A Conspiracy of the Carbonari | Page 8

treasuring in your memory even a single word of the
generals, or recollecting that you have called my attention to it."
"Sire," replied Roustan, with an expression of astonishment, "Sire, I
really do not know what your majesty is talking about, and what I could
have said or heard. I only know that my gracious emperor and master
has given me a hundred gold napoleons, and present happiness has so
overpowered me, so bewildered my senses that I have lost my
memory."
The emperor laughed, and as a special proof of his favor pinched the
Mameluke's ear so hard that the latter with difficulty concealed his
suffering under a smile of delight.
CHAPTER II.
LEONORE DE SIMONIE.
Napoleon's word was fulfilled! Scarcely two months had passed when
he avenged the battle of Aspern on Austria, and twined fresh laurels of
victory around his brow. On the 6th of July a conflict occurred which
completed Austria's misfortunes and wrested from her all the
advantages which the victory of Aspern had scarcely won.
The fight of Wagram gave Austria completely into the hands of the
victor, made Napoleon again master of the German empire, compelled
the Emperor Francis and his whole family to seek refuge in Hungary,
and yielded Vienna and its environs to the conqueror's will. The French
imperial army, amid the clash of military music, again entered Vienna,
whose inhabitants were forced to bow their heads to necessity in
gloomy silence, and submit to receiving and entertaining their
victorious foes as guests in their homes. The Emperor Napoleon
selected Schönbrunn for his residence, and seemed inclined to rest
comfortably there after the fresh victory won at Wagram. It had indeed
been a victory, but it had cost great and bloody sacrifices. Thrice a
hundred thousand men had confronted each other on this memorable
6th of July, 1809; eight hundred cannon had shaken the earth all day

incessantly with their terrible thunder, and the course of their balls was
marked on both sides with heaps of corpses. Both armies had fought
with tremendous fury and animosity, for the Austrians wished to add
fresh laurels to the fame just won at Aspern, the French to regain what
the days of Esslingen at least rendered doubtful: the infallibility of
success, the conviction that victory would ever be associated with their
banners.
It was the fury of the conflict which made the victory uncertain. The
Austrians showed themselves heroes on the day of Wagram, and for a
long time it seemed as if victory would fall to them. But Napoleon,
who seemed to be indefatigable and tireless, who all day long did not
leave his horse, directing and planning everything himself, perceived in
time the danger of his troops and brought speedy and effective
reinforcements to the already yielding left wing of the army. But more
than twenty thousand men on both sides had fallen victims on this
terrible field. Though Napoleon, in his bulletins of victory, exultingly
announced to the world another magnificent triumph, France did not
join enthusiastically as usual in the rejoicing of the commander-in-chief,
for she had been obliged to pay for the new laurels with the corpses of
too many thousands of her sons, and the pæans of victory were
drowned by the sighs and lamentations of so many thousand orphaned
children, widowed wives, and betrothed maidens.
Napoleon seemed to pay little heed to this; he was enjoying at
Schönbrunn his victory and his triumph; he gathered his brilliant staff
around him, gave superb entertainments, and by parades and reviews
lured the Viennese to Schönbrunn to witness the brilliant spectacle.
In Vienna, also, the conquerors arranged magnificent festivals, seeking
to win the favor of the conquered people by the amusements offered
them. The French governor-general of Vienna, Count Andreossy,
zealously endeavored to collect around him the remains of the Austrian
aristocracy, attract the society of the capital by elegant dinners, balls,
and receptions, and since the armistice of Znaim, which occurred soon
after the battle of Wagram had put an end to hostilities the Viennese
appeared disposed to accept the truce and attend the brilliant

entertainments and pleasant amusements offered by Count Andreossy.
The latter was not the only person who opened his drawing-rooms to
the Viennese; others soon followed; fashionable Parisian society
seemed for the time to have transferred its gay circle from Paris to
Vienna; to make in the German imperial capital propaganda for the gay,
intellectual, and brilliant circle of the imperial capital of France.
Beautiful women, distinguished by illustrious names, by wealth and
charm, suddenly appeared in Vienna, opened their drawing-rooms, and
seemed to make it their object to reconcile the hostile elements of
French and German society, smooth away contrasts and bring them
together.
Among these ladies whom the victory brought to Vienna, the beautiful
Madame