Napoleon's Young Neighbor Part 10

The girls followed the Emperor toward the house, and "Oh!" and "Ah!"

they exclaimed loudly as they looked at the beautiful dishes lately arrived from France. Among them there were plates that had cost twenty-five napoleons, each of them painted by a great artist. It was a beautiful set, given to the Emperor by the people of Paris, and the pictures were chiefly battle scenes commemorating his great victories.

Before one of these paintings, Betsy stood enraptured. It represented a slim youth, who looked almost tall, standing on a bridge and evidently cheering others on, while nearer him were the dead and dying.

"And this was really you?" exclaimed Betsy, for she recognized the standing figure.

"Yes," replied Napoleon, sighing, as if for his dead youth. "I was that boy. That was almost the beginning. I was more slender then than now."

"This is the ibis?" asked Betsy, pointing to a bird that appeared on many plates.

"Yes; these are mostly pictures of Egypt;" and the ibis led him to a long discourse on the Egyptian campaign.

"But don't go to Egypt, Miss Betsy," he concluded. "You will catch ophthalmia and spoil your eyes."

"_Pourquoi avez-vous tourne turque?_" ["Why did you turn Turk?"]

interposed Betsy abruptly.

"What is that to you?" he asked, laughing. The question referred to his having become a Mahometan, but at first it was not clear to Napoleon what she meant.

"I mean, why did you change your religion?" Betsy explained.

"Fighting is a soldier's religion," he replied. "I never changed that.

The other is the affair of women and priests. _Quant a moi_, I always adopt the religion of the country I am in. And now," he said at last, "you have seen all the plates, and there are your little brothers coming up to find out what our Santini has made for them."

Santini was Napoleon's lamplighter, a clever little fellow, who could make all kinds of toys and was always ready to play amusing tricks to entertain the children.

"What has he now?" the little boys asked as the man approached with a box under his arm.

The children jumped about excitedly. Even the girls were curious, as, taking the box from under his arm, Santini displayed a tiny carriage to which were harnessed two pairs of mice. In spite of Santini's efforts, they did not at once start off, as he had expected, to draw the carriage, and the boys appealed to the Emperor.

"Pinch the tails of the leaders, and then they will go," commanded Napoleon.

The boys obeyed, and to the great delight of the children the mice started off at full speed. As they watched the carriage and the scampering steeds, the children shouted and clapped their hands.

One morning Betsy stood before Napoleon with an expression of disappointment on her pretty face.

"Of course I thought you meant it."

"But you are a foolish child."

"Why shouldn't you give a ball before you leave The Briars? Not a very great one, but just large enough for me to dance at. Soon you will be away, at Longwood. I thought you promised."

"You must have known I was in fun."

At last Betsy noted a tone in the Emperor's voice that warned her to go no further.

"But since you are so disappointed," said Napoleon kindly, "you may have whatever you wish to ask of me. _Dites-moi, que veux-tu que je fosse Mdlle. Betsee pour te consoler?_" ["Tell me, what do you wish me to do to console you?"]

Betsy's face brightened.

"Let us play the game of blindman's buff you have so often promised.

Then I will forgive you for not having the ball, and never speak of it again."

"Blindman's buff, as you describe it, did not seem to be just the game for me. Can't you think of something else?"

"But you promised, and your room is splendid for it, and it wouldn't be any fun without you."

Seeing that resistance was useless, the Emperor at last consented to play. He began by binding his fine white handkerchief over Betsy's eyes.

"Can you see?"

"I cannot see you."

But Betsy, although she spoke truly in saying that she could not see the Emperor, could yet detect a glimmer of light. Napoleon waved his hands before her eyes, and the shadows and rush of air made her start.

"Ah, leetle monkey, you can see me!" he exclaimed, and he put another handkerchief over her eyes.

Then, with Betsy in the middle of the room, the game began. Soon the young girl felt some one pull her nose roughly. She knew who had touched her, for, as he crept toward her, she recognized Napoleon's footsteps.

As she darted forward, he bounded away just as her hand touched his.

Then, as she groped about, Napoleon pulled her ear. She was sure that she had recognized him and putting out her hand she cried triumphantly:

"I have you, I have you! Now it is your turn."

When Betsy uncovered her eyes she was mortified to find that it was her sister she had captured. Napoleon, it was true, had pulled her ear, but he had accomplished this by reaching his hand over Jane's head. Every one now laughed at Betsy.

"Come," said Napoleon, "as you have made such a great mistake, you must pay the penalty and remain blindfolded."

The Emperor continued to tease and quiz, pulling Betsy's ear or her dress, and always managing to escape being caught.

At last, when the fun was at its height, a servant, entering, announced that some one had called to see the Emperor. So the young people were left to themselves for a while. The game was at an end.

"Now, Mees Betsy," exclaimed the Emperor, when he returned to the room, "you and all the other players must come and dine with me."

"But we have already dined."

"Yet you must come. Now, Navarre," said the Emperor, when they had reached the marquee, "Mees Betsy is very fond of creams. Bring some for her."

"I cannot eat them," protested Betsy.

"But you told me you were so fond of them. Come, it is not kind to refuse."

"But really I cannot eat."

"Oh, nonsense!"

Betsy made the effort, and ate half of a delicious cream.