accepted by the young men, and being given the selection of arms, chose
the pistol, and appointed as the time of meeting an early hour next
morning, and everything was conducted in the order usual to such affairs.
One of the pages shot first, and missed his adversary; the other
discharged his weapon in the air, upon which they immediately rushed into
each other's arms, and M. d'Assigny took this opportunity of giving them
a truly paternal lecture. Moreover, the worthy sub-governor not only
kept their secret, but he kept his own also; for the pistols loaded by M.
d'Assigny contained only cork balls; a fact of which the young men are
still ignorant.

Some persons saw the 25th of August, which was the fete day of the
Empress, arrive with feelings of curiosity. They thought that from a
fear of exciting the memories of the royalists, the Emperor would
postpone this solemnity to another period of the year, which he could
easily have done by feting his august spouse under the name of Marie.
But the Emperor was not deterred by such fears, and it is also very
probable that he was the only one in the chateau to whom no such idea
occurred. Secure in his power, and the hopes that the French nation then
built upon him, he knew well that he had nothing to dread from exiled
princes, or from a party which appeared dead without the least chance of
resurrection. I have heard it asserted since, and very seriously too,
that his Majesty was wrong to fete Saint Louis, which had brought him
misfortune, etc.; but these prognostications, made afterwards, did not
then occupy the thoughts of any one, and Saint Louis was celebrated in
honor of the Empress Marie Louise with almost unparalleled pomp and
brilliancy.

A few days after these rejoicings, their Majesties held in the Bois de
Boulogne a review of the regiments of the Imperial Guard of Holland,