s
Montholon to a duel; Napoleon strictly forbids it; and the aggrieved
officer seeks permission to depart.

Napoleon grants his request. It seems that the chief is weary of his
moody humours; he further owes him a grudge for writing home to his
mother frank statements of the way in which the Longwood exiles are
treated. These letters were read by Lowe and Bathurst, and their
general purport seems to have been known in French governmental
circles, where they served as an antidote to the poisonous stories
circulated by Napoleon and his more diplomatic followers. Clearly
nothing is to be made of Gourgaud; and so he departs (February 13th,
1818). Bidding a tearful adieu, he goes with Basil Jackson to spend
six weeks with him at a cottage near Plantation House, when he is
astonished at the delicate reserve shown by the Governor. He then sets
sail for England. The only money he has is _L100_ advanced by Lowe.
Napoleon's money he has refused to accept.[580]

And yet he did not pass out of his master's life. Landing in England
on May 1st, he had a few interviews with our officials, in which he
warned them that Napoleon's escape would be quite easy, and gave a
hint as to O'Meara being the tool of Napoleon. But soon the young
General came into touch with the leaders of the Opposition. No change
in his sentiments is traceable until August 25th, when he indited a
letter to Marie Louise, asserting that Napoleon was dying "in the
torments of the longest and most frightful agony," a prey to the
cruelty of England! To what are we to attribute this change of front?
The editors of Gourgaud's "Journal" maintain that there was no change;
they hint that the "Journal" may have been an elaborate device for
throwing dust into Lowe's eyes; and they point to the fact that before
leaving the island Gourgaud received secret instructions from Napoleon
bidding him convey to Europe several small letters sewn into the soles
of his boots. Whether he acted on these instructions may be doubted;
for at his departure he gave his word of honour to Lowe that he was
not the bearer of any paper, pamphlet, or letter from Longwood.
Furthermore, we hear nothing of these secret letters afterwards; and
he allowed nearly four months to elapse in England before he wrote to
Marie Louise. The theory referred to above seems quite untenable in
face of these facts.[581]

How, then, are we to explain Gourgaud's conduct at St. Helena and
afterwards? Now, in threading th