question that was like a poisoned arrow. It is only fair, then, to quote the following passage from Marbot, which, though it does not present Napoleon in a particularly amiable light, yet gives an impression of naïveté, good-humour, and affability, not altogether consistent with Taine's lurid and shocking picture.
Napoleon used to insist that his great officials, to whom he gave magnificent salaries, should entertain largely in order to encourage trade and so keep Paris in good humour. Marescalchi, who—as Marbot puts it—was ambassador for Napoleon, King of Rome, to Napoleon, Emperor of the French, was one of the most brilliant of these entertainers, and he was especially remarkable for his fancy-dress balls. At these balls Napoleon was a constant visitor. He had just been divorced from Josephine—it was the year 1810—but had not yet married Marie Louise:
"Wearing a plain black domino and common mask, and with Duroc, similarly disguised, on his arm, Napoleon used to mix with the crowd and puzzle the ladies, who were rarely masked. The crowd, it is true, consisted of none but trustworthy persons, because M. Marescalchi always submitted his list to the Minister of Police; and also because the assistant-adjutant-general, Laborde, so well-known for his talents in scenting a conspirator, was at the entrance of
