The Second Funeral of Napoleon

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。