splendid avenues extend in front of the palace, leading to the road to Vienna.  As I often took horseback rides through the town, M. Eugene Pierrugues wished to accompany me one day, and borrowed a horse from one of the quartermasters of the palace.  He was forewarned that the horse was very fiery; but he paid no attention to that, and immediately put him into a gallop.  I reined mine in, in order not to excite my companion’s; but in spite of this precaution the horse ran away, dashed into the woods, and broke the arm of his unfortunate and imprudent rider.  M. Eugene Pierrugues was, however, not unhorsed by the blow, and kept his seat a short while after the injury; but it was very serious, and it was necessary to carry him back to the palace.  I, more than any one else, was distressed by this frightful accident; and we established a regular attendance on him, so that one at least could always be with him when our duties allowed.  I have never seen suffering borne with more fortitude; and it was carried to such a remarkable degree, that, finding his arm badly set, at the end of a few days he had it again fractured, an operation which caused him horrible suffering.

My uncle, who was usher of the Emperor’s cabinet, related to me an anecdote which is probably entirely unknown; since everything, as we shall see, occurred under cover of the most profound mystery.  “One evening,” he said to me, “Marshal Duroc gave me in person orders to extinguish the lights in the saloon in front of his Majesty’s cabinet, and to leave only a few candles lighted.  I was surprised at such a novel order, especially as the grand marshal was not accustomed to give them thus directly, but, nevertheless, executed it precisely, and waited at my post.  At ten o’clock Marshal Duroc returned, accompanied by a personage whose features it was impossible to distinguish, as he was entirely wrapped in a large cloak, his head covered, and his hat pulled down over his eyes.  I withdrew, leaving the two alone, but had hardly left the saloon when the Emperor entered, and Marshal Duroc also retired, leaving the stranger alone with his Majesty.  From the tone in which the Emperor spoke it was easy to see that he was greatly irritated.  He spoke very loud; and I heard him say, ’Well, Monsieur, you will never change then.  It is gold you want, always gold.  You draw on all foreign banks, and have no confidence in that of Paris.  You have ruined the bank of Hamburg; you have caused M. Drouet (or Drouaut, for the name was pronounced very quickly) to lose two millions: 

“The Emperor,” my uncle continued, “conversed in this strain for a long while, though the stranger did not reply, or replied in so low a tone that it was impossible to hear a word; and the scene, which must have been most trying to the mysterious personage, lasted about twenty minutes.  At last he was permitted to leave, which he did with the same precautions as on his arrival, and retired from the palace as secretly as he had come.”