However, Victor's opinion of Stendhal was not merely one of disdain; he truly acknowledged the abilities of this profit-chasing man.
Although his position in the military supply department was secured by his cousin Earl Pierre Daru, Stendhal himself actually performed rather well there. During Napoleon's most disgraceful retreat from Moscow, Stendhal, serving as a quartermaster, displayed exceptional calmness and composure.
But one noteworthy point was Stendhal's claim that after Napoleon abdicated in 1814, he had declined an important position offered by the restored Bourbon Dynasty, which did not match the official documents Victor had.
In official records, not only had Stendhal not refused any positions, but he had also promptly betrayed Napoleon and immediately sworn loyalty to the restored Louis XVIII.
The reason he later did not remain in France was simply that Louis XVIII took no interest in him.
