Madame Chevalier and her husband now live here in grand style, and have their grand parties, grand teas, grand assemblies, and grand balls.  Their hotel, I am assured, is even visited by the Bonapartes and by the members of the foreign diplomatic corps.  In the house where I saw her, I observed that Louis Bonaparte and two foreign Ambassadors spoke to her as old acquaintances.  Though rich, to the amount of ten millions of livres—­she, or rather her husband, keeps a gambling-house, and her superannuated charms are still to be bought for money, at the disposal of those amateurs who are fond of antiques.  Both her husband and herself are still members of our secret diplomacy, though she complains loudly that, of the two millions of livres—­promised her in 1799 by Bonaparte and Talleyrand if she could succeed in persuading Paul I. to withdraw from his alliance with England and Austria, only six hundred thousand livres—­has been paid her.

I cannot finish this letter without telling you that before our military forces had reached the Rhine, our political incendiaries had already taken the field, and were in full march towards the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian capitals.  The advanced guard of this dangerous corps consists entirely of females, all gifted with beauty and parts as much superior to those of Madame Chevalier as their instructions are better digested.  Bonaparte and Talleyrand have more than once regretted that Madame Chevalier was not ordered to enter into the conspiracy against Paul (whose inconsistency and violence they foresaw would make his reign short), that she might have influenced the conspirators to fix upon a successor more pliable and less scrupulous, and who would have suffered the Cabinet of St. Cloud to dictate to the Cabinet of St. Petersburg.

I dined in company several times this last spring with two ladies who,
rumour said, have been destined for your P----- of W---- and D--- of
Y—–­ever since the Peace of Amiens.   Talleyrand is well informed what
figures and what talents are requisite to make an impression on these
Princes, and has made his choice accordingly.   These ladies have lately
disappeared, and when inquired after are stated to be in the country,
though I do not consider it improbable that they have already arrived at
headquarters.   They are both rather fair and lusty, above the middle
size, and about twenty-five years of age.   They speak, besides French,
the English and Italian languages.   They are good drawers, good
musicians, good singers, and, if necessary, even good drinkers.

LETTER XI.

Paris, September, 1805.