Re: Re: she'd rather allocate thus than reach with Mahammed's massive day

a passport through his lines over
his own signature; requesting in addition that, in order to avoid all
sensation, the instrument should not contain her name.

The general, deeply sympathizing with the unhappy woman who was about to
follow her proscribed son, readily accorded her request.

Hortense purposed beginning her journey on the following day, the first
day of the Easter festival; and, on sending her farewell greeting to the
Austrian general, she informed him that she would start at a very early
hour, in order to hear mass at Loretto.

During the night all necessary preparations for the journey were made,
and Louis Napoleon was compelled to disguise himself in the dress of a
liveried servant; a similar attire was also sent to Marquis Zappi, who
had hitherto been concealed in the house of a friend, and in this attire
he was to await the duchess below at the carriage.

At last, day broke and the hour of departure came. The horn of the
postilion resounded through the street. Through the midst of the
sleeping Austrian soldiers who occupied the antechamber through which
they were compelled to pass, Hortense walked, followed by her son loaded
with packages, in his livery. Their departure was witnessed by no one
except the sentinel on duty.

Day had hardly dawned. In the first carriage sat the duchess, with a
lady companion, and in front, on the box, her son, as a servant, at the
side of the postilion; in the second carriage her maid, behind her the
young Marquis Zappi.

As the sun arose and shone down upon the beautiful Easter day, Ancona
was already far behind, and Hortense knelt down at the side of Louis
Napoleon to thank God tearfully for having permitted her to succeed so
far in rescuing her son, and to entreat Him to be merciful in the
future. But there were still many dangers to be overcome; the slightest
accident might still betray them. The danger consisted not only in
having to pass through all the places where the Austrian troops were
stationed; G


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