THE OUTPOSTS  
Morgan pretended not to have noticed that he had passed his own outposts. He continued to advance arm in arm with Garat as far as the colonnade. He was one of those rigidly honest men who have confidence in his enemies even, and who believed that, in France at least, courage was the truest prudence.
When he reached the colonnade of the Louvre, Morgan found himself not more than twenty paces distant from the ranks of the Conventionals, and less than ten from the spot where General Cartaux stood leaning on his sword. Cartaux was magnificently dressed, and wore a hat with a tri-color plume which dangled so low before his eyes that he was greatly annoyed by it.
[Pg 321]
"You have a magnificent drum-major there," said Morgan; "I congratulate you upon him."
Garat smiled. It was not the first time that this mistake had been made, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
"That is not our drum-major," he said, "it is our commander, General Cartaux."
"Ah! the devil! He is the man who might have taken Toulon, and who, instead, allowed it to be captured by a little artillery officer named—what was his name, anyhow?—named Bonaparte, I believe. Ah! introduce me to this worthy officer; I adore handsome men and particularly handsome uniforms."
"Willingly," said Garat; and they advanced toward General Cartaux.
"General," said Garat to the colossus in uniform, "I have the honor to present to you the citizen-president of the Section Le Peletier, who has not only courteously made way for me through his men, but who has accompanied me thus far lest any mishap should befall me."
"Citizen," said Cartaux, drawing himself up in order not to lose an inch of his height, "I join with citizen-conventional Garat in thanking you."
"There is no necessity to do so, general," said Morgan, with his accustomed courtesy. "I saw you from a distance and wished to make your acquaintance. Besides, I wished to ask you whether you did not think it would be well for you to yield me this post, as you did the other, without bloodshed."
"Is that a jest or a proposition?" asked Cartaux, his coarse voice growing louder.
"It is a proposition," said Morgan, "and a serious one at that."
"It seems to me that you are too much of a soldier, citizen," said Cartaux, "not to understand the difference between this position and the other. The other can be attacked on four sides, while this can be reached on two only. Now, as you perceive, citizen, here are two guns ready to[Pg 322] receive all those who approach by way of the quays, and two more for those who come through the Rue Saint-Honoré."
"But why do you not open fire, general?" asked the president, carelessly. "There is a fine range for cannon between the garden of the Infanta and the Pont-Neuf—scarcely a hundred feet."
"The general, wishing to place all responsibility of bloodshed upon the Sectionists, has forbidden us to open fire."
"What general? Barras?"
"No. General Bonaparte."
"Why, is that your little officer of Toulon? So he has made his way up until now he is a general like you."
"More of a general than I am," replied Cartaux, "since I am under his orders."
"How disagreeable that must be for you, citizen, and what a piece of injustice! You who are six feet tall to have to obey a young man of twenty-four, who, they say, is only five feet one."
"Do you know him?" asked Cartaux.
"No, I have not the honor."
"Well, open fire, and this evening—"
"This evening?"
"This evening you will know him, I promise you."
At that moment the drums were heard beating a salute, and a group of staff-officers emerged through the gate of the Louvre, among whom Barras was noticeable for the splendor of his uniform and Bonaparte for the simplicity of his.
He was, as we have said, short and thin, and as, from where Morgan stood, it was impossible to distinguish the fine lines of his face, he looked insignificant, riding as he was behind Barras.
"Ah," said Morgan, "that is something new!"
"Yes," replied Garat. "See! there is General Barras and General Bonaparte; they are going to visit the outposts."
"And............