第11章

Arenottheseremarkableincidents?ThenextwonderwesawwasthearrivalofasetoftotteringoldInvalids,whotooktheirplacesunderuswithdrawnsabres。Thencameasuperbdrum—major,ahandsomesmilinggood—humoredgiantofaman,hisbreechesastonishinglyembroideredwithsilverlace。Himadozenlittledrummer—boysfollowed——\"thelittledarlings!\"alltheladiescriedoutinabreath:theywereindeedprettylittlefellows,andcameandstoodcloseunderus:thehugedrum—majorsmiledoverhislittlered—cappedflock,andformanyhoursinthemostperfectcontentmenttwiddledhismoustachesandplayedwiththetasselsofhiscane。

Nowthecompanybegantoarrivethickerandthicker。AwholecoveyofConseillers—d\'Etatcamein,inbluecoats,embroideredwithbluesilk,thencameacrowdoflawyersintoquesandcaps,amongwhomweresundryvenerableJudgesinscarlet,purplevelvet,andermine——

akindofBajazetcostume。Lookthere!thereistheTurkishAmbassadorinhisredcap,turninghissolemnbrownfaceaboutandlookingpreternaturallywise。TheDeputieswalkininabody。

Guizotisnotthere:hepassedbyjustnowinfullministerialcostume。PresentlylittleThierssauntersback:whataclear,broadsharp—eyedfacethefellowhas,withhisgrayhaircutdownsodemure!Aservantpasses,pushingthroughthecrowdashabbywheel—

chair。IthasjustbroughtoldMonceytheGovernoroftheInvalids,thehonestoldmanwhodefendedParissostoutlyin1814。Hehasbeenveryill,andisworndownalmostbyinfirmities:butinhisillnesshewasperpetuallyasking,\"Doctor,shallIlivetillthe15th?Givemetillthen,andIdiecontented。\"Onecan\'thelpbelievingthattheoldman\'swishishonest,howeveronemaydoubtthepietyofanotherillustriousMarshal,whooncecarriedacandlebeforeCharlesX。inaprocession,andhasbeenthismorningtoNeuillytokneelandprayatthefootofNapoleon\'scoffin。Hemighthavesaidhisprayersathome,tobesure;butdon\'tletusasktoomuch:thatkindofreserveisnotaFrenchman\'scharacteristic。

Bang——bang!Atabouthalf—pasttwoadullsoundofcannonadingwasheardwithoutthechurch,andsignalstookplacebetweentheCommandantoftheInvalids,oftheNationalGuards,andthebigdrum—major。Lookingtothesetroops(thefatNationalswereshufflingintolineagain)thetwoCommandantstittered,asnearlyasIcouldcatchthem,thefollowingwords——

\"HARRUMHUMP!\"

AtoncealltheNationalbayonetswereonthepresent,andthesabresoftheoldInvalidsup。Thebigdrum—majorlookedroundatthechildren,whobeganveryslowlyandsolemnlyontheirdrums,Rub—dub—dub——rub—dub—dub——(counttwobetweeneach)——rub—dub—dub,andagreatprocessionofpriestscamedownfromthealtar。

First,therewasatallhandsomecross—bearer,bearingalonggoldcross,ofwhichthefrontwasturnedtowardshisgracetheArchbishop。Thencameadoublerowofaboutsixteenincense—boys,dressedinwhitesurplices:thefirstboy,aboutsixyearsold,thelastwithwhiskersandoftheheightofaman。Thenfollowedaregimentofpriestsinblacktippetsandwhitegowns:theyhadblackhoods,likethemoonwhensheisatherthirdquarter,wherewiththosewhowerebald(manywere,andfattoo)coveredthemselves。

Allthereverendmenheldtheirheadsmeeklydown,andaffectedtobereadingintheirbreviaries。

AfterthePriestscamesomeBishopsoftheneighboringdistricts,inpurple,withcrossessparklingontheirepiscopalbosoms。

Thencame,aftermorepriests,asetofmenwhomIhaveneverseenbefore——akindofghostlyheralds,youngandhandsomemen,someoftheminstifftabardsofblackandsilver,theireyestotheground,theirhandsplacedatrightangleswiththeirchests。

Thencametwogentlemenbearingremarkabletallcandlesticks,withcandlesofcorrespondingsize。Onewasburningbrightly,butthewind(thatcharteredlibertine)hadblownouttheother,whichneverthelesskeptitsplaceintheprocession——Iwonderedtomyselfwhetherthereverendgentlemanwhocarriedtheextinguishedcandle,feltdisgusted,humiliated,mortified——perfectlyconsciousthattheeyesofmanythousandsofpeoplewerebentuponthatbitofrefractorywax。Weallofuslookedatitwithintenseinterest。

Anothercross—bearer,behindwhomcameagentlemancarryinganinstrumentlikeabedroomcandlestick。

HisGrandeurMonseigneurAffre,ArchbishopofParis:hewasinblackandwhite,hiseyeswerecasttotheearth,hishandsweretogetheratrightanglesfromhischest:onhishandswereblackgloves,andontheblackglovessparkledthesacredepiscopal——whatdoIsay?——

archiepiscopalring。Onhisheadwasthemitre。Itisunlikethegodlycoronetthatfiguresuponthecoach—panelsofourownRightReverendBench。TheArchbishop\'smitremaybeaboutayardhigh:

formedwithinprobablyofconsecratedpasteboard,itiswithoutcoveredbyasortofwateredsilkofwhiteandsilver。Onthetwopeaksatthetopofthemitrearetwoverylittlespangledtassels,thatfriskandtwinkleaboutinaveryagreeablemanner。

Monseigneurstoodoppositetousforsometime,whenIhadtheopportunitytonotetheaboveremarkablephenomena。Hestoodoppositemeforsometime,keepinghiseyessteadilyontheground,hishandsbeforehim,asmallclericaltrainfollowingafter。Whydidn\'ttheymove?TherewastheNationalGuardkeepingonpresentingarms,thelittledrummersgoingonrub—dub—dub——rub—dub—

dub——inthesamesteady,slowway,andtheProcessionnevermovedaninch。Therewasevidently,touseanelegantphrase,ahitchsomewhere。

[Enterafatpriestwhobustlesuptothedrum—major。]

Fatpriest——\"Taisez—vous。\"

Littledrummer——Rub—dub—dub——rub—dub—dub——rub—dub—dub,&c。

Drum—major——\"Qu\'est—cedonc?\"

Fatpriest——\"Taisez—vous,dis—je;cen\'estpaslecorps。Iln\'arriverapas——pouruneheure。\"

Thelittledrumswereinstantlyhushed,theprocessionturnedtotheright—about,andwalkedbacktothealtaragain,theblown—outcandlethathadbeenonthenearsideofusbeforewasnowontheoffside,theNationalGuardssetdowntheirmusketsandbeganattheirsandwichesagain。Wehadtowaitanhourandahalfatleastbeforethegreatprocessionarrived。Thegunswithoutwentonboomingallthewhileatintervals,andasweheardeach,theaudiencegaveakindof\"ahahah!\"suchasyouhearwhentherocketsgoupatVauxhall。

AtlasttherealProcessioncame。

Thenthedrumsbegantobeatasformerly,theNationalstogetunderarms,theclergymenweresentforandwent,andpresently——yes,therewasthetallcross—bearerattheheadoftheprocession,andtheycameBACK!

Theychantedsomethinginaweak,snuffling,lugubriousmanner,tothemelancholybrayofaserpent。

Crash!however,Mr。Habeneckandthefiddlersintheorganloftpealedoutawildshrillmarch,whichstoppedthereverendgentlemen,andinthemidstofthismusic——

Andofagreattramplingoffeetandclattering,AndofagreatcrowdofGeneralsandOfficersinfineclothes,WiththePrincedeJoinvillemarchingquicklyattheheadoftheprocession,Andwhileeverybody\'sheartwasthumpingashardaspossible,NAPOLEON\'SCOFFINPASSED。

Itwasdoneinaninstant。Aboxcoveredwithagreatredcross——adingy—lookingcrownlyingonthetopofit——SeamenononesideandInvalidsontheother——theyhadpassedinaninstantandwereuptheaisle。

Afaintsnufflingsound,asbefore,washeardfromtheofficiatingpriests,butweknewofnothingmore。ItissaidthatoldLouisPhilippewasstandingatthecatafalque,whitherthePrincedeJoinvilleadvancedandsaid,\"Sire,IbringyouthebodyoftheEmperorNapoleon。\"

LouisPhilippeanswered,\"IreceiveitinthenameofFrance。\"

Bertrandputonthebodythemostgloriousvictoriousswordthateverhasbeenforgedsincetheaptdescendantsofthefirstmurdererlearnedhowtohammersteel;andthecoffinwasplacedinthetemplepreparedforit。

Thesixhundredsingersandthefiddlersnowcommencedtheplayingandsingingofapieceofmusic;andapartofthecrewofthe\"BellePoule\"skippedintotheplacesthathadbeenkeptforthemunderus,andlistenedtothemusic,chewingtobacco。Whiletheactorsandfiddlersweregoingon,mostofthespirits—of—winelampsonaltarswentout。

WhenwearrivedintheopenairwepassedthroughthecourtoftheInvalids,wherethousandsofpeoplehadbeenassembled,butwherethebencheswerenowquitebare。Thenwecameontotheterracebeforetheplace:theoldsoldierswerefiringoffthegreatguns,whichmadeadreadfulstunningnoise,andfrightenedsomeofus,whodidnotcaretopassbeforethecannonandbeknockeddownevenbythewadding。ThegunswerefiredinhonoroftheKing,whowasgoinghomebyabackdoor。AllthefortythousandpeoplewhocoveredthegreatstandsbeforetheHotelhadgoneawaytoo。TheImperialBargehadbeendraggeduptheriver,andwaslyinglonelyalongtheQuay,examinedbysomefewshiveringpeopleontheshore。

Itwasfiveo\'clockwhenwereachedhome:thestarswereshiningkeenlyoutofthefrostysky,andFrancoistoldmethatdinnerwasjustready。

Inthismanner,mydearMissSmith,thegreatNapoleonwasburied。