. The love affairs of Napoleon. ed when theyrecognised that the voice was that of the GrandDuchess of Berg. She was speaking with greatanimation to one of her chamberlains, commandinghim to turn out of the ball-room the unlucky youngwoman who was directing Queen Hortenses is how the young person in question came to beat the Elysee. Queen Hortense, who had also undertaken to get upa quadrille, had conceived the idea of arraying herdanseuses as vestal virgins. The opera La Vestale, as wehave stated, was then all the rage and everything had tobe a la Vestale. In spite of a slight d
. The love affairs of Napoleon. ed when theyrecognised that the voice was that of the GrandDuchess of Berg. She was speaking with greatanimation to one of her chamberlains, commandinghim to turn out of the ball-room the unlucky youngwoman who was directing Queen Hortenses is how the young person in question came to beat the Elysee. Queen Hortense, who had also undertaken to get upa quadrille, had conceived the idea of arraying herdanseuses as vestal virgins. The opera La Vestale, as wehave stated, was then all the rage and everything had tobe a la Vestale. In spite of a slight drawback QueenHortense was taking part in the quadrille ; the draw-back was that she was in the eighth month of herpregnancy, being big with the child who eventuallybecame Napoleon III. Her condition therefore was byno means an appropriate set-off to her costume. But thecomic incongruity of a vestal in an advanced state ofpregnancy, far from deterring her, greatly tickled herfancy. It will be capital fun ! she said, and in order. & ir. Read, fecit QUEEN HORTKNSEFrom tlic collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq. THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF NAPOLEON 315 to give additional zest to the affair she wanted thequadrille to be led by a Folie with bells in her capand a bauble in her hand. The Secretary of the GrandDuchess of Berg spoke to her in this connexion of acertain young woman who enjoyed the reputation ofhaving a perfect knowledge of all the fashionable was Mademoiselle Guillebeau, who was in thehabit of giving dancing displays with a tambourine inthe salons of the great, and Queen Hortense was onlytoo pleased to avail herself of the services of so skilleda performer. She was the only one, it seems, who waswilling to appear attired strictly in character, and tothis Queen Hortense attached supreme had, moreover, an exceedingly fine figure, and herflame-coloured tights displayed to the utmost advantagethe perfection of her form. It seems that the GrandDuke of Berg, the
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