powerful you prove France to
be, the more grateful am I to those who have secured her grandeur and
her power."

"Oh, the result is plain, general! Three armies defeated; the Russians
exterminated, the Austrians defeated and forced to fly, twenty thousand
prisoners, a hundred pieces of cannon, fifteen flags, all the baggage of
the enemy in our possession, nine generals taken or killed, Switzerland
free, our frontiers safe, the Rhine our limit--so much for Massena's
contingent and the situation of Helvetia. The Anglo-Russian army twice
defeated, utterly discouraged, abandoning its artillery, baggage,
munitions of war and commissariat, even to the women and children who
came with the British; eight thousand French prisoners; effective men,
returned to France; Holland completely evacuated--so much for Brune's
contingent and the situation in Holland. The rearguard of General Klenau
forced to lay down its arms at Villanova; a thousand prisoners and three
pieces of cannon fallen into our hands, and the Austrians driven back
beyond Bormida; in all, counting the combats at la Stura and Pignerol,
four thousand prisoners, sixteen cannon, Mondovi, and the occupation of
the whole region between la Stura and Tanaro--so much for Championnet's
contingent and the situation in Italy. Two hundred thousand men under
arms, forty thousand mounted cavalry; that is my contingent, mine, and
the situation in France."

"But," asked Bonaparte satirically, "if you have, as you say, two
hundred thousand soldiers under arms, why do you want me to bring back
the fifteen or twenty thousand men I have in Egypt, who are useful there
as colonizers?"

"If I ask you for them, general, it is not for any need we may have of
them, but in the fear of some disaster over taking them."

"What disaster do you expect to befall them, commanded by Kleber?"

"Kleber may be killed, general; and who is there behind Kleber? Menou.
Kleber and your twenty thousand men are doomed, general!"

"How doomed?"

"Yes, the Sultan will send troops; he controls by land. The English will
send their fleet; they control by sea. We, who have neither land nor
sea, will be compelled to take part from here in the evacuation of Egypt
and the capitulation of our army.

"You take a gloomy view of things, general!"

"The future will show which of us two have seen things as they are."

"What would you have done in my place?"

"I don't know. But, even had I been forced to bring them