Up above the knee, her ladyship used very
firm language; and, though of course perfectly ladylike,
would, rendered into masculine terms, have signified that she
would 'see the painter d-d first.' The celebrated 'Cruche
cassee' of Greuze, was represented by the reigning beauty,
the Marquise de Gallifet, with complete fidelity and success.
There was one stage of the performance which neither I nor
Lord Castlerosse, both of us newly married, at all
appreciated. This was the privileges of the Green-room, or
rather of the dressing-rooms. The exhibition was given in
the ball-room. On one side of this, until the night of the
performances, an enclosure was boarded off. Within it, were
compartments in which the ladies dressed and - undressed. At
this operation, as we young husbands discovered, certain
young gentlemen of the court were permitted to assist - I
think I am not mistaken in saying that his Majesty was of the
number. What kind of assistance was offered or accepted,
Castlerosse and I, being on the wrong side of the boarding,
were not in a position to know.
There was a door in the boarding, over which one expected to
see, 'No admittance except on business,' or perhaps, 'on
pleasure.' At this door I rapped, and rapped again
impatiently. It was opened, only as wide as her face, by the
empress.
'What do you want, sir?' was the angry demand.
'To see my wife, madame,' was the submissive reply.
'You can't see her; she is rehearsing.'
'But, madame, other gentlemen - '
'Ah! Mais, c'est un enfantillage! Allez-vous-en.'
And the door was slammed in my face.
'Well,' thought I, 'the right woman is in the right place
there, at all events.'
Another little incident at the performance itself also
recalled the days and manners of the court of Louis XV.
Between each tableau, which was lighted solely from the
raised stage, the lights were put out, and the whole room
left in complete darkness. Whenever this happened, the
sounds of immoderate kissing broke out in all directions,
accompanied by little cries of resistance and protestation.
Until then, I had always been under the impression that
humour of this kind was confined to the servants' hall. One
could not help thinking of another court, where things were
managed differently.
But the truth is, these trivial episodes were symptomatic of
a pervading tone. A no inconsiderable portion of the ladies
seemed to an outsider to have been invited for the sake of
their personal charms. After what has just been related, one
could not help fancying that there were some amongst them who
had availed themselves of the privilege which, according to
Tacitus, was claimed by Vistilia before the AEdiles. So far,
however, from any of these noble ladies being banished to the
Isle of Seriphos, they seemed as much attached to the court
as the court to them; and whatever the Roman Emperor might
have done, the Emperor of the French was all that was most
indulgent.
