. She did, however, allow me
and my brother Auguste to be sent to her parents' care at Deux Ponts,
and there we remained while my father followed the fortunes of the
Emperor, and my mother followed the fortunes of my father. I have
little or no recollection of my maternal grandfather and grandmother. I
remember that I lived with them, as I remained there with my brother
till I was seven years old, at which period my paternal grandmother
offered to receive my brother and me, and take charge of our education.
This offer was accepted, and we both went to Luneville where she
resided.

I have said that my paternal grandmother offered to receive us, and not
my paternal grandfather, who was still alive. Such was the case; as,
could he have had his own way, he would not have allowed us to come to
Luneville, for he had a great dislike to children; but my grandmother
had property of her own, independent of her husband, and she insisted
upon our coming. Very often, after we had been received into her house,
I would hear remonstrance on his part relative to the expense of keeping
us, and the reply of my grandmother, which would be, "_Eh bien, Monsieur
Chatenoeuf, c'est mon argent que je depense_." I must describe Monsieur
Chatenoeuf. As I before stated, he had been an officer in the French
army; but had now retired upon his pension, with the rank of major, and
decorated with the Legion of Honour. At the time that I first saw him,
he was a tall, elegant old man, with hair as white as silver. I heard
it said, that when young he was considered one of the bravest and
handsomest officers in the French army. He was very quiet in his
manners, spoke very little, and took a large quantity of snuff. He was
egotistic to excess, attending wholly to himself and his own comforts,
and it was because the noise of children interfered with his comfort,
that he disliked them so much. We saw little of him, and cared less.
If I came into his room when he was alone, he promised me a good
whipping, I therefore avoided him as much as I could; the association
was not pleasant.

Luneville is a beautiful town in the Department of Meurthe. The castle,
or rather palace, is a very splendid and spacious building, in which
formerly the Dukes of Lorraine held their court. It was afterwards
inhabited by King Stanislaus, who founded a military school, a library
and a hospital. The palace was a square building, with a handsome
facade facing the town,