Barras will be more
M. Barrassed than ever." Then, turning and tapping on the door of
the massive pile, he whispered, softly: "Ah! Ptolemy, my man, it's
a pity you've no windows in this tomb. You'd have seen a pretty
sight this day. Kleber," he added, turning to that general, "do you
know why Ptolemy inside this pyramid and I outside of it are alike?"
"I cannot guess, General," said Kleber. "Why?"
"We're both 'in it'!" returned Napoleon, retiring to his tent.
Later on in the evening, summoning Bourrienne, the victor said to
him:
"Mr. Secretary, I have a new autograph. If Ptolemy can spell his
name with a 'p,' why shouldn't I? I'm not going to have history say
that a dead mummy could do things I couldn't. Pnapoleon would look
well on a state paper."
"No doubt," said Bourrienne; "but every one now says that you copy
Caesar. Why give them the chance to call you an imitator of Ptolemy
also?"
"True, my friend, true," returned Napoleon, in a tone of
disappointment. "I had not thought of that. When you write my
autographs for the children of these Jennylukes--"
"Mamelukes, General," corrected Bourrienne.
"Ah, yes--I always get mixed in these matters--for the children of
these Mamelukes, you may stick to the old form.
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