There is one of his coachmen who is drunk from morning to night.

But he gained the cross at Marengo, and so he is safe.' De Caulaincourt had moved on to speak with some lady, and I was again left to my own thoughts, which turned upon this extraordinary man, who presented himself at one moment as a hero and at another as a spoiled child, with his nobler and his worse side alternating so rapidly that I had no sooner made up my mind about him than some new revelation would destroy my views and drive me to some fresh conclusion.

That he was necessary to France was evident, and that in serving him one was serving one's country.

But was it an honour or a penance to serve him?
Was he worthy merely of obedience, or might love and esteem be added to it?
These were the questions which we found it difficult to answer--and some of us will never have answered them up to the end of time.
The company had now lost all appearance of formality, and even the soldiers seemed to be at their ease.

Many had gone into the side rooms, where they had formed tables for whist and for vingt-et-un.