acts, because every body takes a share in it.... Do they suppose we shall come to a battle?"--"They do not think it: the government have never had confidence in the soldiery; it has made itself detested by the officers; and all the troops that may be opposed to your Majesty's, will be so many reinforcements sent you."--"I think so too: and the marshals?"--"Sire, they cannot but be apprehensive, that your Majesty will remember Fontainbleau; and perhaps it will be well to remove their fears, and to make known to them personally your Majesty's intention of consigning every thing to oblivion."--"No, I will not write to them; they would consider me as under obligations to them; and I will be obliged to no person. The troops are well disposed, the officers are good, and if the marshals wished to restrain them, they would be hurried along by them ... where is my guard?"--"I believe at Metz and at Nancy."--"Of that I am sure, do what they will, they will never corrupt it. What are Augereau and Marmont about?"--"I do not know."--"What is Ney doing? On what terms is he with the king?"--"Sometimes good, sometimes bad: I believe he has had reason to complain of the court on account of his wife."--"His wife is an affected creature; no doubt she has attempted to play the part of a great lady, and the old dowagers have ridiculed her. Has Ney any command?"--"I do not think he has, Sire."--"Is he one of us?"--"The part he took in your abdication"--"Ay, I read that at Porto Ferrajo: he boasted of having ill-treated me, of having laid his pistols on my table: it was all false. Had he dared to fail of respect to me, I would have ordered him to be shot. A heap of tales has been spread respecting my abdication. I abdicated, not in consequence of their advice, but because my army was out of its senses: besides, I would not have a civil war. It was never to my taste. It was said, that Augereau, when I met him, loaded me with reproaches ... it was a lie: no one of my generals would have dared, in my presence, to forget what was due to me. Had I known of the proclamation of Augereau, I would have forbidden him my presence[57]: cowards only insult misfortune. His proclamation, which I was reported to have had in my pocket, was unknown to me till after our interview. It was General Koller who showed it me; but let us quit these popular rumours. What has been done at the Tuileries?"--"Nothing has been altered, Sire; even the eagles have not yet been removed."--(Smiling) "They must have thought my arrangement of them admirable."--"So I presume, Sire: it has been said, that the Count d'Artois went through all the apartments immediately after his arrival, and could not cease to admire them."--"I can readily believe it. What have they done with my pictures?"--"Some have been taken away, but that of the battle of Austerlitz is still in the council-chamber."--"And the theatre?"--"It has not been touched: it is no longer used."--"What is Talma