Chapter 49 June 23, 1815: After The Battle Of Wate

On Monday Marie was just bringing my breakfast when the church bells started ringing.

"Good heavens!" she cried. "The Emperor has won! He has defeated the allies!"

I couldnt believe it. No one expected him to win. Even his own family didnt, although they came to Paris. Only the Empress refused to come, with their little son.

For three months he has been trying to prove that France wants him and not the Bourbons. He even let the people choose a new parliament. One of its members is Lafayette, who wrote the Rights of Man.

But Napoleons efforts failed to prove anything. All the foreign ambassadors left Paris, and their governments refused to answer his letters. Instead they prepared for another war.

The Duke of Wellingtons English army landed in Belgiuim and waited there for its allies. Napoleon decided to attack before those allies could arrive. The Russians and Austrians were still far away; but Bluchers Prussian army had already crossed the Rhine.

So Napoleon led his army into Belgium a few days ago. "Every brave Frenchman must now decide to win or die!" he declared. But only a hundred thousand men went with him. The rest were sure that they couldnt win---and they didnt want to die.

Napoleon just cannot understand that France is tired of his wars. Her young men refused to leave their villages. Her officers pretend to be ill; even my brother Etiennes son, General Marius Clary, has done that. Only two marshals have joined their Emperor. The others are resting quietly in their country homes.

Now the bells were ringing for victory. "Were we all wrong? Has he really won?" I wondered.

I dressed and went into the garden. Suddenly the bells stopped ringing. A mysterious silence followed.

At that moment a visitor speared. I didnt recognized him at first. Then he smiled, and I knew who he was. "Lucien!" I cried. "Lucien Bonaparte! I havent seem you since Napoleon drove you out of France. How long was that? Ten years, or more? Sit down and tell me your news. Whats happening in Paris today? The victory bells were ringing. Then they suddenly stopped ."

Lucien sat down beside me on a garden seat. "Im happy to see you, Desiree," he said. "But the news is bad. Those bells were a mistake. We won a small battle; thats true. Then Bluchers army joined Wellingtons, and we were completely defeated at a place called Waterloo."

"And the Emperor?"

"Hell arrive in Paris tonight, very quietly. He wont even go to the Tuileries. Hell stay with Joseph and Julie. Every Frenchman must decide to win or die he said. More than half his army are dead. But he himself hasnt won and he hasnt died. He must be feeling rather ashamed."

Lucien paused. He was looking very tired and very sad. "I wish I had never persuaded parliament to make him Consul." He continued. "I trusted him then, in 1799. I dont trust him now. Nor does any other serious Frenchman. But I must go, Desiree. Joseph needs my help."

He went. A few minutes later another visitor came. It was Hortense. She begged me, with tears in her eyes, to look after her helpless boys.

"Again?" I said. But of course I took them in.

Napoleon came back late that night. He had lost everything, even his own bags. He called his brothers and his ministers together. He demanded a hundred thousand more men, so that he could defend Paris against the allies.

Poor Lucien had to take these demands to parliament. As soon as he finished speaking, Lafayette stood up and shouted: "France has lost three million sons in your brothers wars. Does he want to kill a hundred thousand more? If he doesnt leave Paris at once, we shall drive him out!"

When the Emperor heard that, he was terribly angry. But he had to go.

I heard all this from Julie. She arrived an hour ago with her children. "May we stay with you?" she begged. "a new government has just been formed, and Fouche is one of the ministers. Im more afraid of him than of the enemy."

A few minutes later Joseph rushed in. "Julie, you must come at once," he said. "The emperor is going to Malmainson, and all the family are going with him."

Josephs face was grey. He cant have slept for several nights.

"You must go with your husband, Julie," I told her.

She shook her head. "The crowds are shouting: Destroy the Bonapartes! I darent go through the streets again."

"Desiree," said Joseph. "may we borrow your carriage? Your Swedish coachmans uniform should take us safely past the crowds."

"I was going to lend it to Madame Letitia," I said. "But theres room for you all."

So Julie went with her family. When they get to Malmainson, they wont find the Empress Josephine. But her roses are still there. They must be flowering now.

(to be conitued)