adame de Stael consoled herself for her cold reception at court, by
receiving the best society of Paris in her parlors, and entertaining
them with biting _bon mots_ and witty _persiflage_, at the expense of
the grand notabilities, who had suddenly arisen with their imposing
genealogical trees out of the ruins and oblivion of the past.

Madame de Stael now also remembered the kindness Queen Hortense had
shown her during her exile; and not to her only, but also to her friend,
Madame Recamier, who had also been exiled by Napoleon, not, however, as
his enemies said, "because she was Madame de Stael's friend," but
simply because she patronized and belonged to the so-called "little
church." The "little church" was an organization born of the spirit of
opposition of the Faubourg St. Germain, and a portion of the Catholic
clergy, and was one of those things appertaining to the internal
relations of France that were most annoying and disagreeable to
the emperor.

Queen Hortense had espoused the cause of Madame de Stael and of Madame
Recamier with generous warmth. She had eloquently interceded for the
recall of both from their exile; and, now that the course of events had
restored them to their home, both ladies came to the queen to thank her
for her kindness and generosity.

Louise de Cochelet has described this visit of Madame de Stael so
wittily, with so much _naivete_, and with such peculiar local coloring,
that we cannot refrain from laying a literal translation of the same
before the reader.

CHAPTER V.

MADAME DE STAEL'S VISIT TO QUEEN HORTENSE.

Louise de Cochelet relates as follows: "Madame de Stael and Madame
Recamier had begged permission of the queen to visit her, for the
purpose of tendering their thanks. The queen invited them to visit her
at St. Leu, on the following day.

"She asked my advice as to which of the members of her social circle
were best qualified to cope with Madame de Stael.

"'I, for my part,' said the queen, 'have not the courage to take the
lead in the conversation; one cannot be very intellectual when sad at
heart, and I fear my dullness will infect the others.'

"We let quite a number of amiable persons pass before us in review, and
I amused myself at the mention of each new name, by saying, 'He is too
dull for Madame de Stael.'

"The queen laughed, and the list of those who were to be invited was at
last agreed upon. We all awaited the arrival of the two ladies in great
suspens