rom the Guards announced the Imperial quarters. The Empress
and her lady hurried away to prepare their toilets for the evening, and
I was shown at once into the salon, in which the guests had already
begun to assemble.

This was a large square room furnished as modestly as the sitting-room
of a provincial gentleman would be likely to be. The wall-paper was
gloomy, and the furniture was of dark mahogany upholstered in faded blue
nankeen, but there were numerous candles in candelabra upon the tables
and in sconces upon the walls which gave an air of festivity even to
these sombre surroundings. Out of the large central room were several
smaller ones in which card-tables had been laid out, and the doorways
between had been draped with Oriental chintz. A number of ladies and
gentlemen were standing about, the former in the high evening dresses to
which the Emperor had given his sanction, the latter about equally
divided between the civilians in black court costumes and the soldiers
in their uniforms. Bright colours and graceful draperies predominated,
for in spite of his lectures about economy the Emperor was very harsh to
any lady who did not dress in a manner which would sustain the
brilliancy of his Court. The prevailing fashions gave an opening to
taste and to display, for the simple classical costumes had died out
with the Republic, and Oriental dresses had taken their place as a
compliment to the Conqueror of Egypt. Lucretia had changed to Zuleika,
and the salons which had reflected the austerity of old Rome had turned
suddenly into so many Eastern harems.

On entering the room I had retired into a corner, fearing that I should
find none there whom I knew; but someone plucked at my arm, and turning
round I found myself looking into the yellow inscrutable face of my
uncle Bernac. He seized my unresponsive hand and wrung it with a false
cordiality.

'My dear Louis,' said he. 'It was really the hope of meeting you here
which brought me over from Grosbois--although you can understand that
living so far from Paris I cannot afford to miss such an opportunity of
showing myself at Court. Nevertheless I can assure you that it was of
you principally that I was thinking. I hear that you have had a
splendid reception from the Emperor, and that you have been taken into
his personal service. I had spoken to him about you, and I made him
fully realise that if he treats you well he is likely to coax some of
the other yo