she did nothing but take short steps, but executed them
with such fascinating motions that the public awarded her the palm
over all other female dancers. She was short, slight, very well
shaped, and, although plain, her features were such that at the age of
forty-five she looked no more than fifteen when on the stage.

I now come to one whose entire dramatic career I have been able to
follow--the best talent the Opera-Comique had to show, Mme. Dugazon.
Never has such reality been seen upon the stage. The actress
disappeared, and gave place to the actual Babet, Countess d'Albert, or
Nicolette. Her voice was rather weak, but it was strong enough for
laughter, for tears, for all situations, for all parts. Gretry and
Delayrac, who wrote for her, were mad about her. No one ever again
played Nina like her--Nina, so decent and so passionate at once, and
so unhappy and so touching that the mere sight of her made the
audience shed tears. Mme. Dugazon was a royalist, heart and soul. Of
this she gave the public a proof, when the Revolution was well
advanced, in playing the part of the maid in "Unforeseen Events." The
Queen was witnessing the performance, and in a duet begun by the
valet, with "I love my master dearly," Mme. Dugazon, whose answer was
"Ah, how I love my mistress!" turned toward the Queen's box, laid her
hand over her heart, and sang her reply in a melting voice while she
bowed to Her Majesty. I was told that the public--and such a
public--afterward sought revenge by attempting to make her sing some
horrible thing which had come into vogue and was often heard in the
theatres. But Mme. Dugazon would not yield. She left the stage.

CHAPTER IV

EXILE

A GALLIC MAECENAS -- ANECDOTE CONCERNING BEAUMARCHAIS -- THE DUKE
DE NIVERNAIS -- MME. DU BARRY SKETCHED IN WORDS -- AND PAINTED IN
OILS -- RUMBLINGS OF THE REVOLUTION -- MME. LEBRUN'S FEARSOME
JOURNEY TO ITALY -- RENEWED ARTISTIC ACTIVITY AT ROME -- EASTER
SUNDAY AT ST. PETER'S -- FASCINATION OF THE ETERNAL CITY --
VANITIES AND VIOLENCES OF ITS PEOPLE.

The same year that I went to Flanders I made a stay of some length at
Raincy. The Duke d'Orleans, the father of Philippe Egalite, who was
then living there, sent for me to paint his portrait and Mme. de
Montesson's. I cannot recall a certain incident without laughing,
though it annoyed me considerably at the time. During Mme. de
Montesson's sittings the old Princess de Conti came