When a canal worker who earned no more than two francs a day by selling his labor saw newly rich celebrities driving beautiful carriages, dressed in fine clothes, and bringing pretty girls to play by the river, could his heart truly remain at peace?
The answer was naturally no. Yet in February, Napoleon had issued an amnesty allowing veterans who had taken part in four campaigns to be discharged. Many workers left the canal construction site, and most of those who remained were law-abiding citizens willing to work for their money. Even if the workers harbored resentment, envy, and dissatisfaction, they could only endure it, spit, and keep working.
Pope Alexander VI of the Borgia family had said that when nobles began worrying about the morals of commoners, it marked the corruption of the entire noble class.
Compared with the small favors Georgiana offered, higher wages and time off were what truly mattered. The "master" had weathered so many storms that he knew perfectly well what needed to be done. He had long been considering the Legion of Honour, which was why Georgiana had told him to think it over himself.
Wearing that medal was another form of silk stockings: it granted certain privileges. But that power could not include tax exemption. That was a lesson bought with blood.
Georgiana still intended to use Turgot's method, taxing the rich more and easing the burden on the poor. Yet she also needed to raise revenue to repair the roads, and taxing carriages was her goal.
There were fewer than seven days until Easter, so it was too late to introduce a new tax. Fortunately, she spotted another opportunity. She wrote to a London merchant in the varnish trade and summoned him to the Tuileries Palace. After asking how much stock he