"Send Admiral Decres to me," the Emperor shouted, as he laid down his
telescope and returned to his petulant to-and-fro.
In a few minutes Admiral Decres arrived, and after a salute which was
not acknowledged, walked in silence at his master's side. The great man,
talking to himself aloud, and reviling almost every one except himself,
took no more notice of his comrade for some minutes than if he had been
a poodle keeping pace with him. Then he turned upon him fiercely, with
one hand thrown out, as if he would have liked to strike him.
"What then is the meaning of all this?" He spoke too fast for the other
to catch all his words. "You have lost me three days of it. How much
longer will you conceal your knowledge? Carne's scheme has failed,
through treachery--probably his own. I never liked the man. He wanted to
be the master of me--of me! I can do without him; it is all the better,
if my fleet will come. I have three fleets, besides these. Any one of
them would do. They would do, if even half their crews were dead, so
long as they disturbed the enemy. You know where Villeneuve is, but you
will not tell me."
"I told your Majesty what I thought," M. Decres replied, with dignity,
"but it did not please you to listen to me. Shall I now tell your
Majesty what I know?"
"Ha! You have dared to have secret despatches! You know more of the
movements of my fleets than I do! You have been screening him all along.
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