usual _habitues_. She is a delightful person; for
age has neither chilled the warmth of her heart, nor impaired the
vivacity of her manners. I had heard much of her; for she is greatly
beloved by the Duchesse de Guiche and all the De Gramont family; and
she, knowing their partiality to me, treated me rather as an old than
as a new acquaintance.

Talking of old times, to which the Duc de Gramont reverted, the
Marquise mentioned having seen the celebrated Madame du Barry in the
garden at Versailles, when she (the Marquise) was a very young girl.
She described her as having a most animated and pleasant countenance,
_un petit nez retrousse_, brilliant eyes, full red lips, and as being
altogether a very attractive person.

The Marquise de Pouleprie accompanied the French royal family to
England, and remained with them there during the emigration. She told
me that once going through the streets of London in a carriage, with
the French king, during an election at Westminster, the mob, ignorant
of his rank, insisted that he and his servants should take off their
hats, and cry out "Long live Sir Francis Burdett!" which his majesty
did with great good humour, and laughed heartily after.

Went last night to see Mademoiselle Mars, in "Valerie." It was a
finished performance, and worthy of her high reputation. Never was
there so musical a voice as hers! Every tone of it goes direct to the
heart, and its intonations soothe and charm the ear. Her countenance,
too, is peculiarly expressive. Even when her eyes, in the _role_ she
enacted last night, were fixed, and supposed to be sightless, her
countenance was still beautiful. There is a harmony in its various
expressions that accords perfectly with her clear, soft, and liquid
voice; and the united effect of both these attractions renders her
irresistible.

Never did Art so strongly resemble Nature as in the acting of this
admirable _artiste_. She identifies herself so completely with the part
she performs, that she not only believes herself for the time being the
heroine she represents, but makes others do so too. There was not a dry
eye in the whole of the female part of the audience last night--a
homage to her power that no other actress on the French stage could now
command.

The style, too, of Mademoiselle Mars' acting is the most difficult of
all; because there is no exaggeration, no violence in it. The same
difference exists between it and that of other actresses, as between