“In solemn earnest!” asseverated Marianne. “A gold-piece for every minute of an interview with the Emperor Napoleon.”
“Well, then,” said the major, joyfully, “I shall procure this interview for you, your highness, and your beauty and fascinating loveliness will cause the emperor not to count the minutes, nor the hours either, so that it will be only necessary for me to reduce the hours to minutes.”
“A gold-piece for every minute!” repeated Marianne, whose face was radiant with joy and happiness. “Oh, you look at me doubtingly, you believe that I am only joking, and shall not keep afterward what I am now promising.”
“Most gracious princess, I believe that enthusiasm has carried you away to a promise the acceptance of which would be an abuse of your generosity. Suppose the emperor, fascinated by your wit, your beauty, your charming conversation, should remain four hours with you, that would be a very handsome number of gold pieces for me!”
Instead of replying to him, Marianne took the silver bell and rang it.
“Bring me pen, ink, and paper, a burning candle and sealing-wax,” she said to the footman who entered.
In a few minutes every thing had been brought to her, and Marianne hastily wrote a few lines. She then drew the seal-ring from her finger and affixed her seal to the paper, which she handed to the major.
“Read it aloud,” she said.
The major read:
“I promise to Major von Brandt, in case he should procure me an interview with the Emperor Napoleon, to pay him for every minute of this interview a louis-d’or as a token of my gratitude.”