NAPOLEON'S 
 YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 HELEN LEAH REED
 

 
 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 UNIT. OF CALIF. LIBRARY. LOS ANGELE8
 
 NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. Frontispiece 
 From the painting by Delaroche
 
 NAPOLEON'S 
 YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 BY 
 HELEN LEAH REED 
 
 AUTHOR OF "BRENDA; HER SCHOOL AND HER CLUB," " BRENDA'S 
 
 COUSIN AT RADCLIFFE," "BRENDA'S WARD," 
 
 " AMY IN ACADIA," ETC. 
 
 ILLUSTRA TED 
 
 BOSTON: 
 LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 
 
 1907
 
 Copyright, 1907, 
 BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 Published October, 1907 
 
 MUDGB & SON, INC., PRINTERS, 
 
 BOSTON, MASS., U. S. A.
 
 TO 
 
 DOROTHY E. B. 
 
 WHOSE LOVE OF HISTORY BESPEAKS 
 
 A WELCOME 
 FOR THIS LITTLE VOLUME. 
 
 2132276
 
 PREFACE 
 
 THIS book, chronicling some little known 
 passages in the last few years of Na- 
 poleon, is based on the "Recollections of 
 Napoleon at St. Helena," by Mrs. Abell 
 (Elizabeth Balcombe), published in 1844 by 
 John Murray. 
 
 Her little book is written in an old-fashioned 
 and quiet style, and the present writer, with- 
 out altering any words of Napoleon's, has, so 
 far as possible, given a vivid form to conver- 
 sations and incidents related undramatically 
 and has rearranged incidents that Mrs. Abell 
 told without great attention to chronology. 
 The writer has also added many pages of 
 matter (with close reference to the best 
 authorities) in order to make the whole story 
 of Napoleon clear to those who are not 
 familiar with it.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. GREAT NEWS 1 
 
 II. A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 18 
 
 III. FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 31 
 
 IV. NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 45 
 
 V. BETSY'S BALL-GOWN 64 
 
 VI. A HORSE TAMER 77 
 
 VII. OFF FOR LONGWOOD 95 
 
 VIII. THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 116 
 
 IX. ALL KINDS OF FUN 133 
 
 X. THE SERIOUS SIDE 152 
 
 XI. THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS . 170 
 
 XII. THOUGHTLESS BETSY 186 
 
 XIII. LONGWOOD DAYS 202 
 
 XIV. THE PARTING . 227 
 
 XV. THE PANORAMA 241 
 
 XVI. THE LAST PICTURES . 253
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA ..... .Frontispiece 
 
 PAGE 
 
 JAMESTOWN ...*.. .*o. <> 16 
 
 
 
 THE EMBARKATION ON BOARD THE BELLEROPHON . 34 
 
 NAPOLEON 80 
 
 THE BRIARS . 148 
 
 LONGWOOD . 202
 
 NAPOLEON'S 
 YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 GREAT NEWS 
 
 FAR south in the Atlantic there is an 
 island that at first sight from the deck 
 of a ship seems little more than a great 
 rock. In shape it is oblong, with perpendicu- 
 lar sides several hundred feet high. It is 
 called St. Helena because the Portuguese, who 
 discovered it in 1502, came upon it on the 
 birthday of St. Helena, Constantine's mother. 
 To describe it as the geographies might, we 
 may say that it lies in latitude 15 55' South, 
 and in longitude 5 46' West. It is about ten 
 and a half miles long, six and three-quarters 
 miles broad, and its circumference is about 
 twenty-eight miles. The nearest land is Ascen- 
 sion Island, about six hundred miles away,
 
 2 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 and St. Helena is eleven hundred miles from 
 the Cape of Good Hope. 
 
 From the sea St. Helena is gloomy and 
 forbidding. Masses of volcanic rock, with 
 sharp and jagged peaks, tower up above the 
 coast, an iron girdle barring all access to the 
 interior. A hundred years ago its sides were 
 without foliage or verdure and its few points 
 of landing bristled with cannon. Jamestown, 
 the only town, named for the Duke of York, 
 lies in a narrow valley, the bottom of a deep 
 ravine. Precipices overhang it on every side ; 
 the one on the left, rising directly from the 
 sea, is known as Rupert's Hill, that on the 
 right as Ladder Hill. A steep and narrow 
 path cuts along the former, and a really good 
 road winds zigzag along the other to the Gov- 
 ernor's House. Opposite the town is James's 
 Bay, the principal anchorage, where the largest 
 ships are perfectly safe. 
 
 The town really consists of a small street 
 along the beach, called the Marina, which 
 extends about three hundred yards to a spot 
 where it branches off into two narrower roads, 
 one of which is now called Napoleon Street. 
 In 1815 there were about one hundred and
 
 GREAT NEWS 3 
 
 sixty houses, chiefly of stone cemented with 
 mud, for lime is scarce on the island. Among 
 its larger buildings were a church, a botanical 
 garden, a tavern, barracks, and, high on the 
 left, the castle, the Governor's town residence. 
 
 About a mile and a half from the town 
 there stood in the early part of the past cen- 
 tury a cottage built in the style of an Indian 
 bungalow. It was placed rather low, with 
 rooms mainly on one floor. A fine avenue of 
 banyan trees led up to the house, and around 
 it were tall evergreens and laces, pomegran- 
 ates and myrtles, and other tropical trees. 
 Better than these, however, in the eyes of the 
 dwellers at The Briars were the great white- 
 rose bushes, like the sweetbriar of old Eng- 
 land. From these the house took its name, 
 and thus the family in it seemed less far 
 away from their old home. 
 
 In a grove near the house were trees of 
 every description, grapes of all kinds and 
 citron, orange, shaddoc, guava, and mango 
 trees in the greatest abundance. The surplus 
 raised in the garden beyond what the family 
 could use brought its owner several hundred 
 pounds a year. The little cottage was shut
 
 4 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 in on one side by a hedge of aloes and prickly 
 pear and on the other by high cliffs and 
 precipices. From one of these cliffs, not far 
 from the house, fell a waterfall, not only 
 beautiful to the eye but on a hot day refresh- 
 ing to the mind with its cool splash and tinkle. 
 
 The owner of The Briars at this time was 
 an Englishman named Balcombe, who was in 
 the service of the government. Besides his 
 servants his household consisted of his wife, 
 his daughters Jane and Betsy, in their early 
 teens, and two little boys much younger. 
 They formed a happy, contented household, 
 living a simple, quiet life, and though the 
 parents were sometimes homesick, the chil- 
 dren were very fond of their island abode. 
 
 One evening in the middle of October, 1815, 
 the Balcombe children were having a merry 
 time with their parents, when a servant, enter- 
 ing, announced the arrival of two visitors. 
 
 "It is the captain of the Icarus," said Mr. 
 Balcombe, turning to his wife, "and another 
 naval officer." 
 
 'The man-of-war that came in to-day?" 
 asked one of the children. "We heard the 
 alarm sound from Ladder Hill."
 
 GREAT NEWS 6 
 
 "Yes, yes, my dear." Then, turning to a 
 servant, "Show them in." 
 
 As the gentlemen entered the room, it was 
 plain that they had something of importance 
 to communicate. 
 
 "Sir," said the senior officer to Mr. Bal- 
 combe, after the first greetings, "I come to 
 tell you that the Icarus is sent ahead of the 
 Northumberland to announce that the Nor- 
 thumberland is but a few days' sail from St. 
 Helena." 
 
 'Yes," responded Mr. Balcombe politely, 
 wondering why this announcement should be 
 made so seriously. 
 
 "Sir George Cockburn," continued the 
 other, "commands the Northumberland, and 
 in his care is Napoleon Bonaparte, whom 
 he brings to St. Helena as a prisoner of 
 state." 
 
 Mr. Balcombe started to speak; his expres- 
 sion was one of annoyance. He was not fond 
 of practical jokes. His wife leaned back in 
 her chair, gazing incredulously at the speaker. 
 The children laughed. The officer's story was 
 too absurd. Then one of the little boys began 
 to cry. In their play the older children were
 
 6 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 in the habit of frightening the others with the 
 name of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was alarm- 
 ing to hear that the terrible Napoleon was to 
 come to live on their peaceful island. 
 
 Before Mr. Balcombe could express his 
 surprise, the officer repeated : 
 
 "Yes, Napoleon Bonaparte, the enemy of 
 England." 
 
 "But how can that be?" asked Mr. Bal- 
 combe, hardly understanding. "Bonaparte 
 was on Elba months ago; what has England 
 to do with him now ? " 
 
 "Surely began the captain; then re- 
 calling himself, "but I forgot how far St. 
 Helena is from the rest of the world. After 
 Napoleon escaped from Elba in February, he 
 gathered a great army. But the Allies, with 
 our Iron Duke at the head, met him near 
 Brussels, and there in June was fought the 
 great battle of Waterloo. Thousands were 
 killed, brave English as well as French. That 
 battle marked the downfall of Napoleon, and 
 soon he was England's prisoner." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Balcombe, as well as their 
 children, listened eagerly, absorbed in a story 
 they now heard for the first time.
 
 GREAT NEWS 7 
 
 "So they send him here?" It was Mr. 
 Balcombe who first spoke. 
 
 "Yes; no spot in Europe can hold him. 
 Even on Elba he had begun to establish a 
 kingdom. He reached beyond that little island, 
 and now he has had his Waterloo." 
 
 "It is clear, then," said Mr. Balcombe, 
 "why they have sent him here. This is a 
 natural fortress and it belongs to England." 
 
 "Yes," said the officer; "England knows 
 that here, in her keeping, Bonaparte will never 
 again escape to torment the world." 
 
 After a few more words of explanation on 
 the one hand and of surprise on the other, the 
 visitors withdrew. 
 
 Of those who had listened to the officer 
 young Elizabeth, or Betsy as she was com- 
 monly called, was the most disturbed. She 
 shivered and turned pale, and her mother, 
 noticing her agitation, soon sent her to bed. 
 There she silently wept herself to sleep and 
 her dreams were filled with visions of that 
 dreadful ogre, Bonaparte. It was not a very 
 long time since she had really believed Napo- 
 leon to be a huge monster, a kind of Polyphe- 
 mus with one large, flaming eye in the middle
 
 8 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 of his forehead and with long teeth protrud- 
 ing from his mouth, with which he devoured 
 bad little girls. 
 
 Although Betsy had outgrown this first idea 
 of Napoleon, implanted in her young brain 
 by careless servants, she was still afraid of the 
 Conqueror. It is true that she realized he was 
 not an ogre, but a human being; that is to 
 say, the very worst human being that had 
 ever lived. She knew this must be so, for she 
 had heard sensible grown-up persons speak 
 of him in this way, even her own father and 
 mother. What wonder, then, that her dreams 
 should be disturbed by thoughts of the misery 
 that must come to St. Helena with such a 
 man as Napoleon living on the island ? 
 
 The next morning after the visit of the 
 officer from the Icarus, the little girl rose 
 early. She was far from cheerful as she looked 
 about her on the lovely garden and grove. 
 A wave of hot anger passed over her. Why 
 should that terrible man be permitted to land 
 and destroy all this beauty, as he would, of 
 course, on the first opportunity ? 
 
 From the garden she looked toward the 
 rugged mountain, known as Peak's Hill, which
 
 GREAT NEWS 9 
 
 shut off the valley from the south. Her father 
 had spoken of the island as a natural fortress. 
 Except for the mountains the Government 
 would never have thought of sending the 
 dreadful Napoleon to St. Helena. So she 
 hated the mountains and cliffs. 
 
 Perhaps, however, even at that moment 
 when she dreaded the coming of the exiled 
 Emperor, Betsy may have recalled her own 
 first impressions of St. Helena and cast a half- 
 pitying thought toward the great man who now 
 saw in its rocky heights only his prison wall. 
 
 One day Betsy's mother had reminded the 
 young girl of the bitter tears she shed when 
 she had first seen the island. 
 
 'You were a silly girl to cry when you first 
 came in sight of land," said her mother, 
 recalling the circumstance. 
 
 'Yes, but some had told me that the island 
 was really the head of a great negro that was 
 only waiting for the breakfast bell; then it 
 would devour me first, and later the rest of 
 the passengers and crew." 
 
 "Well, I am glad you told me your fears." 
 
 "So am I, for you showed me that these 
 things could not be true."
 
 10 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Yet I remember," responded Betsy's 
 mother, "that you would not take your head 
 from my lap until eight bells had sounded. 
 For some reason the nearness of breakfast 
 made you believe that danger was over." 
 
 "But you can't say that I made much fuss 
 when I really was in the power of a negro," 
 rejoined Betsy; "for I can well remember how 
 strange it seemed when I was lifted in a 
 basket, and told that a big negro was to carry 
 me out to The Briars. At first I was a little 
 frightened, for I had never seen a black man 
 before, but he spoke so pleasantly when he 
 put me down to rest, even though grinning 
 from ear to ear, that I decided he would not 
 harm me." 
 
 "You saw at once that he was good 
 natured." 
 
 "Yes, and he asked me so kindly if I were 
 comfortable in my little nest, that I trusted 
 him. I was as proud as a peacock when he 
 said he was honored in being allowed to carry 
 me, because usually he had nothing but vege- 
 tables in his basket. When we reached The 
 Briars I told father I had had a delightful 
 ride, and so he gave the negro a little present
 
 GREAT NEWS 11 
 
 that made him grin more than ever, and he 
 went off singing merrily at the top of his 
 voice." 
 
 Thus Betsy recalled her first impression of 
 St. Helena. 
 
 If Mr. Balcombe and the rest of the family 
 at The Briars were surprised at the news of 
 Napoleon's approach, people on the island in 
 general were equally astonished. No commu- 
 nication had reached Governor Wilks, no 
 letter of instructions as to what should be 
 done with the illustrious prisoner. 
 
 The captain of the Icarus could only tell 
 the residents of St. Helena that Napoleon was 
 near and that the Second Battalion of the 
 Fifty-third Regiment had embarked with the 
 squadron. Even in those days, when there 
 were no cables to flash the news of coming 
 events, when there were no swift steamboats 
 to act as heralds, it seems strange that in 
 more than seven months no news of the es- 
 cape from Elba had reached the little island. 
 
 Now, when the people of St. Helena heard 
 the news, they were greatly disturbed. They 
 were afraid that the coming of Napoleon 
 might cause changes in their government, and
 
 12 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 they were so fond of the Governor that they 
 did not wish to lose him. 
 
 Their fears were well grounded, for when 
 Sir George Cockburn landed it was found 
 that he had received an appointment that gave 
 him the chief civil and military power on the 
 island, while Governor Wilks took secondary 
 rank. Later it was learned that on account 
 of the distinction of the prisoner, a governor 
 of higher rank than Colonel Wilks would be 
 sent from England to supersede him, a gov- 
 ernor who held his appointment directly from 
 the Crown. 
 
 Two or three days after the visit of the 
 officer to The Briars, Betsy and her brothers 
 and sister were in a state of great excitement. 
 
 "Ah, I hope papa will not be killed," cried 
 little Alexander. 
 
 "How silly you are!" responded the older 
 Jane. "Why should he be killed ?" 
 
 "Because Napoleon is such a monster. If 
 he should suddenly take out his sword - 
 
 ' Yes, or open his mouth and swallow papa, 
 how terrible it would be!" added Betsy 
 mockingly. 
 
 "Of course Bonaparte is a monster, but he
 
 GREAT NEWS 18 
 
 would never dare hurt any one on this island, 
 especially an Englishman. Don't worry. Papa 
 will come home safely enough, but I wish he 
 would hurry, so we could hear all about the 
 wretch." 
 
 Later in the day the children gathered eagerly 
 around their father, who had returned from 
 his visit to the ships. 
 
 "Oh, papa, what was he like?" asked each 
 in turn. 
 
 "Who, Napoleon?" 
 
 "Of course. We wish to hear about him. 
 Didn't you see him ? Didn't you see anybody 
 there?" 
 
 "I could hardly visit a fleet without seeing 
 some one." 
 
 "Is it a large fleet?" 
 
 'Yes, it would be called large in any part 
 of the world." 
 
 "How large is it?" 
 
 "Besides the Northumberland there are sev- 
 eral other men-of-war, and the transports with 
 the Fifty-third Regiment." 
 
 "But did you see Napoleon?" asked one of 
 the children, returning to the subject of great- 
 est interest,
 
 14 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "I did not see General Bonaparte," replied 
 the father, pausing to see the effect of his 
 words on the children. Then, as he noted 
 their expression of disappointment, he quickly 
 added: "But I saw some of the others, 
 some of his suite." 
 
 "Oh, tell us about it!" 
 
 "There is little to tell. After paying my 
 respects to Sir George Cockburn, I was intro- 
 duced to Madame Bertrand and Madame 
 Montholon, and then to the rest of Napoleon's 
 suite." 
 
 "What were they like?" asked one of the 
 girls eagerly, as if she expected her father to 
 describe a group of strange beings. 
 
 "Like any travellers, my child, who had 
 had a long voyage, from the effects of which 
 they were anxious to rest." 
 
 "Oh, I wish you had seen Napoleon!" 
 
 "I am likely to see him soon, and you may, 
 also, as he is to land to-night." 
 
 At this news the children were silent. To 
 have Napoleon on the island was not a pleas- 
 ant prospect. They were not so sure now that 
 they cared to see him. 
 
 "But where will he live, papa, when he
 
 GREAT NEWS 15 
 
 comes ashore?" ventured Jane at last. "Will 
 they put him in a dungeon?" 
 
 "Certainly not, my child. He is to live at 
 Longwood, but as the house needs to be put 
 in repair, he will stay for a while with Mr. 
 Porteous." 
 
 "When will he come ashore?" asked Betsy 
 timidly. Now that her father had spoken so 
 reassuringly of Napoleon, she was curious to 
 see him, at least from a safe distance. 
 
 "He will land to-night, after dark, I 
 imagine, to escape the gaze of the crowd;" 
 and their father, turning from the children, 
 went toward the house. 
 
 As he left them, the young people began an 
 animated discussion of Napoleon. They were 
 already getting used to the idea that he was 
 to live on St. Helena and that he was an 
 ordinary human being, not unlike the British 
 officials of high rank sent out by the Crown. 
 
 "As he cannot possibly hurt us, why 
 shouldn't we go to the valley to see him 
 land?" asked Betsy. 
 
 "Why shouldn't we?" echoed Jane. So it 
 happened, when they had asked their parents, 
 that the older children were permitted to go
 
 16 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 to Jamestown to see Napoleon land. When 
 they reached the wharf it was dusk and 
 crowds of people were gathered on every side. 
 
 "I did not know there were so many people 
 on the island," whispered Betsy, as she pressed 
 closer to her sister. "Do you suppose he will 
 be in the first boat ? " 
 
 "I don't know. But see, it is coming!" 
 
 "Yes, little ladies," said a bystander, "Bo- 
 naparte will surely be in the first boat." 
 
 "Here it is, here it is," cried Betsy. "Look, 
 Jane, look!" 
 
 Even as she spoke, the passengers from the 
 longboat were coming ashore, and although 
 it was seven o'clock in the evening, there was 
 still enough light to enable the watchers to 
 see the figures of those who were landing. 
 
 The girls strained their eyes. Three men 
 marched slowly up from the ship's boat. 
 "See," cried Betsy, "probably Napoleon is in 
 the middle." 
 
 "That little man, and in an overcoat!" 
 'Yes, for there is something flashing, prob- 
 ably a diamond." 
 
 "A man with a diamond! How foolish!" 
 objected Jane.

 
 GREAT NEWS 17 
 
 "But it is, indeed it is!" 
 
 "I wish people wouldn't crowd so." 
 
 "They've got to move back. I'm glad of 
 it. The sentries are standing with fixed bayo- 
 nets to keep more people from rushing down 
 from the town." 
 
 If Napoleon had landed earlier in the day, 
 he would have been greeted by an even greater 
 crowd, for people had been gathering on the 
 Marina from the earliest hours; but disap- 
 pointed that he was not to land until after 
 sunset, most of them had gone home. Still, 
 however, a large enough crowd had gathered 
 to make it necessary for the sentries to use 
 some force to keep them in order. 
 
 In spite of the crowd, the sisters felt that 
 they had been rewarded for their trouble, for 
 when they reached home they learned that 
 the little man in the green coat was indeed the 
 dreaded monster.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 
 
 THE next morning Betsy rose early. The 
 night before the family had sat up later 
 than their custom, talking about the 
 arrival of the ship and the distinguished 
 prisoners. 
 
 "Are General Bertrand and Count Mon- 
 tholon prisoners too?" asked one of the 
 girls. 
 
 "No, my dear; I understand that they are 
 at liberty to leave St. Helena whenever they 
 wish. Of course while they are here they must 
 obey whatever rules are made for them, but 
 they would not be here if they had not chosen 
 to share the fate of Napoleon." 
 
 "That is very noble," said Jane, "to leave 
 one's home for the sake of such a man as 
 Napoleon;" and the conversation changed into 
 a discussion of the reasons that had induced 
 those Frenchmen to follow their leader. The
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 19 
 
 next morning Betsy awoke feeling that some- 
 thing unusual had happened. 
 
 Her little brothers plied her and Jane with 
 questions about the landing of the Frenchmen. 
 
 "I wish we lived close to the town," com- 
 plained Alexander, "that we might hear more 
 about Napoleon." 
 
 "Look, look!" cried Betsy, before the little 
 fellow had finished speaking. "What is that 
 on the side of the mountain ? " 
 
 Following the direction of her finger, the 
 other children broke into excited cries. "The 
 French, it must be the French! There are 
 horses with men on them. There, see the 
 swords flash! They must be guarding a pris- 
 oner." 
 
 "Oh, I suppose it is a prisoner. But what 
 is that white thing ? " 
 
 "It is a plume; you can see that for your- 
 self. Let us get a spyglass." 
 
 For some time the children watched the 
 little procession curving around the mountain- 
 side, high above them. 
 
 "It makes me think of a great serpent wind- 
 ing along," said Betsy. 
 
 "It doesn't look like a serpent, through the
 
 20 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 glass. There are five men on horseback. One 
 of them has a cocked hat. It must be Na- 
 poleon, though he wears no greatcoat." 
 
 " They 're going to Longwood. That 's what 
 it is. Papa says he's to live there. I won- 
 der how he'll like it after all his palaces in 
 Europe." 
 
 "I'm glad he won't live near us. I should 
 never dare leave the house, if he lived near." 
 
 "Who 'she?" 
 
 "Napoleon, of course." 
 
 The morning passed. The children thought 
 of little but Napoleon. They talked to each 
 other of his victories and were proud that 
 Englishmen had overthrown him. 
 
 Early in the afternoon two gentlemen called, 
 Dr. Warden of the Northumberland and Dr. 
 O'Meara of the garrison. 
 
 "Oh, have you seen him?" 
 
 "Seen whom?" 
 
 "Why, Napoleon; don't tease us, Na- 
 poleon Bonaparte." 
 
 "Well, then, since you are so curious, yes, 
 we have seen him." Dr. Warden smiled, for 
 he was surgeon of the ship that had brought 
 Napoleon.
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 21 
 
 "Oh, was he perfectly awful? Weren't you 
 frightened ? " 
 
 "If we were frightened, I tried not to show 
 it. Napoleon seemed harmless. He did not 
 even try to bayonet us," replied Dr. O'Meara. 
 
 "But how did he look?" 
 
 "He hadn't horns or hoofs; at least, we 
 didn't see them, and on the whole he was 
 charming, though he seemed tired. You girls 
 will like him." 
 
 "Oh, no!" cried Betsy. "I shake and 
 shiver whenever I think of him. If ever I 
 look at him it will be only at a distance, but 
 I could never, never speak to him." 
 
 "Mark my words, you will change your 
 mind, Miss Betsy," cried one of the two as he 
 turned away. 
 
 About four o'clock that same afternoon, 
 when it was approaching dusk in the little 
 valley, one of the children reported that the 
 same horsemen they had seen in the morning 
 were again winding around the mountain. 
 
 Soon the whole family gathered outside, 
 and as they looked, to their great astonish- 
 ment they observed the procession halt at the 
 mountain pass above the house, and then,
 
 22 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 after a few minutes' pause, begin to descend 
 the mountain toward the cottage. 
 
 "Oh, mamma, do you suppose they are 
 coming here? I must go and hide myself," 
 cried the excitable Betsy. 
 
 "No, my dear, you will do nothing of the 
 kind. I am surprised that a great girl should 
 be so foolish." 
 
 "But Napoleon is coming, don't you under- 
 stand, Napoleon. I could not bear to look at 
 him." 
 
 "You will look at him and speak to him, if 
 he comes here. It will be a good chance for 
 you to put your French to use." 
 
 Poor Betsy! Up to this time she had been 
 proud of the French acquired during a visit 
 to England a few years before, which she had 
 conscientiously kept up by conversation with 
 a French servant. 
 
 It seemed hard that she was now to be called 
 on to do a disagreeable thing just because of 
 this accomplishment. Of course she could not 
 disobey her mother, and in spite of her fright 
 she really had some curiosity to see the dis- 
 tinguished guest. 
 
 Not long after the party first came in sight,
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 23 
 
 the French and their escort were at the gate 
 of The Briars. As there was no carriage road 
 to the house, all, except Napoleon, got off 
 their horses. He rode over the grass, while his 
 horse's feet cut into the turf. His horse was 
 jet black, with arched neck, and as he pranced 
 along he seemed to feel conscious of his own 
 importance in carrying so distinguished a man 
 as the Emperor. 
 
 "He's handsome," whispered Jane to Betsy. 
 
 "The horse?" 
 
 "No, Napoleon; just look at those jewels 
 and ribbons on his coat and I never saw 
 so beautiful a saddlecloth. It is embroidered 
 with gold." 
 
 Before more could be said, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Balcombe were moving forward to meet Sir 
 George Cockburn and his distinguished com- 
 panion. The sisters closely followed their par- 
 ents, and after the older people had been 
 presented to Napoleon the turn of the girls 
 came. Bet^y, looking up, was impressed by 
 the charm of Napoleon's smile. She saw that 
 his hair was brown and silky fine; his eyes 
 were a brilliant hazel. She also noticed one 
 slight defect, that his even teeth were dark,
 
 24 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 the result, she afterwards learned, of his habit 
 of using much licorice. 
 
 The children at first were surprised to find 
 Napoleon neither as tall nor as impressive as 
 he had appeared on horseback. When they 
 looked in his face they decided that he was 
 very attractive, and when he spoke his smile 
 and kindly manner at once won their hearts. 
 From that moment Betsy forgot that she had 
 ever considered him an ogre. To herself she 
 called him the handsomest man she had ever 
 seen. 
 
 "This is a most beautiful situation," he 
 said to Betsy's mother. "One could be almost 
 happy here!" he added with a sigh. 
 
 "Then perhaps you will honor us with a 
 visit until Longwood is ready," interposed Mr. 
 Balcombe. "I understand that you prefer this 
 to the town, and I have already put some 
 rooms at Sir George Cockburn's disposal." 
 
 "I do prefer it." 
 
 "Then the rooms are at your service." 
 
 Strange language this to a prisoner, the 
 
 children may have thought as they listened, 
 
 -to give him a choice of abode. Later they 
 
 learned why their father had put the matter
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 25 
 
 in this way. They heard how wretched it made 
 the Emperor to think of returning to the small 
 house where he had lodged in the town and 
 where people stared into the windows, as if 
 he were some kind of wild animal. When he 
 found that Longwood would not be ready for 
 him for several weeks, he had at once declared 
 his unwillingness to return to Jamestown. The 
 glimpse of The Briars that he had had from a 
 distance pleased him greatly, and he had 
 asked if it might not be possible to lodge him 
 there. Mr. Balcombe, as an official of the 
 Government, having placed some rooms at 
 the disposal of the Admiral, Sir George Cock- 
 burn, was now anxious to put Napoleon at 
 his ease about occupying them. 
 
 The Balcombe children were greatly stirred 
 up when they found that Napoleon was to be 
 their neighbor, for the rooms to be assigned 
 him were near, but not in, the main house. 
 Their fear of the Emperor had almost wholly 
 disappeared. 
 
 Continuing to praise the view, Napoleon 
 asked that some chairs be brought out on the 
 lawn. 
 
 "Come, Mademoiselle," he said to Betsy in
 
 86 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 French, "sit by me and talk. You speak 
 French?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied Betsy with apparent 
 calmness, though her heart was beating vio- 
 lently. 
 
 "Who taught you?" 
 
 "I learned in England, when I was at 
 school." 
 
 "That is well, and what else did you study ? 
 Geography, I hope." 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "Then you can tell me what is the capital 
 of France?" 
 
 "Paris, monsieur." 
 
 "Of Italy?" 
 
 "Rome." 
 
 "Of Russia?" 
 
 "St. Petersburg." 
 
 He looked up quickly. "St. Petersburg 
 now; it was Moscow." 
 
 Then he asked, sternly and abruptly, " Qui 
 rabrule?" ["Who burned it ?"] 
 
 Betsy trembled. There was something ter- 
 rifying now in his expression, as well as in the 
 tones of his voice. She could not find w r ords 
 to reply as she recalled what she had heard
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 27 
 
 about the burning of the great Russian city 
 and the question as to whether the French or 
 the Russians had set it on fire. 
 
 "Qui 1'a brule?" repeated Napoleon. 
 
 But there was a twinkle in his eye and a 
 smile in his voice that encouraged Betsy to 
 venture a stammering "I don't know, sir." 
 
 "Om, oui" he responded, laughing heartily. 
 " Vous savez ires bien. C'est moi qui l'a brule.'' 9 
 ["Yes, yes, you understand well. It is I who 
 burned it."] 
 
 Then Betsy ventured further: 
 
 "I believe, sir, the Russians burned it to 
 get rid of the French." 
 
 Again Napoleon laughed and, instead of 
 being angry, seemed pleased that the little 
 girl knew something about the Russian cam- 
 paign. 
 
 Now while Napoleon was sitting in the gar- 
 den or walking about the beautiful grounds, 
 all was confusion and excitement within The 
 Briars. Betsy's mother, like any other good 
 English housewife, was naturally somewhat 
 taken aback at having suddenly to make plans 
 to entertain Napoleon and part of his suite. 
 Even though the English Government might
 
 28 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 pay for his board, she must still regard him 
 as her guest, and in the small time at her 
 disposal do all that she could to make him 
 comfortable. 
 
 Rooms, therefore, must be rearranged and 
 what furniture could be spared from the rest 
 of the house must be put into Napoleon's 
 apartments. So, in the short space of a few 
 hours, the dreaded Emperor of the French, 
 the ogre feared by the children, had become 
 the neighbor, almost the inmate of a happy 
 English household English, in spite of its 
 distance, many thousands of miles away, from 
 the islands of Great Britain. 
 
 It was evening when Napoleon came back 
 to the house with the family. Here again his 
 conversation was chiefly with Betsy, as her 
 fluent French pleased him. Her parents could 
 use the language only with difficulty. 
 
 "Do you like music?" 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "But I suppose that you are too young to 
 play.' 
 
 This rather piqued Betsy. 
 
 "I can both sing and play." 
 
 "Then sing to me."
 
 A DISTINGUISHED TENANT 29 
 
 Thereupon Betsy, seating herself at the little 
 harpsichord, sang in a sweet, full voice "Ye 
 Banks and Braes." 
 
 "That is the prettiest English air I have 
 ever heard." 
 
 "It is a Scotch air," said Betsy timidly. 
 
 "I thought it too pretty to be English. 
 Their music is vile, the worst in the world. 
 Do you know any French songs ? Ah, I wish 
 you could sing Vive Henri Quatre" 
 
 "No, sir; I know no French songs." 
 
 Upon this the Emperor began to hum the 
 air, and in a fit of abstraction, rising from his 
 chair, marched around the room, keeping time 
 to the tune he was singing. 
 
 "Now what do you think of that, Miss 
 Betsy?" he asked abruptly. Betsy hesitated 
 between her love of truth and her desire to 
 please the Emperor. 
 
 "I do not think I like it," she said at last, 
 rather gently. "I cannot make out the air." 
 
 She might also have added that the great 
 Emperor's voice was far from musical. Neither 
 then nor at other times when he tried to sing 
 could she tell just what tune he thought he 
 was rendering.
 
 80 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 When he discussed music she understood 
 him better and she saw that he was a good 
 critic. "French music," he said, "is almost 
 as bad as English. Only Italians know how 
 to produce an opera properly;" and he sighed 
 heavily, remembering perhaps that his own 
 opera days were over. 
 
 Not long after Betsy had finished "Ye Banks 
 and Braes," word was brought to Napoleon 
 that his rooms were ready, and with a kindly 
 word or two he bade good night to his young 
 friend. 
 
 The little girl's dreams that night were, we 
 can well imagine, quite unlike any she had 
 ever had before. But if she dreamed of the 
 Emperor it is certain that she did not regard 
 him as an ogre. His wonderful personality 
 had gained her heart. Henceforth she was to 
 be his loyal friend as well as his neighbor.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 
 
 THE events that ended in the voyage of 
 the fallen Emperor to St. Helena, if 
 told in full, would make a long story. 
 The battle of Waterloo, however, is a good 
 starting place, the battle that decided the 
 peace of Europe after its long years of war, 
 when the Allied Powers, led by the Duke of 
 Wellington, defeated the French, who had 
 rallied around Napoleon for a last stand. 
 
 Napoleon, when he saw that the day was 
 lost for him and the French, fought desperately, 
 hoping perhaps to meet death. But he seemed 
 to have a charmed life, and, though he plunged 
 into the thick of the fight, he was not even 
 wounded. 
 
 Some of his friends advised him to continue 
 the struggle, but he saw that this might mean 
 civil war for France as well as a long contest 
 against the Allies. He cared too much for
 
 32 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 France to drag her into further wars. Some 
 say that in giving up he could not help him- 
 self, that what he did he had to do. Be 
 that as it may, for a second time he signed 
 the Act of Abdication, and after proclaiming 
 his son Napoleon II, he left Paris. First 
 he went to Malmaison, once the beautiful 
 home of Josephine, where a few friends joined 
 him. 
 
 When the Allies were approaching Paris, 
 Napoleon offered his services to the Provisional 
 Government, promising to retire when the 
 enemy was driven away. But the men now at 
 the head of affairs at Paris were afraid to give 
 authority of any kind to Napoleon, even for a 
 limited time. He had broken one promise, he 
 might break another, and they refused his 
 offer. 
 
 Napoleon now thought of America. Certain 
 Americans in Paris had offered him help. 
 One shipping merchant, a Massachusetts man, 
 had an excellent plan, which, had Napoleon 
 followed it, might have resulted in his reaching 
 America safely. But Napoleon delayed, and 
 although he did not know it at the time, when 
 he left Malmaison for Rochefort on June 29
 
 FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 33 
 
 he was too late. Up to the last he hoped to 
 reach a vessel that would carry him safely to 
 the United States. It is said that he gave up 
 the plan proposed by the American shipping 
 merchant because he would not desert his 
 friends, and for the time there seemed to be 
 no way of providing for them. 
 
 It takes strength of mind for a man to 
 decide to live out his destiny rather than run 
 away from life. Napoleon now decided to 
 make the best of things. With British ships 
 practically blockading the coast, he saw that 
 to try to escape was hopeless. He heard with 
 dismay that Paris had surrendered to the 
 Allies, and that the Provisional Government, 
 that might have helped him, had dissolved. 
 His last effort w r as to suggest sending a flag 
 of truce by Generals Savary and Las Cases 
 to Captain Maitland, commander of the 
 British squadron, asking to be allowed to pass 
 out of the harbor. He gave his word of honor 
 that he would then go directly to America. 
 Captain Maitland replied that even if he him- 
 self could grant this request, Napoleon's vessel 
 would be attacked as soon as it had left the 
 harbor. Napoleon at last had to admit that
 
 84 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 the end had come when the report was brought 
 him that Louis XVIII was again seated on the 
 throne of France. He therefore again sent two 
 officers to Captain Maitland, offering to sur- 
 render on condition that no harm should come 
 to his person or property. Another condition 
 was that he should be allowed to live where 
 he pleased in England as a private individual. 
 The officer replied that he could not make 
 terms, but that he would probably take Na- 
 poleon and his suite to England as soon as he 
 should receive. word from the Prince Regent. 
 This answer was disappointing to Napoleon, 
 but there was nothing now for him to do 
 except to set out for the Bellerophon, Captain 
 Maitland's ship, with the flag of truce. 
 
 "I come to claim the protection of your 
 prince and your laws," he said in French, as 
 he advanced on the quarter-deck to meet 
 Captain Maitland. 
 
 Soon after this he wrote the following letter 
 in French to the Prince Regent : 
 
 ROYAL HIGHNESS: 
 
 Exposed to the factions which divide my 
 country and to the enmity of the great
 
 FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 35 
 
 Powers of Europe, I have terminated my 
 political career, and I come like Themis- 
 tocles to throw myself on the hospitality 
 of the British nation. I place myself 
 under the safeguard of their laws and 
 claim protection of your Royal Highness, 
 the most powerful, the most constant, and 
 the most generous of my enemies. 
 
 NAPOLEON. 
 
 It is not to be supposed that all this time 
 Napoleon's friends were indifferent to his fate. 
 Those who were near enough to communicate 
 with him made various suggestions. 
 
 At Rochefort his brother Joseph offered to 
 disguise himself and change places with him, 
 so that the Emperor might get away in the 
 same vessel in which he himself was preparing 
 to escape. Had Napoleon agreed to this plan, 
 he would probably have been as successful 
 as Joseph in reaching America. 
 
 Some young and brave French officers are 
 said to have offered themselves as the crew of 
 a rowing boat to carry Napoleon safely 
 through the blockading fleet. There would 
 have been some risk in carrying out this pro-
 
 36 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 posal of stealing through the blockade, but it 
 had a fair chance of success. 
 
 There were also swift neutral vessels not far 
 away, on more than one of which he had 
 friends. But although, with three of his suite, 
 he did embark on a Danish ship, on second 
 thoughts he decided not to venture farther, and 
 returned to shore. He might have accepted 
 the suggestion of the captain of a French 
 frigate then at the He d'Aix, who begged 
 Napoleon to take the chance of intrusting 
 himself to him. He would, he said, attack a 
 British ship near by, and while the attention 
 of other vessels was fixed on the encounter, a 
 second French frigate with Napoleon on board 
 would carry him far outside the harbor to 
 safety. But this offer, too, was put aside. 
 The admirers of Napoleon, who look back on 
 his days of indecision at Rochefort, wonder at 
 the change in the man, who by his policy of 
 delay brought on himself his sad exile on the 
 barren island. 
 
 Yet it is easy to see that even though half 
 willing to try flight, Napoleon really could not 
 bring himself to the position of a fugitive, 
 afraid to face his enemies. It was nobler to
 
 FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 37 
 
 confront danger, as he had confronted it often 
 on the battlefield. It was not strange that he 
 should hope to find appreciation of his cour- 
 age, even in the hearts of his enemies. 
 
 It was the fifteenth of July when Napoleon 
 embarked on the Bellerophon, and a week 
 afterwards he w T as in Plymouth Harbor. Too 
 late, to his great consternation, he found that 
 the British regarded him as a prisoner. He 
 was helpless; he had no weapons but words, 
 for armed vessels surrounded him and the few 
 friends who followed him counted for nothing 
 against his foes. 
 
 On the thirtieth of July, General Bonaparte 
 
 the British refused him the title of Emperor 
 
 was notified that the British Government 
 had chosen St. Helena as his future residence, 
 whither a limited number of his friends might 
 accompany him. On receiving this word, Na- 
 poleon's indignation was loudly expressed. 
 He replied, that he was not the prisoner, but 
 the guest of England, and that it was an out- 
 rage against him to condemn him to exile into 
 which he would not willingly go. It was at 
 once evident, how r ever, that, willing or un- 
 willing, he must embark for his distant prison.
 
 40 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 to settle down in England as he wished, as a 
 country gentleman, would this have satisfied 
 him? Even if he had made no attempt to 
 recover the throne of France for himself, 
 might he not have put forth efforts to have 
 his son acknowledged Emperor ? At the time 
 of his father's downfall, the little King of 
 Rome was hardly more than a baby, but as 
 years passed on he could never have lived 
 contentedly with his grandfather, the Austrian 
 Emperor, knowing that his father was as near 
 as England. In the name of the young Na- 
 poleon, Europe might again have been plunged 
 into a great war. v 
 
 Yet, without looking toward the future, 
 Great Britain was only too sure that the time 
 had come to punish one who had always been 
 the avowed enemy of England. It is true that 
 England had suffered less than any other of 
 the Powers at the hands of Napoleon, because 
 he had never invaded her territory, but in no 
 country was Napoleon so hated. Thousands 
 of Englishmen had shed their blood in the 
 wars carried on against him by the Allies, and 
 by the mass of the English people he was 
 regarded as a monster. Although the so-called
 
 FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 41 
 
 Napoleonic wars had their origin in causes 
 that Napoleon could not have controlled, he 
 was regarded as the one being responsible for 
 the twenty years' upheaval in Europe. 
 
 When it was announced that the British 
 Cabinet had decided to send him into exile, 
 many, perhaps the majority, thought the pun- 
 ishment too light. They would have had him 
 treated as a rebel and immediately hanged or 
 beheaded. Yet while the mass of the English 
 people hated Napoleon, Englishmen who had 
 ever met him were apt to be his firm friends, 
 or at least his admirers. 
 
 Captain Maitland, of the Bellerophon, said 
 that he had inquiries made of the crew as to their 
 opinion of him, and this was the result: "They 
 may abuse that man as much as they please, 
 but if the people of England knew him as 
 well as we do, they would not touch a hair of 
 his head." 
 
 Though Napoleon had surrendered to Great 
 Britain alone, the Allied Powers, desiring 
 Great Britain to be responsible for him, ap- 
 proved her course. 
 
 During the voyage of ten weeks toward St. 
 Helena, Napoleon suffered little from sea-
 
 42 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 sickness after the first few days. He break- 
 fasted in his own cabin at ten or eleven o'clock. 
 Before he dined he generally played a game 
 of chess, and remained at dinner, in compli- 
 ment to the Admiral, about an hour. After he 
 had his coffee he left the others to walk with 
 Count Bertrand or Count Las Cases on the 
 quarter-deck. He often spoke to those officers 
 who could understand French. At first he 
 showed little interest in the occupations of 
 those about him, but in time he engaged in 
 more general conversation and was especially 
 inclined to talk to Mr. Warden, the Northum- 
 berland surgeon, about the prevailing com- 
 plaints on board the ship and his methods of 
 treating the sick. After a while he turned to 
 his own books and spent most of the day 
 reading or in dictating to Las Cases. On the 
 twenty-third of August the Northumberland 
 crossed the equator. Before this the Admiral 
 had amused himself trying to frighten the 
 French, telling them of the rough ceremony 
 practised by the sailors, who always undertook 
 to present to Neptune all persons on board 
 who had never before crossed the line. It hap- 
 pened, however, that in this instance all made
 
 FROM WATERLOO TO ST. HELENA 43 
 
 a special effort to be courteous. While the 
 sailors presented to Neptune were shaved with 
 huge razors and a lather of pitch, the French 
 were introduced politely with compliments, 
 and the Emperor was treated especially well. 
 
 Napoleon seemed amused by this novel per- 
 formance, and later he wished to have one 
 hundred napoleons divided among the sailors. 
 He was made, however, to feel his altered 
 position when, after some discussion, the Ad- 
 miral courteously but decidedly refused his 
 request. 
 
 There were probably few on the Northum- 
 berland who did not deeply sympathize with 
 the fallen Emperor. On this long, monotonous 
 voyage, when his only amusements were con- 
 versation and an occasional evening game of 
 whist with his friends, he seemed to be trying 
 to make the best of the situation. 
 
 On the morning when the Northumberland 
 approached St. Helena, the Emperor dressed 
 early, and going up on deck stepped forward 
 on the gangway. It was the fifteenth of Oc- 
 tober when the ship, after its long voyage, lay 
 at anchor. The Emperor, standing on the 
 gangway with Las Cases behind him, looked
 
 44 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 through his glass at the shore. Directly in 
 front he saw a little village, surrounded by 
 barren and naked hills, reaching toward the 
 clouds. Wherever he looked, on every plat- 
 form, at every aperture, on every hill, was a 
 cannon. Las Cases, watching his face intently, 
 could perceive no change of expression, for 
 Napoleon now had full control of himself. 
 Unmoved he could look on the island that was 
 to be his prison, perhaps his grave. He did 
 not stay long on deck, but, turning about, 
 asked Las Cases to lead the way to his cabin. 
 There they went on with their usual occupa- 
 tion, waiting until they should be told that 
 the time for landing had come. 
 
 During the long voyage Napoleon had won 
 the regard of most persons on the ship. The 
 Northumberland was terribly crowded, but 
 while others grumbled, he made no complaint 
 of the great discomfort, although he, like the 
 others, was affected by it. Already he had 
 begun to practise that stoicism which, on the 
 whole, was the keynote of his life at St. Helena.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 
 
 NAPOLEON quickly fitted himself into 
 his place in his new surroundings. So 
 adaptable was he that the children soon 
 ceased to regard him as a stranger, nor were 
 they inclined to criticise his habits, although 
 in most respects his ways were quite unlike 
 those of the Balcombe family. For example, 
 he did not breakfast as they did. After rising 
 at eight o'clock, he satisfied himself with a 
 cup of coffee and had his first hearty meal, 
 breakfast or luncheon as they variously called 
 it, at one. It was nine o'clock in the evening 
 before he dined, and eleven when he with- 
 drew to his own room. 
 
 The Pavilion, the building that chiefly 
 formed his new abode, was a short distance 
 from the main building of The Briars. It had 
 one good room on the ground floor, and two 
 garrets. Napoleon selected this Pavilion, not
 
 46 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 because it was really more convenient for him, 
 but because by occupying it he would less 
 disturb the Balcombe family than by taking 
 quarters in the main house. 
 
 Las Cases and his son were in one of the 
 garrets, and Napoleon's chief valet de chambre 
 and others of his household were in the sec- 
 ond. The rooms were so crowded that some 
 of the party had to sleep on the floor of the 
 little hall. The Pavilion had been built by 
 Betsy's father as a ballroom, and had a cer- 
 tain stateliness. The large room opened on a 
 lawn, neatly fenced around, and in the centre 
 of the lawn was a marquee, connected with the 
 house by a covered way. The marquee had two 
 compartments. The inner one was Napoleon's 
 bedroom, and in the other General Gorgaud 
 slept. There was little but the beds in the mar- 
 quee. General Gorgaud slept on a small tent 
 bed with green silk hangings, which Napoleon 
 had had with him in all his campaigns. 
 
 Between the two divisions of the marquee 
 some of the servants of Napoleon had carved 
 a huge crown in the green turf, on which the 
 Emperor was obliged to step as he passed 
 through.
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 47 
 
 At first Count Bertrand and Count Mon- 
 tholon with their families were lodged at Mr. 
 Porteous's house in the town, where a suitable 
 table was prepared for them in the French 
 style. They could go to The Briars whenever 
 they wished, accompanied by a British officer 
 or Dr. O'Meara, who was appointed physician 
 to Napoleon; or, followed by a soldier, they 
 were permitted to visit any part of the island 
 except the forts and batteries. 
 
 A captain of artillery resided at The Briars, 
 and at first a sergeant and soldiers were also 
 stationed there. But the presence of the sol- 
 diers was evidently needless, as well as so 
 disagreeable to the family that, on hearing 
 various remonstrances, Sir George Cockburn 
 ordered them away. 
 
 But for the presence of the artillery officer, 
 Napoleon during his stay at The Briars might 
 almost have forgotten that he was a prisoner. 
 He and his suite appreciated the unfailing 
 kindness of Mr. Balcombe and his family, 
 who from the first left nothing undone for the 
 comfort of the exiles. During the early days 
 of his stay the dinner for the French people 
 at The Briars was sent out from town, but
 
 48 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 soon Mr. Balcombe fitted up a little kitchen, 
 connected with the Pavilion, where Napoleon's 
 accomplished cook had every opportunity to 
 display his skill. Very often after dinner Na- 
 poleon obligingly went outside for a walk, that 
 his attendants might finish their dinner in the 
 room that he had left. 
 
 Soon after his arrival Napoleon was visited 
 by Colonel Wilks, Governor of St. Helena, 
 Mrs. Wilks, and other officials of the island, 
 and some of the leading citizens and their 
 families. He had not yet begun to seclude 
 himself, and he and his companions seemed 
 to be trying to make the best of their situa- 
 tion. Then and later evening parties were oc- 
 casionally given by the French without much 
 appearance of restraint. Napoleon accepted 
 no invitations except those given by his friends 
 at The Briars, and in one or two unusual 
 cases, but the others went sometimes to the 
 well- attended balls given by Sir George 
 Cockburn. 
 
 Madames Bertrand and Montholon and the 
 rest of Napoleon's suite, for whom there was 
 not room at The Briars, often came to see 
 him there, and remained during the day. To
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 49 
 
 them he was still le grand empereur. His 
 every look was watched, every wish was an- 
 ticipated, and they showed him great rever- 
 ence. Some have thought that in dealing with 
 them he insisted too much on the etiquette of 
 a court, but certainly none of the suite com- 
 plained of formality. 
 
 Napoleon was always polite to guests at 
 The Briars, and once went to a large party 
 given by Mr. Balcombe, pleasing every one by 
 his urbanity. When guests were introduced 
 he always asked their profession, and then 
 turned the conversation in that direction. 
 People were always surprised at the extent of 
 his information. Officers and others on the 
 way from China sought introductions and were 
 seldom refused. 
 
 Indeed in those first months his attitude to 
 people was very different from what it was 
 later. Not infrequently he himself invited 
 people to dine with him. 
 
 Most of Napoleon's suite shared with him 
 a feeling of friendliness for the Balcombe 
 family. Las Cases, however, was always ready 
 to criticise Miss Betsy, whose hoydenish ways 
 he could never understand. One evening,
 
 50 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 when she was turning over the leaves of 
 Estille's "Floriant," seeing that Gaston de 
 Foix was called General, she asked Napoleon 
 whether he was satisfied with him and whether 
 he had escaped or was still living. This ques- 
 tion shocked Las Cases, for it seemed to him 
 extraordinary that a girl should imagine that 
 the famous Gaston de Foix had been a 
 general under Napoleon. 
 
 But this was not a very strange mistake for 
 a little English girl to make. It is to be 
 feared that Las Cases always took a certain 
 pleasure in correcting the faults of the young 
 Balcombes, or in reporting them to their 
 parents. 
 
 From the first Napoleon claimed more of 
 the society of Betsy than of the other mem- 
 bers of the family, and so agreeable were his 
 manners toward her that the little girl soon 
 began to regard him as a companion of her 
 own, with whom she could be perfectly at 
 ease, rather than as one much older. 
 
 "His spirits were very good, and he was at 
 times almost boyish in his love of mirth and 
 glee, not unmixed sometimes with a tinge of 
 malice," wrote Betsy years later.
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 51 
 
 "Jane," said Betsy to her sister, not long 
 after Napoleon's arrival, "the Emperor has 
 invited us to dine with him. What fun it will 
 be!" 
 
 "I don't know. I am afraid it will be ter- 
 ribly solemn." 
 
 "Oh, no; I am not afraid of that. The 
 Emperor isn't solemn. You ought to get ac- 
 quainted with him, and you wouldn't think 
 so." 
 
 Jane shook her head dubiously. 
 
 "I am half afraid of him. I don't see how 
 you can dare to trifle so with him. What were 
 you laughing at yesterday when Lucy was 
 here? I thought the Emperor looked rather 
 silly." 
 
 "Well, perhaps he did, if you put it that 
 way," responded the blunt Betsy. " Only Lucy 
 was sillier. I thought she would drag me to 
 the ground when I told her the Emperor was 
 coming across the lawn." 
 
 "Then why did you run and bring him up 
 to her? I saw you do it." 
 
 "I needn't have done that. I did more 
 harm than good. I told her he wasn't 
 the cruel creature she thought him. But I
 
 52 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 oughtn't to have told the Emperor she was 
 afraid of him. At least, I wouldn't have done 
 so had I known how he would act, for he 
 brushed up his hair so it stood out like a 
 savage's, and when he came up to Lucy he 
 gave a queer growl so that she screamed until 
 mamma thought she might have hysterics and 
 hurried her out into the house." 
 
 "It was ridiculous for a man to act like a 
 child," responded the sedate Jane, who had 
 not acquired Betsy's admiration for Napoleon. 
 
 "It was more ridiculous for her to scream. 
 Napoleon laughed so at her that I had to 
 take her part. 'I thought you a kind of an 
 ogre, too/ I said, 'before I knew you.' 'Per- 
 haps you think I couldn't frighten you now,' 
 he answered, 'but see;' and then he brushed 
 his hair up higher and made faces, and he 
 looked so queer that I could only laugh at 
 him. 'So I can't frighten you!' he said, and 
 then he howled and howled, and at last 
 seemed disappointed that I wasn't alarmed. 
 'It's a Cossack howl,' he explained, 'and 
 ought to terrify you!' To tell you the truth, 
 it was something terrible, but though I didn't 
 like it I wouldn't flinch. Of course it was all
 
 in fun, for he is really very kind-hearted," 
 concluded Betsy. 
 
 "All the same I don't enjoy the thought of 
 having dinner with him," responded the prac- 
 tical Jane. "I've half a mind not to go." 
 
 "Oh, Jane, that would never do! What 
 would the Emperor think? After you have 
 been invited, too. Besides, mother wouldn't 
 let you stay away. An invitation from royalty 
 is a command." 
 
 "But Napoleon isn't " 
 
 "Hush," cried Betsy, not wishing to hear 
 her new friend belittled. She always took 
 offence if any one called him prisoner. 
 
 In spite of her professed distaste for the 
 dinner, Jane would have been disappointed 
 had she been obliged to stay at home. She 
 set out gayly enough, proud in her secret heart 
 that she was to have the honor of being in 
 the company of the great man. 
 
 Nine o'clock, Napoleon's dinner hour, was 
 late for the little girls. As they entered his 
 apartment the Emperor greeted them cor- 
 dially, meeting them with extended hands, 
 and a moment after, Cipriani, his maitre 
 d'hotelj stood at the door.
 
 54 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Le diner de votre Majeste est servi." 
 Whereupon Napoleon, with a girl on each 
 side, led the way after Cipriani, who walked 
 backward, followed by the rest of his suite, 
 who were dining with him. 
 
 Hardly had they taken their places when 
 Napoleon began to quiz Betsy on the fond- 
 ness of the English for "rosbif and plum 
 pudding." 
 
 "It is better than eating frogs." 
 
 "Oh, my dear Mees, how you wrong us!" 
 
 "Ah, but see here!" cried Betsy, and she 
 brought him a caricature of a long, lean 
 Frenchman with his mouth open, his tongue 
 out, and a frog on the tip of it, ready to 
 jump down his throat. Under it was written, 
 "A Frenchman's Dinner." 
 
 The Emperor laughed loudly at this. 'You 
 are impertinent," he cried, pinching Betsy's 
 ear. "I must show this to the petit Las Cases. 
 He will not love you so much for laughing at 
 his countrymen." 
 
 Upon this Betsy turned very red. The Em- 
 peror had touched a vulnerable point. The 
 young Las Cases, a boy of fourteen, was 
 now at dinner with them, and Napoleon
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 55 
 
 had found that he could easily tease Betsy 
 about him. 
 
 "He will not want a wife," continued Na- 
 poleon, "who makes fun of him;" and Betsy, 
 inwardly enraged, could only maintain a digni- 
 fied silence. 
 
 The Emperor gazed intently at his young 
 friend, and later, when they rose from the 
 table, he called young Las Cases. 
 
 "Come, kiss her; this is your revenge." 
 
 Betsy looked about vainly for a means of 
 escape. But the Emperor had already closed 
 his hands over hers, holding them so that she 
 had no chance to get away, while young Las 
 Cases, with a mischievous smile, approached 
 and kissed her. 
 
 As soon as her hands were at liberty, Betsy 
 boxed the boy's ears and awaited her chance 
 to pay Napoleon off. 
 
 There was no inside hall to go from Na- 
 poleon's apartments to the rest of the house, 
 and it was necessary to pass outside along a 
 steep, narrow path, wide enough for only one 
 at a time. 
 
 An idea flashed into the mind of mischiev- 
 ous Betsy as Napoleon led the way, followed
 
 56 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 by Count Las Cases, his son, and last by 
 Jane. 
 
 Betsy let the others get ahead of her, and 
 waited when they were about ten yards dis- 
 tant. Then with might and main she dashed 
 ahead, running with full force against the 
 luckless Jane, who fell with extended hand 
 upon young Las Cases. He in turn struck 
 against his father, and the latter, to his dismay, 
 against Napoleon. 
 
 The latter could hardly hold his footing, 
 while Betsy in the rear, delighted with the 
 success of her plan, jumped and screamed 
 with pleasure. 
 
 The Emperor said nothing, but Las Cases, 
 horror-struck at the insult offered his master, 
 became furiously angry as Betsy's laughter fell 
 on his ear. 
 
 Turning back, he caught her roughly by the 
 shoulder and pushed her against the rocky 
 bank. It was now Betsy's turn to be angry. 
 
 "Oh, sir, he has hurt me!" 
 
 "Never mind, "replied Napoleon; "to please 
 you, I will hold him while you punish him." 
 
 Thereupon it was young Las Cases's place 
 to tremble. While the great man held him by
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 57 
 
 the hands, Betsy gleefully boxed his ears until 
 he begged for mercy. 
 
 "Stop, stop!" he cried. 
 
 "No, I will not. This has all been your 
 fault. If you hadn't kissed me - 
 
 "There, there," at last called the Emperor 
 to the boy, "I will let you go, but you must run 
 as fast as you can. If you cannot run faster 
 than Betsy, you deserve to be beaten again." 
 
 The young French page did not wait for 
 a second warning, but starting off at a run 
 travelled as fast as he could, with Betsy 
 in full pursuit. Napoleon, watching them, 
 laughed heartily and clapped his hands as 
 the two raced around the grounds. The little 
 encounter amused him, but Las Cases the 
 elder took the matter more seriously. 
 
 Betsy wrote, "From that moment Las Cases 
 never liked me, after this adventure, and used 
 to call me a little rude hoyden." 
 
 The next afternoon Betsy and Jane joined 
 the Emperor, accompanied by General Gor- 
 gaud, in a walk in a meadow. 
 
 "Look, Betsy!" cried Jane, "there are the 
 cows I saw the other day. I am half afraid 
 of them."
 
 68 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Nonsense! How silly!" cried the intrepid 
 Betsy. "Afraid of a cow!" and she repeated 
 her sister's fear to Napoleon. The latter, pro- 
 fessing to be surprised and amused at Jane's 
 fears, joined with Betsy in a laugh at her 
 sister's expense. But even the dread of ridicule 
 had little effect on Jane. 
 
 "Oh, Betsy," she cried, "I am sure one of 
 those cows is coming at us!" 
 
 Looking up, Betsy had to admit that her 
 sister might be right. One of the cows was 
 rushing toward them with her head down, as 
 if ready to attack the party. It was no time 
 for words, and Napoleon, feeling it no disgrace 
 to retreat in the presence of such an enemy, 
 jumped nimbly over a wall and, standing 
 behind it, was thus protected against the 
 enemy. 
 
 General Gorgaud did not run, but standing 
 with drawn sword exclaimed, "This is the 
 second time I have saved the Emperor's life." 
 
 From behind his wall Napoleon laughed 
 loudly at Gorgaud's boast. 
 
 'You ought to have put yourself in the 
 position to repel cavalry," he cried. 
 
 "But really, Monsieur," said Betsy, "it was
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 59 
 
 you who terrified the cows, for the moment 
 you disappeared over the wall the animal 
 became calm and tranquil." 
 
 "Well, well," cried Napoleon, again laugh- 
 ing, "it is a pity she could not carry out her 
 good intentions. Evidently she wished to save 
 the English Government the expense and 
 trouble of keeping me." 
 
 "Betsy," said the sedate Jane a little later, 
 when she had a chance to talk to her sister 
 alone, "you ought not to speak so to the 
 Emperor. You treat him like a child." 
 
 "Well, he seems like one of us, doesn't he, 
 Jane? I always feel as if he were one of us, 
 a brother of our own age, and I am sure he is 
 much happier than if we acted as if we were 
 afraid of him. But still, if you like, I will 
 walk very solemnly now." 
 
 So Betsy walked along beside her sister 
 with a slow and mincing step, her face as 
 long as if she had lost her best friend. As 
 she approached the Emperor he noticed the 
 change. 
 
 "Eh, bien ! qu'as tu, Mademoiselle Betsee ?" 
 he asked. "Has le petit Las Cases proved 
 inconstant ? If he have, bring him to me."
 
 60 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Instantly Betsy's new resolves melted away 
 and for the rest of the walk she and Napoleon 
 were in their usual mood of good comradeship. 
 
 The next morning, when Napoleon joined 
 the family circle at The Briars, one of Betsy's 
 little brothers, hardly more than a baby, sat 
 on Napoleon's knee, and began to amuse 
 himself as usual by playing with the glittering 
 decorations and orders that Napoleon wore. 
 
 "Come, Mees Betsee," he cried, "there is 
 no pleasing this child. You must come and 
 cut off these jewels to satisfy him." 
 
 "Oh, I have something better to do now!" 
 cried little Alexander, jumping from Napo- 
 leon's knee and picking up a pack of cards. 
 "Look!" he continued, pointing to the figure 
 of a Grand Mogul on the back of each card, 
 "look, Bony, this is you." 
 
 At first the Emperor, with his imperfect 
 knowledge of English, did not exactly under- 
 stand the child's meaning. When he did, in- 
 stead of taking offence, he only smiled as he 
 turned to Betsy, saying, "But what does he 
 mean by calling me * Bony ' ? " 
 
 "Ah," replied Betsy in French, "it is short 
 for Bonaparte." JLas Cases, however, trying
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 61 
 
 to improve on the little girl's definition, inter- 
 preted the word literally, "a bony person." 
 
 Napoleon laughed at this reply, adding, 
 "Je ne suis pas osseux" and this was all. 
 Alexander was not reproved for his familiarity. 
 
 It was true that Bonaparte was far from 
 thin or bony, and Betsy had often admired 
 his plump hand, which she had more than 
 once called the prettiest in the world. Its 
 knuckles were dimpled like a baby's, the fin- 
 gers taper and beautifully formed, and the 
 nails perfect. 
 
 ; 'Your hand does not look large and strong 
 enough to hold a sword," she said to him one 
 day. 
 
 "Ah, but it is," said one of his suite, who 
 was present. Drawing his own sabre from its 
 scabbard, he pointed to a stain on it, saying, 
 "This is the blood of an Englishman." 
 
 "Sheathe your sword," cried the Emperor. 
 "It is bad taste to boast, particularly before 
 ladies. But if you will pardon me," and he 
 looked toward the others in the room, "I will 
 show you a sword of mine." 
 
 Then from its embossed sheath Napoleon 
 drew a wonderful sword with a handle in the
 
 62 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 shape of a golden fleur-de-lis. The sheath 
 itself was hardly less remarkable, made of a 
 single piece of tortoise shell, studded with 
 golden bees. 
 
 The children were delighted when the Em- 
 peror permitted them to touch the wonderful 
 weapon. It was the most beautiful sword they 
 had ever seen. 
 
 As Betsy held the sword in her hands, un- 
 luckily she remembered a recent incident in 
 which she had been at a great disadvantage 
 under the Emperor's teasing. Now was her 
 chance to get even with her tormentor. 
 
 With her usual heedlessness of consequences 
 she drew out the sword and began to make 
 passes at Napoleon until she had driven him 
 into a corner. 
 
 ; 'You must say your prayers," she said, 
 "for I am going to kill you." 
 
 "Oh, Betsy, how can you!" remonstrated 
 the more prudent Jane, rushing to the Em- 
 peror's assistance. "I will go and tell father." 
 
 But Betsy only laughed at her. 
 
 "I don't care," she cried. "People tease me 
 when they like. Now it is my turn;" and she 
 continued to thrust the sword dangerously
 
 NAPOLEON AT THE BRIARS 63 
 
 near Napoleon's face, until her strength was 
 exhausted, and her arm fell at her side. 
 Count Las Cases, the dignified chamberlain, 
 who had entered the room during the en- 
 counter, looked on indignantly. He did not 
 quite dare to interfere, although his indigna- 
 tion was plainly expressed in his face. Already 
 he had taken a deep dislike to the little girl, 
 and to him the sword incident seemed the 
 climax of her misbehavior. If looks could kill, 
 she would have perished on the spot. 
 
 Although the Frenchman's expression had 
 not the power to annihilate Betsy, something 
 in his look warned her that she had gone far 
 enough. Daring though she was, she decided 
 that her wisest course was to give up the 
 weapon. As she handed the sword back to 
 him, Napoleon playfully pinched her ear. 
 
 It happened, unluckily, however, that Bet- 
 sy's ear had been bored only the day before. 
 The pinch consequently caused her some pain. 
 Without venturing to resist the Emperor's 
 touch, she gave a sharp exclamation. She 
 knew that he had not intended to hurt her.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 BETSY'S BALL-GOWN 
 
 WHEN the little flurry over the sword 
 had ended, Napoleon seemed lost in 
 thought, and the children wondered 
 what he was thinking of. Perhaps the laugh- 
 ing ways of these young people reminded him 
 of his little son, whose growth from babyhood 
 to youth he was destined never to see. Some 
 such thought must have been in his mind 
 when he turned to one of his attendants, 
 saying: 
 
 "I believe that these children would like to 
 see some of my bijouterie. Go bring me those 
 miniatures of the King of Rome." 
 
 In a short time the messenger returned, 
 laden with little boxes, while the children 
 loudly expressed their delight. They knew the 
 story of the young Napoleon, once the pride 
 of the French nation, on whom had been 
 conferred the title King of Rome. They knew
 
 BETSY'S BALL-GOWN 65 
 
 that he had gone to live with the Austrian 
 Emperor, father of his mother, Maria Louisa, 
 and perhaps some of them had heard of his 
 stout resistance to those who came to take 
 him away from his beautiful home, the 
 Tuileries. Already they had seen some of the 
 portraits of the little boy, brought by Napoleon 
 to St. Helena, and they were pleased by the 
 idea of seeing others of the. collection. 
 
 So they gathered around the Emperor as 
 children will when something interesting is to 
 be shown them. 
 
 "How lovely!" cried Jane, gazing at the 
 miniature she was first allowed to hold in her 
 hand. 
 
 It was indeed a beautiful picture, showing 
 a baby asleep in his cradle, which was in the 
 shape of a helmet of Mars. Above his head 
 the banner of France was waving and in his 
 tiny right hand was a small globe. 
 
 "What does it mean?" asked Betsy, a little 
 timidly now, as she noted the expression of 
 mingled pride and sadness in Napoleon's face. 
 
 "Ah, those are the symbols of greatness. 
 He is to be a great warrior and rule the world." 
 
 "Yes in a minute," murmured Betsy, as
 
 66 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 one of the boys whispered to her to translate 
 " Je prie le bon Dieu pour mon pere, ma mere, et 
 ma patrie," inscribed beneath a picture of the 
 child on a snuffbox cover, which showed the 
 little fellow in prayer before a crucifix. Then 
 they both looked at another miniature por- 
 traying him riding one lamb, while he was 
 decking another with ribbons. 
 
 "Ah!" mused the Emperor again sadly. 
 "Those were real lambs. They were given 
 him by the inhabitants of Paris, a hint, I 
 suppose, that they would rather have peace 
 than war." 
 
 "And this is his mother," continued the 
 Emperor, as a woman, far less handsome than 
 Josephine, was shown in the miniature with 
 the boy, surrounded by a halo of roses and 
 clouds. 
 
 "She is beautiful," exclaimed Napoleon; 
 "but I will show you the most beautiful 
 woman in the world." 
 
 The girls echoed his words. "I never saw 
 any one so beautiful in my life," cried Betsy, 
 gazing on the portrait of a young, charming 
 woman. 
 
 "And you never will," avowed Napoleon.
 
 BETSY'S BALLGOWN 67 
 
 "The Princess of- ' queried one of the 
 French. 
 
 "My sister Pauline," said Napoleon, "and 
 you show good taste in admiring her. She is 
 probably one of the loveliest women ever 
 created." 
 
 "But now," he continued, when they had 
 seen all the pictures, "let us go down to the 
 cottage and play whist." 
 
 Turning reluctantly from the miniatures, 
 the children walked down to the cottage and 
 soon were ready to play. 
 
 But the cards did not deal smoothly enough. 
 "Go off there by yourself," said Napoleon to 
 young Las Cases, "and deal until the cards 
 run better. And now, Mees Betsy, tell me 
 about your robe de bal." 
 
 Betsy's face flushed with pleasure. "Do 
 you really want to see it? I will go upstairs 
 and get it." 
 
 To Betsy the ball to be given soon by Sir 
 George Cockburn was a wonderful affair. It 
 was considered a great event by all the 
 people of the island, but for Betsy it had 
 a special significance, because it would be her 
 very first ball. In England, at her age, her
 
 68 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 parents would not have thought of letting her 
 go to a ball, but amusements were so few at 
 St. Helena that to keep her home would have 
 seemed cruel. 
 
 At first her parents had objected to her 
 going, but when Napoleon saw her in tears 
 one day and learned why, he asked her father 
 to let her go, and thus she gained her father's 
 consent. 
 
 It is not strange then that the little girl 
 took a great interest in her gown for the ball, 
 and since she felt indebted to the Emperor for 
 his intercession, she was pleased that he ex- 
 pressed an interest in her costume. 
 
 So she ran upstairs light-heartedly to get 
 the new gown, and in a few minutes returned 
 with it on her arm. 
 
 "It is very pretty," cried the Emperor, 
 examining the gown critically; and all the 
 others, except the stern Las Cases, had a 
 word of commendation for it. 
 
 It was a delicately pretty gown, trimmed 
 with soft roses. Even if it had not been her 
 first ball-gown, Betsy's pride in it would have 
 been justified; but as things were, no cynical 
 person could have found fault with her for
 
 BETSY'S BALLGOWN 69 
 
 picturing to herself what a fine impression she 
 would make at this first appearance at a 
 grown-up function. 
 
 The Emperor's praises were particularly 
 gratifying, because he had a way of ridiculing 
 any detail of dress that he did not like. 
 
 "Oh, Mees Betsee," he would cry, "why 
 do you wear trousers? You look just like a 
 boy;" and any one who has seen pictures of 
 girls in pantalets will admit that they merited 
 criticism. Or again he would say: 
 
 "If I were governor I would make a law 
 against ladies wearing those ugly, short waists. 
 Why do you wear them, Mees Betsee ? " 
 
 It was, therefore, delightful to the young 
 girl that he approved her ball-gown. 
 
 After sufficient praise had been given the 
 dress, the four sat down to play, Napoleon 
 and Jane against Las Cases and Betsy. 
 
 "Mademoiselle Betsee," said the Emperor, 
 "I tire of sugar-plums. I bet you a napoleon 
 on the game. What will you put against it?" 
 
 "I have no money," replied Betsy, a little 
 shyly for her. "I have nothing worth a na- 
 poleon except oh, yes my little pagoda. 
 Will that do?"
 
 70 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 The Emperor laughed. "Yes, that will do, 
 and I will try to get it." 
 
 So they began in merry spirits. 
 
 "There, there," cried Betsy after a minute 
 or two, "that isn't fair. You mustn't show 
 your cards to Jane." 
 
 "But this is such a good one." Napoleon's 
 eye twinkled. 
 
 "Well, it isn't fair," added Betsy with the 
 excitement in her tone often observable in 
 vivacious natures. As the cards were shuffled 
 she repeated, "Remember, you mustn't look 
 at your cards until they are all dealt." 
 
 "But it seems so long to wait." 
 
 "Then I won't play. You revoked on 
 purpose." 
 
 "Did I? Then I must hide my guilt;" and 
 Napoleon mixed all the cards indiscriminately 
 together, while Betsy tried to hold his hands 
 to prevent further mischief, as she pointed 
 out what he had done. 
 
 Napoleon, amused by Betsy's indignation, 
 laughed until the tears came. 
 
 "Mees Betsy, Mees Betsy, I am surprised. 
 I played so fair, and you have cheated so; 
 you must pay me the forfeit, the pagoda."
 
 BETSY'S BALLGOWN 71 
 
 "No, Monsieur, you revoked." 
 
 "Oh, but Mees Betsy, but you are mdchante 
 and a cheat. Ah, but I will keep you from 
 going to the ball!" 
 
 While they were playing Betsy had quite 
 forgotten the pretty gown that she had laid 
 carefully on the sofa. Now, all too late, she 
 realized its danger, for the Emperor, suddenly 
 turning toward the sofa, seized it, and before 
 she could stop him ran out of the room with 
 it, toward the Pavilion. 
 
 Betsy in alarm quickly followed, but though 
 she went fast, Napoleon went faster, and had 
 locked himself in his room before she reached 
 him. 
 
 Poor Betsy was now thoroughly frightened. 
 She was sure that her pretty gown, with its 
 trimmings of soft roses, would be destroyed. 
 
 "Oh, give it to me, please!" she cried in 
 English, as she knocked upon his door. But 
 the Emperor made no reply. Then she made 
 her appeal in French, using every beseeching 
 word she knew to get him to return it. Still 
 his only answer was a mocking laugh, repeated 
 several times, and an occasional word of 
 refusal. Nor did any one else come to Betsy's
 
 72 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 assistance. As short a time as the French had 
 lived at The Briars there was hardly one of 
 them on whom Betsy had not played some 
 trick, and even the members of her own family 
 were unsympathetic when a message was 
 brought her from Napoleon that he intended 
 to keep her dress and that she might as well 
 make up her mind she could not go to the ball. 
 
 Poor Betsy! At night, after many wakeful 
 hours, she cried herself to sleep. When morn- 
 ing came things did not seem so black. She 
 felt sure that the Emperor would not do what 
 he had no right to do, keep her pretty dress. 
 He would surely send it back to her. But the 
 morning wore away, and, contrary to his habit, 
 Napoleon did not come near his neighbors of 
 The Briars. Betsy sent several strongly ap- 
 pealing messages, but to them all came only 
 one reply: 
 
 'The Emperor is sleeping, and cannot be 
 disturbed." 
 
 So strong indeed was the dignity with which 
 Napoleon had hedged himself, that even the 
 daring Betsy did not venture to intrude upon 
 him when he was resting. 
 
 Afternoon came, and at last it was almost
 
 BETSY'S BALLGOWN 73 
 
 time to start for the valley. The family were 
 to ride there on horseback, carrying their ball- 
 dresses in tin cases, and they were to dress 
 at the house of a friend. 
 
 The horses were brought around, the black 
 boys came up with the tin cases that held the 
 dresses the dresses of the rest of the party 
 but nothing of poor Betsy's. The little girl's 
 cup was full to overflowing; she, the courage- 
 ous, began to cry. 
 
 She turned to one of the servants : 
 
 "Has my dress been packed?" 
 
 "Of course not; we didn't have it to pack." 
 
 "Then I cannot go." 
 
 Her tears had ceased. She was now too 
 angry to cry longer. 
 
 "I will go anyway," she said on second 
 thought. "I will dance in my morning frock, 
 and then you will all feel sorry, for I will tell 
 every one how I have been treated." 
 
 At this moment a figure was seen running 
 down the lawn. It was Napoleon, and Betsy 
 gave a scream of delight as she saw that in his 
 arms he carried her dress. 
 
 Her face brightened and she hastened to 
 meet him.
 
 74 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Here, Mees Betsy," he cried; "I have 
 brought your dress. I hope you are a good 
 girl now, and that you will like the ball; and 
 mind you dance with Gorgaud." 
 
 "Yes, yes!" said Betsy, too happy to get 
 her dress to oppose any suggestion, although 
 General Gorgaud was no favorite of hers and 
 she had a long-standing feud with him. 
 
 "You will find your roses still fresh," said 
 the Emperor. "I ordered them arranged and 
 pulled out, in case any were crushed." 
 
 To the little girl's delight, when she ex- 
 amined her gown she found that no harm 
 had been done it, in spite of the rough 
 treatment it had received at Napoleon's 
 hands. 
 
 "I wish you were going, sire," she said 
 politely, as he walked beside the horses to the 
 end of the bridle path. 
 
 "Ah, balls are not for me," he replied, 
 shaking his head. Then he stopped. 
 
 "Whose house is that?" he asked, pointing 
 to a house in the valley far beneath. "It is 
 beautifully situated," he continued; "some 
 time I shall visit it. Come, Las Cases, we 
 must not detain the party."
 
 BETSY'S BALL-GOWN 75 
 
 "We must hurry on," whispered one of those 
 on horseback. 
 
 "Good-bye, good-bye," and Napoleon and 
 the elder Las Cases went down the mountain 
 toward the house that he had seen in the 
 distance, while Betsy and the others rode on 
 toward the ball. 
 
 Next day Napoleon said that he had been 
 charmed with the beautiful place in the valley 
 that he and Las Cases had visited after he 
 had seen the others ride away to the ball. He 
 had found the owner of the place, Mr. 
 Hodgdon, very agreeable, and at last he had 
 ridden home on an Arab horse that the latter 
 had lent him. 
 
 Before Napoleon withdrew within his shell 
 he was not only inclined to receive visitors 
 but to pay visits. Betsy and Jane were riding 
 gayly along one day when they came unex- 
 pectedly upon Napoleon, also on horseback. 
 
 "Where have you been?" asked the ven- 
 turesome Betsy. 
 
 'To Candy Bay," replied Napoleon, with- 
 out resenting her inquisitiveness. 
 
 "Oh, didn't you think Fairyland just the 
 most perfect place?"
 
 76 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 ;< Yes, indeed, I was delighted with it and 
 with its venerable host, Mr. D. He is a typ- 
 ical Englishman of the highest type." 
 
 'Yes, and only think, he is over seventy 
 years old and yet has never left the island. 
 I don't know what St. Helena would do with- 
 out him," said Jane. 
 
 "I call him the good genius of the valley," 
 added Betsy.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 A HORSE TAMER 
 
 ONE morning, not long after the ball, 
 Betsy took a slight revenge on the 
 Emperor. She had a certain favor to 
 ask of him, and she had gone to look for him 
 in his favorite retreat in his garden, the 
 Grapery, near a large pond of clear water, 
 full of gold and silver fish. Though called a 
 grapery, vines of many different kinds twined 
 over the trellis-work, while the grapevines 
 were chiefly over an arbor at the end. 
 
 In the sultriest weather this little arbor was 
 cool and pleasant, and here Napoleon was in 
 the habit of taking his books and papers 
 when he wished to work out of doors. 
 
 He had no regular hour for rising, and some- 
 times he would go there as early as four 
 o'clock and write until breakfast, or dictate to 
 Las Cases. No one was permitted to intrude 
 pn him there, no one but Betsy occasionally,
 
 78 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 and then it could hardly be called intruding, 
 for she usually went at the Emperor's request, 
 or, as it might be said, she had a general 
 invitation. When Betsy said, "Come and un- 
 lock the garden door," Napoleon stopped, even 
 in the middle of the sentence he might be 
 dictating, and she was always admitted. This 
 general invitation, however, might have been 
 withdrawn if Betsy had not been too sensible 
 to interrupt the Emperor often. She was care- 
 ful not to abuse what was for her a special 
 privilege. 
 
 On this particular morning she went to the 
 arbor door with some hesitation. One of her 
 friends from the valley, a very charming girl, 
 had come to pass the morning with her. 
 
 "Now, Betsy," she had said, "I hear that 
 you are a great favorite with Napoleon and 
 you must introduce me, for I am just dying 
 to see him." 
 
 "I do not think I can," replied Betsy. "It 
 is a very hot morning and I saw him go early 
 to the arbor. I do not like to disturb him 
 when he is busy." 
 
 "Busy! How can a prisoner be busy? It 
 cannot matter whether he is idle or busy."
 
 A HORSE TAMER 79 
 
 "He is not a prisoner, at least we don't call 
 him so," retorted Betsy indignantly, "and he 
 is writing books." 
 
 "Oh, I suppose you know best, but if you 
 cannot be obliging, I shall be mortified when 
 I go home to say that I did not see him. I 
 heard you knew him so well, that I supposed 
 you wouldn't mind introducing me." 
 
 Thus put on her mettle, Betsy yielded 
 against her better judgment and went down 
 to the arbor. 
 
 At first there was no answer to her knock. 
 Napoleon had fallen asleep over his papers. 
 At last she succeeded in arousing him. "What 
 do you want?" he asked rather gruffly as he 
 came to the little door. 
 
 "Let me in, and you will know." 
 
 "No, tell me first what you want and then 
 I will let you in." 
 
 Betsy was not so sure of this, but since she 
 could not help it, she had to explain her 
 errand. 
 
 "I wish to introduce a young lady to you." 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed; I am not well." 
 
 " But she will be so disappointed, and 
 she is so pretty."
 
 80 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Not like the lady I was obliged to say 
 agreeable things to yesterday ? " 
 
 "Oh, no, she is very different. She is really 
 young and handsome." 
 
 "Very well, then, since you have promised, I 
 suppose I must go, but come in for a minute," 
 this not very politely, it must be admitted. 
 As Betsy entered the little enclosure she rushed 
 to the table and rather rudely snatched up 
 some of the papers on which Napoleon had 
 been at work. 
 
 "Now," she said, "for your ill-nature in 
 making me stand so long at the door, I shall 
 keep these and find out all your secrets." 
 
 The Emperor looked at Betsy with some 
 alarm. He did not like to see his papers in 
 her hands. 
 
 "Put them down instantly," he cried. 
 
 "No, no," rejoined Betsy, running around 
 the garden with the papers held high above 
 her head. The Emperor looked at her sternly. 
 
 "Very well! Unless you obey me at once, 
 I shall no longer be your friend." 
 
 Hardly ever before had Betsy heard Na- 
 poleon speak so severely. She saw that he was 
 in earnest and that she must obey. She saw,
 
 A HORSE TAMER 81 
 
 too, that she was in danger of losing his 
 regard, and even without looking far ahead 
 she realized that he might not go to her friend, 
 if her own foolishness continued longer. So, 
 giving up her trophies, she seized the Em- 
 peror's hand and led him to the house. 
 
 Now that he had yielded to Betsy's wishes, 
 Napoleon was most courteous to her guest. 
 He talked graciously to the young lady, com- 
 plimented her on her beauty, and when she 
 was ready to go home helped her on her 
 horse. 
 
 "She is a very pretty girl," he said later to 
 Betsy, "but she has the airs of a marchande 
 de modes." 
 
 In thus intruding on Napoleon in his arbor 
 study, Betsy had shown a rashness that no 
 one else in the family w r ould have ventured to 
 imitate. One day, however, Betsy aided an 
 intruder, whose behavior the Emperor could 
 not resent although he was disturbed by it. 
 
 It happened in this way. One morning 
 while Napoleon was busy in his outdoor study 
 making notes, Betsy was romping about in the 
 garden near by. 
 
 "Come, Tom Pipes!" she called loudly; and
 
 82 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 a second later a beautiful Newfoundland dog 
 rushed to her side. Tom Pipes belonged to 
 Sir George Cockburn, the Admiral, arid was 
 well known to every one at The Briars, as he 
 was in the habit of accompanying his master 
 on his occasional visits to Mr. BaU-ombe's 
 house. After his long run up the mountainous 
 road under the hot sun, Tom Pipes was always 
 delighted to reach The Briars, for the p]a 
 had many ponds and little streams, into which 
 the intelligent dog would plunge for a swim. 
 
 On this particular day, Tom needed no 
 second word from Betsy to make him accept 
 her invitation to take a dip in the pond, 
 stocked with gold and silver fish, that was 
 near Napoleon's arbor. The dog bathed and 
 swarri and amused himself in the water, and 
 at last clambered up the bank. A moment 
 later, as if tired from his exertions, he lay 
 down by Napoleon's side. Napoleon, like 
 every one else at The Briars, knew and ad- 
 mired the dog, and if he nofierd Tom Pi peg's 
 approach had no objection to it. lie was so 
 absorbed in his work, however, that he prob- 
 ably was hardly aware of the nearness of the 
 creature. After a few minutes' rest, Tom Pipes
 
 A HORSE TAMER 83 
 
 realized that he had not completed his toilet. 
 So, rising to his feet, he began to shake him- 
 self vigorously. Instantly a shower of water 
 bespattered Napoleon's face and clothing, and 
 drenched the papers on the table. The sheet 
 on which he was writing was entirely spoiled, 
 and he himself looked rather ridiculous, as he 
 tried to brush off the drops of water. In spite 
 of his annoyance, Napoleon could not help 
 laughing, for although he scolded and did his 
 best to drive Tom Pipes away, the dog could not 
 understand him. The two had been shipmates 
 on the Northumberland, and the dog was so 
 delighted to see Napoleon again that instead 
 of running away, he kept jumping on him, 
 leaving on the Emperor's clothing repeated 
 imprints of his wet and muddy paws. 
 
 While all this was happening, Betsy, look- 
 ing on, was convulsed with laughter. She had 
 not had this particular ending in mind when 
 she had called Tom Pipes to play with her, but 
 no deliberate practical joke of hers had ever 
 been more amusing to her; and the best part of 
 it was that the Kmperor could not really blame 
 her nor punish Tom l'ij)es. 
 
 Very often, however, it was not Betsy who
 
 84 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 got the best of a practical joke. Not infre- 
 quently she lost her temper over little things 
 that were not worth minding, and Napoleon, 
 to whom she was a constant source of amuse- 
 ment, could not forbear teasing her, just to 
 see how she would take his fun. One day, 
 looking over Betsy's shoulder, Napoleon dis- 
 covered that her translation was not finished. 
 Her father required this bit of work from her 
 every day, and now Napoleon saw a way to 
 pay her back in some of her own coin. 
 
 Taking the paper from Betsy, and holding 
 it aloft, the Emperor approached Mr. Bal- 
 combe, who was now mounting his horse for 
 a ride. 
 
 "Balcombe," he cried, "voila le theme de 
 Mdlle. Betsee. Qu'elle a bien travaille!" he 
 concluded sarcastically. 
 
 Betsy's father looked at the sheet of paper 
 which was quite blank, and, entering into the 
 spirit of the thing with Napoleon, he professed 
 to be very angry. Calling Betsy to him, he 
 reproved her severely. 
 
 "If your translation is not ready when I 
 return home to dinner, I will punish you 
 severely." Mortified by this reproof, Betsy
 
 A HORSE TAMER 85 
 
 cherished plans of retaliation against the Em- 
 peror, which she carried out when she pinioned 
 him in the corner with her sword. 
 
 Yet after all she deserved the reproof, since 
 her father had made a rigid rule that his 
 daughters should have a translation from 
 English into French ready every morning be- 
 fore the hour when Napoleon visited The 
 Briars. He rightly considered it a great privi- 
 lege for the young girls that the great man 
 should be willing to look at their French 
 themes, with a view to improving their use 
 of his language. 
 
 One morning the sisters observed Archam- 
 baud, Napoleon's groom, leading a beautiful 
 horse in front of the house. 
 
 "That is the Arab they have bought for 
 him to ride." 
 
 "I shouldn't think he'd care to ride that 
 horse," responded the timid Jane. "See how 
 he rears and plunges." 
 
 "He's afraid of that white cloth on the lawn." 
 'Yes, but they've put it there on purpose, 
 to break him of the habit of shying." 
 
 While they were speaking, Napoleon ap- 
 proached.
 
 86 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Sir," said the confident Betsy, "I don't 
 believe you can ride that horse." 
 
 "I! Don't you think me a good rider?" 
 
 "Yes; I think you look better on horseback 
 than any one I have ever seen." 
 
 "Only look!" Napoleon was trying to 
 draw her out. 
 
 "But you really ride better than anyone else, 
 as I told you the other day when you rode 
 around the lawn. I didn't suppose any one 
 could make a horse wheel in such a narrow 
 circle." 
 
 * Yet you think this Arab could conquer me!" 
 
 "But it looks so ugly, I mean its disposi- 
 tion." 
 
 The Emperor, without replying directly, 
 called Archambaud to him and bade him 
 dismount, while he took his seat on the fiery 
 horse. The girls looked on in horror, but 
 Napoleon only smiled the more, as he com- 
 pelled the horse to pass the cloth and con- 
 tinued his discipline until he made the 
 creature put his foot on it. 
 
 Archambaud gazed open-mouthed, hardly 
 knowing whether to laugh or to cry. The 
 Emperor persevered, and in a short time the
 
 A HORSE TAMER 87 
 
 horse was absolutely obedient to him, and the 
 groom, though chagrined at his own failure, 
 was pleased by the Emperor's success. 
 
 "Ah," said Napoleon, dismounting, "it 
 would be a strange horse that did not under- 
 stand me. There was one that I rode once 
 one hundred and twenty-nine miles in one 
 day. My mother was ill, and I had to do it; 
 but the horse, poor thing, died in the course 
 of the night." 
 
 "And you?" asked Betsy. 
 
 "Ah, I was fatigued, but in or out of the 
 saddle makes little difference to me. I could 
 almost sleep in the saddle. But, come, young 
 ladies," he continued, "I came here to invite 
 you to see my china. It is all unpacked." 
 
 The girls followed the Emperor toward the 
 house, and "Oh!" and "Ah!" they exclaimed 
 loudly as they looked at the beautiful dishes 
 lately arrived from France. Among them there 
 were plates that had cost twenty-five na- 
 poleons, each of them painted by a great 
 artist. It was a beautiful set, given to the 
 Emperor by the people of Paris, and the pic- 
 tures were chiefly battle scenes commemorat- 
 ing his great victories.
 
 88 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Before one of these paintings, Betsy stood 
 enraptured. It represented a slim youth, who 
 looked almost tall, standing on a bridge and 
 evidently cheering others on, while nearer him 
 were the dead and dying. 
 
 "And this was really you?" exclaimed 
 Betsy, for she recognized the standing figure. 
 
 ; 'Yes," replied Napoleon, sighing, as if for 
 his dead youth. "I was that boy. That was 
 almost the beginning. I was more slender 
 then than now." 
 
 "This is the ibis?" asked Betsy, pointing 
 to a bird that appeared on many plates. 
 
 'Yes; these are mostly pictures of Egypt;" 
 and the ibis led him to a long discourse on 
 the Egyptian campaign. 
 
 "But don't go to Egypt, Miss Betsy," he 
 concluded. 'You will catch ophthalmia and 
 spoil your eyes." 
 
 " Pourquoi avez-vous tourne turque ?" ["Why 
 did you turn Turk?"] interposed Betsy ab- 
 ruptly. 
 
 "What is that to you ?" he asked, laughing. 
 The question referred to his having become 
 a Mahometan, but at first it was not clear to 
 Napoleon what she meant.
 
 A HORSE TAMER 89 
 
 "I mean, why did you change your re- 
 ligion?" Betsy explained. 
 
 " Fighting is a soldier's religion," he re- 
 plied. "I never changed that. The other is 
 the affair of women and priests. Quant a moi, 
 I always adopt the religion of the country I 
 am in. And now," he said at last, "you have 
 seen all the plates, and there are your little 
 brothers coming up to find out what our 
 Santini has made for them." 
 
 Santini was Napoleon's lamplighter, a clever 
 little fellow, who could make all kinds of toys 
 and was always ready to play amusing tricks 
 to entertain the children. 
 
 " What has he now ? " the little boys asked as 
 the man approached with a box under his arm. 
 
 The children jumped about excitedly. Even 
 the girls were curious, as, taking the box from 
 under his arm, Santini displayed a tiny car- 
 riage to which were harnessed two pairs of 
 mice. In spite of Santini's efforts, they did 
 not at once start off, as he had expected, to 
 draw the carriage, and the boys appealed to 
 the Emperor. 
 
 "Pinch the tails of the leaders, and then 
 they will go," commanded Napoleon.
 
 90 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 The boys obeyed, and to the great delight 
 of the children the mice started off at full 
 speed. As they watched the carriage and the 
 scampering steeds, the children shouted and 
 clapped their hands. 
 
 One morning Betsy stood before Napoleon 
 with an expression of disappointment on her 
 pretty face. 
 
 " Of course I thought you meant it." 
 
 "But you are a foolish child." 
 
 "Why shouldn't you give a ball before you 
 leave The Briars ? Not a very great one, but 
 just large enough for me to dance at. Soon 
 you will be away, at Longwood. I thought 
 you promised." 
 
 'You must have known I was in fun." 
 
 At last Betsy noted a tone in the Emperor's 
 voice that warned her to go no further. 
 
 "But since you are so disappointed," said 
 Napoleon kindly, "you may have whatever 
 you wish to ask of me. Dites-moi, que veux-tu 
 que je fosse Mdlle. Betsee pour te consoler?" 
 ["Tell me, what do you wish me to do to 
 console you ? "] 
 
 Betsy's face brightened.
 
 A HORSE TAMER 91 
 
 "Let us play the game of blindman's buff 
 you have so often promised. Then I will 
 forgive you for not having the ball, and never 
 speak of it again." 
 
 "Blindman's buff, as you describe it, did 
 not seem to be just the game for me. Can't 
 you think of something else ? " 
 
 "But you promised, and your room is 
 splendid for it, and it wouldn't be any fun 
 without you." 
 
 Seeing that resistance was useless, the Em- 
 peror at last consented to play. He began by 
 binding his fine white handkerchief over 
 Betsy's eyes. 
 
 "Can you see?" 
 
 "I cannot see you." 
 
 But Betsy, although she spoke truly in 
 saying that she could not see the Emperor, 
 could yet detect a glimmer of light. Napoleon 
 waved his hands before her eyes, and the 
 shadows and rush of air made her start. 
 
 "Ah, leetle monkey, you can see me!" he 
 exclaimed, and he put another handkerchief 
 over her eyes. 
 
 Then, with Betsy in the middle of the 
 room, the game began. Soon the young
 
 92 NAPOLEON'S lYOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 girl felt some one pull her nose roughly. 
 She knew who had touched her, for, as 
 he crept toward her, she recognized Napo- 
 leon's footsteps. As she darted forward, he 
 bounded away just as her hand touched his. 
 Then, as she groped about, Napoleon pulled 
 her ear. She was sure that she had recog- 
 nized him and putting out her hand she cried 
 triumphantly : 
 
 "I have you, I have you! Now it is your 
 turn." 
 
 When Betsy uncovered her eyes she was 
 mortified to find that it was her sister she had 
 captured. Napoleon, it was true, had pulled 
 her ear, but he had accomplished this by 
 reaching his hand over Jane's head. Every 
 one now laughed at Betsy. 
 
 "Come," said Napoleon, "as you have made 
 such a great mistake, you must pay the pen- 
 alty and remain blindfolded." 
 
 The Emperor continued to tease and quiz, 
 pulling Betsy's ear or her dress, and always 
 managing to escape being caught. 
 
 At last, when the fun was at its height, a 
 servant, entering, announced that some one 
 had called to see the Emperor. So the young
 
 A HORSE TAMER 93 
 
 people were left to themselves for a while. 
 The game was at an end. 
 
 "Now, Mees Betsy," exclaimed the Em- 
 peror, when he returned to the room, "you 
 and all the other players must come and dine 
 with me." 
 
 "But we have already dined." 
 
 : ' Yet you must come. Now, Navarre," said 
 the Emperor, when they had reached the 
 marquee, "Mees Betsy is very fond of creams. 
 Bring some for her." 
 
 "I cannot eat them," protested Betsy. 
 
 "But you told me you were so fond of 
 them. Come, it is not kind to refuse." 
 
 "But really I cannot eat." 
 
 "Oh, nonsense!" 
 
 Betsy made the effort, and ate half of a 
 delicious cream. 
 
 "That is not enough. I will feed you, little 
 bambino, I will feed you;" and with spoon 
 in hand Napoleon actually began to feed 
 the little girl, laughing steadily at her as he 
 did so. 
 
 Only by running away did Betsy at last 
 escape, and even then the Emperor called 
 after her:
 
 94 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Stop, Mees Betsy, do stay and eat another. 
 You know you told me you liked them.'* 
 
 The next day Marchand brought to the 
 sisters a box of bonbons with the Emperor's 
 compliments, and with them came some of the 
 famous creams for "Mdlle. Betsee."
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 
 
 NEW Year's Day was approaching, the 
 day which French people love to cele- 
 brate by making gifts to their friends 
 and paying compliments. 
 
 On this first New Year's morning of Na- 
 poleon's exile on St. Helena, Betsy, looking 
 from her window, saw young Tristram Mon- 
 tholon and Henri Bertrand approaching. 
 
 "Look, Jane," she cried excitedly, "they 
 are carrying something; do you suppose - 
 
 But without finishing her question or wait- 
 ing for Jane to answer, Betsy had taken the 
 shortest way to gratify her curiosity by run- 
 ning to greet the boys. Immediately the two 
 little fellows saluted her with New Year wishes 
 and before she could ask a question had pre- 
 sented each sister for Jane had followed 
 her with a beautiful crystal basket. 
 
 "Something Piron made for you," the boys
 
 96 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 explained; and the fingers of the two girls 
 trembled with excitement as they began to 
 uncover the contents of the baskets. Piron, 
 Napoleon's confiseur, could do the most re- 
 markable things. There was nothing he could 
 not reproduce in sugar palaces, triumphal 
 arches, all kinds of curious structures all 
 looking too good to eat. Already Betsy and 
 Jane had received presents from the Emperor, 
 products of Piron's skill, accompanied usually 
 by some pleasant message. But this New 
 Year's gift surpassed their expectations, for 
 when they tore off the white satin napkin, 
 inside the baskets they saw that delicious 
 bonbons were heaped within them on Sevres 
 plates, a plate for each girl. 
 
 "Cupidons for the Graces," was Napoleon's 
 message accompanying the kindly gift. 
 
 The first of the new year brought a certain 
 regret to the family at The Briars and to 
 Napoleon as well. His new home at Long- 
 wood was nearly ready for him, and this 
 meant that he should see much less of the 
 charming family to which he had become 
 attached. Longwood was several miles away, 
 and the chance was that there he would be
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 97 
 
 guarded more closely and that it might be 
 harder for the girls to see him. 
 
 For the two months before New Year's, 
 Longwood was as busy a place as a dock- 
 yard in war. The Admiral was often there, 
 hurrying lazy workmen. Every day two or 
 three hundred seamen carried timber and other 
 building materials and furniture to Longwood. 
 Although Napoleon was in no hurry to go 
 there indeed, he did not wish to go there 
 at all he watched the workmen with great 
 interest, as he observed them climbing up the 
 heights between Longwood and The Briars. 
 He would really have preferred to make The 
 Briars his home, and he tried to get the 
 Government to buy it for him, but for reasons, 
 perhaps political, this could not be accom- 
 plished. Longwood, in situation, was bleak 
 and unshaded, and so exposed that it was not 
 likely he could ever have a garden such as 
 that at The Briars. Water had to be brought 
 from a distance of three miles, and the houses 
 that were to be remodelled for the French 
 were known to be damp and unhealthy. The 
 farmhouses w r hich Napoleon was to occupy 
 were very plain and have even been called a
 
 98 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 collection of huts. The expenditure of much 
 money could not make the place really com- 
 fortable. 
 
 Napoleon had now been on the island 
 nearly three months. No longer was he re- 
 garded by any one with dread, at least by 
 any one who had come under his immediate 
 influence. By the Balcombe family he was 
 esteemed an amiable friend. They had had 
 the chance to see him under all kinds of 
 conditions, and if they did not regard him as 
 exactly perfect, their feeling for him was one 
 not only of great sympathy but respect. 
 
 As the time for his departure approached 
 he came more often to the drawing-room at 
 The Briars. 
 
 "Ah," he said, half sadly, to the family, 
 "I would rather stay here than go to Long- 
 wood. I could never have imagined it possible 
 to be happy on such a horrible rock as St. 
 Helena." 
 
 One day General Bertrand, coming over 
 from Longwood, told Napoleon the house 
 smelled so of paint that it was not fit 
 for him at present. All Napoleon's friends 
 knew his great dislike for unpleasant odors,
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 99 
 
 and that paint was especially disagreeable 
 to him. 
 
 When the Emperor heard this report of the 
 condition of Longwood, his rage almost choked 
 him. He walked up and down the lawn, ges- 
 ticulating wildly. 
 
 "I will not live in a house that smells of 
 paint. It is most horrible. I will send to the 
 Admiral and refuse to go." 
 
 Betsy had hardly ever seen him display such 
 temper as he now showed, declaiming against 
 the lack of consideration shown by the Gov- 
 ernor. This excitement was a result probably 
 of his general dislike for his new home. Al- 
 though first interested in the workmen, toward 
 the end he began to complain of the fifes and 
 drums with which the soldier workmen urged 
 themselves on as they wound their way up 
 the hill. He had disliked Longwood from the 
 day when he had first seen it, just after his 
 arrival on the island, and what he heard 
 about it had not changed his opinion. No fam- 
 ily, it was said, had ever lived there longer 
 than a few months, so unwholesome was its 
 climate. This came from the situation of the 
 place a plain on the top of a mountain,
 
 100 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 eighteen hundred feet high. It was on the 
 windward side of the island, and only for a 
 month or six weeks in the year was the 
 weather pleasant. For three or four weeks it 
 had the sun directly overhead; the rest of the 
 year was wet and disagreeable. In the course 
 of a single day there could be extreme changes 
 of heat and cold. 
 
 At last the day of departure came. Sir 
 George Cockburn and all the Emperor's suite, 
 some of whom lived at a distance from The 
 Briars, came over to escort him. The younger 
 members of the family stood around the house, 
 showing their sadness very plainly. 
 
 "You must not cry, Mdlle. Betsee," said 
 Napoleon kindly. :< You must come to see 
 me next week, and very often." 
 
 "Oh, yes, I want to, but that will depend 
 on my father." 
 
 Then Napoleon turned to Mr. Balcombe. 
 "Balcombe, you must bring Misses Jane and 
 Betsee next week to see me, eh ? When will 
 you ride up to Longwood ? " 
 
 "Indeed, I will bring them soon," responded 
 Mr. Balcombe. 
 
 "But where is your mother?" added the
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 101 
 
 Emperor, casting his eye over the group that 
 had gathered to bid him good-bye. 
 
 "She sent her kind regards to you," replied 
 Betsy, "but is sorry that she is not well enough 
 to come down." 
 
 "Then I will go up to her;" and Napoleon 
 impulsively ran upstairs before word could be 
 given of his approach. 
 
 When Napoleon entered her room, Mrs. 
 Balcombe was lying down. The girls, who 
 had followed him, saw him sit down on the 
 edge of her bed as he thanked her very 
 warmly for all her attention to him. 
 
 "I should have preferred to stay at The 
 Briars. I am sorry to go to Longwood," he 
 said; and then he handed a little package to 
 her, saying, "Now please give this to your 
 husband as a mark of my friendship." "This " 
 proved to be a beautiful gold snuffbox. 
 
 As he turned to leave the room, Napoleon 
 saw the red-eyed Betsy standing near the 
 door. 
 
 "Here, my dear," he said, putting some- 
 thing in her hand, "you can give this as a 
 gage d? amour to petit Las Cases." 
 
 Betsy had no heart now to reply to a jest
 
 102 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 that ordinarily would have brought out a 
 spirited reply. But with the beautiful bon- 
 bonniere in her hand, she ran out of the room 
 and took a post at a window where she could 
 see Napoleon. Her tears continued to flow 
 and she found that she could not bear to look 
 longer at the departing Emperor. At last she 
 had to run to her own room, where, throwing 
 herself on a bed, she wept bitterly for a long 
 time. 
 
 It was true, as Betsy knew, that Longwood 
 was not so very far from The Briars, and 
 that it was not likely that she would be 
 restrained from going there sometimes. Yet 
 in spite of this knowledge the little girl 
 realized that she had lost a great deal by the 
 departure of the Emperor from her father's 
 house. 
 
 Friends, and enemies too, of Napoleon in 
 Europe would have been amazed at that 
 moment to know that the man who so short a 
 time before had been dreaded as the com- 
 mander of one of the world's greatest armies, 
 was now bewailed by a little girl as a lost 
 playmate, for as playmate and friend Betsy 
 had certainly come to regard him, and she
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 103 
 
 regretted his removal to Longwood, not only 
 because it was farther away, but because he 
 was likely to be hedged in with a greater 
 ceremony that might prevent her from seeing 
 much of him. 
 
 Mr. Balcombe went with Napoleon to 
 Longwood, and when he returned the girls 
 asked eagerly how the Emperor liked the new 
 residence. 
 
 "He seemed out of spirits. He went soon 
 to his own room and shut himself in;" and 
 at this report they sympathized with his 
 loneliness. 
 
 Betsy and Jane, fortunately, were not to be 
 shut off altogether from their friend. Their 
 father was purveyor to the Emperor, and this 
 meant that he had a general order to visit 
 Longwood and could take his daughters with 
 him. Thus it happened that hardly a week 
 passed without their going there to call, to 
 their own great delight as well as to the 
 satisfaction of Napoleon, who never tired of 
 them. 
 
 Usually their visits were so timed that they 
 could breakfast with the Emperor at one, and 
 for the most part they found him much the
 
 104 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 same as he had been at The Briars. After a 
 while, however, they could not help noticing 
 that he was less cheerful than formerly. 
 
 About a week after his departure, Betsy 
 and her mother and sister made their first 
 visit to Longwood to call on the Emperor. 
 
 "Ah, there he is," Betsy cried; and looking 
 ahead, they saw him seated on the steps of 
 the billiard-room, talking to little Tristram 
 Montholon. The moment Napoleon caught 
 sight of them, he hastened toward them. Sa- 
 luting them pleasantly, he kissed Mrs. Bal- 
 combe and Jane on each cheek, while he 
 pinched Betsy's ear, as he said: "Ah, Mdlle. 
 Betsee, etes-vous sage, eh, eh ? " 
 
 Then, with the eagerness of a boy anxious 
 to display a new toy, he added, "What do you 
 think of the place ? I must show you over it. 
 Come, follow me!" 
 
 So the Emperor walked ahead of Mrs. Bal- 
 combe and her daughters, leading them first 
 to his bedroom. Betsy thought this room 
 small and cheerless, though she did not say 
 so to Napoleon. 
 
 As she looked about she observed that the 
 walls were covered with fluted nankeen, that
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 105 
 
 on the wall were many family pictures that 
 she recognized, while the bed was the well- 
 known camp bed with the green silk hangings, 
 the bed Napoleon had used in his Marengo and 
 Austerlitz campaigns. There, on one side, was 
 the silver wash-hand basin and ewer, and on 
 the mantelpiece over the bed was a portrait 
 of Maria Louisa, so placed as to be the first 
 thing to meet Napoleon's eye when he awoke 
 in the morning. Off the bedroom was a small 
 chamber with a bath that he showed to them. 
 A dressing-room, dining-room, billiard and 
 drawing room made up the Emperor's own 
 special suite. The billiard-room, which 
 had been built according to Sir George 
 Cockburn's orders, was large and well propor- 
 tioned. It was the best apartment in the 
 house, and the girls expressed their admira- 
 tion for it, although Betsy, when her eye fell 
 on the billiard table and balls, thought the 
 game a foolish one for men to play. 
 
 "Now to the kitchen!" Napoleon exclaimed, 
 at last. "M. Piron will be so pleased. Aha, 
 Piron, here is Mees Betsee; you know how 
 she loves creams. Send her some and some 
 bonbons. See, regardez, mademoiselle, voila
 
 106 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 un mouton pour mon diner, dont on fait une 
 lanterne" pointing to the lean carcass of a 
 sheep hanging up in the kitchen, in which 
 the French servants had placed a candle 
 which shone through. "But I know," he con- 
 tinued, "you are dying to see the baby;" and 
 the sisters went with him to Madame Montho- 
 lon's apartment to see her six-weeks-old girl. 
 
 Napoleon took his little god-daughter in his 
 arms. 
 
 "Oh, you will let it fall!" cried Betsy as he 
 dandled it clumsily. 
 
 "No, no! See, it will let me do anything 
 with it;" and he pinched little Lili's nose and 
 chin until she cried. 
 
 'You do not know how to hold a baby," 
 protested Betsy. 
 
 " But I ought to know," responded Napoleon 
 with a twinkle of amusement in his eye. 
 "Often and often I have nursed the King of 
 Rome when he was younger than Lili." 
 
 After leaving the baby and Madame Mon- 
 tholon, the little girls went with Napoleon to 
 the garden outside. 
 
 "It is not like The Briars," the Emperor 
 said, shaking his head sadly.
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 107 
 
 "I should say not;" and Betsy looked from 
 the bare surroundings of the house to the 
 rugged mountain near by with its scraggly 
 vegetation of wild samphire, prickly pears and 
 aloes, its iron-covered rocks, with sharp cliffs 
 and mysterious caves overshadowing the 
 house. 
 
 Napoleon's momentary sadness may have 
 come from his casual allusion to his son, the 
 little King of Rome, the child whom he was 
 never to see again. Those who observed him 
 when any allusion was made to his child were 
 always sure that Napoleon's heart held great 
 fatherly affection. Once when he had been a 
 trifle downcast, Dr. O'Meara told him an 
 anecdote he had heard about the child. Im- 
 mediately Napoleon smiled with great anima- 
 tion and his face brightened. At other times 
 when the conversation turned on the child, 
 he grew perceptibly sadder. 
 
 His love for his own child made Napoleon 
 undoubtedly more interested in all children, 
 and he was never ashamed, as some men are, 
 to show this interest in the children of his 
 friends. 
 
 This first visit to Longwood was in every
 
 108 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 way delightful to the sisters, not only because 
 there was much to see that was new to them 
 in the arrangement of the house and grounds, 
 but because they found the Emperor in one 
 of his most boyish moods. 
 
 "Now, ladies," he said, as the time for their 
 return approached, "send your horses off. 
 They can meet you at Hutsgate, and I will 
 take a drive with you, if you will honor my 
 jaunting car." 
 
 Hutsgate was the residence of Madame 
 Bertrand, where Mrs. Balcombe and her 
 daughters intended to call before returning 
 to The Briars. 
 
 : 'Yes," answered Betsy after a moment's 
 hesitation, "we will drive with you." She was 
 not fond of driving, but did not dare to expose 
 her timidity to the ridicule of the Emperor. 
 
 Hardly, however, had they started off when 
 she felt that her fears were justified. The 
 daring Archambaud was their charioteer, and 
 he drove three unbroken Cape horses abreast. 
 
 "This is the most dangerous road for driv- 
 ing on the island. No wonder they call it the 
 Devil's Punchbowl," cried poor Betsy. As 
 she spoke, the carriage seemed to be tipping
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 109 
 
 over the edge of the declivity. Those nearer 
 the edge were in mortal terror, and the others 
 looked as if they would be crushed against 
 the huge rock. 
 
 "You are not frightened, are you, Mees 
 Betsee ? " asked Napoleon mischievously. " Of 
 course it is a narrow road; 1 only hope the 
 horses are not running away. They seem 
 rather wild." 
 
 Thankful enough was Betsy to arrive at 
 Madame Bertrand's without accident, and 
 when she started for home she was more than 
 eager to mount her own quiet pony, Tom. 
 She was not fond of driving over the danger- 
 ous roads, and for a jaunting car she had a 
 special dislike. Napoleon, knowing this, could 
 not resist the opportunity to tease her. Betsy, 
 indeed, was not the only one whom he liked 
 to terrify by getting Archambaud to display 
 his reckless driving. It seemed, indeed, as if 
 his guest, as well as the Emperor, always took 
 his life in his hands when driving in the jaunt- 
 ing car. 
 
 On a second visit not long after the first, 
 when Betsy and Jane arrived at Longwood, 
 they found the Emperor firing at a target.
 
 110 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 He put the pistol in Betsy's hands, saying. 
 "Ah, la Petite Tirailleuse, I will form a com- 
 pany of sharpshooters and you shall be 
 captain." 
 
 A little later he took her to the billiard- 
 room and showed her the billiard table. 
 
 "It is a silly game for men," she said in 
 her positive way, "too much like marbles. I 
 wouldn't play it." 
 
 "Oh, do try," urged the Emperor; but wil- 
 ful Betsy replied only by aiming the ball at 
 his fingers, as he rested his hand on the board. 
 
 Later, however, the sisters learned to play 
 the game, and at the billiard table they passed 
 many an hour. 
 
 Napoleon himself taught Betsy how to 
 handle a cue, but, when tired of the lesson, 
 she would often aim at his fingers, and she 
 was always delighted when a well-directed 
 shot made him cry out. 
 
 The visits of Betsy and her sisters gave 
 pleasure to the fallen great man; still, as time 
 went on, they could not help noticing that he 
 was less and less buoyant. In their presence 
 he tried to lay aside his troubles, and con- 
 tinued unfailingly kind.
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 111 
 
 He and the new Governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 were always at swords' points, and this wore 
 on his spirits. Moreover, the health of Napo- 
 leon was impaired, and as he realized this he 
 grew more and more gloomy. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe was very particular that 
 the passes issued for visitors should be used 
 only as they had been made out. 
 
 One day Betsy went to Longwood with a 
 pass that prescribed a visit to General Ber- 
 trand. But when Betsy, wandering about, 
 caught sight of Napoleon in the billiard- 
 room, she could not resist the temptation of 
 playing a game with him. Her father vainly 
 tried to remonstrate with her. Far from listen- 
 ing to him, she bounded off. 
 
 Instead of playing billiards, however, Na- 
 poleon asked her to read to him from a book 
 that he had lately received from England. It 
 was by Dr. Warden, surgeon of the Northum- 
 berland, describing in English Napoleon's voy- 
 age to St. Helena. Napoleon had not made 
 great headway in reading English, and Betsy 
 went through several chapters with him, turn- 
 ing them into her French that he might better 
 understand.
 
 112 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Napoleon listened attentively to her reading. 
 "Dr. Warden's word is a very true one," he 
 said. 
 
 Betsy finished her stay at Longwood this day 
 by remaining awhile with Madame Bertrand. 
 
 The news of Betsy's visit to Napoleon with- 
 out the requisite permission reached the Gov- 
 ernor's ears; and Mr. Balcombe was severely 
 reproved. In fact, he nearly lost his position. 
 The Governor from the first insisted that Mr. 
 Balcombe always acted in the interest of Na- 
 poleon, and hence, as he viewed it in his 
 narrow-mindedness, against the interests of 
 the English Government. Thus we can see that 
 Napoleon's young neighbor was wrong in doing 
 things that drew on her father the Governor's 
 reproof. 
 
 "My dears," said Mr. Balcombe one morn- 
 ing, "I am going to Longwood to-morrow, 
 and the Emperor has expressly asked me to 
 bring you. He has something curious to show 
 you." 
 
 "What can it be?" the girls asked each 
 other. This special invitation, promising a 
 special pleasure, made them eager to start 
 when the next morning came.
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 113 
 
 When they reached Longwood with their 
 father they found Napoleon examining a 
 machine whose use they could guess. 
 
 " Come, come, young ladies," the great man 
 cried, when he caught sight of them, "come 
 see me make ice. You have not been here for 
 a long time, Mees Betsy, what is the matter ? " 
 
 "I have been ill, a sunstroke." 
 
 "Oh, I am sorry! What foolish thing did 
 you do?" 
 
 "Oh, Jane and I walked with Captain M. 
 to call on Mrs. Wilks. We went over the 
 mountain, two thousand feet, and also across 
 Francis Plain, and down into the valley, up 
 the mountain ridges. 
 
 Napoleon expressed his astonishment at the 
 extent of their walk. 
 
 'Yes, we were nearly dead when we reached 
 Plantation House, but the Lady Governess and 
 her daughter there were so kind, and at noon 
 we went to Fairyland." 
 
 When Betsy had told her story, Napoleon 
 explained the air-pumps and the process of 
 ice-making. He was evidently proud of his 
 own proficiency. 
 
 "Now, Mr. Balcombe, get an elementary
 
 114 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 chemistry for Miss Betsy and make her study 
 every day, and the good O'Meara shall be her 
 examiner." 
 
 While he talked Napoleon was watching the 
 machine. 
 
 "Do try my ice," he exclaimed at last, 
 when he had a cupful. 
 
 "Here, Mees Betsee, take this!" and he put 
 a large piece in her mouth. 
 
 "Oh, Mees Betsee, why make such faces ? " 
 
 This was the first ice that had ever been seen 
 on the island, and those who had never been 
 off St. Helena were naturally amazed when it 
 was shown to them. 
 
 "It can't be frozen water," exclaimed Miss 
 de F., a young St. Helena lady who had ac- 
 companied the Balcombes on this visit to 
 Longwood; and she had to hold a piece in 
 her hand before she believed it. Then she 
 gave a little scream. The glassy substance was 
 so cold at first that she was ready to drop it. 
 A moment later when it began to melt and 
 the water streamed down her fingers, she 
 realized that she had actually seen a very 
 strange thing, the turning of water into ice 
 by artificial means.
 
 OFF FOR LONGWOOD 115 
 
 Betsy long remembered the day when she 
 had first seen the wonderful ice machine, and 
 perhaps her remembrance of it was intensified 
 because on that same morning Napoleon per- 
 mitted her to cut from his coat an embroidered 
 bugle, and the coat was the one he had worn 
 at Waterloo. Napoleon himself was as pleased 
 as a child with the ice machine, and to more 
 than one person expressed his regret that he 
 had not had it in Egypt, where its use would 
 have saved the lives of many suffering soldiers.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 
 
 AFTER Napoleon had been at St. Helena 
 a few months, newspapers from Eng- 
 land began to arrive with narratives of 
 many of the happenings at The Briars. 
 
 One journal contained a letter from the 
 Marquis de Montchenu, describing all the 
 romping games at The Briars, such as the 
 game of blindman's buff, the sword scare, 
 and other things in which the children had 
 taken part. 
 
 Special comments were made on the man- 
 ners of Betsy, and the writer said, "She is the 
 wildest little girl I have ever met; she seems 
 folle." This letter had been translated into 
 French and German journals, so that Betsy 
 Balcombe's name was now widely known. 
 
 Mr. Balcombe was greatly enraged by this 
 letter, and wished to call the Marquis to 
 account for his ill nature, but Mrs. Balcombe
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 117 
 
 persuaded him to desist from extreme meas- 
 ures, and in the end the Marquis himself 
 made an apology. 
 
 Napoleon found some amusement in Betsy's 
 fierce anger against the critical French- 
 man. One day Dr. O'Meara called at The 
 Briars, on the way to St. James Valley, 
 with a message from Napoleon to tell Betsy 
 how she could revenge herself on the tale- 
 bearer. 
 
 The Marquis, a noble of the old school, was 
 in the habit of wearing an elaborate wig with 
 a long cue. 
 
 "Mees Betsy, if you will burn off the cue 
 with caustic, I will reward you with the pret- 
 tiest fan in Solomon's shop, if you will send 
 the pigtail to me," suggested Napoleon to 
 Betsy as a plan of revenge. 
 
 "Eh, bien" said the Emperor, when next 
 he saw Betsy, "Mdlle. Betsy, as tu obei mes 
 ordres et gagne Veventail ?" [" Have you obeyed 
 my orders and won the fan ? "] 
 
 "Oh, sire, how I wanted to do it, but my 
 brother would not let me!" 
 
 "Ah, Mees Betsy," and Napoleon pinched 
 her ear, "tu commences a etre sage. Here,
 
 118 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 O'Meara, have you brought the fan I prom- 
 ised Miss Betsy?" 
 
 "No, sire, there were none pretty enough 
 for her in Solomon's shop." 
 
 Betsy's face grew serious. 
 
 "Do not look sad," expostulated Napoleon. 
 
 'You shall have something prettier than a 
 
 fan;" and Betsy, comprehending, wondered 
 
 what the present would be that he evidently 
 
 intended to give her. 
 
 In a few days a package came to The 
 Briars, addressed to Betsy. Opening it, she 
 saw a ring of brilliants, forming the letter N, 
 surmounted by a small eagle. 
 
 This was a wonderful gift for a little girl, 
 and at first she could hardly believe that it 
 was for her. Later she found there was no 
 mistake. It was really hers, and she kept it 
 always. 
 
 Although Betsy was not permitted to carry 
 out Napoleon's proposed plan of revenge on 
 the tale-telling Marquis, she expressed her 
 feelings in a way of her own by relating to 
 Napoleon an anecdote about him. 
 
 "The Marquis," she said, "is extremely 
 fond of cauliflower, a vegetable that is very
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 119 
 
 hard to get here on the island. Well, the 
 other day, he dined with us and we had the 
 most delicious cauliflower. Somehow he didn't 
 see it until it was being removed and then he 
 cried to his aide-de-camp, who had neglected 
 to point it out, 'Bete, pourquoi-ne m'a tu pas 
 dit qu'il-y-avait des choux fleurs ? ' [' Idiot, why 
 didn't you tell me that there was cauliflower ? '] 
 Now, wasn't he greedy?" asked Betsy, glad 
 enough to have a story to tell that placed the 
 Marquis at a disadvantage. 
 
 The Marquis de Montchenu, for whom 
 Betsy had professed this dislike, was one of 
 the three Commissioners sent by the Allied 
 Powers to keep watch on Napoleon. The other 
 two were the Baron Sturmer, representing 
 Austria, and Count Balmain, sent by Russia. 
 While England provided the prison and jailer 
 for Napoleon, these Commissioners were asked 
 to observe everything and report to their re- 
 spective countries. France and Austria had 
 ordered their Commissioners to see Napoleon 
 in their official capacity every day in order to 
 assure themselves that he was actually alive. 
 Baron Balmain was instructed by Russia 
 neither to seek nor avoid an occasion to see
 
 120 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 him. To describe the vain efforts of the French 
 and Austrian Commissioners to see Napoleon 
 would make an entertaining story. Napoleon's 
 orders to his household were not to admit 
 any one presenting a pass from the British 
 authorities. But as Sir Hudson Lowe would 
 permit no one to go to Longwood without a 
 pass from him. those who wished to see Na- 
 poleon were in a dilemma. 
 
 Things were not bettered when Napoleon 
 wrote Sir Hudson Lowe, desiring him not to 
 present any one to him, as in future he would 
 receive no visitors. He acted as if he thought 
 it his duty to shut himself up, in order that 
 public opinion might be turned against the 
 narrow-mindedness of the Governor. After 
 this few of the people of St. Helena tried to 
 call on him. From delicacy of feeling, or 
 because they feared his anger, civilians and 
 military residents avoided Longwood. Only 
 the two Commissioners and the resident Eng- 
 lish officer made an effort to see him daily, 
 and their efforts, merely to get a glance at him 
 through window or door, were most absurd. 
 The officer sometimes saw him, but the Com- 
 missioners never had the privilege. The Mar-
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 121 
 
 quis de Montchenu beheld him at last only 
 when he lay dead. Baron Sturmer and Baron 
 Balmain left St. Helena while Napoleon was 
 still alive without having met him. 
 
 As to Betsy Balcombe, though she had her 
 own opinion, on account of her father's posi- 
 tion she could not express herself strongly 
 about Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 
 "Has any one run away with a favorite 
 robe de bal, or is the pet black nurse, old 
 Sarah, dead?" asked Napoleon one day, de- 
 tecting a serious look on Betsy's face. "What 
 can have occurred?" 
 
 Betsy's face did not brighten. 
 
 "I am feeling very sad," she said, "because 
 Mrs. Wilks,our kind Lady-Governess, has gone 
 away. Every one was at the boat to see her 
 go, and at the castle. It was like a funeral, 
 no one with a dry eye, and all saying, 'God 
 bless you, and a safe and happy voyage home.' ' 
 
 Betsy paused for a moment, then continued : 
 "Then they all followed the Governor and 
 his family to the barge that was to take them 
 to Havana, and groups of grief-stricken 
 ladies wandered under the peepul trees of 
 Sisters' Walk, watching the vessel."
 
 122 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Did you cry too?" asked Napoleon. 
 
 "Indeed I did." 
 
 "I regret," added Napoleon, "that I had 
 not known the Lady- Governess; she must have 
 been so amiable." 
 
 Napoleon, as well as Betsy, probably realized 
 that but for his coming the people of St. 
 Helena might have retained their popular Gov- 
 ernor, Mark Wilks. Before the arrival of Na- 
 poleon, the Governor of St. Helena was paid 
 by the East India Company, though appointed 
 by the Crown; but with so important a per- 
 sonage as Napoleon held there in captivity, 
 it seemed wisest that full responsibility for 
 him should be laid on the English Govern- 
 ment. It was therefore decided, as we have 
 before seen, that as soon as possible a Gov- 
 ernor of higher rank should be sent out in 
 place of Governor Wilks. The change at this 
 time seemed unfortunate for the people of St. 
 Helena. In Governor Wilks they had found an 
 officer who had their interests more at heart 
 than any preceding Governor. Could he have 
 been Napoleon's custodian, the Emperor's 
 exile would have been very much happier 
 than it was with Sir Hudson Lowe in charge.
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 123 
 
 Betsy, like all who came in contact with 
 Napoleon, sympathized deeply with his an- 
 noyance at the restrictions imposed on him 
 by Sir Hudson Lowe. The story of the dis- 
 cussion between Napoleon's friends and the 
 supporters of the Governor would be a long 
 one to tell, but the fact remains, when all is 
 said in Sir Hudson Lowe's favor, that he was 
 far too narrow-minded for the important posi- 
 tion that he held. Sir Hudson Lowe was a 
 brave man and had served honorably in many 
 wars, but the responsibility of guarding the 
 fallen Emperor was too great for him, and his 
 behavior toward the exile was in every way 
 unfortunate. 
 
 Napoleon had been on the island just six 
 months when Sir Hudson Lowe arrived. From 
 the first he seemed possessed by the idea that 
 Napoleon was constantly watching for some 
 chance to escape. To those nearest Napoleon 
 at St. Helena, the Governor's fears that he 
 might escape seemed absurd. From the island 
 posts approaching ships were seen twenty-four 
 leagues off. Two ships of war were always 
 cruising to windward and leeward. Only 
 guard-boats were allowed out at night. All
 
 124 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 fishing boats were numbered and had to anchor 
 every evening at sunset under the supervision 
 of a lieutenant of the navy. No foreign vessels 
 were permitted to anchor unless under great 
 distress, and then no one from them could 
 land until an officer and a party from the 
 British ships went on board to take charge 
 while they stayed. If he had cared to try 
 flight, Napoleon could hardly have made his 
 escape. 
 
 In the very beginning, when Lord Bathurst 
 issued instructions for the custody of Napoleon, 
 he expressed the earnest desire of the Prince 
 Regent that no greater personal restraint might 
 be employed than was necessary to make sure 
 that Napoleon was securely held on the island. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, however, in carrying out 
 the instructions of the British Government, in- 
 terpreted them as meaning that he should have 
 constant information about all Napoleon's 
 doings. To accomplish this was, of course, 
 impossible, and his vain efforts made him the 
 laughing-stock of the English as well as the 
 French. In his very first interview with Na- 
 poleon the new Governor managed to offend 
 him seriously, and Napoleon after this was so
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 125 
 
 unwilling to see him that the two met only 
 five times more during the five years that in- 
 tervened until Napoleon's death; and these 
 five interviews were all within the first three 
 months after Sir Hudson. Lowe's arrival. 
 
 Under the most favorable conditions Sir 
 Hudson Lowe could hardly have been popular 
 with the islanders themselves. Governor Wilks, 
 his predecessor, had been unusually loved, and 
 his charming wife and daughter had a firm 
 hold on the affections of all the people of St. 
 Helena. Betsy, as we have seen, was extremely 
 fond of Mrs. Wilks, whom she called the 
 "Lady-Governess," and she had a young girl's 
 admiration for the beautiful Miss Wilks, whose 
 praises she continually sang to Napoleon. 
 One day, not long before Miss Wilks left the 
 island, Napoleon showed Betsy a portrait that 
 General Gorgaud had drawn from memory 
 of Miss Wilks, saying, "You think Miss Wilks 
 beautiful. Gorgaud thinks so too, and this is 
 his portrait from memory." 
 
 "Ah," replied Betsy, gazing at the portrait, 
 "she is far more beautiful; and she is so clever 
 and amiable." 
 
 :< You are certainly enthusiastic, and I quite
 
 126 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 long to see her," responded Napoleon, evi- 
 dently appreciative of Betsy's enthusiasm for 
 her friend. 
 
 During the first months of Napoleon's exile, 
 Colonel Wilks continued to act as Governor, 
 but the direct custody of Napoleon was the 
 business of Sir George Cockburn, who had 
 brought the illustrious prisoner on the Nor- 
 thumberland from England. Not long after 
 Napoleon went to Longwood an amusing in- 
 cident happened, resulting from the panic of 
 Captain Poppleton, the orderly officer whose 
 duty it was to guard Napoleon on his rides. 
 
 The two sisters were sitting at dinner, with 
 their father and Admiral Cockburn. 
 
 "See," cried Betsy to Jane, "here comes 
 Captain Poppleton, looking as if he had lost 
 his wits. Why is he alone ? Don't you re- 
 member that he set out with the Emperor 
 and Generals Bertrand, Montholon, and Gor- 
 gaud?" 
 
 "But you wouldn't expect them all to march 
 in, when we have company, too," whispered 
 Jane, looking toward the end of the table 
 where her father was talking with his especial 
 guest, the Admiral, Sir George Cockburn.
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 127 
 
 Before the girls could speculate further, 
 Captain Poppleton broke out excitedly: 
 
 "Oh, sir, I have lost the Emperor." 
 
 All looked up, but the Admiral, whom 
 Captain Poppleton addressed, did not change 
 expression as the officer continued: 
 
 "We were riding along one of the paths on 
 the side of the mountain, when suddenly the 
 Emperor turned short around to the left and 
 almost flew up the mountain. None of the 
 generals accompanied him. I started, but I 
 could not follow. My horse woud not take 
 the steep ascent. So I came back to you. If 
 there is a plot - 
 
 "Nonsense!" cried the Admiral, and his 
 tone was echoed by Mr. Balcombe. It was 
 natural that Captain Poppleton should feel 
 alarm at the sudden disappearance. But the 
 Admiral was made of sterner stuff. "Go back 
 to Longwood," he said quietly to the officer. 
 "You will find Napoleon there." 
 
 This proved to be the case, for when he 
 reached Longwood the Emperor was at din- 
 ner, and he laughed at poor Captain Poppleton 
 for his fears. 
 
 If Betsy had ventured to express herself
 
 128 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 regarding the trouble between Sir Hudson 
 Lowe and the Emperor in this, she certainly 
 would not have favored the former. 
 
 "What do you really think," she asked her 
 father one day, "about this quarrel between 
 the Governor and the Emperor?" 
 
 Mr. Balcombe very properly, as an officer 
 of the Government, was not inclined to give 
 a direct reply. But Betsy understood him, 
 when he said: 
 
 "Their disputes are generally on subjects 
 so trivial that they hardly seem worth quar- 
 relling about." 
 
 But she realized that to Napoleon these 
 disputes were not trivial when she came upon 
 him one day reading an English book. Look- 
 ing at it, as he held it before her, she saw 
 that it was a copy of "./Esop's Fables," a book 
 that in a translation children often use to 
 improve their knowledge of French. 
 
 The page was open at "The Sick Lion." 
 This is the famous account of the lion that, 
 when lying sick, receives visits from many 
 other animals who, instead of sympathizing, 
 exult over his downfall. The lion makes no 
 complaint until a donkey kicks him in the
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 129 
 
 face. "I could have borne anything but this," 
 he said. 
 
 As Betsy looked at the open page, Napoleon, 
 pointing to the woodcut, said, "It is myself 
 and your Governor." His expression showed 
 the depth of his feeling on the subject. 
 
 In little ways Betsy was disappointed by 
 the regulations made for Napoleon by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe. She was exceedingly anxious, 
 for example, that Napoleon should see a huge 
 boa constrictor that a captain of an incoming 
 vessel had brought to the island. 
 
 "It is a most wonderful creature," she said, 
 as she described it to the Emperor. "They 
 put a live goat into its cage, and I really 
 believe that it swallowed it whole, for I could 
 see the poor thing's horns poking almost 
 through the boa constrictor's skin." 
 
 The Emperor smiled as Betsy told her tale. 
 
 'Your boa constrictor sounds like the Marquis 
 
 de Montchenu, or, rather, the latter, from the 
 
 amount of food I have heard he consumes, 
 
 must resemble a boa constrictor." 
 
 "He really does," responded Betsy. "Oh, 
 I wish you could see him not the Marquis, 
 but the boa constrictor."
 
 130 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "I should like to see it; I will ask them to 
 have it brought here to me." 
 
 As Betsy herself also desired this, she was 
 naturally disappointed when those in authority 
 decided that the boa constrictor could not be 
 shown to Napoleon. 
 
 Napoleon was not the only one on the 
 island affected by the many regulations made 
 for his safety in the matter of sentries. The 
 question of passes, always troublesome to 
 visitors, and the fact that after the sunset gun 
 had been fired no one could pass the sentries 
 without giving the countersign, were annoy- 
 ances to all on the island. Once Betsy herself 
 had an experience that was far from agreeable, 
 although she was not the only one to suffer, 
 as the incident concerned many others. 
 
 As might be supposed, picnics were a fa- 
 vorite form of diversion with the people of 
 St. Helena, and they were particularly delight- 
 ful when, as usually happened, young and old 
 took part in them. One day there was a large 
 picnic near the celebrated Friar's Valley. The 
 Balcombes and all their friends were to go 
 to it. 
 
 The day proved pleasant fortunately, for
 
 THE GOVERNOR'S RULES 131 
 
 the journey was difficult. After amusing them- 
 selves for hours, the party was at last sur- 
 prised to hear the sunset gun from Ladder 
 Hill. They found that none of the party had 
 the countersign for the night, and they knew 
 that if they ventured forth without it they 
 would be made prisoners. This was one of 
 the many strict rules made by the Governor 
 to prevent the mishap of helpers coming to 
 Napoleon after dark. 
 
 At last some of them decided that it was 
 better to make an effort to reach home rather 
 than spend the night outdoors. Betsy and her 
 parents were among those who ventured to 
 go toward home. 
 
 It was a starlight night, but the road was 
 bad. Mr. Balcombe at last hailed a light. 
 
 " Who goes there ? " cried the sentry. 
 
 "A friend." 
 
 "Advance, friend, and give the counter- 
 sign." 
 
 Now this was just what none of the party 
 could do, and as protests were useless, they all 
 had to spend the night in the guard-room, 
 where they were half eaten by fleas, mosqui- 
 toes, and other insects.
 
 Those who had stayed on the picnic grounds 
 laughed well at the more venturous who had 
 gone ahead. Napoleon, when he heard the 
 story, was highly diverted, pleased to have so 
 good a chance to blame the Government.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 
 
 ANY one who had looked in on the sisters 
 one day would have seen that they were 
 greatly excited. Just at this time they 
 were visiting Madame Bertrand, and during 
 their stay a ball was to be given. 
 
 Plans that promised much pleasure for them 
 had been made. They were to dine with the 
 Emperor, and then go on to Deadwood in his 
 carriage. 
 
 "Don't jerk so, please," cried Betsy, while 
 the maid was arranging her hair. 
 
 "But you must have this Chinese coiffure, 
 if you are going to the ball. You would not 
 wish to go looking like a little girl." 
 
 " Oh, no," responded Betsy faintly, inwardly 
 rebellious, as her hair was jerked and strained 
 on top of her head. She was willing to bear 
 pain for the sake of appearing well, but when 
 she looked in the glass she thought that she
 
 134 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 had never seen anything so hideous as the 
 coiffure that the maid had arranged with such 
 care. She no longer desired to appear like a 
 young lady. Her hair had been drawn back 
 so tight that her eyes were fairly starting from 
 the socket. Had there been time she would 
 have pulled the coiffure down, and indeed she 
 was ready to cry with vexation, but she did 
 not really dare to disarrange it now, for she 
 dreaded the Emperor's ridicule. How he 
 would laugh at the funny Chinese coiffure! 
 In a few minutes she was to appear before 
 him. 
 
 To her great surprise, when she and her 
 sister entered the dining-room, the Emperor 
 spared her, saying only: 
 
 "Mees Betsy, this is the only time I have 
 ever seen you look really neat; but I don't 
 like your frock. What is the matter ? " 
 
 Poor Betsy! She was almost upset by the 
 Emperor's tone. She looked at him closely, 
 and decided that he meant just what he said. 
 She had thought her little frock so pretty. 
 Now, what could be the matter with it ? 
 
 The Emperor understood her look of in- 
 quiry and answered in words.
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 135 
 
 "It is too short," he said. 'You must have 
 it made long before the ball.'* 
 
 He was certainly in earnest, and the young 
 girl was really troubled. "But I cannot do 
 anything to it," she protested; "there is not 
 time." 
 
 "Oh, but no one will wish to dance with 
 you." 
 
 "It isn't as bad as that!" 
 
 "But it is." 
 
 Betsy knew that Napoleon meant what he 
 said. He knew more about balls and ball- 
 gowns than any young girl on the island. 
 Indeed, if his criticism had not been based on 
 his knowledge of the customs of the modish 
 world, Betsy would still have been inclined 
 to trust to his judgment; for though at times 
 she seemed to trifle with his wishes, in her 
 heart she was always ready to please him. 
 
 So now, as sensitive as any more conven- 
 tional girl to the impression she might make 
 at a ball, Betsy ran off to find Josephine, the 
 maid. 
 
 Josephine shook her head when Betsy first 
 told her tale of woe, but at last she consented 
 to remedy the defect by lengthening the frock.
 
 136 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 There was but one thing to do, and conse- 
 quently some of the tucks were let down. 
 
 Neither Betsy nor the maid was proud of 
 the result of their efforts. The effect was not 
 good, and Betsy had to take what consolation 
 she could from the fact that she had obeyed 
 Napoleon. 
 
 A dinner with the Emperor was always de- 
 lightful to Betsy and Jane, and this one was 
 no exception. When it was over the Emperor 
 rose abruptly and all went with him to the 
 drawing-room. There the delectable coffee 
 for which Le Page was famous was brought 
 in, and Betsy, feeling more grown up than 
 ever, drank a cup into which, disdaining tongs, 
 she dropped a lump of sugar. 
 
 Soon the carriage was announced, and all 
 set out, Madame Bertrand ahead, carrying 
 her baby, next little Arthur, then Mrs. Bal- 
 combe, and finally Betsy and Jane and 
 General Gorgaud. 
 
 When the signal was given, the spirited 
 Cape steeds tore away, dashing from side to 
 side, while Madame Bertrand screamed loudly 
 to Archambaud to stop, though without avail, 
 until the carriage ran into a gumwood tree.
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 137 
 
 Except for the shaking up and the fright, 
 none of the party was injured, and when the 
 door was opened all scrambled hastily out. 
 Nothing would induce them to intrust them- 
 selves again to the carriage and the reckless 
 Archambaud, and though the rain was falling 
 heavily they preferred to walk over the muddy 
 road to Dead wood. They had nearly a mile 
 to go, and it was especially hard for Madame 
 Bertrand, whose baby would not be carried. 
 
 Betsy, though she knew that she herself 
 probably looked equally absurd, could not help 
 laughing when she saw Madame Bertrand ar- 
 rayed in one of Mrs. Balcombe's dresses, half 
 a yard too short and small in every way, which 
 she had to borrow while her own clothes were 
 drying. 
 
 But the ball itself was pleasant and all felt 
 repaid for going, even though they had to 
 walk home in the mist. 
 
 The next morning, as ever, Betsy was the 
 victim of Napoleon's raillery. 
 
 " So you had a good time last evening, Mees 
 Betsy. I hear you danced very well and looked 
 well, and might have been Baroness Stunner's 
 younger sister, you looked so much like her."
 
 138 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 This compliment pleased Betsy mightily, as 
 doubtless Napoleon realized, for the little 
 English girl thought Baroness Sturmer, wife 
 of the Austrian Commissioner, the prettiest 
 woman she had ever seen. 
 
 Not long after breakfast the visitors from 
 The Briars and several from Longwood went 
 to the town and to the Newcastle in the bay, 
 on board of which Sir Pultney and Lady 
 Malcom were to give a breakfast in honor 
 of Lord Amherst. 
 
 When next the sisters visited Longwood, 
 "Ah, Mees Betsee," cried Napoleon, "I have 
 heard great stories of you. You locked up 
 little Miss P. the other day, while the other 
 ladies were being shipped over the side of the 
 frigate to return to shore. When they missed 
 her Captain G. had to go back to rescue 
 her." 
 
 As Betsy did not deny this charge, Napo- 
 leon, turning to her father, exclaimed : 
 
 "Balcombe, you must set her a task." 
 
 "Indeed I must," responded Betsy's father 
 gravely. 
 
 "But I have been punished enough," pro- 
 tested Betsy. "Lady Lowe scolded me, too,
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 139 
 
 and desired me to use my reason and not to 
 be childish. I wondered at her lack of per- 
 ception in giving me credit for what I never 
 possessed. But I did admire Lord Amherst," 
 she added, a few minutes later. 
 
 "He must be a very fascinating man," 
 responded Napoleon, "so to have impressed 
 your youthful fancy." 
 
 The kindness that Madame Montholon 
 showed Betsy in allowing her maid to arrange 
 the young girl's hair in a style suitable for a 
 ball, an undoubted kindness in spite of the 
 discomfort it produced, was in a line with 
 many other things that she and Madame Ber- 
 trand did for the Balcombe girls. Madame 
 Bertrand was particularly fond of Betsy and 
 often invited her to her house. She advised 
 her about her studies and, to a certain extent, 
 supervised some of them. Madame Bertrand 
 had many accomplishments, some of which 
 she tried to impart to Betsy. Singing was one 
 of them, and under her instruction Betsy made 
 considerable progress. Napoleon sometimes 
 listened to their little concerts in the drawing- 
 room at Longwood. One evening when Betsy 
 was to sing a part from "Les Styriens," the
 
 140 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 piano was so out of tune that Napoleon was 
 greatly distressed. He at once sent for Mr. 
 Guiness, the bandmaster of the General Kid, 
 then in St. James's Harbor, the only man at 
 hand who could properly tune it, and was 
 naturally annoyed when the Governor expressed 
 his unwillingness to have Mr. Guiness come. 
 
 Of all those who accompanied Napoleon to 
 St. Helena, Madame Bertrand had made, 
 perhaps, the greatest sacrifices. She was born 
 in Martinique and was partly of Irish descent, 
 through her father, whose name was Dillon. 
 In spite of her warm devotion to Napoleon, 
 she almost went out of her mind when she 
 heard that he was doomed to imprisonment 
 in St. Helena and that her husband would 
 follow him. Later, however, she became re- 
 signed and did not try to dissuade her husband 
 from accompanying the fallen Emperor. Un- 
 doubtedly she thought of her children and all 
 that they would lose in living so far from 
 France, but when they were at last in their 
 new home she bore inconveniences patiently 
 and tried in every way to make life pleasant 
 for those around her. 
 
 "Come," said Napoleon one day when
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 141 
 
 Betsy was wandering around the Longwood 
 grounds, "come, and I will show you some 
 pretty toys." 
 
 Following the Emperor to the billiard-room, 
 she saw upon the table some gorgeously carved 
 chessmen sent to him by Mr. Elphinstone. 
 Each piece was perfect. The castles, sur- 
 mounting lifelike elephants, were filled with 
 warriors discharging arrows. The knights, 
 cased in armor, were on beautifully capari- 
 soned horses. The mitred bishops were in 
 flowing robes, and the pawns each represented 
 a man of a different nation. The carving was 
 wonderful. Such work had never before left 
 China, and Betsy saw that Napoleon was as 
 pleased as a child with a new plaything. 
 
 "I have just finished a game of chess with 
 Lady Malcom," he said, "and she has beaten 
 me because I paid more attention to the men 
 than the game." 
 
 Besides the chessmen Mr. Elphinstone had 
 sent workboxes and card counters with the 
 various tradespeople of China minutely carved 
 on them. 
 
 Betsy's interest in these beautiful things was 
 increased by hearing how Mr. Elphinstone
 
 142 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 happened to think of sending gifts to Napoleon. 
 He wished to show his gratitude for Napoleon's 
 kindness to his brother, severely wounded on 
 the field of Waterloo. Napoleon, it seems, per- 
 ceiving the wounded man and hearing that 
 he was faint from loss of blood, sent to him a 
 goblet of wine from his own canteen. 
 
 "The chessmen are too pretty for St. 
 Helena," said Napoleon; "I must send them 
 to the King of Rome." 
 
 Among Mr. Elphinstone's presents, Napo- 
 leon showed Betsy a superb ivory tea-chest, 
 which when opened showed a perfect model 
 of the city of Canton. Beneath it were pack- 
 ages of fine tea, done up in fantastic shapes. 
 
 "Ah," said Napoleon, turning to Betsy, 
 "this reminds me that when I was Emperor 
 I did not permit any tea in my dominion, 
 except that grown in Switzerland. No one 
 could tell the difference from the Chinese tea. 
 I also cultivated the beet-root to make sugar, 
 instead of depending on foreign goods." 
 
 Napoleon was probably no less pleased with 
 the chessmen because each piece had a small 
 eagle carved on it. When Sir Hudson Lowe 
 heard of the eagles he regretted that they had
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 143 
 
 escaped his notice, and that he had given 
 permission for the gifts to be received at 
 Longwood. 
 
 Among the Emperor's treasures were many 
 rare coins and seals which he often permitted 
 his little neighbor to handle and examine. 
 Yet even while she appreciated this special 
 privilege, Betsy could not let her sense of 
 obligation entirely suppress her love of mis- 
 chief. 
 
 Once, for instance, when Betsy approached 
 a table at which Napoleon was seated, the 
 little girl, unperceived by him, saw that he 
 was in the act of sealing a letter with one of 
 his precious seals. The temptation was too 
 strong to resist, and she surprised Napoleon 
 by joggling his arm. This sudden movement 
 caused a drop of hot sealing wax to fall on 
 his hand, and as a blister was the result, the 
 pain for the moment must have been extreme. 
 Nevertheless, Napoleon said hardly a word of 
 reproof, and his patience was so remarkable 
 that Betsy immediately apologized for her 
 mischief. 
 
 Yet it was not unusual for Napoleon to 
 show patience when teased. In all his sports
 
 144 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 with the children, even when they took liber- 
 ties that their parents would have disapproved, 
 Betsy never saw him show any temper. He 
 never fell back on his rank or age, but always 
 professed to be one of themselves, a good 
 comrade, claiming only for his own part the 
 right to tease them when he chose. 
 
 What wonder that Las Cases, the dignified 
 Chamberlain, sometimes stood aghast at the 
 merry pranks shared by his illustrious master 
 and his young friends; but even with the eyes 
 of the disapproving Las Cases upon her, 
 Betsy always enjoyed her visits to Longwood. 
 Often some pleasant surprise awaited her on 
 her arrival there. 
 
 Napoleon was interested in the various 
 legends of St. Helena, and these legends are 
 very numerous. Nearly every rock and valley 
 and bit of water has some story connected with 
 it. The Friar's Valley, for example, takes its 
 name from a huge rock fashioned by nature 
 into the figure of a monk with his cowl thrown 
 back, wearing a flowing robe and a rosary. 
 Immediately around are sterile rocks, some 
 many hundred feet high, some with aloes 
 growing from the fissures.
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 145 
 
 Napoleon sometimes rode into this valley, 
 and one day he turned to Betsy: 
 
 "Mees Betsee, have you ever seen 'Will-o'- 
 the-Wisp' that they say lights the friar's 
 lantern ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ; my mother used to send me over 
 there for purer air, and my old nurse had a 
 cottage overlooking the vale. She was teach- 
 ing me the alphabet, and when I did not 
 arrange my letters properly she would threaten 
 me with the friar." 
 
 The story, as Betsy had often heard it, was 
 that the friar had been a good Franciscan 
 monk, but he fell in love with a girl in a 
 mountain cottage, whom he met while she was 
 tending goats. She asked him to help her find 
 something that she had lost, and thus at- 
 tracted his attention. Later he made love to 
 her and she promised to marry him if he 
 would give up his faith. So the man broke 
 his vows to the Church; but, when he was to 
 be married, as he was clasping the bride's 
 hand, there was a fearful crash: the chapel 
 disappeared and with it all those who were 
 taking part in the unholy wedding. 
 
 "Have you noticed," asked Betsy of Na-
 
 146 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 poleon, coming on him when out riding, 
 "those three queer sugar-loaf rocks that they 
 call * Lot's Wife and Daughters'?" 
 
 "Yes," responded Napoleon, "I have seen 
 them." 
 
 "Well," persisted Betsy, "do you know the 
 story about them ? " 
 
 "No, I do not." 
 
 "Then I must tell you. More than fifty 
 years ago there were two slaves on the island 
 who hated to work and to obey their masters, 
 so they hid themselves in a cave, halfway up 
 the cliff on the top of which we now see 
 Lot's wife. Every night they used to go down 
 and steal whatever they could lay their hands 
 on. For a long time people could not find 
 out where they lived, but at last they were 
 tracked to their cave. No one could reach 
 them, however, because they rolled stones 
 down toward all who tried to climb up the 
 cliff." 
 
 Napoleon listened attentively, and Betsy 
 continued : 
 
 "At last it was thought necessary to send 
 a party of soldiers to fire on them, if they 
 refused to surrender, but before this was done
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 147 
 
 one of the besiegers managed to climb the 
 cliff on the other side. He reached a point 
 opposite the cave and higher up, so that he 
 could roll down stones toward the slaves. 
 When one of these wretched creatures was 
 standing on the edge of the cliff he was 
 killed by one of the rocks rolled from above, 
 and the other who was with him was severely 
 injured; and now," concluded Betsy solemnly, 
 "if you go there at the right time, the islanders 
 say that you will see the murdered slave rush- 
 ing around at night just as he used to when 
 alive." 
 
 Napoleon, after hearing Betsy's legend, 
 said: "When I ride that way again I shall cer- 
 tainly look at the sugar-loaf mountain with 
 much greater interest than ever before." 
 
 Undoubtedly these various legends, which 
 Betsy had heard from her earliest childhood, 
 tended to make her superstitious. Napoleon 
 soon found that she was easily frightened, and 
 took advantage of this fact sometimes to tease 
 her unmercifully. When he arrived at The 
 Briars, one of Betsy's little brothers had as 
 tutor an elderly man named Huff. The coming 
 of Napoleon had a strange effect on the tutor's
 
 148 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 brain. Among other delusions, he believed 
 that it was to fall on him to free the Emperor 
 from his imprisonment and restore him to his 
 throne again. Old Huff, as they called him, 
 talked constantly on this subject and no one 
 could reason with him. It was evident that 
 the poor fellow was mad, but before it was 
 decided to put him under guardianship he 
 found a chance to kill himself, although he 
 was closely watched. According to custom, he 
 was buried at a spot where three crossroads 
 meet. This happened to be a place near The 
 Briars, and, in consequence, poor Betsy was 
 far from happy. Napoleon, aware of her fears, 
 would call out, just before she said good night 
 to the household, "Mees Betsee, ole Huff, 
 ole Huff." 
 
 Poor Betsy! She was indeed unhappy, and 
 after these words lay long awake at night, 
 and in the end often scrambled into her 
 mother's room and stayed there until morning. 
 
 One evening, when Betsy and her mother 
 and her sister Jane were sitting on the cottage 
 porch enjoying the refreshing evening breeze, 
 a strange noise made Betsy turn her head, 
 and in an instant she had risen to her feet
 
 S S 
 
 H o
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 149 
 
 with a loud scream. In front of them now 
 walked a figure dressed in white, not a very 
 terrifying sight, except to one of Betsy's 
 nervous temperament. 
 
 Mrs. Balcombe at once understood the sit- 
 uation, for at the moment of the figure's ap- 
 pearance she had heard a smothered laugh 
 that she recognized as Napoleon's. Advanc- 
 ing to the white figure, she turned back the 
 covering, and underneath appeared the black 
 face of a little slave, grinning from ear to ear. 
 
 "What brought you here?" asked Mrs. 
 Balcombe sternly. 
 
 "To frighten Miss Betsy;" and the black 
 girl pointed toward Napoleon, who had now 
 come forward to see what effect his trick had 
 had upon his young neighbor. 
 
 This little ghost scene had a wider effect 
 than Napoleon intended, for it put the idea 
 of playing ghost into the heads of other ser- 
 vants. One of the Balcombe slaves had lately 
 run away and could not be found. The family 
 suspected that he was hiding not far off, 
 because every night pigs, poultry, bread, and 
 other provisions were stolen in quantities, 
 by whom nobody could tell. After a while
 
 150 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Napoleon began to complain of thefts, but 
 when the various black servants were ques- 
 tioned they all said that the thief must be a 
 ghostly white figure that they saw skipping 
 around the valley from rock to rock. That 
 they believed what they said was shown by 
 the alarm they showed, for none of them 
 would go out alone by night. 
 
 "I believe that it really and truly is old 
 Huff's ghost," insisted Betsy. 
 
 ''You can't believe such a foolish thing; 
 indeed, I should think you would know better 
 after what happened the other evening, when 
 you allowed yourself to be terrified by a little 
 black girl," said her mother reprovingly. She 
 added, "You look pale, Betsy. What is the 
 trouble?" 
 
 "I can't help it. I may be foolish," re- 
 sponded poor Betsy, "but for nights and nights 
 I have been afraid to close my eyes." 
 
 "All on account of the ghost," thought Mrs. 
 Balcombe, wishing that Betsy were less ner- 
 vous. 
 
 Mr. Balcombe and some friends now under- 
 took to catch the thief, feeling sure that he 
 would prove to be a substantial individual.
 
 ALL KINDS OF FUN 151 
 
 After long watching, one night they saw a 
 figure move stealthily across the valley toward 
 the house. They called upon it to stop, but 
 when it neither obeyed nor answered, they 
 felt obliged to shoot. A loud scream followed 
 the report of the gun, and when they came 
 upon the fallen figure they discovered the 
 runaway slave Alley. He was badly hurt, al- 
 though not fatally, and they did what they 
 could for him. The next morning the whole 
 party went to the cave to which Alley directed 
 them. Napoleon accompanied them and was 
 much interested in what he saw. 
 
 It reminded him of the catacombs of Paris, 
 he exclaimed, as he looked about at the heaps 
 of bones which the slave had placed in neatly 
 arranged piles after he had gorged himself 
 with food.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 
 
 AS Betsy grew to know Napoleon bet- 
 ter, she sometimes observed in his con- 
 versation and manner a sadness that 
 she had not noticed earlier. This slight mel- 
 ancholy was especially evident when the 
 conversation touched on Josephine or the little 
 King of Rome. Often Napoleon gazed in- 
 tently at Mrs. Balcombe, explaining as he did 
 so that it was because she reminded him 
 strongly of Josephine. He loved to talk of 
 Josephine, especially with Madame Bertrand, 
 who was a native of Martinique and was said 
 also to be a distant relative of the Empress. 
 
 One day, for example, Madame Bertrand, 
 in Betsy's presence, brought out a miniature 
 of Josephine. The Emperor seemed deeply 
 moved as he gazed at it. 
 
 "It is the most perfect likeness of her that 
 I have ever seen."
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 153 
 
 "It is for you, sir," said Madame Bertrand 
 simply. 
 
 Thanking her warmly, Napoleon added, "I 
 will keep it until my death." 
 
 On this occasion the Emperor was especially 
 inclined to talk about his first wife, and Betsy, 
 hearing him, wondered that he had been will- 
 ing to separate himself from her. 
 
 "Josephine," he said, "was the most femi- 
 nine woman I have ever known all charm 
 and sweetness and grace. Era la dama la piu 
 graziosa in Francia." Then he continued: 
 "Josephine was the goddess of the toilet. All 
 fashions came from her. Besides this she was 
 humane and always thoughtful of others. She 
 was the best of women. Although the English 
 and the Bourbons allow that I did some good, 
 yet they generally qualify it by saying that it 
 was chiefly through the instrumentality of 
 Josephine. But the fact is that she never in- 
 terfered in politics. Great as my veneration 
 was for her, I could not bear to have it thought 
 that she in any way ruled my public actions." 
 
 Napoleon's praises of Josephine continued 
 to flow on. 
 
 "She was the greatest patroness of the arts
 
 154 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 known in France for years; but though I 
 loved to attend to her whims, yet I always 
 acted to please the nation, and whenever 
 I obtained a fine statue or valuable picture I 
 sent it to the Museum for the people's benefit. 
 Josephine was grace personified. She never 
 acted inelegantly during the whole time we 
 lived together. Her toilet was perfection, and 
 she resisted the inroads of time, to all appear- 
 ances, by exquisite taste." 
 
 Napoleon spoke with deep emotion, "She 
 was the best of women!" 
 
 Then, as if in answer to Betsy's unspoken 
 question, he said: 
 
 "It was only political motives that led me 
 to give her up. Nothing else would have sep- 
 arated me from a wife so tenderly loved. 
 Thank God, she died without witnessing my 
 last misfortune!" 
 
 From Josephine Napoleon turned to Maria 
 Louisa, his second wife, the mother of his son, 
 of whom he spoke tenderly and affectionately : 
 
 "She was an amiable and good wife. She 
 would have followed me here, but they would 
 not let her." 
 
 Napoleon next called Betsy's attention to
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 155 
 
 one or two portraits of Maria Louisa, but 
 Betsy, though she made no criticism, thought 
 then, as she had thought at other times when 
 studying the face of Maria Louisa, that the 
 Austrian Princess was at a disadvantage when 
 contrasted with the members of Napoleon's 
 family, all of whom were handsome and 
 looked intellectual. 
 
 This conversation about Josephine and 
 Maria Louisa was interrupted by the arrival 
 of a visitor, Count Piontkowski, lately arrived 
 from Europe. He was a Pole who had fought 
 under Napoleon, and his love for his fallen 
 leader had led him to follow into exile. 
 
 Napoleon himself had no clear remembrance 
 of the Pole as an individual, and he was there- 
 fore the more deeply gratified by the spirit of 
 devotion that had induced Piontkowski to make 
 the long voyage to St. Helena for the sake of 
 being near his old commander. 
 
 The long interview with the newcomer un- 
 doubtedly brought before Napoleon's mind 
 many sad memories, and when he returned to 
 them Betsy and the others noticed that he was 
 in unusually low spirits. As he looked again 
 at the portraits of Josephine and Maria Louisa
 
 156 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 he grew more and more dejected, and at last, 
 excusing himself, he went to bed much earlier 
 than usual, leaving the rest of the party under 
 the influence of his melancholy. 
 
 When the second New Year came around, 
 Napoleon was in less than his usual good 
 spirits. It was not to Betsy, however, but to 
 Dr. O'Meara that he said in reply to the 
 physician's "Happy New Year": 
 
 "Perhaps the next one will find me better 
 situated. Perhaps I shall be dead, which will 
 be better still. Worse than this cannot be." 
 
 It was not the Emperor's habit to show his 
 sadness for any great length of time. On this 
 second New Year's the sisters were to go over 
 to Longwood to carry their New Year greeting 
 and to dine with Madame Bertrand. 
 
 When they first arrived at the house Betsy 
 was disappointed that Napoleon was nowhere 
 in sight and she wondered that no message 
 or present came from him, for she knew that 
 the French made a special festival of New 
 Year's and recalled the generosity of the 
 Emperor just a year before. 
 
 Still there was much to see and enjoy in 
 Madame Bertrand's apartment, and she and
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 157 
 
 Jane were examining with admiration the pres- 
 ents of Madame Bertrand and her family, 
 when Napoleon himself entered the room. 
 In each hand he was carefully carrying a 
 beautiful Sevres cup. As the girls drew near 
 to look at them, they saw that on one was a 
 portrait of Napoleon himself, representing 
 him in Turkish costume, and on the other 
 the figure of an Egyptian woman drawing 
 water. 
 
 ''Here, Mdlles. Betsee and Jane," he 
 exclaimed, "are two cups for you. Accept 
 them as a mark of the friendship I entertain 
 for you both and for your kindness to Madame 
 Bertrand." 
 
 Charmed with his beautiful presents, the 
 girls thanked Napoleon warmly. Betsy, in- 
 deed, was so delighted with her cup that she 
 would not let it go out of her hands, and 
 when at last the time for her departure came 
 she wrapped it in many folds of cotton to 
 carry it home at considerable risk even then, 
 as the journey was made on horseback. 
 
 Betsy was a keen observer, and although 
 she was fond of paying Napoleon back in his 
 own coin when he teased her, she appreciated
 
 158 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 the depth of his feelings in his more serious 
 moments. 
 
 One beautiful day, when she went over to 
 Longwood, she was impressed by the brilliancy 
 of the atmosphere, which is, indeed, one of 
 the charms of St. Helena. Standing on the 
 rocks she watched the waves breaking and 
 sparkling at their base and noted the sea 
 beyond, glistening like a sheet of quicksilver. 
 With her spirits especially buoyant under the 
 influence of the wonderful day, she went up 
 to St. Denis, one of the Emperor's suite. 
 
 " Where is the Emperor?" she asked gayly. 
 "I want to see him." 
 
 The Frenchman shook his head so gravely 
 that for the moment the smile left Betsy's 
 face and she wondered if any misfortune had 
 happened. After a moment of silence, St. 
 Denis replied: 
 
 "The Emperor is watching the Conqueror, 
 which is now coming in." The Conqueror was 
 the vessel bearing the flag of Admiral Pam- 
 plin, who was to succeed Admiral Malcom. 
 "You will find the Emperor," continued St. 
 Denis, "near Madame Bertrand's, but he is 
 in no mood for badinage to-day."
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 159 
 
 If the Frenchman had meant to keep Betsy 
 away from Napoleon, he was not successful. 
 In spite of his warning Betsy went on toward 
 the cottage. As soon as she saw the Emperor, 
 she herself came under the influence of his 
 mood. He was standing on a cliff with Gen- 
 eral Bertrand, looking out toward sea, where 
 the Conqueror was still but a speck on the 
 horizon. Betsy was impressed by the intense 
 melancholy of the exiled Emperor's expres- 
 sion, as he stood there stern and silent. His 
 eyes were bent sadly upon the vessel as it 
 came in, beating up proudly to windward. 
 
 For some time not a word was uttered by 
 any of the three. Even the talkative Betsy 
 was silent. At last Napoleon spoke: 
 
 'They manage the vessel beautifully; the 
 English are certainly kings upon the sea," he 
 said. Then his melancholy tone changed to 
 one of sarcasm. "I wonder what they think 
 of our beautiful island ! They cannot be much 
 elated by the sight of my gigantic walls." 
 
 At this moment Betsy did not venture a 
 retort, as was generally the case when Napo- 
 leon railed at her beloved St. Helena. Betsy 
 was alive to all the beauties of the place,
 
 160 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 while Napoleon, naturally, saw only its faults. 
 When Betsy defended the island and waxed 
 eloquent over its beauties, sometimes he would 
 simply laugh at her impertinence, while at 
 others, pinching her ear in his favorite fashion, 
 he would say: 
 
 "Mees Betsee, how can you possibly dare 
 to have an opinion on the subject?" 
 
 This glimpse of Napoleon, sadly watching 
 the Conqueror, was not the only occasion when 
 Betsy had an opportunity to see the more 
 serious side of the man whom she admired. 
 Although she was only a young girl, she was 
 able sometimes by her intelligent questions to 
 draw from him an explanation of much dis- 
 cussed things in his past. There was, for 
 example, the oft-repeated story that Napoleon 
 had sanctioned the butchery of Turkish troops 
 at Jaffa and the poisoning of the sick in the 
 hospitals. 
 
 If the Emperor was vexed with Betsy for 
 touching on forbidden ground, he did not 
 show his feeling, but entered into an explana- 
 tion that his young neighbor was able long 
 afterwards to repeat in his own words. 
 "Before leaving Jaffa," said Napoleon, "and
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 161 
 
 when many of the sick had been embarked, I 
 was informed that there were some in the 
 hospital severely wounded, dangerously ill, 
 and unfit to be moved at any risk. I de- 
 sired my medical men to hold a consultation 
 as to what steps had best be taken with 
 regard to the unfortunate sufferers and to 
 send in their opinions to me. The result of 
 this consultation was that seven-eighths of 
 the soldiers were considered past recovery, 
 and that in all probability few would be alive 
 at the expiration of twenty hours." 
 
 Betsy listened attentively, as Napoleon 
 showed how difficult it was to decide whether 
 it was not more cruel to leave these helpless 
 men to the mercy of the Turks than to end 
 their misery by a dose of opium: "I should 
 have desired such a relief for myself under 
 the same circumstances and I considered it 
 would be an act of mercy to anticipate their 
 fate by only a few hours. My physician did 
 not enter into my views of the case, and dis- 
 approved of the proposal, saying it was his 
 business to cure, not to kill. Accordingly I 
 left a rear-guard to protect these unhappy men 
 from the enemy. They remained until Nature
 
 162 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 had paid her last debt and released the expir- 
 ing soldiers from their agony." 
 
 As his auditors did not look convinced of 
 the correctness of his views, Napoleon turned 
 to Dr. O'Meara, who was of the party. 
 
 "I ask you, O'Meara, to place yourself in 
 the situation of one of these men. Were it 
 demanded of you which fate you would select, 
 either to be left to suffer the tortures of those 
 miscreants or to have opium administered to 
 you, which fate would you rather choose ? If 
 my own son and I believe I love my son 
 as well as any father loves his child - - were 
 in a similar situation, I should advise it to be 
 done. If so situated myself I should insist 
 upon it, if I had sense enough and strength 
 to demand it." 
 
 Without waiting for comment from the 
 others, Napoleon added that if he had been 
 capable of secretly poisoning his soldiers or 
 of the barbarity ascribed to him of driving his 
 carriage over the mutilated bodies of the 
 wounded, his troops would never have fought 
 under him with the enthusiasm and reverence 
 they uniformly displayed. No, no, I should 
 have been shot long ago. Even my wounded
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 163 
 
 would have tried to pull a trigger to despatch 
 me." 
 
 The Emperor spoke so earnestly that no 
 one could doubt he meant what he said. Even 
 though they believed that the Turkish prison- 
 ers had been treated with great cruelty, his 
 hearers saw that ambition or a feeling of 
 necessity had been the impelling motive of 
 the officers who sanctioned or ordered the 
 cruelty. 
 
 Napoleon's conversations with Betsy were 
 of course carried on largely in French, and 
 but for the little girl's fluency in this language 
 she would probably have seen much less of 
 the great man. Napoleon himself made a real 
 effort to learn English. Not only did he study 
 with Las Cases, but he tried to practise the 
 language with Betsy and her sister. In con- 
 versation, however, he never became very pro- 
 ficient, his pronunciation was droll, and he 
 was inclined to translate things very literally. 
 Betsy was less patient than her sister with 
 Napoleon's English. By his expressed desire 
 she and Jane were always to correct his mis- 
 takes, yet often, in the midst of his efforts, she 
 would run off without deigning to help him.
 
 164 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Ah, Mdlle. Betsee," he would then cry in 
 French, "you are a stupid little creature; 
 when will you become wise ? " 
 
 Although Napoleon persevered with his 
 English lessons with Las Cases, he never pro- 
 ceeded much further than to read the news- 
 papers. English books presented many dif- 
 ficulties, and yet much of the literature that 
 came his way was in this language. Here 
 again Betsy was able to make herself very 
 useful by translating books or newspapers for 
 him, and sometimes she went further and 
 gave him in condensed form the contents of 
 a great many pages. Even after he went to 
 Longwood, when Betsy went over there to 
 call on Madame Bertrand, Napoleon would 
 summon her to help him understand some 
 newly arrived English book. 
 
 From Napoleon's own admission to one of 
 his own suite, after he had been in St. Helena 
 a year or two, we can judge that his progress 
 in English had not been very rapid. One 
 morning, after the arrival of a number of 
 French books, he said: 
 
 "What a pleasure I have enjoyed! I 
 can read forty pages of French in the
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 165 
 
 time that it would require to read two of 
 English." 
 
 The Emperor enjoyed talking with Betsy, 
 for the little girl was a great reader herself, 
 and he had the faculty of drawing from her 
 whatever information she had on a given sub- 
 ject. Occasionally she thoughtlessly questioned 
 Napoleon on topics that she might better have 
 avoided. 
 
 One Sunday, for example, at Madame Ber- 
 trand's, he found the girls poring over a book. 
 
 "What are you doing?" he asked abruptly. 
 
 "Learning the collect," replied Betsy. "My 
 father is always very angry if I do not know 
 it." Then she added, not very courteously, 
 "I suppose you never learned a collect or 
 anything religious in your life, for I know 
 that you do not believe in the existence of 
 a God." 
 
 'You have been told an untruth," replied 
 Napoleon impatiently, evidently displeased 
 with Betsy. "When you are wiser you will 
 understand that no one can doubt the exist- 
 ence of a God." 
 
 "But you believe in predestination?" 
 
 "Whatever a man's destiny calls him to
 
 166 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 do, that he must fulfil," was the Emperor's 
 response. 
 
 Young though she was, Betsy understood 
 the seriousness that underlay the superficial 
 gayety most in evidence when Napoleon met 
 her. She decided that he was not the cold, 
 calculating man that most people thought 
 him, but rather a man of deep feeling, capable 
 of strong attachments. 
 
 One day, not long after he had left The 
 Briars, a lady approached Betsy, who was in 
 the grounds outside the house. 
 
 As she dismounted from her horse Betsy 
 had recognized her as a French woman of 
 high position, whose husband was one of the 
 diplomatists then at St. Helena. 
 
 "Will you be so good," she said almost 
 timidly to the little girl, "as to show me the 
 part of the cottage occupied by the Emperor ? " 
 
 "With pleasure," responded Betsy, leading 
 the way to the Pavilion. The lady looked 
 about her with great interest. 
 
 "Look!" said Betsy, pointing to the spot 
 where the marquee had stood. "Look at this 
 crown in the turf!" 
 
 The lady gazed for some minutes at this
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 167 
 
 empty symbol of the power once held by the 
 Emperor. The thoughts that it brought up 
 overpowered her. Losing all self-control, she 
 sank to her knees, sobbing hysterically. For- 
 getful of Betsy, she continued to weep so bit- 
 terly that the little girl started for the cottage 
 that she might get her mother, or some one 
 else of the household, to bring restoratives. 
 
 "Stop, stop!" cried the lady, as if realizing 
 her purpose. "Do not call any one. I shall be 
 myself in a moment." Then, in a voice still 
 filled with emotion, she added, "Please do me 
 the favor of never mentioning this to any one. 
 All French people feel as I do. They all treas- 
 ure Napoleon's memory as I do, and would 
 willingly die for him." 
 
 Betsy gave the required promise and waited 
 patiently until the lady had recovered her 
 self-possession. Then the latter asked in- 
 numerable questions of the little girl about 
 the life of Napoleon and his suite at The 
 Briars. 
 
 Several times the visitor repeated, "How 
 happy it must have made you to be with the 
 Emperor!" 
 
 When she rode away after her long inter-
 
 168 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 view, she put a thick veil over her face to 
 hide the fact that she had been weeping. 
 
 Betsy was true to her word, and although 
 her family, one after another, asked her why 
 the visitor had made so long a stay, she merely 
 replied that she had been interested in the 
 Pavilion. But the scene made a deep impres- 
 sion on the little girl, as showing the remark- 
 able hold of Napoleon on the hearts of those 
 who had been his subjects. Moreover she 
 judged, and truly too, that a man for whom 
 such deep feeling was shown must him- 
 self have been of a kind and sympathetic 
 nature. 
 
 It is true that she did not need the testimony 
 of any outsider to assure her of Napoleon's 
 amiability. She was well acquainted with his 
 general kindliness; she knew of many of his 
 gracious acts, and the charm of his manner 
 toward all young people had made a deep 
 impression upon her. 
 
 Another thing that she noticed convinced 
 Betsy of the softer qualities of Napoleon's 
 nature. This was the firm devotion of the 
 little band of Frenchmen and French wo- 
 men who had followed him to St. Helena.
 
 THE SERIOUS SIDE 169 
 
 They had made great sacrifices in sharing the 
 exile of Napoleon. There was so little to hope 
 for, in the way of reward for this devotion, 
 that no reasonable person could doubt their 
 disinterestedness.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 
 
 '* \"T 7HO danced the best at the Governor's 
 \ \ ball?" Napoleon asked Betsy one 
 
 day. 
 
 "Mrs. Wilks, the Governor's lady." 
 This was before the arrival of Sir Hudson 
 Lowe. 
 
 "What sort of dances are in fashion there ?" 
 "Quadrilles, country dances. Mr. C. 
 brought them to St. Helena." 
 "Oh, he is a great dandy! " 
 'Yes; he will sit with his feet above his 
 head an hour before dressing, the more 
 readily to squeeze them into tight shoes. He 
 wore an epaulette nearly down to his elbow, 
 and his sword hilt was embroidered with 
 golden oak leaves. The same embroidery con- 
 fined his stockings, on each knee, like the 
 order of the garter. When he first arrived he 
 was disgusted that St. Helena ladies knew
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 171 
 
 only kitchen dances and reels, and finally he 
 drilled quadrilles and other new dances into 
 them." 
 
 Betsy's description of the young dandy 
 amused Napoleon. "Bring him to Longwood 
 some day," he said. 
 
 A pass was obtained for the young man and 
 Napoleon received him most politely. "I hear 
 from Mees Betsee that you are a great dandy, 
 - and what a fine coat!" 
 
 The young man, who had been in some 
 fear of the Emperor, felt better. 
 
 : *You are more fortunate than myself," 
 continued Napoleon, "for I have to wear my 
 coat turned." Although this was true, it was 
 only because there was no cloth his shade of 
 green on the island. 
 
 On the whole Napoleon liked the young 
 dandy, especially as he spoke French fluently. 
 
 But Napoleon was not always glad, or even 
 willing, to receive visitors. In fact, after the 
 first few months on the island, he practically 
 refused to allow strangers to be presented to 
 him, unless there was some special reason for 
 his seeing them. 
 
 One day, when Napoleon was still at The
 
 172 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Briars, the girls were walking with him down 
 Pomegranate Walk, which led to the garden, 
 when he heard strangers' voices. He did not 
 wish to meet them, and began to run away, 
 but, unluckily, when he reached the garden 
 gate he found it locked. Napoleon was not 
 likely to turn aside from anything he had 
 undertaken to do, and as the voices drew 
 nearer, too impatient to wait, he insisted on 
 jumping over the gate fence. There was a 
 prickly pear on top, the thorns of which caught 
 him so that at first he could not extricate 
 himself. Then he had to descend rather igno- 
 miniously on the garden side, before the 
 strangers appeared. The thorns had really 
 done considerable damage, and it took no 
 little skill on Dr. O'Meara's part to extract 
 them. 
 
 To Betsy's friends Napoleon was apt to be 
 more obliging than to others, and tourists, 
 many of whom stayed over at St. Helena on 
 their way to or from Africa or India, fre- 
 quently sought her services to effect an intro- 
 duction. 
 
 "Sir," said Betsy to Napoleon one day, 
 "may I present a lady to you? She is just
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 173 
 
 here from India. Her husband has high 
 rank." 
 
 Napoleon was not fond of women visitors, 
 but he gave his consent to Betsy's request. 
 
 At the appointed time the lady from India 
 appeared, gowned in crimson velvet bordered 
 with pearls. Her black hair was braided and 
 adorned with pearls, and butterflies of dia- 
 monds and emeralds and rubies. She was 
 one of the plainest women Betsy had ever 
 seen, and she was fearful of the impression 
 she would make on Napoleon. 
 
 After Napoleon had asked the usual ques- 
 tions, "Are you married?" and "How many 
 children have you ? " he looked closely at her 
 to see what compliment he could best pay 
 her. 
 
 At length, after a pause that might have 
 embarrassed a less complacent woman, he 
 said politely, "Madame, you have the most 
 luxuriant hair." 
 
 That the lady from India had fine hair was 
 so evident a fact, that she need not have been 
 so exceedingly pleased by Napoleon's compli- 
 ment. Yet she was so overcome by it that 
 when she returned to England she sent letters
 
 174 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 to the newspapers speaking of the Emperor's 
 great admiration for her. 
 
 Napoleon, in reality, did not at all like this 
 visitor, and when she had gone he said 
 severely to the young girl: 
 
 "You shall introduce me to no more ladies." 
 His tone was so unusually severe that Betsy 
 did not dare confess what really was the 
 case, that she had brought Mrs. S. to see 
 Napoleon merely to tease him, knowing that 
 it was positively disagreeable to him to meet 
 very plain women. 
 
 Betsy one day came to him full of excite- 
 ment over a traveller whom she had just seen. 
 
 "Oh, he is extraordinary; queerer than any 
 one I have ever met here. His long black 
 beard reaches to his waist, and he wears a 
 regular mandarin's dress." 
 
 "An Englishman dressed like a Chinaman ? " 
 
 'Yes! You know he has been there so 
 
 long, and he has done the most wonderful 
 
 things! Why, he has even travelled to Thibet 
 
 and talked to the Grand Lama." 
 
 The Emperor's interest was aroused. 
 
 "I have always wished to hear something 
 about the Grand Lama," he said, "especially
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 175 
 
 about the way he is worshipped, for I believe 
 that much I have read is fabulous. I should 
 like to see this traveller." 
 
 "I knew you would," cried Betsy, "and he 
 is anxious to see you, too. He was a prisoner 
 of war once in France, and he says you treated 
 him very kindly ; so he has brought you some 
 presents, and if - 
 
 ;< Yes, and if he can get a pass - 
 
 The sentence was left unfinished. But 
 Mr. Manning obtained a pass to see the 
 Emperor and presented him with a number 
 of curious things that he had collected in his 
 travels. 
 
 "The Lama," he said in answer to a ques- 
 tion, "when I saw him, was a very intelligent 
 boy of seven, and I went through the same 
 form of worship as the others who were intro- 
 duced into his presence." 
 
 "Were you not afraid of being seized as a 
 spy?" asked Napoleon. 
 
 The traveller hesitated, as if not quite 
 pleased by the question. Then, with a laugh, 
 he pointed to his dress and beard, as if they 
 were a sufficient answer. 
 
 "Did you pass for an Englishman?" per-
 
 176 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 sisted the Emperor. "The shape of your nose 
 is too good for a Tartar." 
 
 "No," replied Mr. Manning; "I was gen- 
 erally taken for a Hindoo." The bystanders, 
 looking at his fine eyes and regular features, 
 could easily understand that in the role of 
 a Hindoo he must certainly have been suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 The conversation between the two the 
 Emperor and the traveller lasted for some 
 time. 
 
 " Travellers," said Napoleon, "are privi- 
 leged to tell marvellous stories, but I hope 
 you are not doing this in describing to me all 
 the wonders of Thibet." 
 
 Then he continued his questions, asking 
 much about the Lama, and the customs and 
 religion of his people. His queries showed that 
 he already possessed a fund of information 
 about this strange country, and Mr. Manning 
 finally said, "You have as much information 
 on Thibet as I have myself." 
 
 Napoleon accepted the compliment, but 
 the many questions that he continued to ask, 
 especially concerning the Chinese and their 
 language and habits, showed that he was
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 177 
 
 quite willing to admit Mr. Manning's greater 
 knowledge of the Orient. 
 
 When the unusually long interview had 
 ended, Napoleon turned to Betsy with an 
 expression in which sadness was mingled with 
 satisfaction. 
 
 "This conversation," he cried, "has given 
 me more pleasure than anything I have ex- 
 perienced for many long months." 
 
 Betsy, realizing the Emperor's capacity for 
 finding entertainment in hearing about the 
 small things that made up the life of St. 
 Helena, always gratified him by describing 
 the little festivities in which she took part, or 
 even the larger affairs of which she knew only 
 by what others told her. Like all places gar- 
 risoned by British regiments, there was always 
 much going on, as the phrase is, on the island, 
 and the gossip of the place, usually harmless 
 enough in itself, never failed to entertain him. 
 
 Sometimes he tried to draw from the little 
 girl information that for one reason or another 
 she did not care to give him sometimes 
 merely to tease him, sometimes because she 
 feared that what she said might disturb him. 
 
 "So you have been calling on Lady Lowe
 
 178 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 at Plantation House," he said, after one of 
 her visits to the wife of the Governor. "Tell 
 me, does she ask about your visits to Long- 
 wood ? " 
 
 "There, that is just the kind of thing she 
 asks me. I am sure to be questioned what we 
 say and do in your presence;" and beyond 
 this Betsy would give Napoleon little satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 "Who is the most beautiful woman on the 
 island ? " he asked on another occasion. 
 
 "Madame Bertrand," replied Betsy, never 
 at a loss for an answer, "is more beautiful 
 than any one I have ever seen. Every one else 
 seems insignificant beside her. Why, when 
 my father saw her on the Northumberland he 
 was very much struck by her. Her features 
 may not be strictly beautiful, but her expres- 
 sion is intellectual. Besides, her bearing is so 
 queenlike and dignified!" 
 
 "But don't you think Madame Montholon 
 pretty?" 
 
 "No," responded Betsy unhesitatingly, in 
 spite of the fact that she had much regard for 
 Madame Montholon. 
 
 "Marchand," cried Napoleon, apparently
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 179 
 
 changing the subject, "bring me my snuff- 
 box, you know which." 
 
 The faithful Marchand obeyed, and when 
 he returned Napoleon took the snuffbox from 
 his hands to show the girls for Jane was 
 with Betsy a miniature on the lid. 
 
 It was a portrait of Madame Montholon, 
 taken many years earlier. 
 
 'Yes, it is like her," Betsy admitted, "and 
 beautiful, too." 
 
 "She was just like that when she was 
 young," responded the Emperor. 
 
 Although Napoleon w r as fond of teasing 
 Betsy, whenever he found that he could serve 
 her in any way he never failed to show 
 himself a true friend. 
 
 Once Dr. O'Meara came upon Betsy alone 
 in the garden with tears in her eyes. To 
 his inquiry as to the cause of her sorrow, 
 she pouted, and at first hesitated in her reply. 
 On second thoughts she exclaimed, "It is too 
 mean! Just because I didn't do my lessons 
 yesterday, to keep me home from the races!" 
 
 "Were you warned?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, but I did not expect to be pun- 
 ished."
 
 180 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "Probably this isn't the first time, and your 
 parents are bound to make you remember." 
 
 "Oh, it is my father, and it's the meanest 
 thing! He has lent Tom to somebody. My 
 pony is not in the stable. Who could have 
 been so mean as to borrow the only pony that 
 I can ride? All the others have ridden off, 
 and there is no way for me to go." 
 
 Dr. O'Meara listened sympathetically. 
 Probably he did not exactly understand the 
 situation or he would hardly have encouraged 
 a young girl to disobey her parents. It was 
 quite natural that to Betsy, the lover of 
 gayety, her punishment seemed greater than 
 she deserved. Every one that she knew was 
 going to the races, for the Deadwood races, 
 instituted by John Rous, were made a kind 
 of festival by the people of the island. Since 
 every one she knew had gone to Deadwood, 
 there was no horse at hand that she could 
 borrow. For the moment Napoleon's little 
 neighbor was troubled by no sense of duty; 
 the only question was how to reach Deadwood. 
 
 Dr. O'Meara, after Betsy had poured out 
 her soul to him, rode on towards Longwood 
 at a rapid pace. Not long afterwards her
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 181 
 
 heart leaped with joy when she saw Dr. 
 O'Meara winding down the mountain, fol- 
 lowed by a slave with a superb gray horse. 
 At once she recognized Mameluke, one of 
 Napoleon's stable, and, as the horses drew 
 nearer, she saw that above his crimson saddle- 
 cloth Mameluke wore a lady's saddle. Even 
 before Dr. O'Meara spoke, she understood 
 what his quick return meant. 
 
 "Here, Miss Betsy, cheer up," he cried 
 when he drew near the little girl. "This horse 
 is for you. When the Emperor heard of your 
 disappointment, he ordered the quietest horse 
 in his stable to be sent to you." 
 
 Regardless of consequences to herself, 
 pleased by the good-natured attention of the 
 Emperor, light-hearted Betsy on Mameluke 
 went to the races. Perhaps she would have 
 hesitated had she known that her father, 
 rather than she herself, was to be the sufferer 
 by her heedless act, for afterwards it gave 
 her great pain to learn that Mr. Balcombe 
 had been severely reprimanded by Governor 
 Lowe for having committed a breach of dis- 
 cipline in letting his daughter borrow a horse 
 belonging to the Longwood establishment.
 
 182 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 But for the time Betsy had the fun of the 
 races, and the next day she went over to 
 Longwood to thank Napoleon. 
 
 "Aha, Mees Betsee," he said after their first 
 greeting, " perhaps you do not know that I 
 too saw the races." 
 
 "But I did not see you there." 
 
 "Ah, where were your eyes ? You were not 
 thinking of me; but they were amusing." 
 
 After a little more teasing, Betsy learned 
 that Napoleon had seen the Deadwood 
 races from an upper window of General 
 Gorgaud's house. 
 
 'You were so amused," he added, "that 
 you forgot to be afraid. I have told your 
 father you should never be encouraged in 
 foolish fears." 
 
 "I wish you had been really there!" 
 
 "Ah, gayety is not for me." Napoleon's face 
 became grave. 
 
 Betsy, noticing this, added quickly, "But 
 you are coming to my birthday fete." 
 
 "Surely! It will not be far away at Rous 
 Cottage." 
 
 The day of the birthday was bright and 
 fair, and as large numbers of guests had
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 183 
 
 assembled, Rous Cottage, which had been 
 chosen for this picnic fete, was named for the 
 gallant flag officer of the Northumberland, 
 whom Napoleon admired and called "a very 
 brave man." 
 
 In the earlier part of the celebration, Betsy, 
 flying among her friends, was too much 
 absorbed to notice that Napoleon had not 
 come, but when she missed him she began to 
 look eagerly in the direction in which she 
 might expect to see him appear. He had said 
 he would come to the party, and Betsy ex- 
 pected him to keep his promise, though it was 
 an unheard-of thing for him to mingle in a 
 gay crowd. 
 
 After a while she was delighted to see him 
 in the distance, riding along the hills. Soon 
 she saw that he was no longer riding. His 
 horse was at a standstill. What could this 
 mean ? Presently a messenger from the Em- 
 peror appeared to say that he would content 
 himself by looking on. 
 
 The young hostess was not satisfied with 
 this. Rushing off to the hill where Napoleon 
 waited, she stood before him. 
 
 "This is not keeping your promise. You
 
 184 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 said you would come, indeed you did, and 
 you should not disappoint me on my birth- 
 day." 
 
 Napoleon smiled at his young friend, but 
 he spoke with decision 1 . 
 
 "No; I won't come down to be stared at 
 by a crowd who wish to gratify their curios- 
 ity by a sight of me." 
 
 Betsy begged and pleaded, using every effort 
 to make him change his mind, but he was 
 firm. Nothing could change him. 
 
 A friend in England had sent Betsy a huge 
 birthday cake, ornamented with a large eagle. 
 That she should have had a cake decorated 
 with this imperial emblem occasioned much 
 comment on the island. In fact, in the eyes 
 of some, Mr. Balcombe and his family were 
 under more or less of a cloud on account of 
 their open admiration for the illustrious pris- 
 oner of St. Helena. When Betsy found that 
 her words made no impression on Napoleon, 
 she left him for a few moments, only to return 
 with a slice of the cake. 
 
 'You must eat this thick slice," she said, 
 holding it out to him. "It is the least you can 
 do for getting us into this disgrace. Some
 
 THE EMPEROR'S VISITORS 185 
 
 people think it almost treason when they see 
 the eagle on the cake." 
 
 Napoleon ate the cake with evident appre- 
 ciation. Then he pinched Betsy's ear in his 
 usual familiar fashion, saying as he did so, 
 "Saucy simpleton!" As he galloped away 
 Betsy could not help smiling, as she heard 
 him singing, or rather trying to sing in his 
 most unmusical voice, " Vive, Henri Quatre. "
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 
 
 SOMETIMES, without intending to hurt 
 Napoleon's feelings, heedless Betsy must 
 often have come near wounding him. 
 One day, for example, she showed him a toy 
 that had lately come to St. Helena from 
 Europe. It represented a toy emperor climb- 
 ing a ladder, each rung of which was a coun- 
 try. When he reached the top he sat for an 
 instant astride the world, and then went 
 headlong down the other side, until he landed 
 at last on St. Helena. 
 
 Napoleon himself did not reprove Betsy for 
 her rudeness, but Mr. Balcombe was dis- 
 turbed and angry when he heard of it. Betsy, 
 he decided, was altogether too fond of playing 
 foolish tricks, and he resolved to teach her a 
 lesson that she could not forget. 
 
 Calling her to him, after he had expressed 
 his displeasure for what she had done, "Betsy,"
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 187 
 
 he said in his severest tone, "you are to 
 spend the night in the cellar, and every 
 night for a week you shall sleep there. You 
 must be taught respect for your elders. It 
 is to punish you for your rudeness to Napo- 
 leon that I am resolved to punish you in this 
 way." 
 
 Poor Betsy shivered at her father's words. 
 Bold though she was in the face of danger by 
 day, darkness always had great terrors for her, 
 and to spend the night underground was a 
 punishment she felt she could hardly bear. 
 Her protests, however, were useless. Her 
 father locked her in the dark cellar and left 
 her there. Betsy's experiences that night were 
 terrible. Rats made the cellar their home, 
 and, as they jumped about in the darkness, 
 they tumbled the bottles of wine about, mak- 
 ing a terrible noise. Betsy was so frightened 
 that to defend herself from them she picked 
 up bottle after bottle to hurl against them. 
 At last they were driven away, but there was 
 no sleep for Betsy on the bed that had been 
 prepared for her. At dawn a faint light came 
 through the windows, just enough to show her 
 what havoc she had made. Broken bottles lay
 
 188 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 about her everywhere and in every direction 
 ran rivulets of wine. 
 
 At last she fell into a heavy stupor, and in 
 this condition a slave, who had been sent with 
 her breakfast, found her. Alarmed at the sight 
 of Betsy, apparently half dead, the slave ran 
 to summon Mr. Balcombe. When he hurried 
 to the cellar, Mr. Balcombe was naturally 
 shocked by what he saw. He had not thought 
 of rats, and he was only too thankful that 
 Betsy had escaped serious injury. He not only 
 did not reprove her for the destruction of the 
 claret, but forgave her for her offence against 
 Napoleon. 
 
 As to Napoleon, "It was too great a punish- 
 ment," he said, "for so little an offence." 
 Then he laughed heartily as the lively Betsy, 
 now quite herself again, gave a vivid account 
 of her battle with the rats. "Ah, the rats!" 
 he added; "a big one jumped out of my hat 
 one day, as I was about to put it on. It 
 startled me." 
 
 Some time after this adventure in the cellar, 
 Mr. Balcombe again had occasion to punish 
 Betsy and again he thought of the cellar. 
 
 "No, not the cellar!" remonstrated Napo-
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 189 
 
 leon. But Mr. Balcombe was obdurate. He 
 had decided that Betsy should have a week's 
 imprisonment there, staying by day but re- 
 leased at night that she might sleep in her 
 own room. 
 
 So Betsy went daily to her cell. She man- 
 aged to vary the monotony of her prison life 
 by sitting close to the grating of the open 
 window, and while she sat there, the picture 
 of dejection, Napoleon, approaching the win- 
 dow, daily expressed a half-mocking sympathy 
 with her. For a time Betsy maintained an ap- 
 pearance of dignity and injured innocence, but 
 in the end the Emperor, by mimicking her 
 doleful expression, usually succeeded in mak- 
 ing her laugh. 
 
 "Sewing!" he exclaimed in surprise, when 
 he visited Betsy on the third day of her 
 imprisonment. 
 
 ; 'Yes," responded Betsy; "I am making a 
 dress for myself." 
 
 " Ah, they indeed are cruel - 
 
 Like all Betsy's acquaintances, Napoleon 
 knew that she had no strong love for sewing 
 and the ordinary domestic duties. She was at 
 the age when boyish sports were much more
 
 190 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 fun than the occupations that older people 
 prescribed for girls. 
 
 "But no one required me to sew. I am 
 sewing because I wish to." 
 
 The Emperor expressed his surprise at this 
 announcement. 
 
 'Yes," continued Betsy; "I did not know 
 what else to do. It is frightfully dull here, so 
 I begged old black Sarah to find me some 
 work, and this is what she brought." Betsy 
 held up the partly made dress with consider- 
 able pride. 
 
 It is to Betsy's credit that she finished the 
 dress old Sarah had brought her, although her 
 fit of industry did not outlast her week's im- 
 prisonment. 
 
 'You should keep Mees Betsee's prison 
 livery," said Napoleon to Mrs. Balcombe, 
 "and show it to her occasionally, when 
 you think that she is on the point of 
 doing something foolish that ought to be 
 punished." 
 
 "Prison livery" w r as Napoleon's name for 
 the dress that Betsy had made during her 
 week in the cell. 
 
 Betsy, however, was only one of many per-
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 191 
 
 sons who had disagreeable experiences with 
 the rats of St. Helena. A sleeping slave, for 
 example, had a part of his leg bitten off. 
 One of Count Bertrand's horses in the stable 
 had been severely bitten, and Dr. O'Meara 
 had once had to defend himself from the ro- 
 dents by hurling his bootjack repeatedly at 
 them. Other tales of fierce rats had been told, 
 and in consequence Betsy, when she thought 
 of her escape from real harm, had good cause 
 for congratulation. 
 
 The battle of the rats happened while Na- 
 poleon was still living at The Briars, and 
 though Betsy long remembered it, it cannot 
 be said that she altogether profited by the 
 lesson that it should have conveyed to her. 
 Later, when Napoleon was living at Long- 
 wood, Betsy, visiting at Madame Bertrand's, 
 occupied herself with practising a song that 
 was a favorite with one of the ladies of the 
 garrison. 
 
 Betsy sang and played very well, and Napo- 
 leon, hearing the new song, praised the air 
 though he did not understand the words. Now 
 it happened that the song was a monody on 
 the death of the Due d'Enghien, for whose
 
 192 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 death Napoleon had been greatly blamed by 
 friends as well as by foes. 
 
 "What is the song?" Napoleon asked. 
 
 A tactful girl would have devised some 
 answer to spare Napoleon's feelings. But 
 thoughtless Betsy, without a word, turned to 
 the front page of the sheet of music, on which 
 was a picture of a man standing in a ditch, 
 his eyes bandaged and a lantern hanging from 
 his waist, while soldiers w r ere aiming their 
 muskets at him. 
 
 "What is it?" asked Napoleon, to whom 
 the picture conveyed no meaning. 
 
 "It represents the murder of the Due 
 d'Enghien," replied Betsy. 
 
 Napoleon examined the picture more closely. 
 Then, turning to the young girl: 
 
 " What do you know of the Due d'Enghien ?" 
 
 "That you are considered the murderer of 
 that illustrious prince," replied Betsy, with 
 great lack of consideration. 
 
 "It is true," responded Napoleon, "that I 
 ordered his execution, for he was a conspirator 
 and had landed troops in the pay of the 
 Bourbons to assassinate me. In the face of 
 such a conspiracy, the most politic thing was
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 193 
 
 to put a Bourbon prince to death so that the 
 Bourbons would not again try to take my life. 
 The prisoner was tried for having taken arms 
 against the Republic, and was executed ac- 
 cording to law. But he was not shot in a 
 ditch nor at night. All was open and known 
 to the public." 
 
 This talk about the Due d'Enghien led 
 Napoleon to tell Betsy of many thrilling ex- 
 periences of his own in escaping death at the 
 hands of would-be assassins. 
 
 At another time Betsy ran up to Napoleon, 
 crying, "Why is your face so swollen and 
 inflamed ? " 
 
 "Oh," replied Napoleon, assuming a dole- 
 ful look, "Dr. O'Meara has just drawn a 
 tooth and I have had much pain." 
 
 "What!" exclaimed Betsy in the role of 
 mentor. 'You to complain of pain the pain 
 of so trifling an operation, though you have 
 gone through battles innumerable with storms 
 of bullets whizzing, some of which must have 
 touched you. I am ashamed. But give me 
 the tooth, and I will get Mr. Solomon to set 
 it as an ear-ring." 
 
 Napoleon, listening to Betsy, was evidently
 
 194 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 amused by her tone of assumed severity, and 
 laughing heartily, replied: "See how I laugh, 
 even while I suffer. Ah, Mees Betsee, I fear 
 you will never cut your wisdom tooth." 
 
 Although Betsy saw more of Napoleon than 
 the other children, they were all fond of him; 
 but it is to be feared that Betsy's example 
 w r as not the best in the world for her little 
 brothers, who were much younger than she. 
 One day, for example, Napoleon had given 
 little Alexander a pretty box made by Piron, 
 rilled with his delicious bonbons. 
 
 "When my brother had eaten all his sugar- 
 plums," said Betsy, "and was grieving over 
 his exhausted store, he unluckily chanced 
 to espy a pill-box. He thereupon took some 
 pills from the box and offered them to the 
 Emperor. Napoleon helped himself, thinking 
 they were sugar-plums, and began eating. 
 He soon ejected them with coughing and 
 nausea." 
 
 Las Cases, it is needless to say, reported 
 this to Mr. Balcombe, who whipped Alexan- 
 der soundly. Nobody can deny that the little 
 boy merited the punishment. 
 
 A favorite jest of Napoleon was to cry,
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 195 
 
 "Now, Mdlle. Betsee, I hope you have been 
 a good child and learned your lessons." 
 
 Then Betsy would redden and toss her 
 head, for, like most girls in their early teens, 
 she wished to be thought older than she was. 
 This habit of teasing was one that Napoleon 
 had found time to indulge in even when he 
 was at the height of his power. He was very 
 fond of children, and some one has said that 
 no case is known in which he refused to grant 
 a favor when a child was asked to be the 
 messenger. He was fond of his nieces and 
 nephews, and devoted to his step-children. 
 Few brothers have ever been kinder to their 
 brothers and sisters than Napoleon to his. 
 When he was only sixteen, he began to take a 
 great interest in the education of his brother 
 Lucien, who was six years younger. When he 
 was a lieutenant in the army, he made real 
 sacrifices for Louis, who was twelve years old. 
 Yet, in spite of his love for them, he teased 
 them just as he teased Betsy. Every one knows 
 how he used to fondle the little King of Rome 
 and carry him around in his arms while he 
 was dictating to his secretaries. One who knew 
 him writes:
 
 196 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "It used to be a real holiday for the Em- 
 peror when Queen Hortense came to see her 
 mother, bringing her two children. Napoleon 
 would take them in his arms, caress them, 
 often tease them, and burst into laughter as 
 if he had been of their own age, when, accord- 
 ing to his custom, he had smeared their faces 
 with jam or cream." 
 
 Sometimes, however, he went too far, even 
 with his young relatives. Once when he had 
 playfully pulled the ears of his nephew, little 
 Achille Murat, the boy protested, "You are 
 a naughty, wicked man," to the great amuse- 
 ment of his uncle. 
 
 But if Napoleon was inclined to tease the 
 young people at The Briars, he was also 
 ready to do pleasant things for them. He 
 certainly entered into the feelings of young 
 people. With them he became a child, and 
 an amusing one. Many were the games he 
 played with Betsy and her brothers and sister, 
 not only blindman's buff but puss in the 
 corner and other quieter games. 
 
 Betsy was not the only one of the Balcombe 
 family whom Napoleon loved to tease. Jane, 
 the elder sister, was the more dignified and it
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 19? 
 
 was therefore easier to embarrass her. Toward 
 the end of her stay at St. Helena, an English 
 surgeon, Dr. Stokoe, was sent to the island. 
 He was much the senior of Jane, but, because 
 the two were seen much together, the gossips 
 of St. Helena thought that he wished to marry 
 her. 
 
 Napoleon himself occasionally teased Jane 
 about Dr. Stokoe, and professed to think that 
 Mr. Balcombe was a cruel father, standing 
 in the way of his daughter's happiness. "Why 
 have you refused your daughter to the surgeon 
 of the flagship ? " he would ask mischievously, 
 adding, "C'est un brave homme" 
 
 Napoleon's capacity for seeing the humor- 
 ous side of things kept up his spirits wonder- 
 fully during his first year or two of exile. 
 Betsy's enjoyment of a joke, even of a practical 
 joke, was perhaps the strongest bond between 
 the Emperor and his little neighbor. 
 
 "Come," he would say, "come, Mees Betsee, 
 sit down and sing like our dear departed 
 friend." By this term Napoleon referred to a 
 certain lady who believed herself to be the 
 possessor of a very fine voice. To exhibit her 
 prowess this lady would sit down and sing
 
 198 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Italian airs in an affected style. At the end 
 of a performance the lady expected, and re- 
 ceived, the Emperor's compliments; but when 
 at last she was away and out of hearing, he 
 roared with laughter as Betsy, at the piano, 
 imitated the lady's affectations. 
 
 With his eyes closed he would pretend that 
 he really believed he was listening to the 
 operatic lady, and end by thanking Betsy 
 gravely for the pleasure she had given. 
 
 Napoleon himself was a good mimic. He 
 amused the Balcombe family greatly by his 
 imitation of London cockney street cries. 
 
 "Mees Jane," he asked one evening, "have 
 you ever heard the London cries ? " 
 
 "No, sir, never," she replied. 
 
 "Then I must let you hear them;" and 
 without waiting further, he began to make a 
 series of shrill sounds. At first it was difficult 
 to distinguish the words, for Napoleon's droll 
 accent could hardly be called good English. 
 His intonation, however, was perfect, and ex- 
 actly represented the street venders crying 
 their wares. 
 
 'You must have been in London, unknown 
 to any one," cried Jane; "for if you haven't
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 199 
 
 been there, I don't see how you could have 
 got those cries so perfectly." 
 
 In suggesting that Napoleon might have 
 been in London incognito, Jane was only re- 
 peating what then had wide currency that 
 Napoleon in the height of his power had 
 slipped away from Paris, letting no one know 
 that he was to cross the Channel, to spend a 
 few days in London, studying the English and 
 their ways. 
 
 To the inquisitive Jane, however, Napoleon 
 gave no information as to the truth of this 
 belief. 
 
 "I was much entertained," he said, "by one 
 of my buffos, who introduced London street 
 cries into a comedy that he got up in Paris." 
 
 This mention of the theatre led Napoleon 
 to speak of Talma. "He was the truest 
 actor to nature that ever trod the boards," 
 he said. 
 
 "Talma?" repeated Betsy, catching the 
 actor's name. "Oh, I remember; they used 
 to say that you took lessons from him how to 
 sit on the throne." 
 
 "I have often heard that myself," responded 
 Napoleon, "and I even mentioned it once to
 
 200 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Talma himself as a sign that I was considered 
 to hold myself well on it." 
 
 Napoleon often displayed his powers of 
 mimicry, to the great entertainment of the 
 children. 
 
 A large ball, given by Sir George Bingham 
 in return for the civilities that had been shown 
 the Fifty-third Regiment, took place not far 
 from Longwood, and practically every one on 
 the island was invited. 
 
 "It was the very prettiest affair I ever saw," 
 said Betsy, "and you ought to have seen it." 
 
 Glancing at Napoleon, she thought she 
 caught a certain meaning in the smile with 
 which he greeted her remark. "I really believe 
 you were there," she exclaimed. "Some one 
 told us you were going to take a peep at us 
 incognito, but I did not see you." 
 
 Without deigning to reply, Napoleon began 
 an ungraceful imitation of the saraband, a 
 dance that had been seen at this ball for the 
 first time in St. Helena. The young lady who 
 waltzed in this dance had been very awkward, 
 and Napoleon's imitation of her movements 
 was so perfect that the girls were sure he had 
 really seen her. Moreover he had so many
 
 THOUGHTLESS BETSY 201 
 
 accurate criticisms to make of the people at 
 the ball, and of the ball in all its details, that 
 no doubt was left in their minds that he had 
 been an actual looker-on. 
 
 Napoleon thoroughly appreciated the humor 
 of others, and was much amused, for example, 
 by a remark of Madame Bertrand's that he 
 repeated to Betsy. 
 
 Madame Bertrand's son, Arthur, was about 
 a month old when Napoleon asked Betsy if 
 she had seen the little fellow, adding, "You 
 must hear the clever way in which Madame 
 Bertrand introduced the baby to me: * Allow 
 me to present to your Majesty a subject who 
 has dared to enter the gates of Longwood 
 without a pass from Sir Hudson Lowe.' !
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 LONGWOOD DAYS 
 
 MANY a time when in the company of 
 Napoleon and the members of his 
 suite, Betsy must have realized that 
 this pleasant intercourse could not last always. 
 Few people remained indefinitely long at 
 St. Helena, few people, indeed, besides the 
 natives and the one life prisoner, the Emperor 
 Napoleon. Betsy, however, had no desire to 
 leave her beloved island. She loved its climate 
 and its scenery, and she was happy with the 
 many people who were her friends. It was a 
 gay little place, with numerous officers quar- 
 tered there with their families, a much gayer 
 place than it would have been had not the 
 British Government thought it necessary to 
 make it a great military stronghold for the 
 safeguarding of the Emperor, a much gayer 
 place than it had been before Napoleon's 
 arrival.
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 203 
 
 Almost every day some form of amusement 
 offered itself - - races, balls, picnics, and sham 
 fights. There was also a pretty little theatre 
 on the island, established by the popular 
 Commissary General, where amateur plays 
 were performed by the officers, to the great 
 entertainment of all who saw them. 
 
 Madame Montholon and Madame Bertrand 
 and, to a certain extent, the gentlemen of the 
 Emperor's suite entered more or less into the 
 festivities of the place. It was only Napoleon 
 who always stayed at home alone. Betsy, who 
 was an especial favorite of Madame Bertrand, 
 was often at Longwood, and very often the 
 latter was the young girl's chaperon at balls 
 or other entertainments. 
 
 Yet even w r hen no special gayety was in 
 view, Betsy enjoyed her visits to Longwood, 
 and the ingenuous girl with her frank speech 
 certainly brightened the lives of the exiles. 
 As for Betsy herself it was a great advantage 
 for her to be so much in the society of these 
 French people, with their cultivation and 
 gayety. On cool evenings chairs were brought 
 out on the lawn leading to the billiard-room, 
 and there the Countess of Montholon and
 
 204 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Madame Bertrand, with their husbands and 
 children, would spend the hour after sunset 
 listening to the crickets, of which there were 
 thousands. Sometimes they sat on the lawn in 
 the moonlight, gazing long at the sky, which 
 at St. Helena is of a peculiarly deep blue. 
 
 Doubtless at such times the hearts of the 
 poor exiles were far away among home scenes 
 in France, and even lively Betsy for the time 
 was quiet and subdued. 
 
 One splendid starry night, as they were all 
 on the lawn near the billiard-room steps after 
 a very sultry day, they heard a sound as if 
 heavy wagons were lumbering over the ground 
 beneath. Those nearer the house thought that 
 it was about to fall about their heads. Dr. 
 O'Meara and Major Blakeney, Captain of the 
 Guard, hastening from the room, expected to 
 find the ladies half dead with fright. All the 
 household, some from their beds, rushed out, 
 looking wonderingly into the sky, and little 
 Tristram Montholon ran to his mother, scream- 
 ing that some one had tried to throw him out 
 of his bed. 
 
 This was in September, and the strange 
 rumbling was caused by an earthquake, the
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 205 
 
 first one in St. Helena for a long time. Many 
 feared for their friends in the valleys with the 
 sharp precipices, but fortunately in the end it 
 was shown that there had been no loss of life. 
 
 Napoleon was in bed at the time of the 
 shock. 
 
 "Ah Mees Betsee," he asked the next 
 morning, "were you frightened by the trem- 
 blement de terre ? You look pale and quiet." 
 
 Betsy admitted that she had had a little 
 fear at the earthquake. 
 
 "I thought," said Napoleon, turning to 
 General Bertrand, "that the Conqueror had 
 blown up in the harbor; but the second or 
 third shock showed that it was an earthquake." 
 
 The Conqueror was the seventy-four gun 
 ship whose arrival Betsy had seen Napoleon 
 observe with great interest. 
 
 Betsy, for several nights after the earth- 
 quake, was too frightened to go to bed, and 
 in a day or two she was ill with a severe cold, 
 caught while sitting on the veranda. In this 
 case, as always in illness, Napoleon was sym- 
 pathetic, blaming the climate and adding that 
 the houses ought to have plenty of fireplaces 
 to protect people from sudden changes.
 
 206 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 "What would be the use of fireplaces," 
 asked Betsy, "when we have no coals?" 
 
 "Then burn the orange trees," responded 
 Napoleon. 
 
 From this remark Betsy saw that for some 
 reason the Emperor was not in good humor, 
 for he was one of those who realized the need 
 of more trees on St. Helena, and later if he 
 had not then begun devoted much time and 
 money to planting trees in the neighborhood 
 of Longwood. Perhaps the presence of the 
 Conqueror in the harbor disturbed him, since 
 this was the vessel that had brought Admiral 
 Pamplin, who was to relieve Admiral Malcom. 
 Sir Pultney Malcom had come to St. Helena 
 with Napoleon, and the two had grown to be 
 very good friends. The Admiral, a courteous 
 old man, with exquisite, kindly manners, 
 showed great consideration for the exile. He 
 paid Napoleon many visits, sent him news- 
 papers, and so far as he could tried to protect 
 him from various annoying things said or 
 done by Governor Lowe. 
 
 It was not strange, then, that Napoleon 
 should feel depressed at the thought of Ad- 
 miral Malcom's departure, and, in conse-
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 207 
 
 quence, seem a little more brusque than usual 
 with Betsy in talking of her cold. 
 
 Napoleon well understood the value of reg- 
 ular occupation and spent many hours daily 
 in reading and writing. He had few of the 
 works of reference that he needed for his 
 historical work, yet he persevered in spite of 
 all difficulties. In the end he really had 
 something to show, volumes of military com- 
 mentaries, essays on great generals and his- 
 torical sketches, chiefly of the time of the 
 French Republic. These writings may not all 
 be perfectly accurate, but they show a won- 
 derful memory and grasp of facts. The inac- 
 curacies, indeed, are chiefly such as must 
 result when a man writes without the proper 
 documents and books to verify his statements. 
 
 The Memoirs left by Napoleon, the many 
 volumes of conversations collected by his 
 friends on subjects of general interest, as well 
 as those books that relate to the military pro- 
 fession, show the wonderful strength of his 
 mind. His temperate habits were, of course, 
 a great help in carrying out the broad plans 
 that he made for hard work. He took little 
 wine, and then only used it as a medicine.
 
 208 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Napoleon's hours for rising and going to 
 bed were very irregular. Often on moonlight 
 nights he would rise at three o'clock, and 
 when at The Briars he would go to the gar- 
 den before Toby was up, getting the key from 
 the place where the old slave had hidden it. 
 He would then have an early breakfast of 
 fresh fruits. 
 
 Not infrequently, in those early days of his 
 stay at St. Helena, Betsy would see him in the 
 early morning riding around the lawn on his 
 beautiful horse Hope, and when she talked 
 with him she would learn that already he had 
 that day dictated a number of letters. Hope 
 was the first horse Napoleon rode on the 
 island, and it pleased him to think that this 
 name was an augury. 
 
 When it came to his bed hour, Napoleon's 
 habits were most uncertain. Frequently, when 
 he was restless, he would have Marchand 
 read him to sleep. 
 
 At times when he was ill he resented the 
 doctor's efforts to get him to take medicine. 
 He had original ideas on the best treatment of 
 the sick, and believed strongly in the efficacy 
 of the salt-water bath.
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 209 
 
 However heterodox his views on any sub- 
 ject, Napoleon seldom hesitated to express 
 them, at least to those in whom he had con- 
 fidence. 
 
 "I have no faith whatever in medicine," 
 said Napoleon one day to a very clever med- 
 ical man who was on the island. "My own 
 remedies are starvation and the warm bath. 
 Churchmen," he added, "are often hypo- 
 crites, because too much is expected of them. 
 Politicians must have a conventional con- 
 science, and soldiers are cut-throats and rob- 
 bers. But surgeons are neither too good nor 
 too bad; their mission is to benefit mankind, 
 and they have opportunities to study human 
 nature as well as science. I have a higher 
 opinion of the surgical profession than of any 
 other. The practice of the law," he concluded, 
 "is too severe for poor human nature, for he 
 who distorts truth and exults at the success 
 of injustice at last will hardly know right 
 from wrong." 
 
 Napoleon liked sailors, and often talked 
 with those who conducted fatigue parties 
 around the island.
 
 210 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 One day he asked the girls if they had met 
 one active young reefer, who happened to be- 
 long to a distinguished family. 
 
 "He is one of the few combinations of 
 high birth and intelligence I have ever 
 seen." 
 
 "We know him," was the reply, "and he is 
 one of the most popular men in the ward- 
 room. Oh, how funny he was when we first 
 knew him!" added Betsy. "He was coming 
 back from the Admiral's ball. We met an old 
 cart, and he was surrounded by brother mid- 
 dies, all shouting, 'Lord W.'s carriage stops 
 the way.' Well, we couldn't get past, as the 
 cart had been dragged inside the arch through 
 which we were to pass. Afterwards this same 
 young man had a narrow escape. He was 
 rowing guard when hailed by sentry. On ac- 
 count of the surf, the sentry could not hear 
 him give the password, and so he fired among 
 the crew." 
 
 'Yes, he can do anything. Sir Pultney 
 Malcom put him in charge of the government 
 farm, and said he had never seen such vege- 
 tables produced on the sterile rocks of St. 
 Helena."
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 211 
 
 "Whatever British sailors take in hand," 
 said Napoleon, "they never leave undone." 
 
 A marble bust of the King of Rome was 
 sent to Napoleon, probably by Maria Louisa. 
 Napoleon gazed on it with proud satisfaction 
 and he seemed pleased with the praises of 
 Betsy and her mother. 
 
 'You ought to be proud to be the father 
 of so beautiful a boy," said Mrs. Balcombe. 
 
 Smiles lit Napoleon's face, and Betsy, child 
 though she was, was impressed by his expres- 
 sion of paternal fondness. 
 
 The bust was of white marble and executed 
 by Caracci, and it bore the names Napoleon 
 Fran9ois Charles Joseph. The child was shown 
 wearing the Grand Cross of the Legion of 
 Honor. It had been brought from Leghorn 
 by the gunner of a ship bound to St. Helena, 
 and although it had come so mysteriously, 
 people generally understood that Maria Louisa 
 herself had taken the trouble to have it sent 
 in this way to Napoleon, her husband. 
 
 "Now, come," said Madame Bertrand, after 
 the sisters had spent some time admiring Na- 
 poleon's gifts, "let me show you my presents;"
 
 212 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 for the ship that had brought the bust 
 brought things also to others of the French 
 exiles. These were chiefly for Countess Ber- 
 trand and Countess Montholon from Lady 
 Holland, who often remembered them in 
 this way. 
 
 "La bonne Lady Holland," as Napoleon 
 called her, was one of the few English women 
 not afraid to show her sympathy with Napoleon 
 and those who had followed him to St. Helena. 
 He was very grateful for her attentions to him 
 now when he was abandoned by the world. 
 "All members of the family of Fox," he 
 said, "abound in liberal, generous sentiments. 
 Fox was sincere in his intentions, and had he 
 lived England would not have been devastated 
 by war. He was the only minister who rightly 
 understood the interests of his country." To 
 show that he had always appreciated Fox, 
 Napoleon told of a visit that the latter with 
 his wife paid to St. Cloud. By mistake he 
 opened the door of a private room, and he 
 was surprised to see there his own statue 
 among those of distinguished citizens of the 
 world, Hampden, Washington, Cicero, Lord 
 Chatham and his son.
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 213 
 
 The regulation that an officer must accom- 
 pany him on his rides was a continued annoy- 
 ance to Napoleon. At first he submitted, and 
 rode off, painfully realizing that a representa- 
 tive of his jailers constantly kept his eye on 
 him. After a time he decided that he would 
 not ride if he could not ride alone, and during 
 the last four years of his life he was not on a 
 horse. As he had depended on riding for ex- 
 ercise during the greater part of his life, he 
 now suffered from giving it up. He not only 
 began to grow extremely stout, but his general 
 health became poorer. 
 
 It disturbed Napoleon greatly that the Eng- 
 lish always addressed him as "General Bona- 
 parte." The title " Emperor" would have been 
 so barren on St. Helena that it is hard to 
 understand why Napoleon should have cared 
 much about it. He might easily have been as 
 philosophic about this as he was about other 
 things. 
 
 Soon after his arrival Sir Hudson Lowe 
 addressed a card of invitation to "General 
 Bonaparte." 
 
 "Send this card to General Bonaparte," 
 said Napoleon to Count Bertrand. "The last
 
 214 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 I heard of him was at the Pyramids and Mt. 
 Tabor." Yet Napoleon was never happier, 
 never better loved by the French people, than 
 when, as General Bonaparte, he was received 
 with the greatest enthusiasm on his return 
 from his Italian campaign. 
 
 The English, on their part, were foolish in 
 objecting to the use of a title to which he once 
 had had a perfect right, with all its power and 
 dignity. Now, deprived of the substance, there 
 was no reason for forbidding him the pleasure 
 of treasuring the shadow. Sir George Cock- 
 burn seems to have been almost childish in 
 writing to Count Bertrand: 
 
 "I have no cognizance of any Emperor 
 being actually upon this island, or of any 
 person possessing such dignity (as stated by 
 you) having come here." 
 
 Language like this was far more absurd 
 than Napoleon's obstinacy on the subject. 
 Even his good friend, Admiral Malcom, could 
 not change his views. In the course of a 
 conversation on the subject of letting him have 
 the title "Emperor," Malcom said decidedly: 
 
 "Still, it would be impossible to treat you 
 as a sovereign."
 
 LONGWOOD DAYS 215 
 
 "Why, they might leave me my honors to 
 amuse me. It would do no harm on this 
 rock." 
 
 "But you would have to be styled Emperor." 
 
 "No; they could not do that. I have abdi- 
 cated." 
 
 "But you object to be called General." 
 
 "That is because I am no longer a general, 
 - not since I returned from Egypt, but why 
 not call me * Napoleon ' ?" 
 
 It was a long and painful discussion, and 
 it did not end even with Napoleon's death. 
 The British Government, since Napoleon was 
 securely in its power, could have afforded to 
 let him wear the title that had once been his 
 by right, even though on St. Helena it would 
 have shown itself an almost foolishly vain 
 ornament. The foreign Commissioners were 
 told by the countries that they represented 
 to give him this title, but the Act of Parlia- 
 ment dealing with the distinguished prisoner 
 had called him "Napoleon Bonaparte," and 
 this, or "General Bonaparte," he was to 
 be to all who had dealings with him at 
 St. Helena. 
 
 Within his own circle and in this circle
 
 216 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 the Balcombe family may be included he 
 was ever "the Emperor." 
 
 Napoleon often showed great kindness to 
 the sick. For example, when a certain officer, 
 Captain Meynell, was ill under Mr. Balcombe's 
 roof at The Briars, Napoleon sent Cipriani, 
 his maitre d'lwtel, daily to inquire about him, 
 and seemed really concerned when he asked 
 about him. 
 
 Not long after he left The Briars, Betsy had 
 a severe illness. When Napoleon heard of this 
 he sent constantly to inquire for her, and the 
 messenger usually brought her some delicacy 
 made by Piron. 
 
 Napoleon's kindness of heart was also shown 
 by his attitude toward the Malay slave, named 
 Toby, who had care of the beautiful garden 
 at The Briars. When no one was in it the 
 garden was kept locked and the key was left 
 in Toby's hands. Toby and Napoleon speedily 
 became friends, and the black man always 
 spoke of the Emperor as "that good man, 
 Bony." He always placed the key of the gar- 
 den where Napoleon could reach it under the 
 wicket. The black man was original and en-
 
 LONGWOOD DAYS 217 
 
 tertaining, and so autocratic that no one at 
 The Briars ever disputed his authority. His 
 story was rather pathetic. 
 
 He had been enticed from his native place 
 many years before, brought to St. Helena by 
 the English, smuggled on shore and illegally 
 sold as a slave, let out to whoever would hire 
 him, and his earnings chiefly appropriated to 
 his master. Napoleon perhaps recognized in 
 Toby a kindred spirit, or at least felt a common 
 bond in the fact that both had been brought 
 unwillingly to the island. Certainly he liked 
 him, and, when he had heard his story, wished 
 to buy and free him. But for political reasons, 
 when Mr. Balcombe made Napoleon's wishes 
 known to Sir Hudson Lowe, he could not get 
 his consent. 
 
 Toby, however, was grateful to Napoleon 
 for his wish to help him, and continued his 
 devoted admirer. On going from The Briars, 
 Napoleon presented Toby with twenty-nine 
 napoleons and always inquired for his health. 
 When Napoleon left The Briars, Toby often 
 arranged bouquets and fruits to go to Long- 
 wood, - "to that good man, Bony." 
 
 Toby, from all accounts, was an attractive
 
 218 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 fellow. His countenance had a frank and 
 benevolent expression. His eyes were ani- 
 mated and sparkling, his aspect not abject, 
 but prepossessing. So at least he appeared to 
 Betsy, and one day she was interested to hear 
 Napoleon reflecting upon him: 
 
 "What, after all, is a poor prisoner but a 
 machine? As for poor Toby, he endures his 
 misfortunes very quietly; he stoops to his 
 work, and spends his days in innocent tran- 
 quillity. This man, after all, had his family 
 and his happiness and his liberty, and it was 
 a horrible act of cruelty to bring him here to 
 languish in the fetters of his slavery." 
 
 Toby, however, was not the only slave on 
 St. Helena. Not long after the first discovery 
 of the island by the Portuguese, Juan Denova 
 Castella, a nobleman, was exiled there for 
 desertion and had to spend four years in 
 complete solitude, except for a few slaves that 
 he was allowed to have with him. The Por- 
 tuguese did not colonize St. Helena, and after 
 a time the Dutch held it for many years. 
 When they had deserted it, the East India 
 Company, with plenty of capital, took posses- 
 sion and naturally fell back on slave labor to
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 219 
 
 cultivate the fields. When the Dutch saw that 
 St. Helena was likely to prove profitable to 
 the English they tried to get it back again, 
 but the effort was unsuccessful, and since 1666 
 it has been counted an English possession. 
 At one time a law was passed restricting the 
 importation of slaves, for the colonists had 
 begun to fear that they might outnumber the 
 Europeans. There was, however, an old law 
 that every Madagascar ship should leave one 
 slave to work the company's plantations. 
 The slaves were often troublesome, but the 
 cruelty with which they were treated was in- 
 excusable. Probably many a poor creature on 
 the island had been stolen from his home, 
 just as we know poor Toby had been stolen. 
 
 After the arrival of Sir Hudson Lowe, the 
 new Governor reminded the people of St. 
 Helena that their island was the last British 
 possession to retain slavery. Various plans 
 were proposed for doing away with it, and at 
 last, at his suggestion, it was agreed that after 
 Christmas Day, 1818, all children born of 
 slave women should be considered free. 
 Thus the great evil gradually ceased. 
 
 This good action on the part of Sir Hudson
 
 220 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Lowe that he helped gain freedom for the 
 slaves made him no better liked by Na- 
 poleon and his friends. From the first, indeed, 
 the Governor was suspicious of Napoleon's 
 friends, and the fear that they were plotting 
 for Napoleon's escape was one of the reasons, 
 probably, for the regulations that greatly an- 
 noyed Napoleon. It seemed as if he wished 
 Napoleon to be surrounded entirely by Eng- 
 lish, for one of his early acts was to tell the 
 French that they were at liberty to leave St. 
 Helena whenever they wished. Every facility, 
 he said, would be offered them to return to 
 Europe. Had he known human nature better, 
 Sir Hudson Lowe would have realized that 
 persons who had given up so much to follow 
 Napoleon would hardly desert him merely 
 because conditions on the island did not suit 
 them. 
 
 At last, on one pretext or another, he con- 
 trived to have several of Napoleon's attend- 
 ants sent away, Santini, the clever little 
 lamplighter, the jack-of-all-trades, who had 
 so often amused Betsy's small brothers with 
 his toys; Rousseau, his artificer; and Archam- 
 baud, his coachman, whose reckless driving
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 221 
 
 of the jaunting car always struck terror to 
 Betsy's heart. Most important of all, however, 
 was the departure of Count Las Cases, who 
 had never failed to frown on Betsy's hoyden- 
 ish pranks. With Count Las Cases went his 
 son, the boy about whom Napoleon had loved 
 to tease Betsy. It was before the end of Na- 
 poleon's first year at Longwood that these two 
 were sent away on the charge of bribing a 
 young native of St. Helena to carry a letter 
 to Europe for them. This would not have been 
 a serious offence, except for the reason that 
 the Governor had made a regulation that no 
 letter should be sent to Europe without passing 
 through his hands. 
 
 For a time Las Cases and his son were in 
 prison on the island. Later they were de- 
 spatched to the Cape of Good Hope, where 
 they were detained seven months and at last 
 sent to England. 
 
 "Let them take away all my Frenchmen," 
 said Napoleon sadly, after the departure of 
 Las Cases. "I do not want them." He 
 especially missed Las Cases, since it was to 
 him that he daily dictated the material for 
 his Memoirs.
 
 222 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Not long after the departure of Las Cases, 
 Napoleon was greatly disturbed because the 
 Governor would not let him receive a visit 
 from a botanist just arrived from Europe, who 
 was known lately to have seen Maria Louisa 
 and the little King of Rome. Betsy sympa- 
 thized with him in his indignation at this and 
 other needless restrictions. 
 
 Sometimes, however, she felt like laughing 
 at him. 
 
 "Where is the Emperor, where is the Em- 
 peror?" she asked one morning, when staying 
 at Longwood after a ball. 
 
 At first no one could inform her, but at last 
 someone said, "Go over there; he is building 
 a ditch." 
 
 Going in the direction indicated, the young 
 girl found Napoleon superintending the build- 
 ing of a trench that he was having constructed, 
 so that he might have a place where he could 
 walk unobserved. 
 
 "Do not laugh!" he said, after Betsy had 
 come upon him, standing with folded arms 
 and downcast gaze. "Do not laugh! I must 
 have a walk of my own, where no one can 
 look at me when I go out."
 
 LONGWOOD DAYS 223 
 
 Even though she smiled, Betsy understood 
 Napoleon's feeling. In his early days at The 
 Briars, when he was permitted to walk out 
 unattended, Napoleon was fond of strolling 
 some distance from the cottage. Later when 
 he could not go far without the watchful eye 
 of an officer upon him, he almost gave up 
 walking. At a certain hour of the afternoon, 
 as it was known that he took a short walk 
 along a straight path not far from the house, 
 the curious often stationed themselves at a 
 distance where they could observe him. On 
 account of this annoying observation, Napo- 
 leon conceived the plan of digging a ditch 
 or trench. The ditch served at least one pur- 
 pose: while it was digging it gave Napoleon 
 plenty of occupation in directing the workmen. 
 When it was finished it is said that he never 
 used it as a promenade. 
 
 His unwillingness to take exercise resulted 
 in a serious illness. During this time Betsy 
 and her sister did not see him, but whenever 
 they met Dr. O'Meara they eagerly questioned 
 him about their friend. "I would rather die 
 at once than walk, as you prescribe." These 
 were the words of Napoleon that Dr. O'Meara
 
 224 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 reported to the sisters. "I have tried persua- 
 sion of every kind, but I cannot get him to 
 take exercise," he said, "although I have told 
 him that this is the only thing that can 
 possibly cure him. I urged him to let me call 
 in another surgeon, so that if he should grow 
 no better, too much blame need not fall on 
 me, and what was his reply ? " 
 
 Dr. O'Meara paused for a moment, and 
 then repeated Napoleon's exact words: "If all 
 the physicians in the world were collected, 
 they would but repeat what you have already 
 advised me to take constant exercise on 
 horseback. I am well aware of the truth of 
 what you say, but if I were to call in another 
 surgeon, it would be like sending a physician 
 to a starving man instead of giving him a loaf 
 of bread. I have no objection to your making 
 known to him my state of health, if it be any 
 satisfaction to you; but I know that he will 
 say, 'Exercise.' As long as this strict surveil- 
 lance is enforced, I will never stir." 
 
 In vain Dr. O'Meara repeated his ar- 
 guments. Napoleon had but one reply, 
 "Would you have me render myself liable 
 to insult from the sentries surrounding my
 
 LONG WOOD DAYS 225 
 
 house, as Madame Bertrand was, some days 
 ago?" 
 
 "Jane," said Betsy, who always saw the 
 funny side of things, "what a fine carica- 
 ture this would have made for the London 
 print shops Napoleon stopped at the gates 
 by a sentinel, charging him with a fixed 
 bayonet! How the Londoners would laugh! 
 No, I don't blame Napoleon for staying in- 
 doors." 
 
 But when Betsy saw the Emperor after this 
 illness, her heart was filled with pity. His skin 
 was a waxy yellow and his cheeks hung in 
 deep pouches. His ankles were terribly swollen, 
 and he could not stand without the support of 
 a table on one side and the shoulder of an 
 attendant on the other. 
 
 As Betsy looked at him, tears fell from her 
 eyes and she could hardly keep from sobbing 
 aloud. 
 
 "Ah!" said Napoleon kindly. "Do not cry, 
 Mees Betsee. I am almost well and the 
 good O'Meara will surely cure me." 
 
 Upon this Betsy became more cheerful, but 
 later, when they were out of the Emperor's 
 hearing, Mrs. Balcombe shook her head sor-
 
 226 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 rowfully, as she turned to Betsy, saying, "He 
 has the stamp of death on his brow." 
 
 Had Napoleon been less obstinate, within 
 the eight miles of enclosure allotted him he 
 might certainly have taken enough exercise of 
 various kinds to preserve his health.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 THE PARTING 
 
 AT last the time came when Napoleon 
 and his young neighbor must part. The 
 health of Betsy's mother, Mrs. Bal- 
 combe, was not good, and the family decided 
 to go home to England. Mr. Balcombe ob- 
 tained six months' leave, but, although the 
 family professed to expect to return, in their 
 secret hearts they felt that they were bidding 
 good-bye to St. Helena. 
 
 A day or two before sailing Betsy and Jane 
 went over to Longwood to say farewell to 
 Napoleon. They found him in the billiard- 
 room, as usual, surrounded by books. There 
 was sadness in his voice as he talked about 
 their departure. 
 
 "I hope your mother's health will soon be 
 restored," he said. "Give her my kindest re- 
 gards and best wishes for the journey. Soon 
 you will be sailing away towards England,
 
 228 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 leaving me to die on this miserable rock. 
 Look at those dreadful mountains they are 
 my prison walls. You will soon hear that the 
 Emperor Napoleon is dead." 
 
 At these melancholy words the emotional 
 Betsy burst into tears and Jane's eyes grew 
 moist. Betsy sobbed as if her heart would 
 break, and Napoleon, greatly moved, tried to 
 comfort her. Betsy felt for her handkerchief, 
 only to find that she had left it in her side- 
 saddle pocket. So Napoleon, holding his own 
 toward her, said, "Take it, and keep it in 
 remembrance of this sad day." 
 
 The sisters went the rounds of Longwood, 
 bidding good-bye to all that was dear to them. 
 Later they dined with Napoleon, but Betsy 
 was still so overcome with grief that she could 
 hardly swallow. 
 
 "Take some bonbons," said Napoleon 
 kindly. 
 
 "I cannot," she cried. "My throat has a 
 swelling, and I cannot eat!" 
 
 When at last they were ready to go, the 
 Emperor embraced the two sisters with great 
 affection. 
 
 "Do not forget me!" he said. "I thank
 
 THE PARTING 229 
 
 you for your kindness and friendship, and all 
 my happy hours in your society." 
 
 The two sisters could hardly reply. 
 
 "Mees Betsee," he added, after a moment's 
 pause, "what would you like to have in 
 remembrance ? " 
 
 "A lock of your hair," sobbed the young 
 girl, "better than anything else." 
 
 "Marchand shall bring the scissors, then;" 
 and the devoted Marchand, promptly obey- 
 ing, severed four locks for the four older 
 members of the Balcombe family. 
 
 Not long before they left, Napoleon in a 
 conversation with Mr. Balcombe said: 
 
 "I fear that your resignation of your em- 
 ployment in this island is caused by the quar- 
 rels and annoyances drawn upon you by the 
 relation established between your family and 
 Longwood, in consequence of the hospitality 
 which you showed on my first arrival in St. 
 Helena. I would not wish you to regret having 
 known me." 
 
 Although Mr. Balcombe did not exactly 
 confirm what Napoleon said about the reason 
 for his withdrawal from St. Helena, he knew 
 that to a great extent it was true. For a long
 
 230 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 time Sir Hudson Lowe had been dissatisfied 
 with the intimacy existing between Napoleon 
 and the Balcombes. While he admitted that 
 he had no tangible cause for complaint, he 
 was constantly watching for one, and was 
 always ready to call Mr. Balcombe to ac- 
 count for what he considered partiality for 
 the illustrious exile. As the Governor himself 
 put it, he was not without suspicion that his 
 relations with Longwood were not limited to 
 the ostensible duties of his office. The Gov- 
 ernor at this time was very suspicious of Dr. 
 O'Meara, and as Mr. Balcombe and he were 
 intimate friends, the former was naturally 
 regarded also with disfavor. 
 
 More than once had Betsy's careless be- 
 havior drawn a reprimand upon her father. 
 But for the Governor's feeling against him, 
 Mr. Balcombe and his family might have 
 been on St. Helena during the last sad days 
 of Napoleon. 
 
 As it was, they went back to England the 
 middle of March, 1818, little more than three 
 years before Napoleon's death. Their ship 
 was the Winchelsea store-ship, on its way 
 from China, and on the same vessel went
 
 THE PARTING 231 
 
 General Gorgaud, the bachelor of Napoleon's 
 suite, a pompous, though brave man, for 
 whom Betsy had no especial liking. General 
 Gorgaud knew that he would never return to 
 St. Helena. Mr. Balcombe had obtained a 
 six months' leave from his official duties, but 
 he, too, may have felt as the vessel sailed away 
 that he was unlikely ever again to look upon 
 its frowning walls. 
 
 As to Betsy, Napoleon's young neighbor, 
 the tears that fell from her eyes when she said 
 her last good-bye to the Emperor were not 
 the last that she shed for him. As the years 
 went by she ever listened eagerly to all the 
 news that came from St. Helena, until the 
 final mournful tidings in the early summer of 
 1821, that Napoleon had died on the fifth of 
 May. 
 
 "I am sure," said Betsy long afterwards, 
 "after seeing Napoleon in every possible mood 
 and in his most unguarded moments, I know 
 that the idea of acting a part never entered 
 his head. I had the most complete conviction 
 of his want of guile, and the thorough good- 
 ness and amiability of his heart." 
 
 Betsy was a keen observer of human nature,
 
 232 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 and another of her judgments is worth re- 
 membering: "That this impression of his 
 amiability and goodness was common to al- 
 most all who approached him is proved by 
 the devotion of his followers at St. Helena. 
 They had then nothing more to expect from 
 him, and only entailed misery on themselves 
 by adhering to his fortunes." 
 
 It is indeed a fact worth remembering, that 
 Napoleon's suite, in spite of the fact that to 
 a great extent Napoleon obliged them to prac- 
 tise the rigid etiquette of a court, were all 
 devoted to him. It is true that they had to 
 stand in his presence and in certain ways 
 keep up a ceremony that seemed absurd in 
 an establishment as simple as that of Long- 
 wood; but there were many hours of relaxa- 
 tion. In these hours of relaxation Napoleon 
 played cards with his friends, or chess, or - 
 after he went to Longwood --billiards. He 
 was fond of reading aloud, and not infre- 
 quently favored his friends with a long read- 
 ing. Sometimes he indulged in declamation, 
 for he was rather proud of the fact that he 
 had learned something of this art from the 
 great Talma. In his later years at Longwood
 
 THE PARTING 233 
 
 he devised ways of getting his needed exercise 
 indoors and worked almost too vigorously at 
 gardening. 
 
 An old St. Helena newspaper has an ac- 
 count of his exertions in his garden, not long 
 before his death, which has a pathos of its 
 own: "A few weeks before his death the 
 Emperor labored with a spade in his garden 
 so long and so severely as to be faint with 
 fatigue. Some one suggested the probable in- 
 jury to his health. 'No,' said he, 'it cannot 
 injure my health; that is lost beyond all hope. 
 It will but shorten my days." 
 
 The disease from which Napoleon died was 
 one that he had inherited from his father, - 
 one, indeed, for which there is no cure. So it 
 cannot be said with certainty that his life 
 might have been prolonged if he had been 
 more careful to get enough, and only enough, 
 of the right kind of exercise. Yet though his 
 life may have had to run in its natural course, 
 his last years would have been much happier 
 if there had been no friction between him and 
 the Governor of St. Helena. 
 
 The last three years of Napoleon's life were 
 undoubtedly the loneliest he had known. He
 
 234 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 missed Las Cases, Gorgaud, the Balcombes, 
 and O'Meara, whom the Governor was at last 
 able to get out of the way. Napoleon kept 
 himself busy with his gardening and his books, 
 and when, in 1819, the Government began to 
 build a new house for him, he spent much 
 time watching its progress, although with true 
 forebodings he often said that he should never 
 live to occupy it. 
 
 He still refused to take exercise, and once 
 in a fit of depression stayed in the house for 
 three months. Thus his health continued to 
 suffer and he grew stout and clumsy. When 
 he did go out he was apt to drive around the 
 eight miles of his enclosure at breakneck 
 speed, in a carriage drawn by six horses. In 
 October, 1820, he sent word to Sir William 
 Doveton that he would be glad to breakfast 
 with him. Sir William was, of course, happy 
 to receive his distinguished guest, and break- 
 fast was served on the lawn to Napoleon and 
 Generals Bertrand and Montholon. The 
 breakfast in the society of Sir William Dove- 
 ton and his family passed off pleasantly, and 
 Napoleon started to walk home. Unluckily 
 he had not the strength to carry out his good
 
 THE PARTING 235 
 
 intentions, and on the way back to Longwood 
 he had to stop at a cottage by the way to rest, 
 while his carriage was sent for. 
 
 Betsy would have been glad, if the fact had 
 ever come to her ears, to learn that in his last 
 year or two Napoleon had another little friend 
 who to a certain degree could fill the place in 
 his affections always ready for children. This 
 was the young daughter of a soldier of the 
 garrison, little Julia, nine years old, who was 
 intelligent and companionable. 
 
 When he knew that Julia was coming to 
 see him, Napoleon always had fruits and 
 sweetmeats ready for her. Not long before he 
 died he hung a gold watch and chain around 
 Julia's neck, saying, "Wear this for my sake." 
 On the cover he had scratched an inscription 
 with his penknife, "The Emperor to his 
 little friend Julia." When she visited him 
 they sat or walked in the garden, and Napo- 
 leon found some amusement in giving her 
 drawing lessons from nature. One fine morn- 
 ing in April, when Julia appeared, Napoleon 
 invited her inside the house where the break- 
 fast table was laid. Standing by the table, he 
 filled her little basket with fruit and sweet
 
 236 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 things, and at last put a bottle of wine in the 
 basket, saying, "For your father to drink my 
 health in." 
 
 Alas! it was too late for any one to wish 
 Napoleon good health. Not long after he had 
 suggested the toast for Julia's father, he had 
 to go to bed. Whatever others thought, he 
 was sure that he would never rise. He prob- 
 ably knew that the end was near. The very 
 end came suddenly, and many on St. Helena, 
 who had not known of the seriousness of his 
 condition, were greatly surprised to hear of 
 his death on the fifth of May. 
 
 Before the funeral Napoleon's body lay in 
 state, and naval and military officers and 
 many others were permitted to view it. When 
 Sir Hudson Lowe looked at Napoleon imme- 
 diately after his death, he was impressed by 
 the nobility of the dead man's expression. 
 "His face in death," he wrote to Lord Bath- 
 urst, "was the most beautiful I have ever 
 seen." Yet even to the dead Napoleon the 
 Governor maintained the same attitude as to 
 the living, for when it came to the question 
 of the inscription to be placed on the Em- 
 peror's coffin, he would not permit the simple
 
 THE PARTING 237 
 
 "Napoleon" with dates and places of birth 
 and death, but insisted that in addition it 
 should bear the surname "Bonaparte." 
 
 British soldiers carried Napoleon from the 
 house to the car that was to bear him to the 
 burial place; but the horses that drew the car 
 were four that had belonged to the late Em- 
 peror. Orders had been issued to conduct his 
 funeral as that of a general of the highest 
 rank. In consequence the left side of the road 
 from Longwood to the grave was lined with 
 troops. It was a solemn and impressive pro- 
 cession that moved along as escort, paying the 
 last earthly honors to Napoleon, on whose 
 coffin lay his sword and the mantle of Marengo. 
 
 Napoleon had always wished to be buried 
 in France, but toward the end of his life, 
 when it seemed unlikely that his wish could 
 be gratified, he gave directions as to the spot 
 in St. Helena that he preferred. This was a 
 romantic and picturesque enclosure in a ra- 
 vine not very far from Longwood. Often, 
 when out walking, the Emperor had stopped 
 there to quench his thirst at a small spring. 
 The little valley was shaded with Norfolk 
 pines, firs, and other trees, and here, near the
 
 238 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 spring, under the shade of two great willow 
 trees, Napoleon's body was laid to rest. As 
 it was lowered into the grave three discharges 
 from eleven pieces of musketry were fired. 
 
 As his sorrowing attendants turned away, 
 how overwhelmingly sad must the reflections 
 of the two of Napoleon's personal suite have 
 been! Only Montholon and Bertrand were 
 there at the last, though Marchand and other 
 attendants still remained. Montholon, when 
 a boy of ten, had known Napoleon in Corsica, 
 and Bertrand had long been one of his offi- 
 cers, "the best engineer officer I have ever 
 known," said Napoleon. 
 
 Now their years of faithful devotion were 
 at an end. With heavy hearts they turned 
 their backs on the lonely grave under the 
 willow trees and soon they sailed away to the 
 great world, their hearts filled with memories 
 of Napoleon. 
 
 Nineteen years after Napoleon's death a 
 French frigate, La Belle Poule, commanded 
 by the Prince of Joinville, arrived off James- 
 town. The wheel had turned, and the friends 
 and admirers of Napoleon were on top. 
 
 Even Great Britain was not unwilling that
 
 THE PARTING 239 
 
 the dead Napoleon should have the honor 
 that was his due. The frigate had come for 
 the body of Napoleon to give it proper honors 
 in France. On La Belle Poule were Count 
 Bertrand, his son Arthur, born at St. Helena, 
 General Gorgaud, the young Las Cases, and 
 the faithful Marchand. 
 
 The body of Napoleon was taken from the 
 tomb under the willow trees and borne back 
 to France. Every one knows of the magnificent 
 funeral given their dead hero by the impulsive 
 French. Every one has heard how countless 
 throngs filled the streets of Paris, how the 
 military display has seldom been equalled, as 
 the catafalque, preceded by a riderless horse, 
 went slowly along the tree-lined boulevards. 
 The wonderful tomb of Napoleon in the Hotel 
 des Invalides is known to many, but there are 
 few in comparison who have visited the little 
 enclosure at the bottom of the deep ravine 
 where the Emperor's body lay for a score of 
 years. Yet, in the days of wooden ships, when 
 St. Helena was the place where captains had 
 to call to re-provision their vessels, many a 
 passenger on going ashore hastened to Napo- 
 leon's grave, and while the world stands the
 
 240 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 secluded valley will continue to claim the 
 interest of Napoleon's admirers. The vault 
 itself is now covered with a broad, flat stone, 
 without inscription, and its cemented surface 
 is cracked in places. There is a hedge around 
 the fence and a sentry box at the entrance of 
 the enclosure. Here there is a notice to the 
 effect that the grave is now the property of 
 the French Republic, and in the sentry box 
 an attendant keeps a book and registers the 
 names of all who visit the spot where once lay 
 the body of Napoleon.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE PANORAMA 
 
 WHO can blame Betsy for being heavy- 
 hearted on that day in early spring 
 when she sailed away from St. Helena, 
 toward the colder country that was her real 
 home ? Even though her parents and her 
 brothers and sister were with her, she felt that 
 she was leaving behind much that was dear. 
 She loved the lonely, mountainous island 
 where she had lived so long. She believed 
 that no other flowers or fruits could equal those 
 produced on its tropical soil. She felt that 
 no new friends could compare with those from 
 whom she had just parted. 
 
 More than this, although she tried to per- 
 suade herself that in the future she might 
 revisit St. Helena, she could hardly believe 
 that when that day arrived, Napoleon would 
 still be there to receive her with his accus- 
 tomed cordiality.
 
 242 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Indeed, as a true friend of the Emperor's, 
 Betsy could scarcely wish to find him there on 
 that indefinite day of her return, since that 
 would mean long-continued captivity for him. 
 Rather, if she hoped to see him again, the 
 young girl more probably imagined that after 
 no very long time some change in the senti- 
 ments of those in power might result in freeing 
 him from his galling bondage. 
 
 Though we to-day may not be certain just 
 what form Betsy's thoughts took on that mo- 
 notonous homeward voyage, we can be sure 
 that Napoleon had no small part in them. Al- 
 ready she knew the chief facts in his meteoric 
 career ; and her vivid fancy must have 
 brought before her many scenes in which he 
 had had part. 
 
 Like Betsy; you and I may see the panorama 
 of Napoleon's life unfold in a series of pictures 
 melting into one another, some clearer than 
 the others, yet all leaving an ineffaceable 
 impression. 
 
 First, there is the thin, pale, serious-eyed 
 boy running half wild over the hills of his 
 native Corsica. He is an affectionate brother 
 this young Napoleon to the six younger
 
 THE PANORAMA 243 
 
 brothers and sisters, and a close companion 
 of Joseph, only a year older. He is devoted 
 to his high-spirited and energetic mother, 
 once the beautiful Letitia Ramolino, whose 
 life, since her marriage, has been so hard. 
 He is dutiful to his father, the improvident, 
 though ambitious Charles Marie de Buona- 
 parte. Yet, although dutiful, he resents his 
 father's lack of patriotism in seeking favors 
 from the Frenchmen in authority in Corsica, 
 for the boy, born only a year after Corsica 
 had passed under French rule, had small 
 love for those outsiders who had made it 
 impossible for his native island to gain inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 One of our pictures would show us Na- 
 poleon, a timid boy in the military school 
 at Brienne, where his father had secured a 
 place for him by showing he was of noble 
 descent. The boy works hard at his tasks, 
 his teachers commend his industry, while call- 
 ing him reserved and obstinate. 
 
 The young Napoleon is not happy in the 
 society of his one hundred and twenty fellow- 
 pupils, who, like himself, are supported by the 
 Government at Brienne. They are largely
 
 244 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 the sons of poor nobles vain and indolent 
 and they love to tease the timid boy. 
 
 "I am tired of poverty and the jeers of in- 
 solent scholars. If fortune refuses to smile 
 upon me, take me from Brienne, and make me 
 if you will a mechanic." In spite of this 
 letter, the father wisely keeps the little boy at 
 Brienne, and gradually he makes friends, espe- 
 cially among the teachers. 
 
 "I have seen a spark here which cannot be 
 too carefully cultivated," writes the aged 
 Chevalier de Keralio, an inspector of the 
 school, who is anxious to have Napoleon sent 
 to the military school at Paris. 
 
 Our pictures are now painted in somewhat 
 brighter colors. 
 
 For although at Paris the young Napoleon 
 is not perfectly contented, he knows that he is 
 on the way to a modest independence. He is 
 surrounded by foolish young men with whose 
 extravagance he cannot keep up. But only 
 his sympathetic sister Elizabeth at St. Cyr 
 hears him complain of the difficulties that beset 
 him. 
 
 Napoleon is naturally happier when at the 
 early age of sixteen he finds himself a second
 
 THE PANORAMA 245 
 
 lieutenant in the army. He rejoices at the 
 prospect of helping his family out of his 
 meagre income of less than two hundred and 
 fifty dollars a year. But his responsibility is 
 suddenly increased when Charles Bonaparte, 
 his father,, dies. The family is worse off than 
 before, and when Joseph cannot straighten 
 out their tangled affairs, Napoleon decides to 
 undertake the task. 
 
 After eight years of absence we see Napo- 
 leon on leave from his regiment, returning 
 to Corsica. He has hard work before him. 
 There are four little children under nine, 
 Louis, Pauline, Caroline, and Jerome, at home 
 with their widowed mother. There are two, 
 Lucien and Elizabeth, away at school. Only 
 Joseph and Napoleon are on their feet, and 
 on Napoleon, the stronger character, falls the 
 brunt of the burden. 
 
 When the young lieutenant goes back to the 
 army he takes Louis with him. He tutors 
 him in mathematics, he shares his all with him. 
 He deprives himself of many things really 
 necessary to his position in order to help his 
 family. 
 
 "I breakfast on dry bread," he writes. He
 
 46 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 stints himself for his family, he stints himself 
 still further to have a little money for the books 
 that he needs. 
 
 The claims of the family are pressing. 
 Again Napoleon has leave of absence. In 
 Corsica he tries in vain to get something for 
 his mother from what is left of their property, 
 from salt works, from a mulberry plantation 
 belonging to the estate. 
 
 It is five or six years since the death of 
 Charles Bonaparte c Napoleon has been away 
 from his post too long. In 1792, after an 
 absence from his regiment of fifteen months, 
 he loses his place in the army. 
 
 The picture now before us is a dark one. 
 The young man is discouraged. Hardly 
 knowing where to turn, he drifts toward Paris. 
 
 For two or three years he has been uncertain 
 which side to take in the Revolution on which 
 France is entering. Many things incline him 
 toward the King's party. He is in Paris on 
 that memorable June 10 when the King is 
 deposed. He sees the terrible events of the 
 10th of August. While he sympathizes with 
 the King, he perceives that the great question 
 is one of the nation rather than the individual.
 
 THE PANORAMA 847 
 
 Intelligent young men are greatly needed 
 in the army. Napoleon's ability is known. 
 He receives a captain's commission, signed 
 by the King, though really given by the Revo- 
 lutionary Government. Soon he is at Toulon, 
 where, by acting on his advice, the French 
 drive the English from the harbor in Decem- 
 ber, 1793. 
 
 The young man's prospects are brightening. 
 There are only a few shadows on the picture. 
 A revolution in Corsica drives his family to 
 France, and while he feels his responsibility, 
 Napoleon cannot yet do much for them. 
 
 Napoleon's talents impress all who come in 
 contact with him. The time approaches when 
 he is to reap the reward for all his years of 
 patient study. Young Robespierre calls at- 
 tention to his transcendent merit. Though 
 he is not a Terrorist, he has many friends in 
 the party, and after the fall of Robespierre 
 the young Corsican spends nearly a fortnight 
 in prison. Once more he loses his place in 
 the army, in which he has been commissioned 
 General. Discouraged, with nothing to do in 
 Paris, he thinks of accepting an office from 
 the Sultan. But Fortune is soon to favor him
 
 248 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 again. Not so very long after his release 
 from prison we gaze on a thrilling scene. It 
 is the 13th Vendeniiaire, year III, or Octo- 
 ber 15, 1795. The Directory under which the 
 Government of France is now carried on has 
 to face a revolt of the people and the National 
 Guardo General Barras, who had observed 
 Napoleon's great ability at Toulon, summons 
 the young officer to help the Directory. Napo- 
 leon orders the artillery to sweep the Sections. 
 
 By this use of cannon, with fearful slaughter, 
 the smaller force of the Government conquers 
 the uprising. Next day Napoleon is men- 
 tioned by the Commander-in-Chief for his dis- 
 tinguished services, and shortly he becomes 
 General-in-Chief of the Army of the Interior. 
 
 Picture after picture passes quickly before 
 us, and always Napoleon is in the foreground. 
 We see him now for the first time really enjoy- 
 ing society. The brusque and rather timid 
 young officer is lionized in the drawing-room 
 of Madame Tallien. There he meets the 
 beautiful Josephine, widow of Alexandre de 
 Beauharnais, and soon asks her to many him. 
 
 It is said that Napoleon first became inter- 
 ested in Josephine through her sending her
 
 THE PANORAMA 249 
 
 son Eugene to ask him to secure for him the 
 sword of his father who had been put to death 
 during the Reign of Terror. But whether the 
 story is true or not, certainly Napoleon always 
 has the greatest affection for Eugene and his 
 sister Hortense. Napoleon's family are now 
 in Paris. They share equally in the prosperity 
 that has come to him. He lavishes on his 
 mother all that she will accept. It pains him 
 that neither she nor his brothers and sisters 
 are pleased with his marriage. 
 
 Two days after the wedding, Napoleon 
 leaves Josephine to cross the Apennines as 
 Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy. 
 We see the Italians running before those whom 
 they had contemptuously called the "rag 
 heroes." The French win victory after vic- 
 tory. Arcola, Lodi, Milan eighteen pitched 
 battles, forty-seven smaller engagements. 
 Everywhere Napoleon is the idol, not only of 
 his own soldiers, but of a large number of 
 Italians, who hope through him to gain 
 political liberty. 
 
 When, after the Treaty of Campo Formio, 
 Napoleon returns to Paris in December, 1797, 
 France is at his feet, rejoicing in the glory
 
 250 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 that comes to her through victories, rejoicing 
 in the treasures of art that the young con- 
 queror had brought back to adorn the Paris 
 museums. 
 
 The scene changes Napoleon is setting 
 out for Egypt. He hopes to weaken England 
 by attacking her power in the East. He hopes 
 to strengthen himself in the eyes of the French 
 by winning new victories. For idolized 
 though he is by the French people, he realizes 
 their fickleness, and he knows that the Direct- 
 ory is jealous of him. This expedition has not 
 the brilliancy of the Italian campaign. He 
 does not succeed in disabling the British, the 
 French fleet meets fearful disaster. On land 
 the French army suffers terribly from pesti- 
 lence. But Napoleon has many scientific 
 men with him on this expedition, and science 
 gains greatly by this Egyptian campaign. 
 Then by chance he learns that there is the 
 utmost political discontent in France. Almost 
 secretly he sails away from Egypt. We see 
 him in Paris by the middle of October, 1799. 
 His enemies are astonished. But Napoleon's 
 hour has come. The famous coup d'etat 
 follows, and in less than two months after his
 
 THE PANORAMA 251 
 
 return from Egypt, Napoleon has become 
 temporary Dictator of France. His title is 
 First Consul, but many shake their heads and 
 murmur that Napoleon, instead of serving the 
 term prescribed by law, means to make him- 
 self Consul for life. 
 
 Yet whatever Napoleon's ambitions may be, 
 it is clear that France needs a strong man at 
 the head of the Government. Then as we 
 observe the clear eye and firm bearing of the 
 young Corsican, it is evident that no one abler 
 than he can be found to direct the work of 
 upbuilding the country. 
 
 Our picture of France shows no longer a 
 scene of confusion, of chaos, although much 
 must be done before the Republic can hold her 
 own except in war with other great nations. 
 
 Napoleon is tired of war, but those Powers 
 to whom he suggests peace are not ready to 
 accept his overtures. They are more willing 
 to listen to him after his Austrian campaign, 
 when Marengo and Luneville are added to 
 the French victories. 
 
 The Peace of Amiens gives Europe a breath- 
 ing spell for no one believes that this peace 
 will last forever.
 
 252 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Perhaps among all our pictures of Napoleon 
 there is hardly one more pleasing than this of 
 his First Consulate, when we see him walking 
 among his gorgeously attired officers, notice- 
 able for the simplicity of his attire. For in spite 
 of the example of extravagant dress set by 
 others, he is content with the plain uniform of 
 a colonel of grenadiers or of the light infantry. 
 
 "His address is the finest I have ever seen," 
 writes one who meets him at this time, "and 
 said by those who have travelled to exceed not 
 only every Prince and Potentate now in being, 
 but even all those whose memory has come 
 down to us. ... While he speaks, his features 
 are still more expressive than his words." 
 
 This is the Napoleon whom Betsy knew - 
 this man whose simple, pleasing manners 
 drew every one to him every one at least 
 whom he wished to attract. Had he cared to 
 make the effort he might even have won Sir 
 Hudson Lowe. 
 
 For in those earlier days, before his down- 
 fall, many an Englishman, with a deeply rooted 
 prejudice against Napoleon, on visiting Paris, 
 like the writer of the above, found his preju- 
 dices melt away like snow in summer.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 
 
 OUR pictures change little as they show 
 the next stage of Napoleon's progress. 
 For when in the summer of 1801 he is 
 made Consul for life, he appears still to be the 
 same ardent lover of liberty that he was when 
 he became First Consul. He is still the idol of 
 the French people as well he may be for 
 what ruler has ever done so much for them ? 
 When once things are in his own hands he 
 codifies the laws, gives security to all forms of 
 religion, and organizes the educational system 
 of France. He does everything possible for 
 the rebuilding of the state. He regulates 
 taxes, that the burden may fall equitably on all 
 classes. He helps manufactures of every kind. 
 He proves himself a masterly road-builder. 
 He establishes museums, and orders the con- 
 struction of great public buildings. In peace 
 he seems to be greater even than he has shown
 
 254 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 himself in war. He encourages literature, 
 art, and music, and makes Paris so beautiful 
 that its citizens are justified in their pride. 
 
 He surrounds himself with capable men. 
 In no way does he more clearly show his own 
 superiority than by letting it be seen that he is 
 free from jealousy. He is always ready to 
 reward publicly those who help him in any of 
 his undertakings. Not all Napoleon's plans 
 are carried out during his Consulship, but they 
 are begun with such vigor that no one doubts 
 that they will be completed. The country is 
 the better for his firm hand. Yet in some ways 
 we admired him more in his earlier years. His 
 ambition now casts a shadow that should warn 
 him that the middle way is the best. 
 
 In one way at least Napoleon's ambitions 
 do not get the better of him. As he ad- 
 vances in power he does not forget old friends. 
 They share his prosperity, these schoolmates 
 and associates of his earlier years. They are 
 given honors that some of them find it hard to 
 wear gracefully. 
 
 "Here we are at the Tuileries," he exclaims 
 to an old friend, when made Consul for life. 
 "We must remain here."
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 255 
 
 In the short breathing spell made possible 
 by the Peace of Amiens, France accomplishes 
 more in all directions than the other countries 
 of Europe. Yet those whose sight is clearest 
 may, perhaps, see a cloud likely to deepen and 
 blur the picture. Does it come from England, 
 now making great efforts to gather her strength 
 for a long contest ? Or does the growing 
 ambition of Napoleon mean the overthrow of 
 the very things he is working for ? 
 
 Though the gorgeous spectacle of the Im- 
 perial Coronation in the great Cathedral has 
 seldom been surpassed, we incline to turn 
 away from it. It had been better for Napoleon 
 to remain First Consul rather than to make 
 himself Emperor. His plain gray suit became 
 him better than this trailing cloak of purple 
 velvet embroidered in gold and trimmed with 
 ermine. We recognize the golden bees, and 
 the insignia of the Legion of Honor, but the 
 diamond collar and the great Pitt diamond 
 blazing in the pommel of his sword seem un- 
 suited to the young Corsican who once de- 
 lighted in simplicity. The laurel wreath that 
 he first wears suits him better than the Im- 
 perial crown that he takes from the hands of
 
 256 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 the Pope and places on his own head. But 
 the Pope has anointed him, and Napoleon is 
 now Emperor of that shadowy Holy Roman 
 Empire, for which in the past rivers of blood 
 have been shed. 
 
 Is Napoleon really happier now than when 
 he roamed, a fearless boy, over the rough hills 
 of Corsica ? Is Josephine as contented wearing 
 the crown of an Empress as she was wander- 
 ing light-hearted in the forests of Martinique ? 
 Josephine is indeed fond of jewels and 
 beautiful clothes, and nothing could be more 
 splendid than her coronation robe of white 
 satin and silver and gold, with its ornaments 
 of pearls and diamonds. But Josephine has 
 a long memory. She often recalls the poverty 
 of her childhood, of her early married life. 
 When Empress she tells one of the ladies in 
 attendance on her that no present ever made 
 her happier than a pair of shoes given her for 
 Hortense, her little daughter, who otherwise 
 would have had to go barefoot part of her 
 voyage from Martinique to France. 
 
 Josephine is a sensible woman. She is not 
 ashamed of her early poverty. Like Napoleon 
 she had suffered during the Revolution and
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 257 
 
 had even for a time been thrown into prison. 
 Like Napoleon she, too, had sometimes not 
 known when she should get her next meal. 
 She had even had to borrow money to pay her 
 rent. She had suffered everything, when the 
 execution of her first husband, Alexandre de 
 Beauharnais, during the Reign of Terror, had 
 left her and her two children destitute. 
 
 All the circumstances of her past life may 
 not have flashed before Josephine's mind at 
 the moment of the Coronation. Yet it is not 
 improbable that wearing the crown and realiz- 
 ing the responsibilities of her new position, 
 she may have sighed for a day of freedom 
 from care, such as she had known in Mar- 
 tinique. 
 
 On that December day in 1805 when Na- 
 poleon puts on the Imperial crown more than 
 three years have passed since England signed 
 the short-lived Peace of Amiens. The war 
 that is now renew r ed between France and 
 England is to continue until Waterloo. As 
 Emperor, however, Napoleon seems to be 
 master of Europe. All the European courts, 
 except England, Russia, and Sweden, acknowl- 
 edge his new title.
 
 258 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 So we turn to a new picture. It is the eve 
 of Austerlitz. Napoleon walks among the 
 soldiers, who are resting in camp, awaiting the 
 struggle. When his men recognize him, they 
 surround him, they rush ahead of him, holding 
 aloft long poles on which are fastened burning 
 wisps of straw. 
 
 "It is the anniversary of the Coronation," 
 they shout as they light his way. The next 
 day when they measure their strength with 
 Russia and Austria, the soldiers of the Empire 
 are victorious. Another scene now stands out 
 vividly. Alexander of Russia is coming to 
 meet Napoleon. At Tilsit on a raft in the 
 river Niemen the two Emperors greet each 
 other with a kiss. 
 
 "I hate the English as much as you," cries 
 the impulsive Alexander. "I will be your 
 second in all that you do against them." 
 
 The next day we see the King of Prussia 
 arriving half-heartedly at Tilsit. Friedland 
 has done its work, and for the time Prussia 
 is humbled. 
 
 Brilliant though the panorama of Napoleon's 
 life is after Tilsit, we view with wonder rather 
 than approval the striking pictures as they
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 59 
 
 present themselves one by one. We observe 
 the wild enthusiasm of the French people for 
 their Emperor after Ulm and Austerlitz and 
 Hohenlinden. Even the battle of Trafalgar 
 - a victory for England does not dampen 
 their aftlor. But Napoleon himself grows 
 careful, and tries to keep from the army the 
 news of his loss on the sea. 
 
 Prussia is humbled, Austria wishes to 
 make terms, Napoleon has some successes 
 in Spain, and he hopes to injure England. 
 Though we may not discover this at first, his 
 interference in the affairs of Spain hastens 
 the Emperor's downfall. Although he suc- 
 ceeds in having his brother Joseph made King 
 of Spain, he cannot keep him on the throne. 
 
 His ambition increases. His family try to 
 persuade him to divorce Josephine, that he 
 may strengthen himself by a second marriage 
 with some royal princess. 
 
 We look at the family group of the Bona- 
 partes. With Napoleon at the height of his 
 power, we count the titles. 
 
 Joseph, at first King of Naples, is King of 
 Spain; Louis, King of Holland; Jerome, 
 King of Westphalia; Lucien, a Prince of the
 
 260 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 Empire, later repudiates the title ; Eliza, Grand 
 Duchess of Tuscany; Pauline, Princess Bor- 
 ghese; and Caroline is Queen of Naples; 
 Josephine's daughter, Hortense, is Queen of 
 Holland; and Eugene, her son, is a Prince. 
 Old Madame Bonaparte, the devoted mother, 
 is not sure that the glory of the family will 
 last forever. Of the treasures lavished on her 
 by Napoleon, she puts aside a portion that may 
 be of service when the possible rainy day 
 comes. 
 
 Josephine is the idol of the French people. 
 But Bonaparte ambition extends even to them. 
 In these uncertain days France might be 
 stronger if its Emperor were free to marry into 
 a Royal family. 
 
 We note Josephine's anxiety as she studies 
 Napoleon. But she sees no change in his 
 love for her children. Eugene is his adopted 
 heir. Hortense is married to Napoleon's 
 brother Louis. Josephine hopes that those 
 who advise the Royal Alliance may not prevail. 
 Her tears are useless, and when Napoleon 
 decides she has to yield. 
 
 The first of April, 1810, less than five years 
 from the date of the Coronation, Napoleon is
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 261 
 
 the centre of another brilliant ceremony. 
 This is the day of his marriage with Maria 
 Louisa, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. 
 A year later fickle Paris is in a state of feverish 
 excitement over the birth of the King of Rome. 
 Napoleon, rejoicing in his little son, seems at 
 the height of his power. 
 
 Looking at Napoleon now, we must admit 
 that he has become an autocrat. Yet he is 
 not a despot in the ordinary sense. Though 
 he may like power in itself, for what it brings 
 to him, he cares still for the prosperity of 
 France. The country needs his strong guid- 
 ance. Outside of France he has enemies on all 
 sides. While he does not admit it, things are 
 against him in Spain; and then, as if losing 
 his head, he decides to march into Russia. 
 The Emperor of Russia is now his bitter 
 enemy. The kiss of Tilsit was soon wiped 
 away. 
 
 If we could, we would close our eyes to the 
 next terrible scene. Before us marches the 
 best of the young manhood of France - 
 hundreds of thousands of men to a certain 
 death. Here is the greatest army of the 
 time, and at Borodino we see "the bloodiest
 
 262 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 fight of the century." For the French the 
 victory is almost worse than a defeat, since 
 they are thus beguiled farther into Russia. 
 No one can paint adequately the horrors of 
 that bitter campaign. Of the hundreds of 
 thousands who had crossed the Niemen a few 
 months earlier, only twenty thousand frost- 
 bitten spectres stagger again over the bridge 
 in the middle of December. 
 
 Napoleon's thoughts are gloomy enough as 
 he rides desperately back to France, leaving 
 his fragment of an army in charge of Murat. 
 No one envies him now, with the world against 
 him. Soon he hears that Joseph has been 
 driven from Spain. Already he feels the 
 strength of the coalition formed to overthrow 
 him. Does he realize that Austria is no 
 longer his friend that Prussia is ready to 
 fall upon him? All Germany is waking to 
 new life, and to a great extent its energy is the 
 result of the teachings of Napoleon himself. 
 We see him struggling to hold his own, un- 
 willing to admit that he has lost anything. 
 There is likely to be discontent in France. 
 The flower of French youth has gone with the 
 army, and there are hardly men enough to till
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 263 
 
 the ground. We glance hastily at the passing 
 pictures. The victory at Dresden is more 
 than balanced by the disasters at Kulm and 
 Leipzig. The campaign of 1813 is fatal to 
 Napoleon, who still trusts to his star. 
 
 So we pass on to the last scenes of the 
 panorama. 
 
 It is a Sunday in January, 1814. Napoleon 
 is in Paris, intending in a few days to go to the 
 front. He and the Empress are holding a 
 reception at the Tuileries, and there is a 
 brilliant throng in the great salon. All eyes 
 are on the Emperor and Empress as they enter 
 the apartment. Napoleon holds by the hand 
 a fair-haired boy of three, the little King of 
 Rome. The child wears the uniform of the 
 National Guard of Paris. Courtiers, crowding 
 around the group, bow and smile. But as 
 he scans their faces with his keen eye, Na- 
 poleon reads who are his enemies, who his 
 friends. There are many officers of the 
 National Guard present, and it is to them 
 perhaps that the Emperor especially addresses 
 himself. 
 
 "Gentlemen," he cries, "I am about to set 
 out for the army. I intrust to you what I
 
 864 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 hold dearest in the world my wife and my 
 son." 
 
 Although those present do not dream that 
 the end of Napoleon's reign is so near, they 
 show great emotion. Tears fall and sobs are 
 heard on all sides as his appeal reaches their 
 hearts. Many of those present at the Tuileries 
 this afternoon even those nearest him 
 will never see Napoleon again. 
 
 In less than two days the Emperor bids his 
 last farewell to Maria Louisa and their little 
 son. The Empress is to be Regent during his 
 absence. Joseph is appointed Lieutenant of 
 France. 
 
 Then we look on the sad picture of Na- 
 poleon's last campaign, when he meets his 
 match in the dogged Blucher. Before the 
 end of February, Napoleon has to admit that 
 he is conquered. He accepts the terms made 
 by the Allies. They give him the island of 
 Elba for a time, with money enough to keep 
 up a certain small grandeur. Pensions are 
 provided for Maria Louisa and the King of 
 Rome, and even for the other Bonapartes. 
 
 It is a curious spectacle Napoleon amus- 
 ing himself with Elba, as if it were a big
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 265 
 
 toy. One day he increases his standing army, 
 the next he annexes a neighboring island. 
 His mother and some of his family are with 
 him, but Maria Louisa has returned to her 
 father with the little King of Rome. 
 
 But Napoleon and his friends have been 
 making their plans, and we are dazzled, as the 
 world was then, by his rapid march across 
 France, by the demonstrations of his soldiers 
 and the vigor of the short, sharp campaign 
 and the greatness of Wellington's victory. Yet 
 Quatre Bras and Waterloo are soon over- 
 shadowed by the rock of St. Helena. 
 
 Betsy Balcombe, Napoleon's young neigh- 
 bor, well knew the story of Napoleon. She 
 could see as plainly as we can to-day the 
 pictures revealed in the panorama of his life. 
 Perhaps she stood too near him, perhaps she 
 was too young to draw the lesson that we 
 of to-day draw from his meteoric career. 
 Perhaps her sympathy for him in all that he 
 had to bear at St. Helena blinded her to the 
 fact that he was himself to a certain extent to 
 blame for his own downfall. He reached 
 too far, his ambition was too great. As First 
 Consul, depending on the votes of the people,
 
 266 NAPOLEON'S YOUNG NEIGHBOR 
 
 he might have been stronger than he was as 
 Emperor. The good that he did France was 
 fairly balanced by the fearful loss of life in 
 his long wars. 
 
 Napoleon's one thought was to carry out 
 his own plans without counting the cost in 
 men. Yet putting aside the question of the 
 vast loss of life in his wars and the sorrow that 
 resulted, we may see that his career was not 
 wholly bad for Europe. 
 
 Although ambition and selfishness may have 
 prompted much that he did, he really wished 
 to promote the welfare of France. To-day 
 that country is farther ahead than would have 
 been possible but for Napoleon. Many of 
 the institutions that have most advanced her 
 originated with the First Emperor. Other 
 countries besides France benefited by Na- 
 poleon's energy. He showed several of them 
 how to realize their ideals of independence. 
 
 It is true that the constitutions he gave to 
 various states of Europe as well as to France 
 after his downfall were for a time cancelled. 
 Still, in the end, his ideas prevailed, and ex- 
 cept for Napoleon not only a French Republic 
 would have been slower in establishing itself,
 
 THE LAST PICTURES 267 
 
 but also a free Italy, and even a United 
 Germany might have arrived less quickly. 
 
 The sadness of Napoleon's last years modi- 
 fied the judgments of many who had been his 
 bitter enemies. His personal charm made 
 those who knew him forget the general self- 
 ishness of his whole career. Yet in weighing 
 all that can be said for and against him, it 
 would be unfair to have the balance against 
 him. That Napoleon whom Betsy Balcombe 
 knew at The Briars fun-loving and consid- 
 erate of those about him was as truly 
 Napoleon as the man before whom many had 
 trembled whom his enemies had so criticised 
 - to look at him as his young neighbor looked 
 at him is to understand a little the secret of 
 his influence. 
 
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 they seem, as well as their plans, 
 their play, and their school and 
 home and everyday life. Boston Courier. 
 
 Her children are real; her style also is natural and 
 pleasing. The Outlook, New York. 
 
 Miss Reed's children are perfectly natural and act as 
 real girls would under the same circumstances. Nap is a 
 lively little dog, who takes an important part in the 
 development of the story. Christian Register, Boston. 
 
 A clever story, not a bit preachy, but with much influ- 
 ence for right living in evidence throughout. Chicago 
 Evening Post. 
 
 LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 
 
 254 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON
 
 A 000 111 199 e