head regretfully and intimated that if Etienne made a great effort, her brother might be willing to consider a post with the firm of Clary.
Soon afterward Uncle Fesch arrived. He had a row merry face and a clean but shabby coat. He kissed Suzanne's hand and mine and praised our liqueur.
Then they came! First the carriage with the white roses, and Julie and Joseph and Mama and Napoleone got out
.
In the second carriage were Etienne, Lucien and Uncle Somis. Julie and Joseph ran over to us, Joseph embraced his mother, and all the other Buonapartes rushed over to Julie. Uncle Fesch hugged our mama, who had no idea who he was, and Uncle Somis gave me a resounding kiss on the cheek, and patted Elisa; and all the Clarys, and all the Buonapartes formed such a confused cluster of people that Napoleone and I had a chance to kiss each other very thoroughly until someone cleared his throat indignantly near us —Etienne, of course.
At the table the bridal couple sat between Uncle Somis and Napoleone, while I found myself wedged in between Uncle Fesch and Lucien Buonaparte. Julie was so excited that her cheeks were pink and her eyes were shining, and for the first time in her life she was really pretty. Immediately after the soup Uncle Fesch tapped his glass because, as a former abbé, he had an awful urge to make a speech. His speech was very long and very serious and very dull; and as he considered it politically unwise to mention the Lord, he confined his laudatory remarks to "Providence." He said that we were indebted to Providence for this great happiness and this good dinner and this harmonious family party; we owed all this the good, the great, the omnipotent—Providence. Joseph winked at me and then Julie smiled, too. Napoleone's eyes twinkled. He laughed. And Mama, growing increasingly tearful as Uncle Fesch's sermon continued, looked at me deeply moved.
Etienne, on the contrary, gave me a look of sheer outrage because the "Providence" that had brought Joseph and Julie together and bound the Clary and Buonaparte families so intimately together was, undoubtedly, I.
After the roast Etienne made a speech which was short and bad, and then we drank Julie's and Joseph's health. We had got to Marie's wonderful marzipan cake, with the sugared fruits, when Napoleone rose quickly, without first politely tapping his glass, and thundered, "Quiet for a moment." We flinched like frightened recruits. And Napoleone declared abruptly that he was glad to take part in this family celebration; he did not, however, owe his good fortune to Providence but to the Ministry of War in Paris, which had released him from prison without any explanation. Then he paused. I think he hoped to imply that, as a son once beli eved lost forever but now returned to his family, he had expected to be welcomed more warmly. So far, of course, the young couple had been the centre of attention. After his impressive pause, Napoleone looked at me and I knew what was coming and I was frightened of Etienne.
"And so I want to take this opportunity, while the Clary and Buonaparte families are together on this joyful occasion, to inform—" again he paused. Then his voice softened, everyone was quiet, and it was clear that they were all trembling with emotion, "—inform you that last night I asked for Mlle Eugénie's hand in marriage and that Eugénie has consented to be my wife."
A storm of good wishes burst from the Buonapartes and I found myself in Mme Letizia's arms. But I glanced over at Mama. Mama looked as though she'd been hit over the head. No, she was not at all pleased. She turned toward Etienne and Etienne shrugged his shoulders. But at that moment Napoleone, glass in hand, stepped over to him and smiled— and the power Napoleone has over people is astonishing. For Etienne's thin lips parted, he smirked and touched Napoleone's glass with his. Paulette embraced me and called me sister, M. Fesch said something to Mme Letizia in Italian and she happily answered,
Soon afterward Uncle Fesch arrived. He had a row merry face and a clean but shabby coat. He kissed Suzanne's hand and mine and praised our liqueur.
Then they came! First the carriage with the white roses, and Julie and Joseph and Mama and Napoleone got out
.
In the second carriage were Etienne, Lucien and Uncle Somis. Julie and Joseph ran over to us, Joseph embraced his mother, and all the other Buonapartes rushed over to Julie. Uncle Fesch hugged our mama, who had no idea who he was, and Uncle Somis gave me a resounding kiss on the cheek, and patted Elisa; and all the Clarys, and all the Buonapartes formed such a confused cluster of people that Napoleone and I had a chance to kiss each other very thoroughly until someone cleared his throat indignantly near us —Etienne, of course.
At the table the bridal couple sat between Uncle Somis and Napoleone, while I found myself wedged in between Uncle Fesch and Lucien Buonaparte. Julie was so excited that her cheeks were pink and her eyes were shining, and for the first time in her life she was really pretty. Immediately after the soup Uncle Fesch tapped his glass because, as a former abbé, he had an awful urge to make a speech. His speech was very long and very serious and very dull; and as he considered it politically unwise to mention the Lord, he confined his laudatory remarks to "Providence." He said that we were indebted to Providence for this great happiness and this good dinner and this harmonious family party; we owed all this the good, the great, the omnipotent—Providence. Joseph winked at me and then Julie smiled, too. Napoleone's eyes twinkled. He laughed. And Mama, growing increasingly tearful as Uncle Fesch's sermon continued, looked at me deeply moved.
Etienne, on the contrary, gave me a look of sheer outrage because the "Providence" that had brought Joseph and Julie together and bound the Clary and Buonaparte families so intimately together was, undoubtedly, I.
After the roast Etienne made a speech which was short and bad, and then we drank Julie's and Joseph's health. We had got to Marie's wonderful marzipan cake, with the sugared fruits, when Napoleone rose quickly, without first politely tapping his glass, and thundered, "Quiet for a moment." We flinched like frightened recruits. And Napoleone declared abruptly that he was glad to take part in this family celebration; he did not, however, owe his good fortune to Providence but to the Ministry of War in Paris, which had released him from prison without any explanation. Then he paused. I think he hoped to imply that, as a son once beli eved lost forever but now returned to his family, he had expected to be welcomed more warmly. So far, of course, the young couple had been the centre of attention. After his impressive pause, Napoleone looked at me and I knew what was coming and I was frightened of Etienne.
"And so I want to take this opportunity, while the Clary and Buonaparte families are together on this joyful occasion, to inform—" again he paused. Then his voice softened, everyone was quiet, and it was clear that they were all trembling with emotion, "—inform you that last night I asked for Mlle Eugénie's hand in marriage and that Eugénie has consented to be my wife."
A storm of good wishes burst from the Buonapartes and I found myself in Mme Letizia's arms. But I glanced over at Mama. Mama looked as though she'd been hit over the head. No, she was not at all pleased. She turned toward Etienne and Etienne shrugged his shoulders. But at that moment Napoleone, glass in hand, stepped over to him and smiled— and the power Napoleone has over people is astonishing. For Etienne's thin lips parted, he smirked and touched Napoleone's glass with his. Paulette embraced me and called me sister, M. Fesch said something to Mme Letizia in Italian and she happily answered,
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