marquis's dress, of which I was excessively proud, served me also for a
fancy dress ball given by the Duchesse de Berri, at which, identifying
myself too much with my character, I had a quarrel with a Cossack of my
own age, young de B-- about a partner. In my fury I drew my sword, he
did likewise, and we were just falling on each other, when the Duchesse
rushed up crying, "Stop, you naughty children! Take their swords away,
M. de Brissac!" As for my sister Clementine, who was at the ball too,
wearing her minuet gown, and looking utterly bewitching in her powder
and her looped-up dress, she attracted the notice of Charles X., to whom
she doubtless brought back memories of his own youth. He came to her and
kissed her, and gazed at her for a long time, holding her hand. Then,
turning to my father, he said, "Monsieur, if I were forty years younger,
your daughter should be Queen of France," whereupon he kissed her over
again.

Our dancing lessons, which were looked upon as recreation, alternated
with walks about Paris. The girls went in one direction, and the boys in
another. When we went out thus, one tutor alone took the extra duty of
looking after us. When it was Trognon who came out, we always expected
to be taken to Sautelet's, a bookseller in the Rue de Richelieu, whose
establishment became, I recollect, in later days, the head office of the
NATIONAL. There Trognon would hold forth amongst the journalists, while
the clerks talked to us. I remember their showing me the splendid
manuscript of the Memoirs of Saint-Simon, which Sautelet was then
publishing. When, on the other hand, it was Cuvillier-Fleury who
marshalled us, the objects of our walks became more varied, and we soon
began to discover that there was not unfrequently a petticoat somewhere
about. Yet I owe to him the precious memory of a visit to the studio of
Eugene Delacroix; and also of one to M. de Lavalette, Postmaster-General
under the first Napoleon, a most interesting man, well known for his