My mother possessed some knowledge of Italian, a language not altogether unknown to any of the family:  she therefore resolved to learn French immediately; for which purpose the interpreter, for whose child she had stood godmother during these stormy times, and who now, therefore, as a gossip,[Footnote:  The obsolete word, “gossip,” has been revived as an equivalent for the German, “gevatter.”  But it should be observed that this word not only signifies godfather, but that the person whose child has another person for godfather (or godmother) is that person’s gevatter, or gevatterin (feminine).] felt a redoubled interest in our house, devoted every spare moment to his child’s godmother (for he lived directly opposite); and, above all, he taught her those phrases which she would be obliged to use in her personal intercourse with the count.  This succeeded admirably.  The count was flattered by the pains taken by the mistress of the house at her age:  and as he had a cheerful, witty vein in his character, and he liked to exhibit a certain dry gallantry, a most friendly relation arose between them; and the allied godmother and father could obtain from him whatever they wanted.

If, as I said before, it had been possible to cheer up my father, this altered state of things would have caused little inconvenience.  The count practised the severest disinterestedness; he even declined receiving gifts which pertained to his situation; the most trifling thing which could have borne the appearance of bribery, he rejected angrily, and even punished.  His people were most strictly forbidden to put the proprietor of the house to the least expense.  We children, on the contrary, were bountifully supplied from the dessert.  To give an idea of the simplicity of those times, I must take this opportunity to mention that my mother grieved us excessively one day, by throwing away the ices which had been sent us from the table, because she would not believe it possible for the stomach to bear real ice, however it might be sweetened.

Besides these dainties, which we gradually learned to enjoy and to digest with perfect ease, it was very agreeable for us children to be in some measure released from fixed hours of study and strict discipline.  My father’s ill humor increased:  he could not resign himself to the unavoidable.  How he tormented himself, my mother, the interpreter, the councillors, and all his friends, only to rid him of the count!  In vain they represented to him, that, under existing circumstances, the presence of such a man in the house was an actual benefit, and that the removal of the count would be followed by a constant succession of officers or of privates.  None of these arguments had any effect.  To him the present seemed so intolerable, that his indignation prevented his conceiving any thing worse that could follow.

In this way his activity, which he had been used chiefly to devote to us, was crippled.  The lessons he gave us were no longer required with the former exactness; and we tried to gratify our curiosity for military and other public proceedings as much as possible, not only at home, but also in the streets, which was the more easily done, as the front door, open day and night, was guarded by sentries who paid no attention to the running to and fro of restless children.