Hansen bowed low, whilst the pleasurable emotion he felt at the emperor's words caused him to blush.
"Sire," he said, "so gracious a recognition from your majesty's lips almost makes me forget that my zealous efforts in my country's behalf have been fruitless. If my humble name is known to your majesty, you must know, too, how much I love France and revere her emperor, upon whose mighty will it depends whether Denmark shall win back and maintain her rightful position amongst the nations of Europe."
The emperor bowed his head slightly. A sudden deeply penetrating glance shot from his half closed eyes towards the Danish agitator, whose upturned face expressed only deep veneration.
"My dear Piétri," said Napoleon III., turning to his secretary, "I came down to look through the morning's correspondence. Is it ready for me?"
"Here it is, sire," said Piétri, taking some papers from the table and handing them to the emperor.
Napoleon took them, and with a movement recalling his youthful agility, he rolled a chair close to the window, seated himself, and took from his étui another cigarette, which he lighted at the end of the one he had just smoked.
"I will not disturb your conversation," he said with an engaging smile. "Go on as if no one were here, I will quietly read my letters."
Piétri again seated himself before the writing-table, and signed to Hansen to do the same.
The emperor looked at the first of the papers he held in his hand very attentively; it was marked with a blue pencil at the most important passages.
"So you were lately in Berlin?" asked Piétri, again looking at Hansen expectantly.