the 20th of January and the women were all talking about a ball they
were going to the next night, 21st of January (anniversary of the
death of Louis XVI). They supposed they must wear mourning--such a
bore. Still, on account of the Comtesse de Paris and the Orléans
family generally, they thought they must do it--upon which I asked,
really very much astonished: "On account of the Orléans family? but
did not the Duc d'Orléans vote the King's execution?" There was an
awful silence and then M. Leon Say, one of the cleverest and most
delightful men of his time, remarked, with a twinkle in his eye: "Ma
foi; je crois que Mme. Waddington a raison." There was a sort of
nervous laugh and the conversation was changed. W. was much annoyed
with me, "a foreigner so recently married, throwing down the gauntlet
in that way." I assured him I had no purpose of any kind--I merely
said what I thought, which is evidently unwise.

Mme. de Chaponay said she was afraid I would find it very difficult
sometimes. French people--in society at least--were so excited against
the Republic, anti-religious feeling, etc. "It must be very painful
for you." "I don't think so; you see I am American, Republican and a
Protestant; my point of view must be very different from that of a
Frenchwoman and a Catholic." She was very charming, however;
intelligent, cultivated, speaking beautiful French with a pretty
carefully trained voice--English just as well; we spoke the two
languages going from one to the other without knowing why. I was quite
sorry when we were summoned to tea. The room looked so pretty in the
twilight, the light from the fire danced all over the pictures and
gilt frames of the mirrors, leaving the corners quite in shadow. The
curtains were not drawn and we saw the darkness creeping up over the
lawn; quite at the edge of the wood the band of white mist was rising,
which we love to see in our part of the country, as it always means a