Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/161

LOUIS NAPOLEON FIERCELY INTERFERING. 131 CHAPTER VI. THE SIEGE AND DEFENCE CARRIED ON TO THE CLOSE OF THE FOURTH BOMBARDMENT. I. The victorious achievements of the 7th of June chap. did not even for a moment allay that spirit of ' Continued obstinate antagonism which divided Louis Napo- leon from his strong-willed general ; and indeed p^nchEm the huge sacrifice of men by which the French ^ifssfer? army had purchased its recent advantages gave the Emperor a powerful leverage that he could and would use against the recusant Pelissier ; for of course the ruler might say — might say, as he imagined, with truth — that the idea of incurring such losses as had to be numbered by thousands in order to conquer mere stepping-stones a few hundred yards in advance was unworthy of any comparison with the dream he had dreamt and was dreaming — the dream of a new ' Great St Ber- ' nard ' discovered by a new Bonaparte amongst the passes of the Tchatir Dagh, with, beyond it an oilier Marengo.