Baron Cuvier, 163 



tion to GeofFroy de St. Hilaire, we went to his house in 

 the gardens, and with him we were particularly pleased. 

 He offered his services with good grace, much as an Eng- 

 lish gentleman would have done. M. Geoffroy proved to 

 us that he understood the difference of ideas existing be- 

 tween English and Frenchmen perfectly. He repeated 

 the words of Cuvier, and assured us that my work had 

 never been heard of anywhere in France. He promised 

 to take us to the Academy of Sciences on Monday next. 

 " We finally reached home, dressed, and started to 

 dine with Baron Cuvier. We arrived within a minute of 

 the appointed time, were announced by a servant in liv- 

 ery, as in England, and the Baron received and presented 

 us kindly to his only daughter, a small, well-made, good- 

 looking lady, with black sparkling eyes, and altogether 

 extremely amiable. As I seldom go anywhere without 

 meeting some person I have known elsewhere, so it 

 proved here. I found among the company which had 

 arrived before me a Fellow of the Linnaean Society, who 

 knew me, and who seemed to have spoken to the Baron 

 and his daughter of my work ; and I now perceived a de- 

 gree of attention from him which I had not noticed at my 

 first interview. The Baroness came in, an old, good, 

 motherly-looking lady, and the company, sixteen in num- 

 ber, being present, dinner v/as announced. The Baroness 

 led the way with a gentleman, the Baron took his daugh- 

 ter under his arm, but made Mr. Swainson and myself go 

 before him; and so the company all followed. Mr. 

 Swainson was seated next to Mademoiselle Cuvier, who, 

 fortunately for him, speaks excellent English. I was op- 

 posite her, by the side of the Baron, and had at my right 

 elbow the F. L. S. There was not the same show of 

 opulence at this dinner that I have seen in the same 

 rank in England — no, not by any means ; but we had a 

 good dinner, served k la Frangaise : all seemed happy. 



