un regard, Marinette'. Then he sent round letters to all members of the
Ancients (where Sieyes had a majority of supporters), summoning them
to an urgent meeting at the Tuileries at 7 a.m. on a matter of national
emergency. At 6 a.m., as planned, four hundred dragoons under Colonel
Sebastiani received their final orders and began making their way to the
Tuileries; the clattering of the horses' hooves brought bleary-eyed
citizens in nightgowns and cotton nightcaps to their windows and
shutters were flung open. One of Fouche's spies claims to have jotted
down a verbatim exchange at the time.
'So today's the day for clearing out the rubbish dump?'
'It could be!'
'Perhaps we'll have a king tonight!'
'For God's sake shut up!'
'I'm only repeating what I've been told. It's said that Barras invited the
comte de Provence to ascend the throne.'
'Shut up! We haven't had a revolution merely to see the King back.
What we need is a good republican - someone really dece�t and with
clean hands ... I hope General Bonaparte has made up his mind to clear
the five swine out.'
By 6.30 p.m. a stream of generals had begun arriving at Napoleon's
door in answer to urgent summonses: Murat, Lannes, Berthier, Moreau,
MacDonald. A little later Joseph arrived in company with Bernadotte
who, alone of the generals, was not wearing uniform. When Napoleon
coldly asked Bernadotte why he was wearing mufti, the Gascon replied
that that was how he always dressed when off duty. 'You'll be on duty
soon,' said Napoleon. But Bernadotte swore up and down that he would
do nothing to harm the Republic and could not be swayed. The most
Napoleon could get from him was a promise to remain neutral during the
day's proceedings. To Joseph was allotted the task of shadowing
Bernadotte during the day to make sure he kept his word.
Among those summoned to the rue de la Victoire was the military
governor of Paris, General Fran'Yois Lefebvre. Napoleon asked for his
help in saving the Republic. Lefebvre simply asked whether Barras was
with them and, on being told (falsely) that he was, pledged his support.
Napoleon's next ploy was to summon Gohier and then detain him so that
he could not interfere with the day's events. He had Josephine send
round one of her would-be billets doux, inviting Gohier for breakfast at 8
a.m. Since all previous breakfast invitations at the Bonapartes had been
for ro a.m., even the obtuse Gohier smelt a rat and sent his wife instead.
When she arrived, Napoleon angrily demanded her husband's presence,
marcin
(Marcin)
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