not a million arms.  I cannot do everything alone.”

Numerous Voices.—­“We will uphold you, we will uphold you.”

Still more Voices.—­“Yes, yes.  Count on us.”

The Emperor.—­“In that case the enemy will be beaten, and we will preserve our glory untarnished.”

Several Voices.—­“But what, then, shall we do?”

The Emperor.—­“Be enrolled and fight.”

A New Voice.—­“We would do this gladly, but we would like to make certain conditions.”

The Emperor.—­“Well, speak out frankly.  Let us know; what are these conditions?”

Several Voices.—­“That we are not to pass the frontiers.”

The Emperor.—­“You shall not pass them.”

Several Voices.—­“We wish to enter the guard.”

The Emperor.—­“Well, then, you shall enter the guard.”

His Majesty had hardly pronounced these last words, when the immense crowd which surrounded him made the air resound with cries of “Vive l’Empereur!” and their number continued to increase all the way as the Emperor slowly returned to the Tuileries, until, by the time he reached the gates of the Carrousel, he was accompanied by an innumerable cortege.  We heard these noisy acclamations; but they were so badly interpreted by the commandant of the post at the palace, that he thought it was an insurrection, and the iron gates of the Tuileries on that side of the court were closed.

When I saw the Emperor, a few moments after his return, he appeared more annoyed than pleased; for everything having an appearance of disorder was excessively distasteful to him, and a popular tumult, whatever its cause, had always in it something unpleasant to him.

Meanwhile this scene, which his Majesty might well have repeated, produced a deep impression on the people; and this enthusiasm had positive and immediate results, since on that day more than two thousand men were voluntarily enrolled, and formed a new regiment of the guard.