'
I thought of the long record of Brighton scandals, London scandals,
Newmarket scandals, and I had to leave George undefended.
'As I understand it,' said I, 'it is not the Emperor's private life, but
his public ambition, that the English attack.'
'The fact is,' said de Caulaincourt, 'that the Emperor knows, and we all
know, that there is not room enough in the world for both France and
England. One or other must be supreme. If England were once crushed we
could then lay the foundations of a permanent peace. Italy is ours.
Austria we can crush again as we have crushed her before. Germany is
divided. Russia can expand to the south and east. America we can take
at our leisure, finding our pretext in Louisiana or in Canada. There is
a world empire waiting for us, and there is the only thing that stops
us.' He pointed out through the opening of the tent at the broad blue
Channel.
Far away, like snow-white gulls in the distance, were the sails of the
blockading fleet. I thought again of what I had seen the night before--the
lights of the ships upon the sea and the glow of the camp upon the
shore.
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