After everything Napoleon had said to him, after those furious outbursts-------Baleshev felt certain that from now on not only would Napoleon not want to see him again, he would go out of his way to avoid seeing him, an envoy who had been so badly treated, and more to the point, someone who had witnessed such degrading and intemperate behavior on his part.-----
Napoleon welcomed Balashev with a display of good humor and friendliness. Far from showing any signs of embarrassment of self reproach for his tantrum that morning, he did all he could to put Balashev at ease. It was clear that Napoleon had convinced himself long before this that he was incapable of error and that everything he did was good, not because it conformed with any general concept of right or wrong, but simply because he was the one who did it.
The Emperor was in a buoyant mood after his ride through Vilna, where he had been hailed and pursued by cheering crowds.
War and Peace
~ Leo Tolstoy
Napoleon welcomed Balashev with a display of good humor and friendliness. Far from showing any signs of embarrassment of self reproach for his tantrum that morning, he did all he could to put Balashev at ease. It was clear that Napoleon had convinced himself long before this that he was incapable of error and that everything he did was good, not because it conformed with any general concept of right or wrong, but simply because he was the one who did it.
The Emperor was in a buoyant mood after his ride through Vilna, where he had been hailed and pursued by cheering crowds.
War and Peace
~ Leo Tolstoy
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