330 



AUDUBON 



remained talking with him more than an hour; I showed 

 him my list of English subscribers, many of whom he knew. 

 I asked him for his own signature ; he took my list and with 

 a smile wrote, in very large and legible characters, " Le Due 

 d'Orleans." I now felt to remain longer would be an in- 

 trusion, and thanking him respectfully I bowed, shook 

 hands with him, and retired. He wished to keep the set I 

 had shown him, but it was soiled, and tc such a good man 

 a good set must go. At the door I asked the fat porter 

 if he would tell me again his master was out. He tried in 

 vain to blush. 



October 1. Received to-day the note from the Minister 

 of the Interior asking me to call to-morrow at two. At 

 eight in the evening I vas ready for M. Valenciennes to 

 call for me to go with him to Gerard. I waited till ten, 

 when my gentleman came, and off we went ; what a time 

 to pay a visit ! But I was told G6rard ^ keeps late hours, 

 rarely goes to bed before two, but is up and at work by 

 ten or eleven. When I entered I found the rooms filled 

 with both sexes, and my name being announced, a small, 

 well-formed man came to me, took my hand, and said, 

 " Welcome, Brother in Arts." I liked this much, and was 

 gratified to have the ice broken so easily. Gerard was all 

 curiosity to see my drawings, and old Redout^, who was 

 present, spoke so highly of them before the book was 

 opened, that I feared to discover Gerard's disappointment. 

 The book opened accidentally at the plate of the Parrots, 

 and Gerard, taking it up without speaking, looked at it, I 

 assure thee, with as keen an eye as my own, for several 

 minutes ; put it down, took up the one of the Mocking- 

 Birds, and, oflfering me his hand, said : " Mr. Audubon, 

 you r^re the king of ornithological painters; we are all 

 children in France and in Europe. Who would have ex- 

 pected such things from the woods of America?" My 



* Fran9ois Gerard, born at Rome 1770, died 1837 ; the best French 

 portrait painter of his time, distinguished also for historical pictures. 



