-Therese. If, in fact, after a little while, some one had been
ill-advised enough to tell her that she had not been born in the
Imperial purple, she would have scarcely believed it. When a daughter of
the House of Savoy had the misfortune to marry Napoleon's cousin, the
Empress thought fit to give the young princess some hints as to her
toilette and sundry other things. "You appear to forget, madame," was
the answer, "that I was born at a court." Empress Eugenie was furious,
and never forgave Princess Clotilde. Her anger reminds me of that of a
French detective who, having been charged with a very important case,
took up his quarters with a colleague in one of the best Paris hotels,
exclusively frequented by foreigners of distinction. He assumed the role
of a retired ambassador, his comrade enacted the part of his valet, and
both enacted them to perfection. For a fortnight or more they did not
make a single mistake in their parts. The ambassador was kind but
distant to his servant, the latter never omitted to address him as "Your
Excellency." When their mission was at an end, they returned to their
ordinary duties; but the "ambassador" had become so identified with his
part that, on his colleague addressing him in the usual way, he turned
round indignantly, and exclaimed, "You seem to forget yourself. What do
you mean by such familiarity?"

Of all the entertainments of the ancien regime lending themselves to
sumptuary and scenic display, "la chasse" was undoubtedly the one most
likely to appeal to the Imperial couple. Louis-Napoleon had, at any
rate, the good sense not to attempt to rival Le Roi-Soleil in
spectacular ballet, or to revive the Eglinton tournament on the Place du
Carrousel. But--

"Il ne fallait au fier Romain
Que des spectacles et du pain;
Mais aux Francais, plus que Romain,
Le spectacle suffit sans pain."

No one was better aware of this tendency of the Parisian to be dazzled
by court pageants than the new Emperor, but he was also aware that,
except at the risk of making himself and his new court ridiculous, some
sort of raison d'etre would have to be found for such open-air displays
in the capital; pending the invention of a plausible pretext, "les
grandes chasses" at Compiegne were decided upon. They were to be
different from what they had been on the occasion referred to above:
special costumes were to be worn, splendid horses purchased; the most
experienced kennel and huntsmen, imbued