Arenottheseremarkableincidents?ThenextwonderwesawwasthearrivalofasetoftotteringoldInvalids,whotooktheirplacesunderuswithdrawnsabres。Thencameasuperbdrum—major,ahandsomesmilinggood—humoredgiantofaman,hisbreechesastonishinglyembroideredwithsilverlace。Himadozenlittledrummer—boysfollowed——\"thelittledarlings!\"alltheladiescriedoutinabreath:theywereindeedprettylittlefellows,andcameandstoodcloseunderus:thehugedrum—majorsmiledoverhislittlered—cappedflock,andformanyhoursinthemostperfectcontentmenttwiddledhismoustachesandplayedwiththetasselsofhiscane。
Nowthecompanybegantoarrivethickerandthicker。AwholecoveyofConseillers—d\'Etatcamein,inbluecoats,embroideredwithbluesilk,thencameacrowdoflawyersintoquesandcaps,amongwhomweresundryvenerableJudgesinscarlet,purplevelvet,andermine——
akindofBajazetcostume。Lookthere!thereistheTurkishAmbassadorinhisredcap,turninghissolemnbrownfaceaboutandlookingpreternaturallywise。TheDeputieswalkininabody。
Guizotisnotthere:hepassedbyjustnowinfullministerialcostume。PresentlylittleThierssauntersback:whataclear,broadsharp—eyedfacethefellowhas,withhisgrayhaircutdownsodemure!Aservantpasses,pushingthroughthecrowdashabbywheel—
chair。IthasjustbroughtoldMonceytheGovernoroftheInvalids,thehonestoldmanwhodefendedParissostoutlyin1814。Hehasbeenveryill,andisworndownalmostbyinfirmities:butinhisillnesshewasperpetuallyasking,\"Doctor,shallIlivetillthe15th?Givemetillthen,andIdiecontented。\"Onecan\'thelpbelievingthattheoldman\'swishishonest,howeveronemaydoubtthepietyofanotherillustriousMarshal,whooncecarriedacandlebeforeCharlesX。inaprocession,andhasbeenthismorningtoNeuillytokneelandprayatthefootofNapoleon\'scoffin。Hemighthavesaidhisprayersathome,tobesure;butdon\'tletusasktoomuch:thatkindofreserveisnotaFrenchman\'scharacteristic。
Bang——bang!Atabouthalf—pasttwoadullsoundofcannonadingwasheardwithoutthechurch,andsignalstookplacebetweentheCommandantoftheInvalids,oftheNationalGuards,andthebigdrum—major。Lookingtothesetroops(thefatNationalswereshufflingintolineagain)thetwoCommandantstittered,asnearlyasIcouldcatchthem,thefollowingwords——
\"HARRUMHUMP!\"
AtoncealltheNationalbayonetswereonthepresent,andthesabresoftheoldInvalidsup。Thebigdrum—majorlookedroundatthechildren,whobeganveryslowlyandsolemnlyontheirdrums,Rub—dub—dub——rub—dub—dub——(counttwobetweeneach)——rub—dub—dub,andagreatprocessionofpriestscamedownfromthealtar。
First,therewasatallhandsomecross—bearer,bearingalonggoldcross,ofwhichthefrontwasturnedtowardshisgracetheArchbishop。Thencameadoublerowofaboutsixteenincense—boys,dressedinwhitesurplices:thefirstboy,aboutsixyearsold,thelastwithwhiskersandoftheheightofaman。Thenfollowedaregimentofpriestsinblacktippetsandwhitegowns:theyhadblackhoods,likethemoonwhensheisatherthirdquarter,wherewiththosewhowerebald(manywere,andfattoo)coveredthemselves。
Allthereverendmenheldtheirheadsmeeklydown,andaffectedtobereadingintheirbreviaries。
AfterthePriestscamesomeBishopsoftheneighboringdistricts,inpurple,withcrossessparklingontheirepiscopalbosoms。
Thencame,aftermorepriests,asetofmenwhomIhaveneverseenbefore——akindofghostlyheralds,youngandhandsomemen,someoftheminstifftabardsofblackandsilver,theireyestotheground,theirhandsplacedatrightangleswiththeirchests。
Thencametwogentlemenbearingremarkabletallcandlesticks,withcandlesofcorrespondingsize。Onewasburningbrightly,butthewind(thatcharteredlibertine)hadblownouttheother,whichneverthelesskeptitsplaceintheprocession——Iwonderedtomyselfwhetherthereverendgentlemanwhocarriedtheextinguishedcandle,feltdisgusted,humiliated,mortified——perfectlyconsciousthattheeyesofmanythousandsofpeoplewerebentuponthatbitofrefractorywax。Weallofuslookedatitwithintenseinterest。
Anothercross—bearer,behindwhomcameagentlemancarryinganinstrumentlikeabedroomcandlestick。
HisGrandeurMonseigneurAffre,ArchbishopofParis:hewasinblackandwhite,hiseyeswerecasttotheearth,hishandsweretogetheratrightanglesfromhischest:onhishandswereblackgloves,andontheblackglovessparkledthesacredepiscopal——whatdoIsay?——
archiepiscopalring。Onhisheadwasthemitre。Itisunlikethegodlycoronetthatfiguresuponthecoach—panelsofourownRightReverendBench。TheArchbishop\'smitremaybeaboutayardhigh:
formedwithinprobablyofconsecratedpasteboard,itiswithoutcoveredbyasortofwateredsilkofwhiteandsilver。Onthetwopeaksatthetopofthemitrearetwoverylittlespangledtassels,thatfriskandtwinkleaboutinaveryagreeablemanner。
Monseigneurstoodoppositetousforsometime,whenIhadtheopportunitytonotetheaboveremarkablephenomena。Hestoodoppositemeforsometime,keepinghiseyessteadilyontheground,hishandsbeforehim,asmallclericaltrainfollowingafter。Whydidn\'ttheymove?TherewastheNationalGuardkeepingonpresentingarms,thelittledrummersgoingonrub—dub—dub——rub—dub—
dub——inthesamesteady,slowway,andtheProcessionnevermovedaninch。Therewasevidently,touseanelegantphrase,ahitchsomewhere。
[Enterafatpriestwhobustlesuptothedrum—major。]
Fatpriest——\"Taisez—vous。\"
Littledrummer——Rub—dub—dub——rub—dub—dub——rub—dub—dub,&c。
Drum—major——\"Qu\'est—cedonc?\"
Fatpriest——\"Taisez—vous,dis—je;cen\'estpaslecorps。Iln\'arriverapas——pouruneheure。\"
Thelittledrumswereinstantlyhushed,theprocessionturnedtotheright—about,andwalkedbacktothealtaragain,theblown—outcandlethathadbeenonthenearsideofusbeforewasnowontheoffside,theNationalGuardssetdowntheirmusketsandbeganattheirsandwichesagain。Wehadtowaitanhourandahalfatleastbeforethegreatprocessionarrived。Thegunswithoutwentonboomingallthewhileatintervals,andasweheardeach,theaudiencegaveakindof\"ahahah!\"suchasyouhearwhentherocketsgoupatVauxhall。
AtlasttherealProcessioncame。
Thenthedrumsbegantobeatasformerly,theNationalstogetunderarms,theclergymenweresentforandwent,andpresently——yes,therewasthetallcross—bearerattheheadoftheprocession,andtheycameBACK!
Theychantedsomethinginaweak,snuffling,lugubriousmanner,tothemelancholybrayofaserpent。
Crash!however,Mr。Habeneckandthefiddlersintheorganloftpealedoutawildshrillmarch,whichstoppedthereverendgentlemen,andinthemidstofthismusic——
Andofagreattramplingoffeetandclattering,AndofagreatcrowdofGeneralsandOfficersinfineclothes,WiththePrincedeJoinvillemarchingquicklyattheheadoftheprocession,Andwhileeverybody\'sheartwasthumpingashardaspossible,NAPOLEON\'SCOFFINPASSED。
Itwasdoneinaninstant。Aboxcoveredwithagreatredcross——adingy—lookingcrownlyingonthetopofit——SeamenononesideandInvalidsontheother——theyhadpassedinaninstantandwereuptheaisle。
Afaintsnufflingsound,asbefore,washeardfromtheofficiatingpriests,butweknewofnothingmore。ItissaidthatoldLouisPhilippewasstandingatthecatafalque,whitherthePrincedeJoinvilleadvancedandsaid,\"Sire,IbringyouthebodyoftheEmperorNapoleon。\"
LouisPhilippeanswered,\"IreceiveitinthenameofFrance。\"
Bertrandputonthebodythemostgloriousvictoriousswordthateverhasbeenforgedsincetheaptdescendantsofthefirstmurdererlearnedhowtohammersteel;andthecoffinwasplacedinthetemplepreparedforit。
Thesixhundredsingersandthefiddlersnowcommencedtheplayingandsingingofapieceofmusic;andapartofthecrewofthe\"BellePoule\"skippedintotheplacesthathadbeenkeptforthemunderus,andlistenedtothemusic,chewingtobacco。Whiletheactorsandfiddlersweregoingon,mostofthespirits—of—winelampsonaltarswentout。
WhenwearrivedintheopenairwepassedthroughthecourtoftheInvalids,wherethousandsofpeoplehadbeenassembled,butwherethebencheswerenowquitebare。Thenwecameontotheterracebeforetheplace:theoldsoldierswerefiringoffthegreatguns,whichmadeadreadfulstunningnoise,andfrightenedsomeofus,whodidnotcaretopassbeforethecannonandbeknockeddownevenbythewadding。ThegunswerefiredinhonoroftheKing,whowasgoinghomebyabackdoor。AllthefortythousandpeoplewhocoveredthegreatstandsbeforetheHotelhadgoneawaytoo。TheImperialBargehadbeendraggeduptheriver,andwaslyinglonelyalongtheQuay,examinedbysomefewshiveringpeopleontheshore。
Itwasfiveo\'clockwhenwereachedhome:thestarswereshiningkeenlyoutofthefrostysky,andFrancoistoldmethatdinnerwasjustready。
Inthismanner,mydearMissSmith,thegreatNapoleonwasburied。