The Boy Life of Napoleon | Page 8

it, yet?"
"No, uncle; not yet."
The canon again shook his head doubtingly.
"See, then," he declared, "you came for a drink of water. You took no
drink; the sideboard stands open; my fruit has disappeared. Napoleon,
this is not right. You have done a wrong. Come, tell me the truth. If it is
not as you say, if you have lied to me, much as I love you, I will have
you punished. It is wicked in you, and I will not be merciful."
As the canon said this with raised voice and warning finger, Napoleon's
father, "Papa Charles," entered the room. With him came Napoleon's
brother Joseph, two years older than he, and his twelve-year-old
uncle-Joey Fesch. Joey was Mamma Letitia's half-brother, a
Swiss-Corsican boy. He was, as I have told you, Napoleon's firm

supporter.
They looked in surprise at Uncle Lucien and Napoleon, and would have
inquired as to the meaning of the attitude of the two. But the fact was,
Napoleon had so many such moments of rebellion, that they gave it no
immediate thought; and just then Charles Bonaparte had a serious
political question which he wished to refer to the Canon Lucien.
The two men at once began talking; the two boys saw through the open
window something that engaged their attention, and Napoleon was
unnoticed. But still the little boy stood, too proud to move away, too
angry to speak, and so filled with a sense of the injustice that was done
him, that he remained with downcast eyes, almost rooted to the spot,
while still the sideboard stood open, and the tell-tale basket stood
despoiled within it. The door opened again, and Saveria entered hastily.
She went to the sideboard, took out the basket of fruit, and then you
may be sure there was an exclamation that attracted the attention of all
in the room.
"For mercy's sake!" she cried. "Who has taken the canon's fruit?"
"Ah, yes, who?" echoed Uncle Lucien, wheeling about, and laying his
hand upon Napoleon's shoulder. "Behold, Saveria! here is the culprit.
He has taken my fruit."
Napoleon pushed away his uncle's hand.
"It is not so!" he said; but he grew pale as he spoke. "I have not touched
it."
"But some one has. Hear me, Saveria!" the canon commanded; for in
that house he had quite as much to say as the Father and Mother
Bonaparte. "Call in the other children. We will soon settle this."
All were soon in the room,--the two little girls, Joseph, and Uncle Joey
Fesch, even baby Lucien, who was named for his uncle the canon. The
children made a charming group; but they looked at Napoleon with
curiosity and surprise, wondering into what new trouble he had fallen.

For the solemn manner in which they had been called together, the
grave looks of Papa Charles, of Uncle Lucien, and of Nurse Saveria,
led them all to believe that something really serious had happened in
the Bonaparte household.

CHAPTER THREE.
THE ACCUSATION.
"Now, then, children, listen to me, and answer, he who is the guilty
one," Charles Bonaparte said, facing the group of children. "Who is it
that has taken the fruit from the basket of your uncle the canon?"
Each child declared his or her innocence, though one might imagine
that Eliza's voice was not so outspoken as the others.
"And what do you say, Napoleon?" asked Papa Charles, turning toward
the suspected one.
"I have already said, Papa Charles, that it was not I," Napoleon
answered, this time calmly and coolly; for his composure had returned.
"That is a lie, Napoleon!" exclaimed Nurse Saveria, who, as the trusted
servant of the Bonaparte family, spoke just as she wished, and said
precisely what she meant, while no one questioned her freedom. "That
is a lie, Napoleon, and you know it!" The boy sprang toward the nurse
in a rage, and, lifting his hand threateningly, cried, "Saveria! if you
were not a woman, I would"--and he simply shook his little fist at her,
too angry even to complete his threat.
"How now, Napoleon! what would you do?" his father exclaimed.
But Saveria only laughed scornfully. "It must have been you,
Napoleon," she said. "I have not left the pantry since I placed the basket
of fruit in this sideboard. No one has come in through the door except
you and your uncle the canon. Who else, then, could have taken the
fruit? You will not say"--and here she laughed again--"that it is your

uncle the canon who has stolen his own fruit?"
"Ah, but I wish it had been I," said Uncle Lucien, smiling sadly; for it
sorely disturbed his good-nature to have such a scene, and to be a
witness of what he believed to be Napoleon's obstinacy and
untruthfulness. "I