All who could obtain
admission to the chapelle were charmed with the grace with which, on
passing through the happy group who had been fortunate enough to gain
the privilege, she cast her glance of recognition upon those who were
honoured with her notice. When again I had the honour of being in the
presence of the Duchess, she inquired whether the hunt amused me; and
upon my telling her that I had been unable to go, in consequence of the
want of the required uniform, the Duchess archly remarked "Ah! M. le
Capitaine, parceque vous n'avez pas jamais des culottes."

LORD WESTMORELAND

When I was presented at the Court of Louis XVIII., Lord Westmoreland,
the grandfather of the present lord, accompanied Sir Charles Stewart to
the Tuileries. On our arrival in the room where the King was, we formed
ourselves into a circle, when the King good-naturedly inquired after
Lady Westmoreland, from whom his lordship was divorced, and whether she
was in Paris. Upon this, the noble lord looked sullen, and refused to
reply to the question put by the King. His Majesty, however, repeated
it, when Lord Westmoreland hallooed out, in bad French, "Je ne sais
pas, je ne sais pas, je ne sais pas." Louis, rising, said, "Assez,
milord; assez, milord."

On one occasion, Lord Westmoreland, who was Lord Privy Seal, being
asked what office he held, replied, "Le Chancelier est le grand sceau
(Sot); moi je suis le petit sceau d' Angleterre." On another occasion,
he wished to say "I would if I could, but I can't," and rendered it,
"Je voudrais si je coudrais, mais je ne cannais pas."

ALDERMAN WOOD

Among the many English who then visited Paris was Alderman Wood, who
had previously filled the office of Lord Mayor of London. He ordered a
hundred visiting cards, inscribing upon them, "Alderman Wood, feu Lord
Maire de Londres," which he had largely distributed amongst people of
rank--having translated the word "late" into "feu," which I need hardly
state means "dead."

THE OPERA

A few years after the restoration of the Bourbons, the opera was the
grand resort of all the fashionable world. Sostennes de la
Rochefoucauld was Minister of the Household, and his office placed him
at the head of all the theatres. M. de la Rochefoucauld was
exceedingly polite to our countrymen, and gave permission to most of
our dandies to go behind the scenes, where Bigottini, Fanny Bias,
Vestris, Anatole, Paul, Albert, and the other prin