to war with me. It is impossible that you can
declare yourself against me. That can never be."--"Sire, we are not now
quite allies, and some time hence we may become enemies." This hint was
the last which Napoleon received from Metternich, and Napoleon must have
been blind indeed not to have profited by it. As to M. Stadion, he
entertained a profound dislike of the Emperor. That Minister knew and
could not forget that his preceding exclusion from the Cabinet of Vienna
had been due to the all-powerful influence of Napoleon.

Whether or not the absence of Metternich influenced the resolution of
Francis II., it is certain that that monarch yielded nothing to the
urgent solicitations of a Minister who conscientiously fulfilled the
delicate mission consigned to him. M. de Champagny rejoined the Empress
at Orleans, whither she had repaired on leaving Blois. He found Maria
Louisa almost deserted, all the Grand Dignitaries of the Empire having
successively returned to Paris after sending in their submissions to the
Provisional Government.

I had scarcely entered upon the exercise of my functions as
Postmaster-General when, on the morning of the 2d of April, I was
surprised to see a Prussian general officer enter my cabinet. I
immediately recognised him as General Blucher. He had commanded the
Prussian army in the battle which took place at the gates of Paris.
"Sir," said he, "I consider it one of my first duties on entering Paris
to thank you for the attention I received from you in Hamburg. I am
sorry that I was not sooner aware of your being in Pains. I assure you
that had I been sooner informed of this circumstance the capitulation
should have been made without a blow being struck. How much blood might
then have been spared!"--"General," said I, "on what do you ground this
assurance?"--"If I had known that you were in Paris I would have given
you a letter to the King of Prussia. That monarch, who knows the
resources and intentions of the Allies, would, I am sure, have
authorised you to decide a suspension of arms before the neighbourhood
of Paris became the theatre of the war."--"But," resumed I, "in spite of
the good intentions of the Allies, it would have been very difficult to
prevent resistance. French pride, irritated as it was by reverses,
would have opposed insurmountable obstacles to such a measure."--"But,
good heavens! you would have seen that resistance could be of no avail
against such immense masses."--"You are