eplied, "I have no need of a night-guard.
These brave soldiers have enough to suffer from the hardships of war
when they are under the necessity of going to the field of battle. In my
service they must have repose. I wish them here to have no sleepless
nights."

It is said that rather a ludicrous occurrence took place in one of the
cities of the Rhine, in reference to a visit which the emperor and
empress were about to make to that place. One of the distinguished
ladies of the city, who was anticipating the honor of a presentation,
wrote to obtain from the master of the ceremonies instructions
respecting the etiquette to be observed. The answer contained very
minute directions, and was couched in terms which conveyed a deep
impression of their importance. Among other things, it was stated that
three courtesies were to be made; one immediately upon entering the
saloon, one in the middle of the room, and a third, _en pirouette_, when
having arrived within a few paces of the emperor and empress. The
familiar signification of _en pirouette_ is whirling the body around
rapidly upon the toes of one foot, the other foot being rather
indecorously raised. The ladies assembled to study these instructions;
and though some of the young, the beautiful, and the graceful were not
unwilling thus to display their lightness of limb, there were others
who read _en pirouette_ with consternation. The vast importance which
Napoleon attached to every form of etiquette was well known. There was
no alternative; the fat and the lean, the tall and the short, the
graceful and the awkward, all were to approach their majesties _en
pirouette_, or to lose the honor of a presentation. "We have a fortnight
for practice," said one of the ladies; "let us prepare ourselves." For
fifteen days all the drawing-rooms of Cologne seemed to be filled with
dancing dervishes. Venerable dowagers were twirling like opera girls,
and not unfrequently measuring their portly length upon the carpet. _En
pirouette_ was the theme of every tongue, and the scene, morning, noon,
and evening, in every ambitious saloon.

On the evening of the arrival of the emperor and empress, the same lady
who had written the letter for instructions called upon one of the
ladies of the court for still more precise directions. She then learned
that, in court phrase, _en pirouette_ simply indicated a slight
inclination of the body toward their majesties, accompanying the
courtesy. The intellig