uring
the reign of the "citizen king." It is one thing to disdain those whom
one does not think worthy of our acquaintance, and another to insult
those whom one has thought proper to invite.

In their own houses, the inhabitants of the Faubourg St. Germain were
scrupulously polite: even if some enterprising foreigner should have
got in surreptitiously, as long as he was under his host's roof he was
treated with perfect courtesy; though ignominiously "cut" for the
remainder of his days. All this was not very amiable; but the
inhabitants of the "noble Faubourg" were never distinguished for their
amiability. Their best characteristics were the undaunted courage with
which they met death upon the scaffold, and the cheerfulness and
resignation with which they ate the bitter bread of exile. In general,
les grandes dames were not remarkable for their personal attractions,
nor for the elegance of their appearance or dress. The galaxy of
handsome women that formed the court of the Emperor had perhaps sent
beauty somewhat out of fashion; for the high-born ladies who took their
place were what we should call dowdy, and had nothing distinguished in
their appearance. Many of those who belonged to the most ancient
families were almost vulgar in outward form and feature: their manner
had a peculiar off-hand, easy style; and they particularly excelled in
setting down any unlucky person who had happened to offend them. Their
main object, at this time, was to stand well at court, therefore they
adapted themselves to circumstances, and could be devout with the
Dauphine and sceptical with Louis the Eighteenth.

The men of the aristocracy of the Revolution were less clever and
satirical than the women; but, on the other hand, they had far more of
the distinguished bearing and graceful urbanity of the grands seigneurs
of the olden time. The emigre nobles would have gazed with unutterable
horror at their degenerate descendants of the present day; but these
young, booted, bearded, cigar-smoking scions of la jeune France would
have run round their courteous, but, perhaps, rather slow ancestors, in
all the details of daily life.

The principal houses of reception in those days were those of the
Montmorencys, the Richelieus, Birons, Rohans, Goutaut Talleyrands,
Beauffremonts, Luxemburgs, Crillons, Choiseuls, Chabots, Fitzjames,
Grammonts, Latours de Pin, Coislins, and Maillys. Most of these
mansions are now occupied as public offices,