unstudied natural grace and elegance, and always attired in perfect
harmony with her beauty of face and form, she could easily stand a
comparison with the other beauties of the day, all of whom studied her
air and manner and marked the aristocratic ease and poise of her real
_noblesse_ of the old regime.

"Josephine had a faded and brown complexion, which she remedied with
rouge and powder; her small mouth concealed her bad teeth; her elegant
figure and graceful movements, refined expression, gentle voice and
dignity, all dexterously expressed with an air of coquetry, made her
delightful." The happiest part of the life of Napoleon and Josephine
was during their stay in Italy, when he was absolutely faithful
to her. As soon as Napoleon left for Egypt, Talleyrand secured the
erasure of many noble names from the list of the proscribed exiles and
soon gathered about him a large number of Royalists, who immediately
began to pay court to Josephine. Napoleon had enjoined her to keep
her salon according to the means he provided and to entertain all
influential people. To this she was equal; and all men of elevated
rank, the most distinguished artists, men of letters, orators, and
musicians, found her salon an enjoyable retreat. No greater galaxy of
talent and genius ever assembled under the old regime than was found
there,--David, Lebrun, Lesueur, Gretry, Cherubini, Mehul, J. Chenier,
Hoffman, Ducis, Desaugiers, Legouve, and others.

But her life was not without its difficulties. She was always annoyed
by the Bonaparte family, who were jealous of her influence over
Bonaparte. Exceedingly extravagant, in fact a spendthrift, she was
always in need of money. Her virtues, however, easily offset these
defects. Josephine never offended anyone, never argued politics;
she made friends in all classes, thus conciliating Republicans and
aristocrats; therefore, her greatest influence was as a mediator
between two classes of society, by which she, more than any other
woman, unconsciously contributed to the forming of a new social
France. Napoleon was wise enough to recognize such diplomacy, and
encouraged her to intrigue like an experienced diplomat. She was the
most efficient aid and means to his future plans, and M. Saint-Amand
says that without her he would possibly never have become emperor.
When he returned from Egypt and found her away,--she had gone to meet
him, but missed him,--his suspicions were aroused as to her fidelity,
as sh