“Not so, not so, my dear sir,” replied the First Consul.  “I have no desire to disgust them with royalty; but the sojourn of the King of Etruria will annoy a number of good people who are working incessantly to create a feeling favorable to the Bourbons.”  Don Louis, perhaps, did not merit such severity, although he was, it must be admitted, endowed with little mind, and few agreeable traits of character.  When he dined at the Tuileries, he was much embarrassed in replying to the simplest questions the First Consul addressed him.  Beyond the rain and the weather, horses, dogs, and other like subjects of conversation, he could not give an intelligent reply on any subject.  The Queen, his wife, often made signs to put him on right road, and even whispered to him, what he should say or do; but this rendered only the more conspicuous his absolute want of presence of mind.  People made themselves merry at his expense; but they took good care, however, not to do this in the presence of the First Consul, who would not have suffered any want of respect to a guest to whom he had shown so much.  What gave rise to the greatest number of pleasantries, in regard to the prince, was his excessive economy, which reached a point truly incredible.  Innumerable instances were quoted, which this is perhaps the most striking.  The First Consul sent him frequently during his stay, magnificent presents, such as Savonnerie carpets, Lyons cloths, and Sevres porcelain; and on such occasions his Majesty would give some small gratuity to the bearers of these precious articles.  One day a vase of very great value (it cost, I believe, a hundred thousand crowns) was brought him which it required a dozen workmen to place in the apartments of the king.  Their work being finished, the workmen waited until his Majesty should give them some token of his satisfaction, and flattered themselves he would display a truly royal liberality.  As, notwithstanding, time passed, and the expected gratuity did not arrive, they finally applied to one of his chamberlains, and asked him to lay their petition at the feet of the King of Etruria.  His Majesty, who was still in ecstasy over the beauty of the present, and the munificence of the First Consul, was astounded at such a request.  “It was a present,” said he; “and hence it was for him to receive, not to give;” and it was only after much persistence that the chamberlain obtained six francs for each of these workmen, which were refused by these good people.  The persons of the prince’s suite asserted that to this extreme aversion to expense he added an excessive severity towards themselves; however, the first of these traits probably disposed the servants of the King of Etruria to exaggerate the second.