Napoleon's Young Neighbor Part 18

"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 confined his stockings, on each knee, like the order of the garter. When he first arrived he was disgusted that St. Helena ladies knew 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 pa.s.s 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 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 p.r.i.c.kly pear on top, the thorns of which caught him so that at first he could not extricate himself.

Then he had to descend rather ignominiously 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, frequently sought her services to effect an introduction.

"Sir," said Betsy to Napoleon one day, "may I present a lady to you? She is just 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 b.u.t.terflies of diamonds 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 questions, "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 embarra.s.sed 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 compliment. Yet she was so overcome by it that when she returned to England she sent letters 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 excitement 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 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 pa.s.s--"

The sentence was left unfinished. But Mr. Manning obtained a pa.s.s 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 question, "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 introduced 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 pa.s.s for an Englishman?" persisted the Emperor. "The shape of your nose is too good for a Tartar."

"No," replied Mr. Manning; "I was generally 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 successful.

The conversation between the two--the Emperor and the traveller--lasted for some time.

"Travellers," said Napoleon, "are privileged 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 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 experienced 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 garrisoned 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 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 Longwood?"

"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 satisfaction.

"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 expression 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 changing the subject, "bring me my snuffbox,--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.