es fortified.--Advance of the insurgents.--Napoleon
opens his batteries.--Defeat of the insurgents.--Rising fame of
Napoleon.--His first interview with Josephine.--His "seal."--Napoleon
disarms the populace.--The sword of Beauharnais.--Napoleon regards
Josephine with interest.--Her opinion of him.--Letter to a friend.--
Foresight of Napoleon.--His confidence.--His ambition unbounded.--His
moral principles.--Napoleon's estimate of the female sex.--Strength
of his attachment.

The overthrow of Robespierre, and the consequent escape of Josephine
from the doom impending over her, was in the following manner most
strangely accomplished. The tyranny of Robespierre had become nearly
insupportable. Conspiracies were beginning to be formed to attempt his
overthrow. A lady of great beauty and celebrity, Madame de Fontenay, was
imprisoned with Josephine. M. Tallien, a man of much influence with a
new party then rising into power, had conceived a strong attachment for
this lady, and, though he could not safely indulge himself in interviews
with her in prison, he was in the habit of coming daily to the Convent
of the Carmelites that he might have the satisfaction of catching a
glimpse of the one he loved through her grated window.

Madame de Fontenay had received secret intelligence that she was soon
to be led before the Convention for trial. This she knew to be but the
prelude of her execution. That evening M. Tallien appeared as usual
before the guarded casement of the Carmelites. Madame de Fontenay and
Josephine, arm in arm, leaned against the bars of the window, as if to
breathe the fresh evening air, and made a sign to arrest M. Tallien's
particular attention. They then dropped from the window a piece of
cabbage-leaf, in which Madame de Fontenay had inclosed the following
note:

"My trial is decreed--the result is certain. If you love me
as you say, urge every means to save France and me."

With intense interest, they watched the motions of M. Tallien until they
saw him take the cabbage-leaf from the ground. Roused by the billet to
the consciousness of the necessity of immediate action, he proceeded to
the Convention, and, with the impassioned energy which love for Madame
de Fontenay and hatred of Robespierre inspired, made an energetic and
fearless assault upon the tyrant. Robespierre, pale and trembling, saw
that his hour had come. A decree of accusation was preferred against
him, and the head of the merciless