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CHAPTER IV.
BONAPARTE'S FAMILIAR SPIRITS
M. Mérimée was vile by nature, he must not be blamed for it.
With regard to M. de Morny it is otherwise, he was more worthy; there was
something of the brigand in him.
M. de Morny was courageous. Brigandage has its sentiments of honor.
M. Mérimée has wrongly given himself out as one of the confederates of
the coup d'état. He had, however, nothing to boast of in this.
The truth is that M. Mérimée was in no way a confidant. Louis Bonaparte
made no useless confidences.
Let us add that it is little probable, notwithstanding some slight
evidence to the contrary, that M. Mérimée, at the date of the 2d
December, had any direct relations with Louis Bonaparte. This ensued
later on. At first Mérimée only knew Morny.
Morny and Mérimée were both intimate at the Elysée, but on a different
footing. Morny can be believed, but not Mérimée. Morny was in the great
secrets, Mérimée in the small ones. Commissions of gallantry formed his
vocation.
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