the stiffest of German generals, and says : 'Madame, I don't like
women who meddle with politics!'" Equality, ease, familiarity and
companionship, vanish at his approach. Eighteen months before this,
on his appointment as commander-in-chief of the army in Italy, Admiral
Decrès, who had known him well at Paris,[37] learns that he is to pass
through Toulon: "I at once propose to my comrades to introduce them,
venturing to do so on my acquaintance with him in Paris. Full of
eagerness and joy, I start off. The door opens and I am about to
press forwards," he afterwards wrote, "when the attitude, the look,
and the tone of voice suffice to arrest me. And yet there was nothing
offensive about him; still, this was enough. I never tried after that
to overstep the line thus imposed on me." A few days later, at
Albenga,[38] certain generals of division, and among them Augereau, a
vulgar, heroic old soldier, vain of his tall figure and courage,
arrive at headquarters, not well disposed toward the little parvenu
sent out to them from Paris. Recalling the description of him which
had been given to them, Augereau is abusive and insubordinate
beforehand: one of Barras' favorites, the Vendémiaire general, a
street general, "not yet tried out on the field of battle,[39] hasn't
a friend, considered a loner because he is the only one who can thinks
for himself, looking peaky, said to be a mathematician and a dreamer!"
They enter, and Bonaparte keeps them waiting. At last he appears,
with his sword and belt on, explains the disposition of the forces,
gives them his orders, and dismisses them. Augereau has remained
silent; It is only when he gets out of doors does he recover himself
and fall back on his accustomed oaths. He admits to Massena that
"that little bastard of a general frightened him." He cannot
"comprehend the ascendancy which made him feel crushed right
away."[40]