minister.

'How is this, Monsieur de Talleyrand,' she cried, and the dark eyes
began to shine with anger and suspicion. 'You said to me that the
Emperor was out, and here is his hat!'

'Pardon me, your Imperial Majesty, I did not say that he was out.'

'What did you say then?'

'I said that he left the room a short time before.'

'You are endeavouring to conceal something from me,' she cried, with the
quick instinct of a woman.

'I assure you that I tell you all I know.'

The Empress's eyes darted from face to face.

'Marshal Berthier,' she cried, 'I insist upon your telling me this
instant where the Emperor is, and what he is doing.'

The slow-witted soldier stammered and twisted his cocked hat about.

'I know no more than Monsieur de Talleyrand does,' said he; 'the Emperor
left us some time ago.'

'By which door?'

Poor Berthier was more confused than ever.

'Really, your Imperial Majesty, I cannot undertake to say by which door
it was that the Emperor quitted the apartment.'

Josephine's eyes flashed round at me, and my heart shrunk within me as I
thought that she was about to ask me that same dreadful question. But I
had just time to breathe one prayer to the good Saint Ignatius, who has
always been gracious to our family, and the danger passed.

'Come, Madame de Remusat,' said she. 'If these gentlemen will not tell
us we shall very soon find out for ourselves.'

She swept with great dignity towards the curtained door, followed at the
distance of a few yards by her waiting lady, whose frightened face and
lagging, unwilling steps showed that she perfectly appreciated the
situation. Indeed, the Emperor's open infidelities, and the public
scenes to which they gave rise, were so notorious, that even in Ashford
they had reached our ears. Napoleon's self-confidence and his contempt
of the world had the effect of making him careless as to what was
thought or said of him, while Josephine, when she was carried away by
jealousy, lost all the dignity and restraint which usually marked her
conduct; so between them they gave some embarrassing moments to those
who were about them. Talleyrand turned away with his fingers over his
lips, while Berthier, in an agony of apprehension, continued to double
up and to twist the cocked hat which he held between his hands. Only
Constant, the faithful valet, ventured to intervene between his mistress
and the fatal door.

'If your Majesty will resume your seat I sh