He and Rapp and Lefebvre, with their
big boots and their clanking sabres, were too much for the Empress's
drawing-room at the Tuileries. There is Vandamme also, the dark man
with the heavy face. Heaven help the English village that he finds his
quarters in! It was he who got into trouble because he broke the jaw of
a Westphalian priest who could not find him a second bottle of Tokay.'
'And that is Murat, I suppose?'
'Yes; that is Murat with the black whiskers and the red, thick lips, and
the brown of Egypt upon his face. He is the man for me! My word, when
you have seen him raving in front of a brigade of light cavalry, with
his plumes tossing and his sabre flashing, you would not wish to see
anything finer. I have known a square of grenadiers break and scatter
at the very sight of him. In Egypt the Emperor kept away from him, for
the Arabs would not look at the little General when this fine horseman
and swordsman was before them. In my opinion Lasalle is the better
light cavalry officer, but there is no one whom the men will follow as
they do Murat.
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