back, and have just dismounted."

"Breakfast shall be served you. Apply for it to the _valet de chambre_
in the anteroom. Go!"

The courier had not yet closed the door of the cabinet after him, when
Napoleon opened the dispatches, and rapidly glanced over their contents.
With a proud, triumphant smile he turned toward Talleyrand. "I was right
in saying that we ought to delay the definite conclusion of peace," he
said; "we shall now be able to impose more onerous conditions on
Prussia, and she will have to submit to them. The Grand-duke of Berg has
sent me excellent news. The corps of the Prince von Hohenlohe has
capitulated near Prenzlau. The Prussian army exists no more. Ten
thousand men, with three hundred and twenty-five officers, about two
thousand horses, and fifty-four field-pieces, have been captured by our
forces. Ten thousand men! Now, if ever I should live to see the disgrace
of such a surrender of any of my own corps, I would make peace with the
enemy for the sole purpose of recovering my captured troops, and of
having the miserable officers shot who entered into such a capitulation.
Ten thousand men, and three hundred officers! Truly, my brother the
King of Prussia is unlucky, and I am sure the beautiful queen will
bitterly repent of her hatred against me."

"Sire," said Talleyrand, with a malicious smile, "it is said there is
but one step from hatred to love. Who knows whether the gods, in order
to punish the queen for her audacity, will not cause her to take this
step? Who knows whether her intense hatred is not even now but the mask
which conceals her love and admiration for your majesty? Beware of
approaching this beautiful Helen, lest your own hatred should run the
risk of being transformed into love."

"Ah," said Napoleon, angrily, "were my heart capable of such a change, I
should tear it with my own hands from my breast in order to smother its
desires. Though she were the most beautiful woman in the world, and
offered her love to me, I should turn away from her, and hurl my
contempt and hatred into her face. She has offended me too grievously,
for it is she who has destroyed all my plans, and instigated her husband
to assume a hostile attitude. France and Prussia are destined to be
friends, and a war against Prussia is for France equivalent to chaining
her right hand. If Prussia had remained my faithful ally last year, if
she had not joined the third coalition, our united armies at that time
would