" So you are," cried Napoleon, charmed at Fouche"s
solution of the difficulty.

" Those men obeyed me, sire, so well, that M. de
Neipperg is not dead, as M. de Rovigo has told you.
M. de Neipperg is going toward Soissons, where he
will be at breakfast time."

" My compliments, Duke of Otranto, you are a pre-
cious servitor you divine what others cannot see. But,
tell me, were you quite sure I would pardon ? "

" Almost sure, sire. I had spoken with the Duchess
of Dantzig."



" But you let a prisoner of State escape. That was
serious."

" Sire, I had men sent in advance to Soissons. I
should have been able to re-arrest him."

" You are a devil you see everything," said Napo-
leon, in a gracious tone.

And, turning to the Mare"chale Lefebvre, he added,
" I fancy it is time, Madame la Duchesse, for you to
rejoin your husband. As for me, I shall awake the
Empress and assure her that her letter to Vienna has
been sent."

Just then Lefebvre entered for orders.

" The Emperor has pardoned," Catharine said to
him, "and, as you know, dear, he no longer wishes to
part us."

" Bravo ! I thank you, sire," said the marshal, moved
by the Emperor's leniency.

" Lefebvre, when one has a wife like yours, one
clings to her," said Napoleon, smiling.

Happy in the assurance that Marie-Louise was true,
pleased that he had been lenient, satisfied that Neip-
perg, thanks to Fouche", had escaped Savary, Napoleon
lifted Catharine's face and kissed her a mark of un-
usual favor at his court. " Good-night, Madame Sans-
Ge*ne," he said.

And, glad at heart, Napoleon went to seek his wife,
Marie-Louise. All this was nine months prior to the
birth of the King of Rome.

THE END.



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