There, read it, Maret,
and communicate the most important passages to me." He threw himself
into the chair that stood in front of his desk, and, taking a
penknife, commenced whittling the wooden side-arm, while Maret
unfolded the dispatch and quickly glanced over its contents.
"Sire," he said, "this dispatch contains surprising news. It speaks
of a new enemy who might rise against your majesty."
"Well," said Napoleon, who was just cutting a large splinter from
the chair, "what new enemy is it?"
"Sire," said Maret, shrugging his shoulders, "it is Louis XVIII."
Napoleon started, and looked at his minister with a flash of anger.
"What do you mean?" he asked, sternly. "Who is Louis XVIII.? Where
is the country over which he rules?"
"Sire, I merely intended to designate the brother of the unfortunate
King Louis XVI."
"My uncle!" said Napoleon, with a proud smile, driving his knife
again into the back of the chair. "Well, what then? Whereby has the
Count de Lille surprised the world with the news of his existence?"
"Sire, by a proclamation addressed to the French, and in which he
implores them to return to their legitimate lord and king, making
them many promises, which, however, do not contain any thing but
what the French possess already by the grace of your majesty."
Napoleon shrugged his shoulders. "Savary, then, has at length seen a
copy of the English newspapers which published this proclamation,"
he said.
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