In the last issue, we covered Napoleon's short liaison with the beautiful Mademoiselle E---. We continue with another anecdote by quoting directly from the Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon by Constant, the premier valet de chambre of Napoleon (i.e. first butler).
During the training of the Grande Armée at the Camp of Boulogne, Napoleon established his headquarters at the Château de Pont-de-Briques. Josephine was not with him and the Emperor, in a world saturated with mustachioed faces, had lonely evenings to fill up... There is an old French saying that claims: "Quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dancent" which translates something like "When the cat is not around, the mice dance."
"I have seen it stated, I know that the Emperor during the long stay we made at Boulogne, indemnified himself at night for the labors of the day with a beautiful Italian, and I will now relate what I know of this adventure. His Majesty complained one morning, while I was dressing him, in the presence of Prince Murat, that we saw none but mustached faces, which he said was very tiresome; and the Prince ever ready on occasions of this kind to offer his services to his brother-in-law, spoke to him of a handsome and attractive Genoese lady, who had the greatest desire to see his Majesty.
The Emperor laughingly granted a tête-à-tête, the prince himself offering to send the message, and two days later, by his kind assistance, the lady arrived, and was installed in the upper town. The Emperor, who lodged at Pont-de-Briques, ordered me one evening to take a carriage, and find the protégée of Prince Murat. I obeyed, and brought the beautiful Genoese who, to avoid scandal, although it was a dark night, was introduced through a little garden behind his Majesty's apartment. The poor woman was much excited, and she shed tears, but controlled herself quickly on finding that she was kindly received and the interview was prolonged until three o'clock in the morning, when I was called to carry her back. She returned afterward four or five times, and was with the Emperor afterwards at Rambouillet. She was gentle, simple, credulous, and not at all intriguing, and did not try to draw any benefit from a liaison which at best was only temporary.
Another of these favorites of the moment, who threw themselves so to speak into the arms of the Emperor without giving him time to make his court to them, was Mademoiselle L.B.---, a very pretty girl. She was intelligent and possessed a kind heart, and had she received a less frivolous education, would doubtless have been an estimable woman; but I have reason to believe that her mother had from the first the design of acquiring a protector for her second husband, by utilizing the youth and attractions of the daughter of her first. I do not recall her name, but she was of a noble family, of which fact mother and daughter were very proud, and the young girl was a very good musician, and sang agreeably; but, which appeared to me as ridiculous as indecent, she danced the ballet before a large company in her mother's house, in a costume almost as light as those of the opera, with castanets and tambourines, and ended her dances with a multiplicity of attitudes and graces.
With such an education she naturally thought her position not at all unusual, and was very much chagrined at the short duration of her liaison with the Emperor; while the mother was in despair, and said to me with disgusting simplicity, "See my poor Lise, how she has ruined her complexion in her vexation at seeing herself neglected, poor child. How good you will be, if you can manage to have her sent for." To secure an interview for which the mother and daughter were so desirous, they came together to the chapel at Saint-Cloud, and during mass the poor little Lise threw glances at the Emperor which made the young ladies blush who witnessed them, and were, nevertheless, all in vain, for the Emperor remained unmoved."
More Amour
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© Copyright 1997 by Jean Lochet
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