Page:Helen Leah Reed - Napoleons young neighbour.djvu/193

Rh time that it would require to read two of English."

The Emperor enjoyed talking with Betsy, for the little girl was a great reader herself, and he had the faculty of drawing from her whatever information she had on a given subject. Occasionally she thoughtlessly questioned Napoleon on topics that she might better have avoided.

One Sunday, for example, at Madame Bertrand's, he found the girls poring over a book.

"What are you doing?" he asked abruptly.

"Learning the collect," replied Betsy. "My father is always very angry if I do not know it." Then she added, not very courteously, "I suppose you never learned a collect or anything religious in your life, for I know that you do not believe in the existence of a God."

"You have been told an untruth," replied Napoleon impatiently, evidently displeased with Betsy. "When you are wiser you will understand that no one can doubt the existence of a God."

"But you believe in predestination?"

"Whatever a man's destiny calls him to