father-in-law's safely, and thought he could confide in him; but the
latter was horror-struck, and alarmed the police, who made a descent on
Othello one night, and seized the letters.

The next day each man to whom a letter was addressed was arrested and
ordered to answer Murat as if all was well, and to point out Salerno as
the best place for disembarking: five out of seven were dastards enough
to obey; the two remaining, who were two Spanish brothers, absolutely
refused; they were thrown into a dungeon.

However, on the 17th September, Murat left Viscovato; General
Franceschetti and several Corsican officers served as escort; he took the
road to Ajaccio by Cotone, the mountains of Serra and Bosco, Venaco and
Vivaro, by the gorges of the forest of Vezzanovo and Bogognone; he was
received and feted like a king everywhere, and at the gates of the towns
he was met by deputations who made him speeches and saluted him with the
title of "Majesty"; at last, on the 23rd September, he arrived at
Ajaccio. The whole population awaited him outside the walls, and his
entry into the town was a triumphal procession; he was taken to the inn
which had been fixed upon beforehand by the quartermasters. It was
enough to turn the head of a man less impressionable than Murat; as for
him, he was intoxicated with it. As he went into the inn he held out his
hand to Franceschetti.

"You see," he said, "what the Neapolitans will do for me by the way the
Corsicans receive me."

It was the first mention which had escaped him of his plans for the
future, and from that very day he began to give orders for his departure.