she found few women and
a prodigious number of military men of all grades.

Among all the amusements that residence in Paris afforded me, I was
none the less pursued by innumerable black thoughts, which assailed me
even in the midst of pleasures. To put an end to such a painful state
of mind, I determined to take a journey. More than once, while I was
at Rome, the newspapers had had it that I was at London, but the fact
was I had never seen that city. Accordingly, I resolved to go there.

CHAPTER XVI

UNMERRY ENGLAND

LONDON -- ITS HISTORIC PILES -- AND DULL SUNDAYS -- AND TACITURN
PEOPLE -- PICTURES BY SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS -- HIS MODESTY -- HOW
TO DRY PICTURES IN A DAMP CLIMATE -- THE ARTISTIC VIEW OF A
CERTAIN POPULAR BEAUTY -- THE PRINCE OF WALES -- HIS ALLEGED
ATTENTIONS TO MME. LEBRUN -- THE AUTHORESS LECTURES AN UNFRIENDLY
CRITIC -- NEWS OF ONE OF NAPOLEON'S "ATROCIOUS CRIMES."

I started for London on the 15th of April, 1802. I knew not a word of
English. True, I was accompanied by an English maid, but the girl had
long been serving me badly, and I was obliged to dismiss her very
shortly after my arrival in London, because she did nothing but eat
bread and butter all day. Luckily I had brought some one besides, a
charming person to whom ill-fortune made the home she had found under
my roof very precious. This was my faithful Adelaide, who lived with
me on the footing of a friend, and whose attentions and counsels have
always been most valuable to me.

On disembarking at Dover I was at first somewhat affrighted at the
view of a whole population assembled on the shore. But I was reassured
when informed that the crowd was simply composed of curious idlers,
who were following their usual habits in coming down to see the
travellers land.

The sun was going down. I at once hired a three-horse chaise, and made
off forthwith, for I was not without apprehensions, seeing I had been
told I might very likely encounter highwaymen. I took the precaution
of putting my diamonds into my stockings, and was glad I had done so
when I perceived two horsemen advancing toward me at a gallop. What
capped the climax of my fears was to see them separate, in order--as I
imagined--to present themselves at the two windows of my carriage. I
confess I was seized with a violent fit of trembling, but that was the
worst that happened.

Vast and handsome though London may be, that city affords less fo