om the window as he walked toward his office, and
never drew in her head until she had seen him turn the corner of the rue
du Bac. Then she cleared the breakfast-table herself, gave an eye to the
arrangement of the rooms, dressed for the day, played with her children
and took them to walk, or received the visits of friends; all the
while waiting in spirit for Bridau's return. If her husband brought him
important business that had to be attended to, she would station herself
close to the writing-table in his study, silent as a statue, knitting
while he wrote, sitting up as late as he did, and going to bed only a
few moments before him. Occasionally, the pair went to some theatre,
occupying one of the ministerial boxes. On those days, they dined at
a restaurant, and the gay scenes of that establishment never ceased to
give Madame Bridau the same lively pleasure they afford to provincials
who are new to Paris. Agathe, who was obliged to accept the formal
dinners sometimes given to the head of a department in a ministry, paid
due attention to the luxurious requirements of the then mode of dress,
but she took off the rich apparel with delight when she returned home,
and resumed the simple garb of a provincial. One day in the week,
Thursday, Bridau received his friends, and he also gave a grand ball,
annually, on Shrove Tuesday.

These few words contain the whole history of their conjugal life, which
had but three events; the births of two children, born three years
apart, and the death of Bridau, who died in 1808, killed by overwork
at the very moment when the Emperor was about to appoint him
director-general, count, and councillor of state. At this period of
his reign, Napoleon was particularly absorbed in the affairs of the
interior; he overwhelmed Bridau with work, and finally wrecked the
health of that dauntless bureaucrat. The Emperor, of whom Bridau had
never asked a favor, made inquiries into his habits and fortune. Finding
that this devoted servant literally had nothing but his situation,
Napoleon recognized him as one of the incorruptible natures which raised
the character of his government and gave moral weight to it, and he
wished to surprise him by the gift of some distinguished reward. But the
effort to complete a certain work, involving immense labor, before
the departure of the Emperor for Spain caused the death of the devoted
servant, who was seized with an inflammatory fever. When the Emperor,
who remained i