"What! To whom?... Nonsense!" cried the count, suddenly reddening with an apoplectic flush over neck and nape as old people do.

Napoleon noticed at once what they were about and guessed that they were not ready. He did not wish to deprive them of the pleasure of giving him a surprise, so he pretended not to see de Beausset and called Fabvier to him, listening silently and with a stern frown to what Fabvier told him of the heroism and devotion of his troops fighting at Salamanca, at the other end of Europe, with but one thoughtto be worthy of their Emperorand but one fearto fail to please him. The result of that battle had been deplorable. Napoleon made ironic remarks during Fabvier`s account, as if he had not expected that matters could go otherwise in his absence.