M.deChampagny，havingleftBloiswiththeletterhehadreceivedfromtheEmpress，proceededtotheheadquartersoftheEmperorofAustria，carefullyavoidingthoseroadswhichwereoccupiedbyCossacktroops.
Hearrived，notwithoutconsiderabledifficulty，atChanseaux，whereFrancesII.wasexpected.WhentheEmperorarrivedtheDucdeCadorewasannounced，andimmediatelyintroducedtohisMajesty.TheDukeremainedsomehourswithFrancisII.，withoutbeingabletoobtainfromhimanythingbutfairprotestations.TheEmperoralwaystookrefugebehindthepromisehehadgiventohisAlliestoapprovewhatevermeasurestheymightadopt.TheDukewasnottoleavetheEmperor’sheadquartersthatevening，and，inthehopethathisMajestymightyetreflectonthecriticalsituationofhisdaughter，heaskedpermissiontotakeleavenextmorning.HeaccordinglypresentedhimselftotheEmperor’slevee，whenherenewedhiseffortsinsupportoftheclaimsofMariaLouisa.\"Ihaveagreataffectionformydaughter，andalsoformyson—inlaw，\"saidtheEmperor.\"Ibearthembothinmyheart，andwouldshedmybloodforthem\"——\"Ah，Sire！\"exclaimedM.deChampagny，\"suchasacrificeisnotnecessary.\"——\"Yes，Duke，IsayagainIwouldshedmyblood，Iwouldresignmylifeforthem，butIhavegivenmyAlliesapromisenottotreatwithoutthem，andtoapproveallthattheymaydo.
Besides，\"addedtheEmperor，\"myMinister，M.deMetternich，hasgonetotheirheadquarters，andIwillratifywhateverhemaysign.\"
WhentheDucdeCadorerelatedtometheparticularsofhismission，inwhichzealcouldnotworkanimpossibility，IremarkedthatheregardedasacircumstancefataltoNapoleontheabsenceofM.deMetternichandthepresenceofM.StadionattheheadquartersoftheEmperorofAustria.
Thoughinallprobabilitynothingcouldhavearrestedthecourseofevents，yetitiscertainthatthepersonalsentimentsofthetwoAustrianMinisterstowardsNapoleonwerewidelydifferent.IamnotgoingtoofarwhenIaffirmthat，policyapart，M.deMetternichwasmuchattachedtoNapoleon.InsupportofthisassertionImayquoteafactofwhichIcanguaranteetheauthenticity：