ourished under
Louis XVI. I have ever beheld. The boudoir was upholstered in light
blue, festoons of roses running along the walls, and priceless Dresden
groups distributed everywhere; the dressing-rooms were hung with pale
green, with garlands upon garlands of violets. The toilet service was of
Sevres, with medallions after Lancret and Watteau. The historical Salle
de l'Oeil-de-Boeuf, which preceded her Majesty's apartments, had been
transformed into a splendid reception-room for the use of the Imperial
hosts and all their Royal guests, for there were one or two foreign
princes besides, notably Prince Adalbert of Bavaria.

The ball was to take place in the famous Galerie des Glaces; the Empress
herself had presided at its transformation, which had been inspired by a
well-known print of "Une Fete sous Louis Quinze." More garlands of
roses, but this time drooping from the ceiling and connecting the forty
splendid lustres, which, together with the candelabra on the walls,
could not have contained less than three thousand wax candles. At each
of the four angles of the vast apartment a small orchestra had been
erected, but very high up, and surrounded by a network of gilt wire.

At the stroke of ten those wonderful gardens became all of a sudden
ablaze with rockets and Chinese candles; it was the beginning of the
fireworks, the principal piece of which represented Windsor Castle.
After this, the ball was opened by the Queen and the Emperor, the
Empress and Prince Albert; but though the example had been given, there
was very little dancing. I was a comparatively young man then, but I was
too busy feasting my eyes with the marvellous toilettes to pay much heed
to the seductive strains, which at other times would have set me
tripping. I fancy this was the case with most of the guests.

On the Monday the Queen left for home.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Marshal Vaillant -- The beginning of our acquaintance -- His
stories of the swashbucklers of the First Empire, and the beaux
of the Restauration -- Rabelaisian, but clever -- Marshal
Vaillant neither a swashbuckler nor a beau; hated both -- Never
cherished the slightest illusions about the efficiency of the
French army -- Acknowledged himself unable to effect the desired
and necessary reforms -- To do that, a minister of war must
become a fixture -- Why he stayed -- Careful of the public
moneys, and of the Emperor's also -- Napoleon II