This was her dearest duty, her most important obligation, with which she busied herself even before she rented a modestly-furnished room.  Her Eugene, the darling of her heart, desired like his father to devote himself to a military life, and his mother took him to a boarding-school in St. Germain, where young men of distinguished families received their education.  Her twelve-year-old daughter Hortense, of whom Josephine had said, “She is my angel with the gold locks, who alone can smile away the tears from my eyes and sorrow from my heart”—­Hortense entered the newly-opened educational establishment of Madame Campan, once the lady-in-waiting of Marie Antoinette.  Josephine wept hot tears as she accompanied her Hortense into the boarding-school, and, embracing her blond curly-haired angel, she closely pressed her to her heart, and said: 

“Judge how much I love you, my daughter, since I have the courage to leave you and to deprive myself of the greatest of my life’s enjoyments!  Ah, I shall be very lonesome, Hortense, but my thoughts will be with you continually—­with you and your brother Eugene.  Live to be an honor to your father, grow and prosper to be your mother’s happiness!”

Then with a kiss she took leave of her daughter, and comfortless and alone she returned to her solitary apartments in Paris.

During the next eight days her doors were shut; she opened them to none, not even to her friend Therese, and not once did Josephine leave her dwelling during this time, nor did she accept any of the invitations which came to her from all sides.

Her heart was yet wrapped in mourning for her separation from her children, and, with all the intensity of an affectionate mother’s love, she preferred leaving her anguish to die out of itself than to suppress it with amusements and pleasures.

But after this last sorrow had been overcome, Josephine, with serenity and a smile of cheerfulness, came again from her solitude into the world which called her forth with all its voices of joy, pleasure, and flattery.  And Josephine no longer closed her ears to these sweet attractive voices.  She had long enough suffered, wept, fasted; now she ought to reap enjoyments, and gather her portion of this life’s pleasures; now she must live!  The past had set behind her, and, as one new-born or risen from the dead, Josephine walked into the world with a young maiden heart, and a mind opened to all that is beautiful, great, and good; her soul filled with visions, hopes, desires, and dreams.  Out of the widow’s veil came forth the young, charming Creole, and her radiant eyes saluted the world with intelligent looks and an expression of the most attractive goodness.