Desiree's Diary(Book One) 精彩片段：
Chapter 23 December 1809: The Empress Josephine Ha
Yesterday morning the Emperor divorced the Empress Josephine.
He had ordered all his family to be present at the ceremony. His ministers and his marshals had to be there too, with their wives. But when Jean came into my room at ten oclock, I was still in bed.
"What are you doing there?" he asked. "We must be at the Tuillerise at eleven oclock."
"Im not going," I said. "Im sorry for Josephine. I refuse to watch her shame. Tell the Emperor that Im not feeling well."
"He may send his doctor to you again," Jean replied with a smile. "But I understand. Stay in bed, my girl. Ill ask Marie to bring you some hot milk."
When he came back for lunch, he brought Julie with him. She came up to my room and sat on the bed. "That was a terrible ceremony," she said. "We all had to stand in front of the emperors throne. Josephine sat beside him. She looked white and ill. She had clearly been crying. But I wasnt sorry for her."
"Dont be cruel, Julie," I said. "Why werent you sorry for her?"
"Ive never liked her," Julie replied. "She took Napoleon from you, and Ive never forgiven her for that."
"That wasnt her fault," I said. "but go on. What happened next?"
"Napoleon began to read a document to us. I cant remember it all; it was too long. But it was like this: Only God knows how difficult this is for me. The empress Josephine has been the light ofmy life. I crowned her with my own hand, and she will always be an Empress of France. I love her---but duty is more important than love. France demands a son for her Emperor. So I must marry a wife who can give me one."
"Did you watch his face while he was reading this?" I asked. "What did it look like?"
"It looked like a stone," Julie said. "It always looks like that now. Caesars face is Talleyrands name for it. Theres stone head of Caesar in Napoleons office, and he looks like it."
I know that look. Its the face of a man who has no heart. Napoleons love was never true love. It was only desire, and thats not the same thing. He played with my love, and he used Josephines. But he only loves one thing--- and that is power.
"They gave Josephine a document," Julie continued. "She tried to read it. Then started to cry, so a minister read it for her. It said that she thanked the Emperor for everything. She loved him. But she couldnt give him a child. So her marriage had to end."