and left him much disturbed.  He asked me to return and visit him to-night.  I promised to do so, but I shall not go.  To-morrow all will be over.  There is but little time; he expects me at eleven o’clock to-night.  You shall therefore take my carriage, go there, send in my name, and then enter yourself.  Tell him that a severe headache confines me to my bed, but that I will be with him without fail tomorrow.  Bid him not be alarmed, for all will soon be right again.  Elude his questions as much as possible; do not stay long, and come to me on your return.”

At precisely eleven o’clock I reached the residence of Barras, in General Bonaparte’s carriage.  Solitude and silence prevailed in all the apartments through which I passed to Barras’ cabinet.  Bonaparte was announced, and when Barras saw me enter instead of him, he manifested the greatest astonishment and appeared much cast down.  It was easy to perceive that he looked on himself as a lost man.  I executed my commission, and stayed only a short time.  I rose to take my leave, and he said, while showing me out, “I see that Bonaparte is deceiving me:  he will not come again.  He has settled everything; yet to me he owes all.”  I repeated that he would certainly come tomorrow, but he shook his head in a way which plainly denoted that he did not believe me.  When I gave Bonaparte an account of my visit he appeared much pleased.  He told me that Joseph was going to call that evening on Bernadotte, and to ask him to come tomorrow.  I replied that, from all I knew, he would be of no use to him.  “I believe so too,” said he; “but he can no longer injure me, and that is enough.  Well, good-night; be here at seven in the morning.”  It was then one o’clock.

I was with him a little before seven o’clock on the morning of the 18th Brumaire, and on my arrival I found a great number of generals and officers assembled.  I entered Bonaparte’s chamber, and found him already up—­a thing rather unusual with him.  At this moment he was as calm as on the approach of a battle.  In a few moments Joseph and Bernadotte arrived.  Joseph had not found him at home on the preceding evening, and had called for him that morning.  I was surprised to see Bernadotte in plain clothes, and I stepped up to him and said in a low voice, “General, every one here, except you and I, is in uniform.”—­“Why should I be in uniform?” said he.  As he uttered these words Bonaparte, struck with the same surprise as myself, stopped short while speaking to several persons around him, and turning quickly towards Bernadotte said, “How is this? you are not in uniform!”—­“I never am on a morning when I am not on duty,” replied Bernadotte.—­“You will be on duty presently.”—­“I have not heard a word of it:  I should have received my orders sooner.”

Bonaparte then led Bernadotte into an adjoining room.  Their conversation was not long, for there was no time to spare.

On the other hand, by the influence of the principal conspirators the removal of the legislative body to St. Cloud was determined on the morning of the 18th Brumaire, and the command of the army was given to Bonaparte.