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Chapter 4

           Iinstantlymixedwithhissuite,andfollowedhim.Iwasalreadyinhighfavour.Irememberwhenhecameintothefirsthall,theemperorstoppedbeforeaportraitoftheEmpressKatherine,andafterathoughtfulglanceremarked,‘Thatwasagreatwoman,’andpassedon.

           “Well,inacoupleofdaysIwasknownalloverthepalaceandtheKremlinas‘lepetitboyard.’Ionlywenthometosleep.Theywerenearlyoutoftheirmindsaboutmeathome.Acoupleofdaysafterthis,Napoleon’spage,DeBazancour,died;hehadnotbeenabletostandthetrialsofthecampaign.Napoleonrememberedme;Iwastakenawaywithoutexplanation;thedeadpage’suniformwastriedonme,andwhenIwastakenbeforetheemperor,dressedinit,henoddedhisheadtome,andIwastoldthatIwasappointedtothevacantpostofpage.

           “Well,Iwasgladenough,forIhadlongfeltthegreatestsympathyforthisman;andthentheprettyuniformandallthatonlyachild,youknowandsoon.Itwasadarkgreendresscoatwithgoldbuttonsredfacings,whitetrousers,andawhitesilkwaistcoatsilkstockings,shoeswithbuckles,andtop-bootsifIwereridingoutwithhismajestyorwiththesuite.

           “Thoughthepositionofallofusatthattimewasnotparticularlybrilliant,andthepovertywasdreadfulallround,yettheetiquetteatcourtwasstrictlypreserved,andthemorestrictlyinproportiontothegrowthoftheforebodingsofdisaster.”

           “Quiteso,quiteso,ofcourse!”murmuredthepoorprince,whodidn’tknowwheretolook.

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