of Vive l’Empereur!  He had just time to dress himself hastily, and fly to meet Napoleon, to whom he delivered a letter, which he had prepared beforehand for the purpose of soliciting an audience.  Lauriston, the aide de camp on duty, took the letter, it being his business to receive all the letters and petitions which were presented to Napoleon on his way.  Before breakfast the Emperor opened the letters which Lauriston had laid on the table; he merely looked at the signatures, and then laid them aside.  On opening M. de Stael’s letter he said, “Ah! ah! what have we here? a letter from M. de Stael! . . .  He wishes to see me:  . . .  What can he want? . . .  Can there be anything in common between me and the refugees of Geneva?”—­ “Sire,” observed Lauriston, “he is a very young man; and, as well as I could judge from the little I saw of him, there is something very prepossessing in his appearance.”—­“A very young man, say you? . . .  Oh, then I will see him. . . .  Rustan, tell him to come in.”  M. de Stael presented himself to Napoleon with modesty, but without any unbecoming timidity.  When he had respectfully saluted the Emperor a conversation ensued between them, which Duroc described to me in nearly the following manner.

As M. de Stael advanced towards the Emperor the latter said, “Whence do you come?”—­“From Geneva, Sire.”—­“Where is your mother?”—­“She is either in Vienna or will soon be there.”—­“At Vienna! . . .  Well, that is where she ought to be; and I suppose she is happy. . . .  She will now have a good opportunity of learning German.”—­“Sire, how can you imagine my mother is happy when she is absent from her country and her friends?  If I were permitted to lay before your Majesty my mother’s confidential letter you would see how unhappy she is in her exile.”—­ “Ah, bah! your mother unhappy, indeed! . . .  However, I do not mean to say she is altogether a bad woman. . . .  She has talent—­perhaps too much; and hers is an unbridled talent.  She was educated amidst the chaos of the subverted monarchy and the Revolution; and out of these events she makes an amalgamation of her own!  All this might become very dangerous.  Her enthusiasm is likely to make proselytes.  I must keep watch upon her.  She does not like me; and for the interests of those whom she would endanger I must prohibit her coming to Paris.”

Young De Stael stated that his object in seeking the interview with the Emperor was to petition for his mother’s return to Paris.  Napoleon having listened without impatience to the reasons he urged in support of his request, said, “But supposing I were to permit your mother to return to Pairs, six months would not elapse before I should be obliged to send her to the Bicetre or to the Temple.  This I should be sorry to do, because the affair would make a noise, and injure me in public opinion.  Tell your mother that my determination is formed, that my decision is irrevocable.  She shall never set foot in Paris as long as I live.”—­