1830.] Constant's Memoirs of Buonaparte. 183 



she returned to her apartments,, she sat down to her embroidering-frame, or 

 chatted with the ladies of her society, who occupied themselves with needle- 

 work. When not disturbed by formal visitors, Josephine, between two and 

 three o'clock, took an airing in an open Caleche. On her return, commenced 

 the business of the grand toilette. 



" At six o'clock dinner was announced, but more frequently the emperor's 

 preoccupation, caused that meal to be indefinitely adjourned. I have known 

 more than one instance of a dinner retarded in this manner till nine or ten 

 o'clock at night. The imperial couple dined together, sometimes in the com- 

 pany of the princes of their family, sometimes of their ministers. The hour 

 of midnight was invariably the signal for the guests to retire. 



(< Josephine was gifted with a prodigious memory, a natural advantage of 

 which the emperor took care to reap the full benefit. She was an excellent 

 musician, played the harp in perfection, and sang with taste. Her temper 

 was mild, equable, obliging to her friends, and even to her enemies, and 

 never failed to restore harmony to the scene which discord had envenomed. 

 When the emperor was irritated with his brothers, or other individuals a 

 circumstance which frequently happened Josephine spoke a few words, and 

 all was tranquillity. Napoleon seldom turned a deaf ear to her supplications 

 in behalf of an offender, how grave soever the offence; I might cite a 

 thousand instances of pardons thus solicited and granted. 



" The empress always treated the persons composing her household with 

 marked politeness: a reproach or angry word seldom escaped her lips. 

 Whenever one of the ladies of her suite gave her cause of discontent, the 

 only punishment inflicted was an obstinate silence on Josephine's part, which 

 lasted one, two, three, sometimes eight days, more or less, in proportion to 

 the gravity of the offence." 



On the occasion of Napoleon's visit to the Chateau de Brienne, " the 

 schoolboy spot" where he had passed his early days, he meets with the 

 following adventure :- 



" The emperor had, the evening before, made several inquiries after old 

 Mother Margaret: such was the appellation given to a good- wife who occu- 

 pied a cottage in the midst of the forest, to which the pupils of the military 

 school had, in days of yore, made frequent excursions. Napoleon had not 

 forgotten the name, and he learned with no less pleasure than surprise, that 

 the good old dame was still in existence. Continuing his morning ride, he 

 struck into the forest, galloped to the well-known spot, and having dismounted, 

 unceremoniously entered the cottage. Age had somewhat impaired the old 

 woman's sight, and the emperor's person was much changed : ' Good morning, 

 Mother Margaret,' said Napoleon, saluting his hostess : ' it seems you have 

 no curiosity to see the emperor?' f Yes, but I have ; I should like of all 

 things to see him, and I intend to take that basket of fresh eggs to Madame 

 de Brienne, that I may be invited to remain at the chateau, and so catch a 

 glimpse of the emperor. Ah ! I shall not see him so well to-day as formerly, 

 when he used to accompany his comrades to old Mother Margaret's and call 

 for a bowl of new milk. To be sure, he was not emperor then, but no matter; 

 the rest marched before him. He always made them pay me for my milk, 

 eggs, brown bread, and broken crockery and commenced by paying his own 

 share of the reckoning.' ' Then,' replied Napoleon, with a smile, ' you have 

 not forgotten Buonaparte ?' ' Forgotten him ! Do you think one could forget 

 such a steady, serious, melancholy-like, young gentleman, so considerate too 

 for the poor ? I am a weak old woman, but I always foretold that the lad 

 would turn out well/ f Why, yes; he has made his way/ 



" At the commencement of this short dialogue, the emperor had turned his 

 back to the door, and consequently to the light ; the narrow entrance thus 

 blocked up, the interior of the cottage was left in darkness. By degrees, 

 however, he approached the old woman, and the light again penetrated from 

 without. The emperor, upon this, rubbing his hands together, and assuming 



