“One morning in the spring of 1852, I was in my study opening my mail.  There was a letter from His Majesty, calling me to the Tuileries at four o’clock; a letter from Clementine, informing me that she expected me at five o’clock at her house.  Clementine was the beautiful one for whom, just then, I was ready to commit any folly.  I was so proud of her that, one evening at the Maison Doree, I flaunted her before Prince Metternich, who was tremendously taken with her.  All the court envied me that conquest; and I was morally obliged to continue to assume its expenses.  And then Clementine was so pretty!  The Emperor himself....  The other letters, good lord, the other letters were the bills of the dressmakers of that young person, who, in spite of my discreet remonstrances, insisted on having them sent to my conjugal dwelling.

“There were bills for something over forty thousand francs:  gowns and ball dresses from Gagelin-Opigez, 23 Rue de Richelieu; hats and bonnets from Madame Alexandrine, 14 Rue d’Antin; lingerie and many petticoats from Madame Pauline, 100 Rue de Clery; dress trimmings and gloves from the Ville de Lyon, 6 Rue de la Chaussee d’Antin; foulards from the Malle des Indes; handkerchiefs from the Compagnie Irlandaise; laces from Ferguson; cosmetics from Candes....  This whitening cream of Candes, in particular, overwhelmed me with stupefaction.  The bill showed fifty-one flasks.  Six hundred and twenty-seven francs and fifty centimes’ worth of whitening cream from Candes....  Enough to soften the skin of a squadron of a hundred guards!

“‘This can’t keep on,’ I said, putting the bills in my pocket.

“At ten minutes to four, I crossed the wicket by the Carrousel.

“In the Salon of the aides de camp I happened on Bacciochi.

“‘The Emperor has the grippe,’ he said to me.  ’He is keeping to his room.  He has given orders to have you admitted as soon as you arrive.  Come.’

“His Majesty, dressed in a braided vest and Cossack trousers, was meditating before a window.  The pale green of the Tuileries showed luminously under a gentle warm shower.

“‘Ah!  Here he is,’ said Napoleon.  ’Here, have a cigarette.  It seems that you had great doings, you and Gramont-Caderousse, last evening, at the Chateau de Fleurs.’

“I smiled with satisfaction.

“‘So Your Majesty knows already....’

“‘I know, I know vaguely.’

“‘Do you know Gramont-Caderousse’s last “mot"?’

“‘No, but you are going to tell it to me.’

“’Here goes, then.  We were five or six:  myself, Viel-Castel, Gramont, Persigny....’

“‘Persigny!’ said the Emperor.  ’He has no right to associate with Gramont, after all that Paris says about his wife.’

“’Just so Sire.  Well, Persigny was excited, no doubt about it.  He began telling us how troubled he was because of the Duchess’s conduct.’