The marriage took place very quietly at Joseph Bonaparte’s house, because of the absence of Napoleon; but the newly made princess was invited to visit Josephine at the palace of Saint-Cloud.  Here was to be the triumph of her life.  She spent many days in planning a toilet that should be absolutely crushing to Josephine.  Whatever she wore must be a background for the famous diamonds.  Finally she decided on green velvet.

When the day came Pauline stood before a mirror and gazed at herself with diamonds glistening in her hair, shimmering around her neck, and fastened so thickly on her green velvet gown as to remind one of a moving jewel-casket.  She actually shed tears for joy.  Then she entered her carriage and drove out to Saint-Cloud.

But the Creole Josephine, though no longer young, was a woman of great subtlety as well as charm.  Stories had been told to her of the green velvet, and therefore she had her drawing-room redecorated in the most uncompromising blue.  It killed the green velvet completely.  As for the diamonds, she met that maneuver by wearing not a single gem of any kind.  Her dress was an Indian muslin with a broad hem of gold.

Her exquisite simplicity, coupled with her dignity of bearing, made the Princess Pauline, with her shower of diamonds, and her green velvet displayed against the blue, seem absolutely vulgar.  Josephine was most generous in her admiration of the Borghese gems, and she kissed Pauline on parting.  The victory was hers.

There is another story of a defeat which Pauline met from another lady, one Mme. de Coutades.  This was at a magnificent ball given to the most fashionable world of Paris.  Pauline decided upon going, and intended, in her own phrase, to blot out every woman there.  She kept the secret of her toilet absolutely, and she entered the ballroom at the psychological moment, when all the guests had just assembled.

She appeared; and at sight of her the music stopped, silence fell upon the assemblage, and a sort of quiver went through every one.  Her costume was of the finest muslin bordered with golden palm-leaves.  Four bands, spotted like a leopard’s skin, were wound about her head, while these in turn were supported by little clusters of golden grapes.  She had copied the head-dress of a Bacchante in the Louvre.  All over her person were cameos, and just beneath her breasts she wore a golden band held in place by an engraved gem.  Her beautiful wrists, arms, and hands were bare.  She had, in fact, blotted out her rivals.

Nevertheless, Mme. de Coutades took her revenge.  She went up to Pauline, who was lying on a divan to set off her loveliness, and began gazing at the princess through a double eye-glass.  Pauline felt flattered for a moment, and then became uneasy.  The lady who was looking at her said to a companion, in a tone of compassion: 

“What a pity!  She really would be lovely if it weren’t for that!”