w not, a land given
over to _idealogues_ and traitors. His own Minister, Fouche, was
working to sap his power, and yet he dared not have him shot! What
wonder that the helpless autocrat paced restlessly to and fro, or sat
as in a dream! In the evening Carnot went to the Peers, Lucien to the
Deputies, to appeal for a united national effort against the
Coalition, but the simple earnestness of the one and the fraternal
fervour of the other alike failed. When Lucien finally exclaimed
against any desertion of Napoleon, Lafayette fiercely shot at him the
long tale of costly sacrifices which France had offered up at the
shrine of Napoleon's glory, and concluded: "We have done enough for
him: our duty is to save _la patrie_."

On the morrow came the news that Grouchy had escaped from the
Prussians; and that the relics of Napoleon's host were rallying at
Laon. But would not this encouragement embolden the Emperor to crush
the contumacious Chambers? Evidently the case was urgent. He must
abdicate, or they would dethrone him--such was the purport of their
message to the Elysee; but, as an act of grace, they allowed him _an
hour_ in which to forestall their action. Shortly after midday, on the
advice of his Ministers, he took the final step of his official
career. Lucien and Carnot begged him for some time to abdicate only in
favour of his son;[529] and he did so, but with the bitter remark: "My
son! What a chimera! No, it is for the Bourbons that I abdicate! They
at least are not prisoners at Vienna."

The deputies were of his opinion. Despite frantic efforts of the
Bonapartists, they passed over Napoleon II. without any effective
recognition, and at once appointed an executive Commission of
five--Carnot, Caulaincourt, Fouche, Grenier, and Quinette. Three of
them were regicides, and Fouche was chosen their President. We can
gauge Napoleon's wrath at seeing matters thus promptly rolled back to
where they were before Brumaire by his biting comment that he had made
way for the King of Rome, not for a Directory which included one
traitor and two babies. His indignation was just. An abdication forced
on by _idealogues_ was hateful; to be succeeded by Fouche seemed an
unforgivable insult; but he touched the lowest depth of humiliation on
the 25th, when he received from that despicable schemer an order to
leave Paris.

He obeyed on that first Sunday after Waterloo, driving off quietly to
Malmaison, there to be joined by Hortense Beau