marriage；　represented　her　share　of　the　property　of　her　father　and
  mother。
  Bridau　idolized　the　Emperor；　and　served　him　with　the　devotion　of　a
  Mohammedan　for　his　prophet；　striving　to　carry　out　the　vast　conceptions
  of　the　modern　demi…god；　who；　finding　the　whole　fabric　of　France
  destroyed；　went　to　work　to　reconstruct　everything。　The　new　official
  never　showed　fatigue；　never　cried　〃Enough。〃　Projects；　reports；　notes；
  studies；　he　accepted　all；　even　the　hardest　labors；　happy　in　the
  consciousness　of　aiding　his　Emperor。　He　loved　him　as　a　man；　he　adored
  him　as　a　sovereign；　and　he　would　never　allow　the　least　criticism　of
  his　acts　or　his　purposes。
  From　1804　to　1808；　the　Bridaus　lived　in　a　handsome　suite　of　rooms　on
  the　Quai　Voltaire；　a　few　steps　from　the　ministry　of　the　interior　and
  close　to　the　Tuileries。　A　cook　and　footman　were　the　only　servants　of
  the　household　during　this　period　of　Madame　Bridau's　grandeur。　Agathe；
  early　afoot；　went　to　market　with　her　cook。　While　the　latter　did　the
  rooms；　she　prepared　the　breakfast。　Bridau　never　went　to　the　ministry
  before　eleven　o'clock。　As　long　as　their　union　lasted；　his　wife　took
  the　same　unwearying　pleasure　in　preparing　for　him　an　exquisite
  breakfast；　the　only　meal　he　really　enjoyed。　At　all　seasons　and　in　all
  weathers；　Agathe　watched　her　husband　from　the　window　as　he　walked
  toward　his　office；　and　never　drew　in　her　head　until　she　had　seen　him
  turn　the　corner　of　the　rue　du　Bac。　Then　she　cleared　the　breakfast…
  table　herself；　gave　an　eye　to　the　arrangement　of　the　rooms；　dressed
  for　the　day；　played　with　her　children　and　took　them　to　walk；　or
  received　the　visits　of　friends；　all　the　while　waiting　in　spirit　for
  Bridau's　return。　If　her　husband　brought　him　important　business　that
  had　to　be　attended　to；　she　would　station　herself　close　to　the　writing…
  table　in　his　study；　silent　as　a　statue；　knitting　while　he　wrote；
  sitting　up　as　late　as　he　did；　and　going　to　bed　only　a　few　moments
  before　him。　Occasionally；　the　pair　went　to　some　theatre；　occupying　one
  of　the　ministerial　boxes。　On　those　days；　they　dined　at　a　restaurant；
  and　the　gay　scenes　of　that　establishment　never　ceased　to　give　Madame
  Bridau　the　same　lively　pleasure　they　afford　to　provincials　who　are　new
  to　Paris。　Agathe；　who　was　obliged　to　accept　the　formal　dinners
  sometimes　given　to　the　head　of　a　department　in　a　ministry；　paid　due
  attention　to　the　luxurious　requirements　of　the　then　mode　of　dress；　but
  she　took　off　the　rich　apparel　with　delight　when　she　returned　home；　and
  resumed　the　simple　garb　of　a　provincial。　One　day　in　the　week；
  Thursday；　Bridau　received　his　friends；　and　he　also　gave　a　grand　ball；
  annually；　on　Shrove　Tuesday。
  These　few　words　contain　the　whole　history　of　their　conjugal　life；
  which　had　but　three　events；　the　births　of　two　children；　born　three
  years　apart；　and　the　death　of　Bridau；　who　died　in　1808；　killed　by
  overwork　at　the　very　moment　when　the　Emperor　was　about　to　appoint　him
  director…general；　count；　and　councillor　of　state。　At　this　period　of
  his　reign；　Napoleon　was　particularly　absorbed　in　the　affairs　of　the
  interior；　he　overwhelmed　Bridau　with　work；　and　finally　wrecked　the
  health　of　that　dauntless　bureaucrat。　The　Emperor；　of　whom　Bridau　had
  never　asked　a　favor；　made　inquiries　into　his　habits　and　fortune。
  Finding　that　this　devoted　servant　literally　had　nothing　but　his
  situation；　Napoleon　recognized　him　as　one　of　the　incorruptible　natures
  which　raised　the　character　of　his　government　and　gave　moral　weight　to
  it；　and　he　wished　to　surprise　him　by　the　gift　of　some　distinguished
  reward。　But　the　effort　to　complete　a　certain　work；　involving　immense
  labor；　before　the　departure　of　the　Emperor　for　Spain　caused　the　death
  of　the　devoted　servant；　who　was　seized　with　an　inflammatory　fever。
  When　the　Emperor；　who　remained　in　Paris　for　a　few　days　after　his
  return　to　prepare　for　the　campaign　of　1809；　was　told　of　Bridau's
  death　he　said：　〃There　are　men　who　can　never　be　replaced。〃　Struck　by
  the　spectacle　of　a　devotion　which　could　receive　none　of　the　brilliant
  recognitions　that　reward　a　soldier；　the　Emperor　resolved　to　create　an
  order　to　requite　civil　services；　just　as　he　had　already　created　the
  Legion　of　honor　to　reward　the　military。　The　impression　he　received
  from　the　death　of　Bridau　led　him　to　plan　the　order　of　the　Reunion。　He
  had　not　time；　however；　to　mature　this　aristocratic　scheme；　the
  recollection　of　which　is　now　so　completely　effaced　that　many　of　my
  readers　may　ask　what　were　its　insignia：　the　order　was　worn　with　a　blue
  ribbon。　The　Emperor　called　it　the　Reunion；　under　the　idea　of　uniting
  the　order　of　the　Golden　Fleece　of　Spain　with　the　order　of　the　Golden
  Fleece　of　Austria。　〃Providence；〃　said　a　Prussian　diplomatist；　〃took
  care　to　frustrate　the　profanation。〃
  After　Bridau's　death　the　Emperor　inquired　into　the　circumstances　of
  his　widow。　Her　two　sons　each　received　a　scholarship　in　the　Imperial
  Lyceum；　and　the　Emperor　paid　the　whole　costs　of　their　education　from
  his　privy　purse。　He　gave　Madame　Bridau　a　pension　of　four　thousand
  francs；　intending；　no　doubt；　to　advance　the　fortune　of　her　sons　in
  future　years。
  From　the　time　of　her　marriage　to　the　death　of　her　husband；　Agathe　had
  held　no　communication　with　Issoudun。　She　lost　her　mother　just　as　she
  was　on　the　point　of　giving　birth　to　her　youngest　son；　and　when　her
  father；　who；　as　she　well　knew；　loved　her　little；　died；　the　coronation
  of　the　Emperor　was　at　hand；　and　that　event　gave　Bridau　so　much
  additional　work　that　she　was　unwilling　to　leave　him。　Her　brother；
  Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　had　not　written　to　her　since　she　left　Issoudun。
  Though　grieved　by　the　tacit　repudiation　of　her　family；　Agathe　had　come
  to　think　seldom　of　those　who　never　thought　of　her。　Once　a　year　she
  received　a　letter　from　her　godmother；　Madame　Hochon；　to　whom　she
  replied　with　commonplaces；　paying　no　heed　to　the　advice　which　that
  pious　and　excellent　woman　gave　to　her；　disguised　in　cautious　words。
  Some　time　before　the　death　of　Doctor　Rouget；　Madame　Hochon　had　written
  to　her　goddaughter　warning　her　that　she　would　get　nothing　from　her
  father's　estate　unless　she　gave　a　power　of　attorney　to　Monsieur
  Hochon。　Agathe　was　very　reluctant　to　harass　her　brother。　Whether　it
  were　that　Bridau　thought　the　spoliation　of　his　wife　in　accordance　with
  the　laws　and　customs　of　Berry；　or　that；　high…minded　as　he　was；　he
  shared　the　magnanimity　of　his　wife；　certain　it　is　that　he　would　not
  listen　to　Roguin；　his　notary；　who　advised　him　to　take　advantage　of　his
  ministerial　position　to　contest　the　deeds　by　which　the　father　had
  deprived　the　daughter　of　her　legitimate　inheritance。　Husband　and　wife
  thus　tacitly　sanctioned　what　was　done　at　Issoudun。　Nevertheless；
  Roguin　had　forced　Bridau　to　reflect　upon　the　future　interests　of　his
  wife　which　were　thus　compromised。　He　saw　that　if　he　died　before　her；
  Agathe　would　be　left　without　property；　and　this　led　him　to　look　into
  his　own　affairs。　He　found　that　between　1793　and　1805　his　wife　and　he
  had　been　obliged　to　use　nearly　thirty　thousand　of　the　fifty　thousand
  francs　in　cash　which　old　Rouget　had　given　to　his　daughter　at　the　time
  of　her　marriage。　He　at　once　invested　the　remaining　twenty　thousand　in
  the　public　funds；　then　quoted　at　forty；　and　from　this　source　Agathe
  received　about　two　thousand　francs　a　year。　As　a　widow；　Madame　Bridau
  could　live　suitably　on　an　income　of　six　thousand　francs。　With
  provincial　good　sense；　she　thought　of　changing　her　residence；
  dismissing　the　footman；　and　keeping　no　servant　except　a　cook；　but　her
  intimate　friend；　Madame　Descoings；　who　insisted　on　being　considered
  her　aunt；　sold　her　own　establishment　and　came　to　live　with　Agathe；
  turning　the　study　of　the　late　Bridau　into　her　bedroom。
  The　two　widows　clubbed　their　revenues；　and　so　were　in　possession　of　a
  joint　income　of　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year。　This　seems　a　very
  simple　and　natural　proceeding。　But　nothing　in　life　is　more　deserving
  of　attention　than　the　things　that　are　called　natural；　we　are　on　our
  guard　against　the　unnatural　and　extraordinary。　For　this　reason；　you
  will　find　men　of　experiencelawyers；　judges；　doctors；　and　priests
  attaching　immense　importance　to　simple　matters；　and　they　are　often
  thought　over…scrupulous。　But　the　serpent　amid　flowers　is　one　of　the
  finest　myths　that　antiquity　has　bequeathed　for　the　guidance　of　our
  lives。　How　often　we　hear　fools；　trying　to　excuse　themselves　in　their
  own　eyes　or　in　the　eyes　of　others；　exclaiming；　〃It　was　all　so　natural
  that　any　one　would　have　been　taken　in。〃
  In　1809；　Madame　Descoings；　who　never　told　her　age；　was　sixty…five。　In
  her　heyday　she　had　been　popularly　called　a　beauty；　and　was　now　one　of
  those　rare　women　whom　time　respects。　She　owed　to　her　excellent
  constitution　the　privilege　of　preserving　her　good　looks；　which；
  however；　would　not　bear　close　examination。　She　was　of　medium　height；
  plump；　and　fresh；　with　fine　shoulders　and　a　rather　rosy　complexion。
  Her　blond　hair；　bordering　on　chestnut；　showed；　in　spite　of