"The pipe--
but what is that? Was not that a gun, and there another? Have the
negotiations miscarried, after all, and the bombardment commenced in
earnest?"
"No, your excellency," said Gneisenau, smiling, "you must give up
that hope! These are the guns which give the troops the signal that
the monarchs have arrived, and that the march into the city is to
commence."
"Well, good-by, then; make haste and leave!" cried Blucher, pushing
Gneisenau and Voelzke toward the door.
They left, and the field-marshal was again alone with Christian
Hennemann.
"Well," he said, "give me a pipe: while the others are making their
entrance into Paris, I want you to afford me a little pleasure, too.
Come here, therefore, and sing to me the Low-German song which you
sang to me on the day when you arrived at Kunzendorf."
The reports of the artillery continued; the monarchs were entering
Paris. The field-marshal in the mean time sat with the green bonnet
on his head, puffing his pipe. No one was with him but Christian
Hennemann, who sang in a loud voice, "Spinn doch, spinn doch, mihn
lutt lewes Dochting!"
CHAPTER LIII.
NAPOLEON AT FONTAINEBLEAU.
Napoleon passed seven days of indescribable mental anguish at
Fontainebleau. Adversity had befallen him, but he bore it with the
semblance of calmness, uttering no complaint.
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