ourt. Relegated for at least ten months of the year--allowing for
an annual visit to the capital--to the dull, humdrum, though often
pretentious round of entertainments of her own circle, the Comtesse
d'Esbargnas,[69] whether young or old, handsome or the reverse, matron
or widow, of patrician or plebeian origin, sedulously watched the yearly
recurring time and tide that might lead to a permanent footing at the
Tuileries. What has happened once may happen again. Agnes Sorel, Diane
de Poitiers, Gabrielle d'Estrees, Louise de la Valliere, let alone
Jeanne Becu and Jeanne Poisson,[70] had by no means exhausted the
possibilities of sudden elevations to within a step of the throne. These
new aspirants would be content with a less giddy position. And who could
say what might happen? Had not Alfred de Musset, the daring poet of "les
grandes passions," written a play entitled "Il ne faut jurer de rien"?
Assuredly what had happened once might happen again. Meanwhile the
pleasure of watching all this splendour was worth coming for.

[Footnote 69: A character of one of Moliere's plays, who lends
her name to the play itself, and who, with her provincial
clique, apes the manners of the court.]

[Footnote 70: Mesdames Du Barry and Pompadour.]

The latter proposition hardly admitted of discussion. The sight was
truly worth coming for. Though the Imperial suite never made its
appearance before one, the main arteries of the forest became crowded as
early as eleven. Half an hour later came La Trace and La Feuille with
their equipage.[71] The kennelmen and huntsmen in full dress gathered
round a roaring fire, their hounds lying at their feet. The stablemen
and grooms, in undress livery of green and brown, walking the hunters of
the Emperor and his suite to and fro, presented a picture full of colour
and animation.

[Footnote 71: "Equipage" is the right word. Applied to any but
military or hunting uses, it is out of place, though frequently
thus used.--EDITOR.]

As a rule the Imperial cortege was punctual on those occasions, though
it was often remiss in that respect at gatherings of a different nature.
Among the familiars at the Tuileries the blame for this general
unpunctuality was attributed in an equal measure to both the Emperor and
the Empress. The latter dressed very slowly, and the former wanted to
dress too quickly. The result of this difference of habit was always