Now there was only Marchand left, in whose presence he had slept every night since he was born. She was only a peasant woman, and surely could not be suspected of plotting against the Austrian Court! No, but she might talk to him of his father, and keep alive memories which were better let die. She put him to bed one night as usual, in the spring of 1816, but in the morning there stood at his bedside, not Marchand, but an Austrian officer. Once more the boy understood. He turned a shade paler, but asked no questions, merely saying, 'Monsieur Foresti, I should like to get up.' It had not been without a struggle that the friends of Napoleon had allowed his son to be set aside. An effort was made to proclaim him Napoleon II. when his father, for the second time, abdicated the French throne. But the attempt met with no response, and was, indeed, quite ignored by the Chamber of Deputies. The only result to the prince was to surround him more strictly than before with German tutors and attendants, and to discourage him to speak in French. Henceforth he was to be an Austrian, and an Austrian only, and as he was not yet five years old the task did not seem difficult. They were soon undeceived; the child did not talk much about his former life to these strangers, but every now and then he would put inconvenient questions. 'Why was I called "King of Rome?"' he asked his tutor one day. 'Because at the time you were born your father ruled over many countries,' was the reply. 'Did Rome belong to my father?' 'No; Rome belongs to the Pope.' 'Is not my father in India now?' 'Oh dear no, certainly not.' 'Then he is in America?' 'Why should he be in America?' 'Where _is_ he, then?' 'That I cannot tell you.' 'I heard someone say that he was in great misery.' 'Well, you must have known that that was not likely to be true.' 'No, I thought it couldn't be,' answered the boy, with a smile of relief.