Corsican dare to fire upon the people? Will this pale
and slender youth, who had hardly yet entered upon the period of
manhood, dare to deluge the pavements of Paris with the blood of her own
citizens? Will he venture upon a conflict so unequal, when failure is
his certain death?

Napoleon, with his colorless cheek, his flashing eye, and his air of
mysterious melancholy, stood in silence, as the gathering thousands
crowded down upon him. He offered no parley; he uttered not a word of
warning; he condescended to no threats. The insurgents, believing that
he would not dare to fire upon them, advanced within fifty yards of
his masked battery, when he opened his columns, and, in the roar of
artillery shotted to the muzzle, the voice of Napoleon was for the first
time heard in the streets of Paris. The thunder of his tones was
preceded by the lightning's bolt. The merciless storm of grape-shot,
sweeping the streets, covered the ground with the dead and the dying. No
mortal could withstand such a conflict. The advancing foe wavered for an
instant, and then, in the utmost consternation, took to flight. Napoleon
commanded immediately the most rapid discharge of blank cartridges. Peal
upon peal, their loud reverberations deafened the city, and added wings
to the flight of the terror-stricken crowd. But a few moments elapsed
ere not even a straggler could be seen in the deserted streets. The
little Corsican, pale and calm, stood, with folded arms, as unperturbed
as if no event of any moment had occurred. During the whole day,
however, the conflict continued in different parts of the city, but
before nightfall the insurgents were every where entirely discomfited.

Paris was now filled with the name of Napoleon. Some regarded him as
a savior, protecting the Convention; others considered him a demon,
deluging the capital with blood. One evening, Josephine was visiting at
the house of a friend, and sitting by a window examining some beautiful
violets, when _Bonaparte_ was announced. Josephine had never yet met
him, though, of course, she had heard much of one whose rising fame
filled the metropolis.

She says that she trembled violently at the announcement of his name.
His entrance seemed to excite general interest, and all eyes were turned
toward him, though most of the company regarded him in silence. He
approached Josephine, and the subject of the recent conflict in the
streets of Paris was introduced.

"It seems to me," said