The Man of Destiny

door. Napoleon Furiously flinging the packet on the couch. Heaven grant me patience! He goes up determinedly and places himself before the door. Have you any sense of personal danger? Or are you one of those women who like to be beaten black and blue? Lady Thank you, General: I have no doubt the sensation is very voluptuous; but I had rather not. I simply want to go home: that’s all. I was wicked enough to steal your despatches; but you have got them back; and you have forgiven me, because delicately reproducing his rhetorical cadence you are as generous to the vanquished after the battle as you are resolute in the face of the enemy before it. Won’t you say goodbye to me? She offers her hand sweetly. Napoleon Repulsing the advance with a gesture of concentrated rage, and opening the door to call fiercely. Giuseppe! Louder. Giuseppe! He bangs the door to, and comes to the middle of the room. The lady goes a little way into the vineyard to avoid him. Giuseppe Appearing at the door. Excellency? Napoleon Where is that fool? Giuseppe He has had a good dinner, according to your instructions, excellency, and is now doing me the honor to gamble with me to pass the time. Napoleon Send him here. Bring him here. Come with him. Giuseppe, with unruffled readiness, hurries off. Napoleon turns curtly to the lady, saying, I must trouble you to remain some moments longer, madame. He comes to the couch. She comes from the vineyard down the opposite side of the room to the sideboard, and posts herself there, leaning against it, watching him. He takes the packet from the couch and deliberately buttons it carefully into his breast pocket, looking at her meanwhile with an expression which suggests that she will soon find out the meaning of his proceedings, and will not like it. Nothing more is said until the lieutenant arrives followed by Giuseppe, who stands modestly in attendance at the table. The lieutenant, without cap, sword or gloves, and much improved in temper and spirits by his meal, chooses the Lady’s side of the room, and waits, much at his ease, for Napoleon to begin. Napoleon Lieutenant. Lieutenant Encouragingly. General. Napoleon I cannot persuade this lady to give me much information; but there can be no doubt that the man who tricked you out of your charge was, as she admitted to you, her brother. Lieutenant Triumphantly. What did I tell you, General! What did I tell you! Napoleon You must find that man. Your honor is at stake; and the fate of the campaign, the destiny of France, of Europe, of humanity, perhaps, may depend on the information those despatches contain. Lieutenant Yes, I suppose they really are rather serious as if this had hardly occurred to him before. Napoleon Energetically. They are so serious, sir, that if you do not recover them, you will be degraded in the presence of your regiment. Lieutenant Whew! The regiment won’t like that, I can tell you. Napoleon Personally, I am sorry for you. I would willingly conceal the affair if it were possible. But I shall be called to account for not acting on the despatches. I shall have to prove to all the world that I never received them, no matter what the consequences may be to you. I am sorry; but you see that I cannot help myself. Lieutenant Good-naturedly. Oh, don’t take it to heart, General: it’s really very good of you. Never mind what happens to me: I shall scrape through somehow; and we’ll beat the Austrians for you, despatches or no despatches. I hope you won’t insist on my starting off on a wild goose chase after the fellow now. I haven’t a notion where to look for him. Giuseppe Deferentially. You forget, Lieutenant: he has your horse. Lieutenant Starting. I forgot that. Resolutely. I’ll go after him, General: I’ll find that horse if it’s alive anywhere in Italy. And I shan’t forget the despatches: never fear. Giuseppe: go and saddle one of those mangy old posthorses of yours, while I get my cap and sword and things. Quick march. Off with you bustling him. Giuseppe Instantly, Lieutenant, instantly. He disappears in the vineyard, where the light is now reddening with the sunset. Lieutenant Looking about him on his way to the inner door. By the way, General, did I give you my sword or did I not? Oh, I remember now. Fretfully. It’s all that nonsense about putting a man under arrest: one never knows where to find⁠—Talks himself out of the room. Lady Still at the sideboard. What does all this mean, General? Napoleon He will not find your brother. Lady Of course not. There’s no such person. Napoleon The despatches will be irrecoverably lost. Lady Nonsense! They are inside your coat. Napoleon You will find it hard, I think, to prove that wild statement. The Lady starts. He adds, with clinching emphasis, Those papers are lost. Lady Anxiously, advancing to the corner of the table. And that unfortunate young man’s career will be sacrificed. Napoleon His career! The fellow is not worth the gunpowder it would cost to have him shot. He turns contemptuously and goes to the hearth, where he stands with his back to her. Lady Wistfully. You are very hard. Men and women are nothing to you but things to be used, even if they are broken in the use. Napoleon Turning on her. Which of us has broken this fellow⁠—I or you? Who tricked him out of the despatches? Did you think of his career then? Lady Naively concerned about him. Oh, I never thought of that. It was brutal of me; but I couldn’t help it, could I? How else could I have got the papers? Supplicating. General: you will save him from disgrace. Napoleon Laughing sourly. Save him yourself, since you are so clever: it