Napoleon Volume 2, PT. 1; His Court and Family. Memoirs of Madame Junot, Duchesse D'Abrant?'s

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VII. The Wednesdays at Malmaison--The stage company at Malmaison--Bonaparte treated like a boy--Dinners in the park--Party at barriers, and the First Consul without his coat--Fright of Madame Bonaparte--Rapp, Eugene, and the veteran soldier recognised by the First Consul--Voluntary engagement--Curious and touching scene--Panic terror at Malmaison--The inhabitants in dishabille. Every Wednesday there was a grand dinner at Malmaison, the Second Consul was always of the party, with the ministers, the counsellors of State, some particularly esteemed generals, and a few ladies of unspotted reputation; for Napoleon was then rigorous in the choice of Madame Bonaparte's society. We acted plays in the evening, and the part of the abigails fell to my lot. Madame Savary was also of our company; Junot was our best actor, and Bourrienne, Eugene Beauharnais, and Lauriston, had talent. It was no trifle to play before not only an audience of three hundred persons, but the First Consul in particular; for my part I should have preferred doubling the number, could he have been by that means excluded. It was singular enough that I, certainly the most free with him of the whole establishment, and the most ready to answer his pleasantries; I, in short, who already gave indications of the woman who, according to his own confession of St. Helena, treated him as a boy en petit gargon), the day that he addressed to my ears words to which it did not become me to listen; I could not endure his criticisms, just or unjust, on my performance, however convinced that he was mistaken, and that I best understood my own business with the assistance of Dugazon, my prompter. The dinner-hour, as I have before said, was six; and when the weather was fine the First Consul ordered the tabl...