COURCELLES [It is now seen to be a quiet roadside village, with a humble church in its midst, opposite to which stands an inn, the highway passing between them. Rain is still falling heavily. Not a soul is visible anywhere. Enter from the west a plain, lonely carriage, traveling in a direction to meet the file of coaches that we have watched. It stops near the inn, and two men muffled in cloaks alight by the door away from the hostel and towards the church, as if they wished to avoid observation. Their faces are those of NAPOLÉON and MURAT, his brother-in-law. Crossing the road through the mud and rain they stand in the church porch, and watch the descending drifts.]

NAPOLÉON [stamping an impatient tattoo] One gets more chilly in a wet March than in a dry, however cold, the devil if he don’t! What time do you make it now? That clock doesn’t go.

MURAT [drily, looking at his watch] Yes, it does; and it is right. If clocks were to go as fast as your wishes just now it would be awkward for the rest of the world.

NAPOLÉON [chuckling good-humouredly] How we have dished the Soissons folk, with their pavilions, and purple and gold hangings for bride and bridegroom to meet in, and stately ceremonial to match, and their thousands looking on! Here we are where there’s nobody. Ha, ha!

MURAT But why should they be dished, sire? The pavilions and ceremonies were by your own orders.

NAPOLÉON Well, as the time got nearer I couldn’t stand the idea of dawdling about there.

MURAT The Soissons people will be in a deuce of a taking at being made such fools of!

NAPOLÉON

So let ’em. I’ll make it up with them somehow.—She can’t be far off now, if we have timed her rightly. [He peers out into the rain and listens.]

MURAT I don’t quite see how you are going to manage when she does come. Do we go before her toward Soissons when you have greeted her here, or follow in her rear? Or what do we do?

NAPOLÉON Heavens, I know no more than you! Trust to the moment and see what happens. [A silence.] Hark—here she comes! Good little girl; up to time! [The distant squashing in the mud of a multitude of hoofs and wheels is succeeded by the appearance of outriders and carriages, horses and horsemen, splashed with sample clays of the districts traversed. The vehicles slow down to the inn. NAPOLÉON’S face fires up, and, followed by MURAT, he rushes into the rain towards the coach that is drawn by eight horses, containing the blue-eyed girl. He holds off his hat at the carriage-window.]

MARIE LOUISE [shrinking back inside] Ah, Heaven! Two highwaymen are upon us!

THE EQUERRY D’AUDENARDE [simultaneously] The Emperor! [The steps of the coach are hastily lowered, NAPOLÉON, dripping, jumps in and embraces her. The startled ARCHDUCHESS, with much blushing and confusion recognizes him.]

MARIE LOUISE [tremulously, as she recovers herself] You are so much—better looking than your portraits—that I hardly knew you! I expected you at Soissons. We are not at Soissons yet?

NAPOLÉON No, my dearest spouse, but we are together! [Calling out to the equerry.] Drive through Soissons—pass the pavilion of reception without stopping, and don’t halt till we reach Compiegne. [He sits down in the coach and is shut in, MURAT laughing silently at the scene. Exeunt carriages and riders toward Soissons.]

CHORUS OF THE IRONIC SPIRITS [aerial music] First ’twas a finished coquette, And now it’s a raw ingenue.— Blond instead of brunette, An old wife doffed for a new. She’ll bring him a baby, As quickly as maybe, And that’s what he wants her to do, Hoo-hoo! And that’s what he wants her to do!

SPIRIT OF THE YEARS What lewdness lip those wry-formed phantoms there!

IRONIC SPIRITS Nay, Showman Years! With holy reverent air We hymn the nuptials of the Imperial pair. [The scene thickens to mist and obscures the scene.]