. The celebrated Madame Campan, lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette and confidante of Napoleon. her earliest years, was anengaging little creature—and asked whether MamanCampan had been scolding her. At this she burstinto a still louder fit of crying, and sobbed out that she was very unhappy because her Mama was goingto marry the Ogre who frightened her, and she wasafraid that he would be dreadfully strict with her andpoor Eugene. When General Bonaparte, the day after hismarriage to the graceful Creole widow, took his brideand his sisters, Pauline and Caroline, to see his step-children at Mont
. The celebrated Madame Campan, lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette and confidante of Napoleon. her earliest years, was anengaging little creature—and asked whether MamanCampan had been scolding her. At this she burstinto a still louder fit of crying, and sobbed out that she was very unhappy because her Mama was goingto marry the Ogre who frightened her, and she wasafraid that he would be dreadfully strict with her andpoor Eugene. When General Bonaparte, the day after hismarriage to the graceful Creole widow, took his brideand his sisters, Pauline and Caroline, to see his step-children at Montagne de Bon-Air, he found Hortensestill as shy as ever. The Ogre insisted upon going tosee the children at their lessons and worrying themwith questions to which the poor little dears made butlame replies—when indeed they were able to makeany at all—for the Generals piercing gaze and abruptmanner had the effect of depriving the more timidpupils of their voices. However, as the futureEmperor of the French was feeling particularly happythat day, he determined that Mme Campan should 196. HORTENSE DE BeAUHARNAIS. From the portrait by Fran9ois Gerard at the Musee Calvet, kind permission of the Director. PAULINE AND CAROLINE BONAPARTE feel equally so ; therefore he praised both the quakinginfants and their scarcely less timid governess, and,presenting his sisters Pauline and Caroline to theirfuture schoolmistress, said :— I am going to confide my sisters to your charge,Mme Campan ; I ought to warn you, however, thatCaroline is a sad dunce. Try to make her as learnedas dear Hortense. So saying he pinched dear Hortenses ear verygently, whereupon she turned the colour of a peony. Paulines stay under Mme Campans charge wasnot a lengthy one. But before Mile Caroline hadbeen many hours at Montagne de Bon-Air she hadmade quite a number of enemies owing to her badmanners—which her schoolmistress was never able tocure—and to her vulgar pride in the handsome jewelswhich
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublish, booksubjectnobility
