The emperor answered not—­a terrible glance fell upon the bold maestro, without, however, annihilating him:  then Napoleon entered into Josephine’s cabinet, and Spontini walked away slowly and with uplifted head.

Spontini, the famous composer of the “Vestals,” whose score he had dedicated to the Empress Josephine, remained after her divorce a true and devoted admirer of the empress; and in Malmaison, as well as in the castle of Navarra, he showed himself as faithful, as ready to serve, as submissive, as he had once been in the Tuileries, or at St. Cloud, in the days of Josephine’s glory.  He often passed whole weeks in Navarra, and even undertook to teach the ladies and gentlemen of the court the choruses of the “Vestals,” which the empress so much liked.

Josephine had, therefore, for the renowned maestro a heart-felt friendship, and she took pleasure in boasting of the gratitude and loyalty of Spontini, in contrast with the sad experiences she had made of man’s ingratitude. [Footnote:  Memoires sur l’Imperatrice Josephine,” par Mlle. Ducrest,” vol. i., p. 287.]

The emperor, as already said, avoided to trouble his young wife by exciting her jealousy; and though he did not visit Malmaison, though for a time he did not write to Josephine, yet he was acquainted with the most minute details of her life, and with all the little events of her home; and he took care that around her every thing was done according to the strictest rules of etiquette, and that she was surrounded by the same splendor and the same ceremonies as when she was empress.

At last the moment had come which was to give to Josephine her most sacred and glorious reward.  The cannon of the Invalides, with their one hundred and one thunders, announced that Maria Louisa had given birth to a son, and Prince Eugene was the first who brought this news to his mother in Navarra.

Josephine’s countenance beamed with satisfaction and joy when she learned from the lips of her son this news of the birth of the King of Rome; she called her whole court together to communicate herself this news to the ladies and gentlemen, and to have them listen to the descriptions which Eugene, with all heartiness, was making of the scenes which had taken place in the imperial family circle during the mysterious hours of suspense and expectation.

But when Eugene repeated the words of Napoleon’s message which he sent through him to Josephine, her countenance was illumined with joy and satisfaction, and tears started from her eyes—­tears of purest joy, of most sacred love!

Napoleon had said:  “Eugene, go to your mother; tell her that I am convinced no one will be more pleased with my happiness than she.  I would have written to her, but I should have had to give up the pleasure of gazing at my son.  I part from him only to attend to inexorable duties.  But this evening I will accomplish the most agreeable of all duties—­I will write to Josephine.” [Footnote:  Ducrest, vol. i., p. 236.]