The Second Funeral of Napoleon
Page: 30

make a speech which she supposed to be in that language, but which
was as much like French as Iroquois. The whole secret was out: you
could read it in the grandmother's face, who was doing all she could
to keep from crying, and looked as frightened as she dared to look.
The two elder ladies had settled between them that there was going
to be a general English slaughter that day, and had brought the
children with them, so that they might all be murdered in company.

God bless you, O women, moist-eyed and tender-hearted! In those
gentle silly tears of yours there is something touches one, be they
never so foolish. I don't think there were many such natural drops
shed that day as those which just made their appearance in the
grandmother's eyes, and then went back again as if they had been
ashamed of themselves, while the good lady and her little troop
walked across the road. Think how happy she will be when night
comes, and there has been no murder of English, and the brood is all
nestled under her wings sound asleep, and she is lying awake
thanking God that the day and its pleasures and pains are over.
Whilst we were considering these things, the grandfather had
suddenly elevated No. 4 senior upon his left shoulder, and I saw the
tartan hat of that young gentleman, and the bamboo cane which had
been transferred to him, high over the heads of the crowd on the
opposite side through which the party moved.


After this little procession had passed away--you may laugh at it,
but upon my word and conscience, Miss Smith, I saw nothing in the
course of the day which affected me more--after this little
procession had passed away, the other came, accompanied by gun-
banging, flag-waving, incense-burning, trumpets pealing, drums
rolling, and at the close, received by the voice of six hundred
choristers, sweetly modulated to the tones of fifteen score of
fiddlers. Then you saw horse and foot, jack-boots and bear-skin,
cuirass and bayonet, National Guard and Line, marshals and generals
all over gold, smart aides-de-camp galloping about like mad, and
high in the midst of all, riding on his golden buckler, Solomon in