Napoleon's Egypt: Invading The Middle East - Reenactor.ru

THE OBJECT OF HIS DESIRES193who met her, described her eyes as black. Niello Sargy remembered her as a littleoverweight (she did not have the thin waist preferred in French high society) andjust “nice” and “spiritual,” which one suspects were not synonyms for “seductive.”Bernoyer said that after observing her on the French social scene for a while,Bonaparte found a way to approach her at one of the balls. He complimented heron her coiffure and asked if her fine bonnet was made in Egypt or had beenbrought from France. She said she had brought it with her. Then, as the dancerswhirled away, Junot took Bonaparte’s place and chatted her up, at length takingher to a corner and letting her know of the general’s love. He told her, “You wouldhave to be very cruel and insensitive to refuse the gift of his heart.” He then, inthis account, rather ruined the romance by promising her husband a big promotion.She is said to have told him firmly that she would be embarrassed to see herhusband rise suddenly to such a high rank and that she would render herself contemptiblein her own eyes if she accepted such an offer. Although this account depictsBonaparte as undeterred and as having nevertheless promoted Fourès,published documents dated later that fall still refer to him as a lieutenant.After the ball, Niello Sargy maintained, Bonaparte, “inflamed and dreamingof means to possess the object of his desires,” sent his aide-de-camp Junot to inviteher and her husband to a luncheon with the general. She arrived and discoveredfive place settings. Then trumpets announced the entry of the commander inchief, who came with Berthier. He first questioned Lieutenant Fourès about hiscareer and made a forced attempt to seem friendly. Toward the end of the luncheon,the anecdote went, by prior arrangement Junot spilled a cup of coffee onMadame Fourès’s dress. She cried out and, at Junot’s suggestion, went to a neighboringchamber, either to change her dress or to try to remove the stain. Junotchatted up the husband while Bonaparte excused himself and seemed to leave withBerthier. Instead, he made his way to Madame Fourès and threw himself at herknees. “Realizing immediately what he wanted of her, she resisted the conqueror,broke out in tears, and seemed not at all interested in him.” Bonaparte was said tohave been touched by her innocence. She resisted his advances thereafter for sometime, which included love letters and fine gifts. At length she succumbed.Bonaparte sent Fourès down the Nile to await orders to return to France asa courier. The orders would be carried to him later by Bernoyer’s housemate,“Captain Froment” (in other letters called Lallemont). The quartermaster recalledthat after Fourès’s departure, Pauline “played a great role at Bonaparte’s.”She did the honors at his mansion as his queen and moved into a house to theright of that of Alfi Bey. “She was not embarrassed before the world; to the contrary,she affected an air of taking liberty with General Bonaparte, having been