t outcry was raised for La Gigue Irlandaise! La Gigue
Irlandaise! a dance which had made a fureur amongst the Parisians ever
since the lovely Blanche Sarsfield had danced it. She stepped forward
and took me for a partner, and amidst the bravoes of the crowd, in
which stood Ney, Murat, Lannes, the Prince of Wagram, and the Austrian
ambassador, we showed to the beau monde of the French capital, I flatter
myself, a not unfavorable specimen of the dance of our country.

As I was cutting the double-shuffle, and toe-and-heeling it in the
"rail" style, Blanche danced up to me, smiling, and said, "Be on your
guard; I see Cambaceres talking to Fouche, the Duke of Otranto, about
us; and when Otranto turns his eyes upon a man, they bode him no good."

"Cambaceres is jealous," said I. "I have it," says she; "I'll make him
dance a turn with me." So, presently, as the music was going like mad
all this time, I pretended fatigue from my late wounds, and sat down.
The lovely Blanche went up smiling, and brought out Cambaceres as a
second partner.

The Marshal is a lusty man, who makes desperate efforts to give himself
a waist, and the effect of the exercise upon him was speedily visible.
He puffed and snorted like a walrus, drops trickled down his purple
face, while my lovely mischief of a Blanche went on dancing at treble
quick, till she fairly danced him down.

"Who'll take the flure with me?" said the charming girl, animated by the
sport.

"Faix, den, 'tis I, Lanty Clancy!" cried my rascal, who had been mad
with excitement at the scene; and, stepping in with a whoop and a
hurroo, he began to dance with such rapidity as made all present stare.

As the couple were footing it, there was a noise as of a rapid cavalcade
traversing the Place Vendome, and stopping at the Marquis's door. A
crowd appeared to mount the stair; the great doors of the reception-room
were flung open, and two pages announced their Majesties the Emperor and
the Empress. So engaged were Lanty and Blanche, that they never heard
the tumult occasioned by the august approach.

It was indeed the Emperor, who, returning from the Theatre Francais, and
seeing the Marquis's windows lighted up, proposed to the Empress to drop
in on the party. He made signs to the musicians to continue: and the
conqueror of Marengo and Friedland watched with interest the simple
evolutions of two happy Irish people. Even the Empress smiled and,
seeing this, all the courtiers, including Na